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Putin's Inauguration Sets Today; More than 1,000 individuals rescued by Months of Flooding in Kenya. White House Dismayed on Al Jazeera's Shutdown in Israel; U.S. Colleges Resets Graduation Rites due to Student Unrests and Pro-Palestinian Protests; Boeing Starliner Launch Deferred by a Technical Issue; Miss USA Noelia Voigt Steps Down for Mental Health Reasons. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired May 07, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, Israel seizes control of a critical border crossing, thousands shelter in southern Gaza with nowhere to go as the IDF ramps up airstrikes on Rafah.
Plus, the judge overseeing Donald Trump's New York hush money trial says the former president could end up behind bars if he doesn't stop violating his gag order.
And a dangerous storm system leaves a path of destruction in the Midwestern U.S.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. We begin with breaking news out of Gaza. The Israeli military says it's taken control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing. We have new video taken by the Israeli military showing tanks moving into the crossing. The Rafah crossing is one of the main supply routes for humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
A Rafah crossing official says that at the moment, all movement at the crossing has stopped. Also in Rafah, video shot from the Egyptian side of the border shows explosions from apparent Israeli airstrikes. Hospital officials say 15 people, including a child, were killed in the bombardment. Now this comes after a very different scene in Rafah on Monday.
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These celebrations in the streets happened right after Hamas announced it had agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release proposal. But later word came that what Hamas agreed to was not the framework negotiated by Israel and Egypt.
CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman has spent decades covering Gaza, often from inside the enclave, and he joins us now live from Rome. Good morning to you again, Ben. So what more do we know about developments at the Rafah crossing and how significant is Israel's takeover of the Palestinian side?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know, Rosemary, is that Israel is now in full control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt. They've put up flags. We've seen them. They've deployed armor there. And according to the Palestinian officials who normally work there, the crossing is no longer functional, which basically means that the main entry point for humanitarian goods going into Gaza is now closed. The Israelis say it will reopen when security permits. When that is, is not at all clear, because obviously this corner of Gaza, the southeast corner, the southeast corner of Rafah, is now a war zone.
What we've seen is since shortly after midnight there have been airstrikes. As you said, at least 15 people have been killed, according to hospitals in Rafah. And obviously this is going to exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Yesterday the Israelis dropped leaflets on that area of Rafah, telling people, ordering people to leave that area. There are about 100,000 Palestinians who have taken refuge in that part of Rafah. Now, the United States has warned Israel time and time again not to undertake any sort of military operation in the Rafah area because of the very high probability of high civilian casualties.
And also the United States has pointed out time and time again that the Israelis simply have not made, taken any measures to provide the basics in terms of shelter and sanitation and food for all of those people who are going to be fleeing the Rafah area as the fighting there intensifies. Rosemary.
CHURCH: And Ben, Hamas accepted a ceasefire and hostage deal, but not the one offered by Egypt and Israel. So what likely comes next when negotiations get underway in the coming hours?
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WEDEMAN: Well, we understand the Israelis are going to be sending a working-level delegation to Cairo to carry on with negotiations over some sort of ceasefire. Now, it's not altogether clear how far apart Hamas's proposal or the proposal that Hamas said it agreed to and the proposal that the Israelis apparently agreed to.
It may be simply that the Israelis don't want to agree to anything that would suggest that there might be a ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire. The phrase that we've heard time and time again is that part of this sort of the general outline of an agreement would involve what's being called a sustainable period of calm, which certainly does sound like a prolonged ceasefire. But the Israelis continue to insist that they will continue this war until the elimination of Hamas, even though they've been warned by many that eliminating Hamas is much easier said than done.
And at this point, after seven months and more than 34,000 dead Palestinians, how much longer can this war realistically go on? Rosemary?
CHURCH: Ben Wedeman, joining us live from Rome. Many thanks for that report.
Joining me now from Canberra, Australia, Malcolm Davis is a Senior Analyst of Defense Strategy and Capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Many thanks for being with us.
MALCOLM DAVIS, SR. ANALYST OF DEFENSE AND STRATEGY CAPABILITY, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Thank you for having me, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So Israel is striking eastern Rafah, vowing to proceed with its operation in that southern Gaza City after Hamas agreed to a different hostage and ceasefire proposal to the one offered by Egypt and Israel. What's the scope and objective of a military operation like this and can it achieve Israel's goal of pressuring Hamas or perhaps do the opposite?
DAVIS: I think when you look at the geography of the area, Rafah is the last stronghold for the military forces of Hamas. So I think Israel's goal would be to deal the death blow, if you like, to Hamas' military forces, to attack their command and leadership that's there in Rafah, noting that a lot of the senior leaders of Hamas are actually in other parts of the Middle East, and ultimately to make sure that Hamas cannot recover and return as a threat to Israel.
