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Israel War Cabinet Member Benny Gantz Delivers Ultimatum To Benjamin Netanyahu; New Humanitarian Aid Arrives In Gaza Via U.S. Military Pier; Judge Reopens Sentencing Case For Paul Pelosi's Attacker; Trump Addresses NRA Convention In Dallas; Ukraine Forces Residences Of Town Near Kharkiv To Evacuate; New Law Requires Ukrainian Men To Register For Military Draft; Champions For Change; CNN Political Commentator Alice Stewart Dies At 58. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired May 18, 2024 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Dramatic new video showing a large crowd of people running after aid trucks and climbing on top of the trucks. The aid just arriving today from the floating pier set up by the U.S. Military. U.S. officials say that pier will help bring in 500 tons of life-saving supplies every day for the Palestinian people.

And all this unfolding as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects an ultimatum from a member of his own war cabinet.

CNN's Elliott Gotkine has the latest on the revolt inside Netanyahu's own government.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jessica, the divisions in Israel's war cabinet burst into the open on Saturday evening when Benny Gantz gave a press conference in which he threatened to leave the war cabinet unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came up with a six- point plan by June 8th. Now that plan would allow for the elimination of Hamas, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, putting in place a non-Fatah, non-Hamas or authority to govern the Gaza Strip.

The recovery of the Israeli hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip and also the return of tens of thousands of people that have been displaced from the northern part of Israel as a result of the daily attacks from Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Finally the demand from Benny Gantz is for progress to be made on normalization with Saudi Arabia. Well, Prime Minister Netanyahu's response was swift.

He rebuked Benny Gantz claiming that his words, his demands were tantamount to handing victory to Hamas and defeats to Israel, and also tantamount to abandoning the hostages in the Gaza Strip. Opposition leader Yair Lapid chimed in encouraging Benny Gantz to leave the war cabinet in the hope that that could precipitate fresh elections. The problem for Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid is that elections are not due in Israel until October 2026.

And so long as Prime Minister Netanyahu can keep his far-right ministers in the fold within his governing coalition, he will not have to hold a vote, a vote that all opinion polls suggest Prime Minister Netanyahu would lose handsomely to Benny Gantz. And so Benny Gantz's press conference not only a criticism of the way that Netanyahu has been running the war, but also positioning himself as a leader in waiting or someone that could replace Netanyahu once elections are held.

Now as all this was going on, on Saturday, we also heard that another body of an Israeli hostage have been recovered from the Gaza Strip. He is or he was Ron Benjamin, 53 year-old father of two, a very keen biker, used to go biking every Saturday and that included that fateful Saturday of October 7th. He was out biking when he was killed by Hamas and his body abducted back into the Gaza Strip. That body has now been recovered. In fact, it was recovered with the bodies of three other hostages whose recovery was announced on Friday.

There are still 124 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas, about a quarter of whom are now believed to be dead. And that is another reason why protests were again taking place in Tel Aviv and in other parts of the country demanding, trying to put pressure on the government to do everything that it can to bring those hostages home because they fear that the longer this war drags on, the longer talks designed to reach some kind of ceasefire that would see hostages being released.

And those talks are at an impasse right now. The longer these things drag on, the less likely it is that their loved ones who are being held hostage will be returned home alive -- Jessica.

DEAN: Elliott Gotkine, thanks so much for that reporting.

And joining us now with more on this developing story CNN military analysts Colonel Cedric Leighton.

Always good to have you here at the magic wall, no less. We saw that video of the aid that was coming in and the Gazans just running toward that truck, intercepting it from the pier. It's a chaotic scene. Is this to be expected in this sort of situation?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Absolutely, Jessica, and one of the reasons is these people are desperate and what you see here are people who have not had food and not had water in some cases, and where the desperation is just reaching heights where the U.N. has declared this area basically a famine zone. And this is one of the results of that.

You will see people trying to intercept this aid. You will probably see people trying to steal aid. So this is something where security is going to be paramount for the aid delivery for it to be effective for the entire population.

DEAN: Yes. And just to remind everyone, and I want to -- correct me if I'm wrong, but the U.S. Military is not, it's only on the pier, it's not coming in, right? And so how difficult is it to get that aid through this pier and then into Gaza?

LEIGHTON: Yes. It's a significant issue because as you can see here, this pier, it's called JLOTS. It's basically Joint Logistics Over the Sea, and what it is a very narrow pathway for trucks to deliver. Basically we're talking one truck going on, on this path right here, on this roadway in essence. And this pier is designed to be a temporary solution in the best of times and the best of circumstances.

[19:05:05]

And what it's designed to do is move stuff quickly from a vessel to land. And that's why they created it this way. And one of the key things that you're seeing here is the fact that it's basically using these thin strips from ship to here, and of course ships delivering aid, that's the kind of thing that really becomes an important part, Jessica, in the way