CHURCH: And civilians have been told to evacuate Rafah ahead of a ground incursion, but relocating so many people so quickly is, of course, challenging. So what happens to them and to the hostages who are likely somewhere in Rafah if Israel moves in on its ground incursion?
DAVIS: Well, those Palestinians are in the line of fire. Obviously, Israel is trying to give them time to move. But as you say, move where? All of Gaza is still potentially under threat.
And you've got a large number of people, over a million, that are in Rafah that would need to move. And the sheer logistics of doing that, coordinating the move on the ground of that massive amount of people, I think means it's impractical for them to actually make that move. So, unfortunately, they are in the line of fire if Israel goes in.
And in terms of the hostages, as I think everyone understands, Hamas have control of them. Hamas would probably try to move them out into a more protected area or potentially, you know, you could see those hostages come to some harm, unfortunately. So I do think that there's no good, easy solutions here for the Israelis to win decisively, win quickly and secure the release of hostages.
CHURCH: And Malcolm, Israel's closest ally, the U.S., has repeatedly called on Prime Minister Netanyahu not to move into Rafah unless evacuation and humanitarian plans are in place. So why is Netanyahu thumbing his nose, essentially, at the U.S. when he's already being isolated by the rest of the world?
DAVIS: Because Netanyahu knows that if he does not defeat Hamas, then he loses the war, basically. Netanyahu responded to the attacks by Hamas on October the 7th last year with the decision to militarily go in and defeat and destroy Hamas.
Now we're at that crucial point where Hamas is isolated in that last remaining part of Gaza. If Netanyahu holds off on an attack into Rafah, then ultimately he doesn't achieve his goals. Hamas remains militarily intact.
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They can reconstitute, rebuild and once again threaten Israel in the future. So from Netanyahu's perspective, he's forced to attack in order to achieve his goals of defeating Hamas. But he must know that in doing so, he will increase Israel's isolation and his isolation from his traditional areas of support, including the United States.
CHURCH: And Israeli forces have apparently taken over the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing. What is the likely military strategy behind that plan? And of course, ultimately, the exit strategy?
DAVIS: Well, I think it's going to be remarkably similar to what has happened in the rest of Gaza, where you have probably ground forces going in, basically infantry at the front, and then armor coming up behind. I have no doubt that there are probably special forces already inside Rafah. Airpower supporting those forces wherever possible, long range fires in terms of artillery and missile attacks.
Ultimately, where that leads, I think, is a decisive battle to end Hamas' control of Rafah. The exit strategy, I think, is unclear. Israel would have to control the terrain to prevent any recurrence or re-emergence of Hamas until such time as some form of stabilization force from outside the region can go in to secure the area. And then you would see the Israeli defense forces withdraw from not only Rafah but also Gaza as well.
CHURCH: Malcolm Davis in Canberra, many thanks for joining us, I appreciate it.
DAVIS: Thank you.
CHURCH: Vladimir Putin is just hours away from his inauguration to a fifth term as Russia's President. He's set to be sworn in for a new six-year term after winning the election in March by a landslide, though of course he faced no real competition. Most E.U. countries as well as the United States will not have a representative at his inauguration.
And CNN's Clare Sebastian joins me now live from London with more on this. Good to see you, Clare. So what's expected and how will this inauguration ceremony likely play out? CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it'll be much the
same as in previous years, the previous four times that Putin has been inaugurated as Russian President. It's an opportunity of course to rubber stamp that record 87 percent majority with which he won, obviously having of course stifled all opposition and criminalized pretty much all dissent, especially against his war in Ukraine. But we will see the ceremonial part, obviously he'll progress, process through the Kremlin, the Grand Kremlin Palace, that red carpet, he'll swear on the Russian Constitution, he may make a speech as he has in previous years. So that will pretty much all be predictable.
There is then the process where the government has to resign on the same day and over the coming days Putin will then appoint or perhaps reappoint a prime minister and cabinet members. There is a small amount of speculation around his defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, he has been in that job for some 12 years and obviously things are right now going Russia's way to some extent in Ukraine.
But one of his top deputies, a very close associate, was recently arrested on bribery charges. So that has led to some speculation there. And of course in terms of the international dignitaries at the inauguration, foreign diplomats are in large part boycotting this, the E.U. countries, the U.K., some of the Baltic States have had some choice words on this. Lithuania, which no longer has an ambassador in Russia, said that they would not be taking part in what they called Putin's fake inauguration theater. That's a tweet from the Lithuanian foreign minister. But at home, of course, he has a very clear mandate and as I said, things are largely going Russia's way at the moment. It seems to have the advantage, at least in the ground war in Ukraine, Rosemary.
CHURCH: And Clare, Russia announced non-strategic nuclear weapons exercises as the Kremlin condemned what it called an unprecedented escalation of tension by the West. How significant is this? And of course, what's the latest?
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, I mean, look, I think it's in Russia's interest to keep up that level of fear that this nuclear armed country, which is waging an unprovoked conventional war in Europe could escalate.
So it seems to be mostly to that end at this point. It's a very non- specific threat. They're saying that the defense ministry saying that they've begun preparations for exercises to practice the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. We don't know exactly when. They said simply in the near future, but they are tying it directly to comments recently. One from David Cameron, the U.K. foreign secretary, not ruling out.
He said that the U.K. would not be against the use of British weapons, specifically on Russian soil. And also from Emmanuel Macron on reiterating his position that he would not rule out the use of Western boots on the ground in Ukraine.
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So they then summoned the ambassadors. So far, this is rhetoric. It seems the U.S. not seeing any change in Russia's strategic posture when it comes to nuclear weapons. But it is a threat that the West does take extremely seriously. Rosemary.
CHURCH: Alright. Our thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London with that report.
Prosecutors say they have roughly two weeks of testimony left in Donald Trump's hush money trial. And that has many wondering if the former US president will keep quiet long enough to stay out of jail. A judge fined Trump another $1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order and said that if he does it again, he is going to jail. The gag order bars Trump from commenting on witnesses, court staff or the jury.
The focus then shifted to the paper trail and how former fixer Michael Cohen was reimbursed for paying off a porn star who claimed to have an affair with Trump.
CNN's Kara Scannell has details.
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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Insiders at the Trump Organization on the stand walk through key payments at the center of the case against former President Donald Trump as the first criminal trial of a former president begins its fourth week.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: It's a ridiculous case. I did nothing wrong.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Jeffrey Makani, a former executive at the company, testified Trump used his personal account to reimburse his former attorney, Michael Cohen.
Prosecutors allege the payments were reimbursement for a hush money payment Cohen made just before the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels to quiet her story of an alleged affair with Trump. Trump denies the affair. Makani said the reimbursements came in $35,000 monthly increments through 2017.
MICHAEL COHEN, TRUMP'S FORMER ATTORNEY: It was actually 11 checks because one of the checks January and February were combined.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Prosecutors aim to prove Trump's business records of the payments were falsified and the money was not for a retainer agreement as stated on Cohen's invoices, but instead payback for the hush money to Daniels.
Prosecutors asked Makani if this was all happening above his head. Yes, he replied. Makani testified former Trump Organization chief financial officer Alan Weisselberg was the one who told him they had to reimburse Cohen.
Weisselberg, who is currently serving five months in jail on perjury charges in Trump's civil fraud case, had sketched out the payment to Cohen on a bank statement that showed Cohen transferred the $130,000 payment to Daniels' attorney. The total paid to Cohen, $420,000, allegedly included reimbursing Cohen for the money he paid to Daniels' attorney to kill her story, cash owed for other expenses and a hefty bonus for Cohen. It was marked on the books as a legal expense.
Makani suggested Trump kept a tight rein over his account, but Trump attorney Emil Bove in rapid fire questioning tried to show Trump was not involved in accounting at the company in 2017 when these payments were made.
Bove asked Makani whether he talked to Trump about these payments. I did not, Makani testified. Bove pressed him further if Trump ever asked him to do any of the things he described. He did not, Makani testified.
Also testifying on Monday, Deborah Tarasoff, a Trump Organization accounts employee who cut the checks to Cohen. Tarasoff said that Trump was the only one who signed the checks for his personal account. Only Mr. Trump, she testified, adding if he didn't want to sign it, he didn't sign it.
COHEN: It certainly goes well past the Stormy Daniels hush money payment.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Monday morning before the witnesses took the stand, the judge found Trump in contempt for again violating a gag order, preventing him from discussing witnesses or jurors in the case. This time criticizing the makeup of the jury in an interview with the outlet "Real America's Voice".
TRUMP: That jury was picked so fast, 95 percent Democrats, the areas all mostly all Democrat. You think of it as a, just a purely Democrat area. It's a very unfair situation that I can tell you.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Judge Juan Merchan said the magnitude of this decision is not lost on me, but at the end of the day, I have a job to do. So as much as I don't want to impose a jail sanction, I want you to understand that I will, if necessary and appropriate.
TRUMP: Because this judge has given me a gag order and said, you'll go to jail if you violate it.
SCANNELL: Now it's because Trump has violated a gag order in this case that prosecutors say they won't publicly identify the next witness that they will call. But one prosecutor said in court that they have about two weeks left of this case. That's about eight days based on the court schedule. And among the witnesses yet that they have not called Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen.
Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.
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CHURCH: We're following breaking news out of southwestern China, where according to state media, at least two people are dead and nearly two dozen injured in a knife attack at a hospital. A suspect is now reportedly in custody, but officials have not confirmed whether the person arrested is the attacker. We're working to track down more information and will, of course, bring you any updates as they come into us.
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Well still -- still ahead. Tens of thousands of people in Oklahoma and Missouri are without power after tornadoes ripped through the region. We will have the latest on the dangerous storms hitting parts of the U.S.
Plus, a number of U.S. colleges are cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests while shifting graduation plans or cancelling ceremonies altogether. We'll explain.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Nearly 100 million people across the eastern United States are under a severe storm threat in the hours ahead. It's part of a dangerous system that has already hit parts of the central and southern U.S., prompting tornado warnings and watches from Texas to South Dakota. At least 10 tornadoes were reported Monday, most of them in Oklahoma. An emergency was issued for the town of Barnesville in northeastern Oklahoma, which was hit with its second powerful tornado in just over a month.
An official says dozens of homes were damaged there on Monday. Emergency workers in that area are urging people to stay home and avoid the roads. Tens of thousands of power outages have been reported in parts of Oklahoma and Missouri, and some areas have been under a rare high-risk level 5 storm watch.
Well over the past few days, more than 1,000 people marooned by flooding in western Kenya have been rescued, according to Kenya's Red Cross. But they say people are still stranded in some of the hardest- hit areas. Much of the country has been inundated by heavy rainfall and devastating floods, but some say the real disaster is more than just what's happening now.
Warning, it's part of the larger climate crisis, and it's just going to get worse. Larry Madowo has our report.
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LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Floodwaters drenching many parts of Kenya after weeks of relentless rain.
Riverbanks are overflowing, homes are flooded, and entire communities destroyed. These are the immediate impacts of an unprecedented rainy season, and experts say the long-term prognosis is even worse.
HUSSEIN SEID ENDRIS, CLIMATE MONITORING EXPERT, IGAD CLIMATE PROTECTION AND APPLICATIONS CENTER: We are going to see even more extreme events in the future under a changing climate.
MADOWO: Can you say definitively that all this heavy rainfall and flooding is because of climate change?
SEID ENDRIS: Okay, so we cannot attribute a particular event with climate change, but climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extremes in our region.
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MADOWO (voice-over): Kenya is caught in a cycle of extreme droughts and intense rainfall, with the El Nino weather phenomenon and climate change exacerbating this year's wet season, leaving more than 200 people dead and thousands of people displaced from their homes.
MADOWO: Runda is one of Nairobi's wealthiest neighborhoods, but they have not been spared. In fact, there are multi-million dollar homes back there under the water. This is a wall that was swept away. Part of the reason is because these expensive homes were built on riparian land, on riverbanks, against government advice.
MADOWO (voice-over): Kenya's president said the current crisis is a, quote, "direct consequence of a failure to protect the environment".
WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT: Scientific evidence indicates that restoring our natural habitats is our best defense against escalating weather extremes.
MADOWO (voice-over): His government plans to plant 15 billion trees by 2032, but the emissions threat is global.
MADOWO: Countries like Kenya contribute very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, but we're seeing the worst effects here.
SEID ENDRIS: Absolutely, that is what the developing countries are experiencing, so they don't have capacity to mitigate these climate extremes.
MADOWO (voice-over): And the floods are hitting Kenya's poorest communities the hardest.
GEOFFREY MBOYA, CLIMATE ACTIVIST: It's very appalling just to see the very dire effects that have strongly hit urban poor communities. These are people living in makeshift tents, and so you have water sweeping away their houses.
MADOWO (voice-over): Geoffrey Mboya is a climate activist from the underserved Nairobi neighborhood of Mukuru, Kwanjanga. He says leaders aren't doing enough to wind down the use of fossil fuels or help vulnerable communities adapt.
MBOYA: It's about time that the government and other stakeholders come up with adaptive measures to enable us to live with these conditions. Tomorrow, I'm turning 24. In 2030, I'll be 30. And seeing all these effects now really puts me in a scary moment for my future and for my generation.
MADOWO (voice-over): Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
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CHURCH: Time for a short break. When we come back, the White House responds to Israel's controversial decision to shut down Al Jazeera's operations in the country.
Then, talk of trade disputes during the Chinese President's visit to France, as well as some pomp and ceremony. We'll have a live report.
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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom". I'm Rosemary Church. Let's check today's top stories.
A New York judge has told Donald Trump that if he decides to keep violating his gag order, he's going to jail. The former U.S. president was found in contempt on Monday for the 10th time and fined for speaking about the jury in the Hush Money case and how it was selected.
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The dangerous system that's brought powerful storms and tornadoes to parts of the southern and central U.S. is now moving to more populated areas in the east. Nearly 100 million people are under a severe weather threat today, stretching from Texas to Pennsylvania.
The Israeli military says it has taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing into Gaza amid heightened fears of an all-out military incursion. Hospitals in the area report the latest Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 15 people.
Joining me now from Tel Aviv, former Israeli Consul General in New York, Alon Pinkas. Appreciate you being with us.
ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: Good morning, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So not long after Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage proposal Monday, we learned that it's not the same proposal put forward by Israel and Egypt. So what did Hamas actually agree to? What caused the confusion and is there still a chance for a deal here?
PINKAS: Well, there's a chance. I think it's up to Israel now to overcome the nuances or the small details that distinguish between the original draft that Israel agreed to late April, 27th of April, and this new one that indeed Hamas agreed to yesterday.
Look, if Israel wants a deal, this is a deal that can be made. The problem, Rosemary, is, and you've alluded to it earlier, or Ben Wedeman did, in fact, is the issue of the end of the war. While Hamas is demanding a prolonged and extended ceasefire, which de facto would mean the end of the war, Israel ostensibly and officially cannot agree to that, because that leaves the entire Gaza operation in limbo.
Now, you know, the mediators, the U.S. indirectly and Qatar and Egypt directly, have been suspicious of Mr. Netanyahu's motivations. I mean, no one has any illusions as to Hamas. But in terms of Israel, they have suspicions that Mr. Netanyahu is not interested in a deal. And so we're going to have to wait and see in the next 24 hours where this is headed.
CHURCH: Do you think Benjamin Netanyahu wants an end to this war?
PINKAS: No. I know. I say no casually, Rosemary, but this can be explained. And I think that Mr. Wedeman, Ben Wedeman alluded to that, too. He knows that if the war ends now, it ends in a stalemate, having to do or stemming from a different definition of what constitutes victory.
He has said eradication, annihilation, obliteration, toppling of Hamas. That hasn't happened. And so if the war ends now, he's going to face the responsibility and the accountability and the rage of the public for his actions leading to October 7th and his management of the war since. And that would, you know, that would impel and generate demonstrations that could rile his coalition and demands for an early election. He knows that he needs this war to go on.
CHURCH: And we are seeing new video of explosions from apparent Israeli airstrikes in Rafah after Prime Minister Netanyahu's office vowed to proceed with the IDF operation in Rafah with the aim of putting pressure on Hamas. How likely is it that this strategy will work?
PINKAS: I actually think it won't work. It will not work. Look, when you're negotiating a hostage deal, which is accompanied, obviously, by a ceasefire, you can't come out, as Mr. Netanyahu did on Saturday, and say that an operation in Rafah will move forward with or without a ceasefire. That's irreconcilable. What do you mean, you're negotiating a ceasefire, but you'll do something militarily, even if there is a ceasefire? That doesn't work.
And I think that when he says pressuring Hamas, all right, so just reject the deal and by all means launch an operation in Rafah, see where that gets you. I doubt this pressure or this exercise in applying pressure is meaningful or impactful.
CHURCH: So why is Israel forging ahead with this Rafah offensive when U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly cautioned Prime Minister Netanyahu not to do so, and when this ceasefire and hostage deal appears so close, it's within reach, right? I mean, that appears to be the case.
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PINKAS: I subscribe to everything you just said, Rosemary. It beats me. I mean, here's the thing. It goes back to what we just discussed.
Mr. Netanyahu set a goal of eradicating and destroying Hamas. That cannot be attained right now, or can only be attained, if Israel indeed reoccupies the entire Gaza Strip with 2.3 million inhabitants in the most densely populated area and leaving the military there indefinitely. He does not want that. No one wants that. In fact, he's also rejected all pleas from the Americans to set an
international force, and indeed with an Arab component, to replace Hamas gradually. He rejected that and refused to even entertain that.
So this Rafah thing, he turned Rafah into some kind of a Stalingrad, an inflection point after which the war will be won decisively, which beckons the question, if Rafah is the center of gravity of Hamas military activity, then why did you invade the northern part of Gaza back in late October and early November rather than begin the operation in the south? That's unclear. Not just unclear to me, Rosemary, unclear to the Pentagon, which has asked Mr. Netanyahu, and apparently the answer is political.
But, you know, this Rafah thing, you know, the viewers need to understand. There are a million point four people concentrated in the southern tip of Gaza right now. There's no way in the world that Israel can invade or launch an offensive operation without removing at least 90 percent of them. And the question is, where are they going to go? This is, you know, this is not Canada. This is not Australia. This is not the U.S. This is a very small, dense plot of land.
CHURCH: Alon Pinkas, in Tel Aviv, many thanks for joining us. I Appreciate it.
PINKAS: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Meantime, the White House says it does not support Israel's decision to shut down Al Jazeera's operations in the country. The Israeli government says the network's activities violated state security. More now from CNN's Jomana Karadsheh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A dark day for democracy.
That's what the Foreign Press Association has called the Israeli decision to shutter the local offices of Qatari news network Al Jazeera. This video obtained by CNN shows Israeli officials raiding and confiscating the channel's equipment in Jerusalem.
The network has called it a, quote, "criminal act and saying it wouldn't affect its coverage of the war".
MOHAMED MOAWAD, MANAGING EDITOR, AL JAZEERA ARABIC: Al Jazeera affirms its right to continue to provide news and information to its global audiences. Israel's direct targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, intimidation and the threats will not deter Al Jazeera.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): Israel's move comes one month after it passed a law placing strict restrictions on the channel's operations. Back then, the United States called the move concerning.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We believe in the freedom of the press. It is critical. It is critically important and the United States supports the critically important work journalists around the world do. And that includes those who are reporting in the conflict in Gaza.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): The network has long been considered a thorn in the side of Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government. He's accused it of being a mouthpiece of Hamas. Accusations the network denies.
But the network is also known for its dogged on-the-ground reporting on Israel's war in Gaza and its operations in the West Bank.
Now, after a cabinet decision Sunday, it's official.
SHLOMO KARHI, ISRAELI COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER (through translator): The government has now unanimously approved the closure of the incitement mouthpiece of Hamas in Israel, Al Jazeera channel. The orders have just been signed. We are executing them. Anyone who harms the security of Israel and the soldiers and fighters of the IDF will no longer broadcast here from Israel.
IMRAN KHAN, AL JAZEERA CORRESPONDENT: If you're watching this pre- recorded report, then Al Jazeera has been banned in the territory of Israel.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): In this pre-recorded video, Al Jazeera correspondent Imran Khan gave details of the closure.
KHAN: Al Jazeera, he's now enacted that law.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): The ban is initially set to last 45 days. Until then, at least, the channel will remain off-air in Israel, a country described as the only democracy in the Middle East.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: A number of U.S. colleges are changing graduation plans as pro-Palestinian protests continue across the country. Columbia University says it's canceling the school's main commencement over security concerns.
[03:40:00]
Instead, it will hold smaller ceremonies and is planning a festive event next week so students will have a chance to celebrate together.
MIT says its students could be banned from their graduation and suspended if they refuse to leave an anti-war encampment on campus.
Harvard issued a similar warning, saying its students could face involuntary leave, which means they won't be allowed on campus at all.
Meanwhile, UCLA has moved all classes online for the rest of the week after protests reignited on Monday. CNN's Camila Bernal has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More people detained here at UCLA, according to the pro-Palestinian organizers here on campus. We also learned that some of these protesters decided to have a sit-in at the building right here behind me and eventually were forced to exit the building by authorities in riot gear.
They also held a march around campus where they were chanting their demands, the demands that we have been hearing for weeks, which include divestment and transparency from the university. After this march and the protests around campus, the university did announce that classes would be moved to remote classes. And so, of course, a lot of the organizers say that's exactly what they wanted to see. They called it disruption, and that's what they wanted from the university.
This obviously all comes after Thursday when authorities essentially cleaned up the encampment that had been here on campus for about a week. And that morning, we did see the chaos and the violence and more than 200 people arrested. After that cleanup, I spoke to some of the pro-Palestinian organizers who told me that this wasn't over for them, and that's exactly what we saw. I spoke to one of the students that participated in the sit-in, and here's what she said.
ALOCOA VERDUGO, UCLA STUDENT; I just know that we're going to keep showing out. Like, be it word of mouth that we found out that something's happening, but we will be there. We are an educated and mobilized student body. The students here know that the illegal occupation of Palestine has to end. And the students here know where their fees are going, where their tuition is being directed. And so we are more empowered than ever to take back our university and to make our presence known for Palestine.
BERNAL: And for now, UCLA has not announced any changes to their commencement ceremony, but we have seen other colleges and universities around the nation say that they are changing or canceling plans for commencement ceremonies. So among them, the University of Southern California and Columbia University saying that they're going to give out their degrees in smaller ceremonies.
Also the University of Southern California saying they've already started a disciplinary process for the people that were arrested and affiliated with the university. So we are seeing some repercussions around the country and not just here in California.
Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Similar anti-war protests are playing out in Europe with pro- Palestinian encampments set up at Oxford and Cambridge in the U.K., at Barcelona University in Spain, as well as the University of Ghent in Belgium, where several faculty members signed an open letter supporting the student protesters.
China's president called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on the first day of his European tour. During a news conference with the French president, Xi Jinping said the prolonged war is a test of human conscience and called on the international community to take action. He also addressed Ukraine, saying Beijing has been promoting peace and that China and France should work together to prevent a new Cold War.
And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is tracking the visit live. She joins us now from Hong Kong. So Kristie, as President Xi Jinping wraps up his visit to France, he heads to Serbia next on a sensitive anniversary. What is the latest on that and what's next?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a sensitive anniversary, Rosemary. Today is the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. Pardon me.
And on this day, Xi Jinping is wrapping up his visit to France and he's heading next, as you said, to Serbia. And Xi Jinping, in the hours ahead, will soon be meeting with the French president Emmanuel Macron in the Pyrenees. There they'll be having some personal, pardon me, one-on-one time there in this beautiful setting that is said to be very close to Macron's heart, much in contrast to the formal talks that took place in the Elysee Palace on Monday. In that palace, during those talks, Xi Jinping was challenged on trade as well as Ukraine.
And as expected, the E.C. president, she took a very tough line on trade with Xi Jinping because tension has been rising across Europe over unfair market access, you know, for products like French cognac or subsidized Chinese exports like E.V.s. And she ultimately agreed that trade tensions should be addressed through talks, through discussion.
[03:45:05]
And Rosemary, we've just learned that state media has been reporting that China signed an MOU with Airbus to deepen aviation cooperation, so more investment at hand here.
Now, on the issue of Ukraine, Xi told Macron again that China won't sell weapons and won't sell military parts to Russia. She also backed Macron's call for a global Olympic truce during the upcoming Paris Games. I want you to watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translator): The world today is far from being calm. As a member of the United Nations Security Council and as a responsible country, China urges with France for a truce in the world during the Paris Olympic Games.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now, French officials hope that this is a sign that China will do what Macron's been asking for Xi Jinping to do for a while now, to use his pressure over Putin, over Russia to try to reach a truce in Ukraine.
And we do know that China will be hosting Putin for a meeting to take place next week in China. Up next, Xi Jinping will be going to a far less contentious destination. He goes to pro-Russia Serbia next. He, in fact, he's scheduled a touchdown in the early evening, about 12 p.m. Eastern time. Again, just in time for that sensitive anniversary of the NATO bombing. Rosemary.
CHURCH: And Kristie, Xi Jinping called on Emmanuel Macron to help fend off a new Cold War. What is the thinking behind that phrasing?
LU STOUT: Yeah, it was very interesting that he used those words and it was very intentional. This is what Xi told Macron during their one- on-one in Paris on Monday. He's trying to bring his European critics on side with China because there is this deep divide between Europe and China over trade, over the war in Ukraine, a war, again, that China has not condemned.
And Europe is also getting increasingly aligned with the United States, especially on these two issues. So China is aware of this. And let's say it's seeking to exploit differences inside Europe. That's why Xi Jinping, after visiting France, is going to pro-Russian Serbia and also Hungary next.
And it's also why China is reminding France that China is, in its own view, a peacemaker and against a new Cold War. Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Kristie Lu Stout joining us live from Hong Kong.
The third phase of voting is underway in India's marathon election and Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his ballot earlier today in his home state of Gujarat. The hugely popular but deeply polarizing leader is seeking his third consecutive term. The election started on April 19th and is expected to last until June 1st with nearly a billion people eligible to vote.
Still to come, Donald Trump is closer than ever to landing behind bars. How that might play out should it happen.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Despite repeated warnings, Donald Trump violated his gag order once again on Monday and has indicated he won't stop, even though the judge in his hush money trial has warned future violations will land him in jail.
More now from CNN's Brian Todd.
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BRIAM TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Never before has a former president physically gone to jail. So that means the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies have to figure out how to protect Donald Trump if that happens.
TODD (voice-over): The former president unbowed at the prospect of going to jail. DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT: This judge has given me a gag order
and said you'll go to jail if you violate it. I'll do that sacrifice any day.
TODD (voice-over): Judge Juan Merchant had told Donald Trump, quote, the last thing I want to do is to put you in jail, but I want you to understand that I will if necessary.
That after finding Trump in contempt for violating the gag order for the 10th time in his hush money trial. This time for speaking publicly about the makeup of the jury.
DAVID WEINSTEIN, FORMER STATE AND FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: That's what the message they're trying to get across to him will be, which is we tried fining you, we tried warning you, none of that seems to work. And so if they can work out the logistics, I think that that's something that potentially could be looming over him.
TODD (voice-over): But working out the logistics would be uncharted territory.
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: No place in the country has ever had to contain in a jail a former president of the United States under Secret Service protection.
TODD (voice-over): CNN's John Miller, citing officials familiar with the plans, reports the Secret Service, court officers, and the New York City Department of Correction have been quietly discussing what to do if the former president is really jailed for contempt of court.
MILLER: Set aside some location, not with general population, where his protection can be with him and armed.
TODD (voice-over): But there are also shorter, temporary options for jailing Trump.
KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, FORMER CHIEF ASSISTANT, D.A. MANHATTAN: They could put him in for a few hours. There is a holding cell behind the courtroom on the 15th floor of 100 Center Street. He could put him in for the day. He could put him in over lunch.
TODD (voice-over): If Trump is jailed for a few hours, overnight, or a period of days, where would the Secret Service be?
JONATHAN WACKROW, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: The Secret Service will not change their protective methodology, which is to protect the former president 360 degrees at all times in all directions. But the approach is going to be different.
MILLER: They would have to be with him. They would have to be able to control the process of where his food comes from, how it's delivered.
TODD (voice-over): What could go wrong if the former president is jailed during this trial?
MILLER: Is the building going to be stormed in a kind of January 6th scenario by supporters? Will there be bomb scares and, you know, anthrax threats and everything else called in and delivered?
TODD (voice-over): Jailing Trump on weekends might not be an option, one retired judge says, because that's often when Trump campaigns, and Judge Merchan may not want to infringe on his First Amendment rights. One other option?
LADORIS CORDELL, RETIRED JUDGE, SUPERIOR COURT OF MANHATTAN: If the judge says, I'm going to sentence you to jail, but I'm going to impose it at the conclusion of the trial, so there won't be any disruption, but Trump will have this hanging over his head for the duration of the trial.
TODD: In addition to calling the gag order unconstitutional and un- American, a Trump campaign spokesman said the judge's warning that he'll throw former president Trump in jail for what he called expressing his First Amendment rights is a, quote, "third world authoritarian tactic, typical of crooked Joe Biden and his comrades", end quote.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: A Pennsylvania pastor is lucky to be alive after a frightening encounter during Sunday service. Video from the church's livestream shows a man approach the lectern, raise a gun and pull the trigger, but the firearm failed to discharge. The church's cameraman tackled the suspect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLENN GERMANY, PASTOR: I'm thankful to God that I'm still here, because he definitely pulled the trigger.
CLARENCE MCCALLISTER, CHURCH CAMERAMAN: I'm just grateful that, you know, God seen it, that nobody got hurt, especially when the guy had the gun pointed directly at his head.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The pastor says he had never seen the 26-year-old suspect before and it's not clear what his motive was. After the attempted shooting at the church, police went to the suspect's home where they found the body of a relative who had been fatally shot.
Coming up, NASA and Boeing's Starliner launch has been delayed. We will explain why when we return.
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[03:55:00]
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CHURCH: The first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft has been delayed. It was set to take off Monday night with two NASA astronauts on board for a week-long trip to the International Space Station, but the mission was scrapped just two hours before launch due to a technical issue with the Atlas V rocket. Good news for Boeing, however, the delay appears to have nothing to do with its Starliner capsule and the crew might make a second take-off attempt tonight. We'll see.
Miss USA is giving up her crown. Noelia Voigt announced her resignation Monday saying it was in the best interest of her mental health. The former Miss Utah was crowned Miss USA back in November, the first Venezuelan-American woman to win the title. In a statement, Voigt says in part, My hope is that I continue to inspire others to remain steadfast, prioritize your mental health, and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain. The Miss USA organization says it supports Voigt's decision and her successor will be announced soon.
One of New York City's most exclusive events took place Monday night. The Metropolitan Museum of Art rolled out the red carpet for A-list celebrities attending the Met Gala and the stars brought their own style to this year's theme, the Garden of Time. Celebrities like model Kendall Jenner paid homage to the theme with a look reminiscent of a queen from a fantasy series. Jenner shared she was the first person ever to wear the dress, even though it was made in 1999.
Thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with our Max Foster.
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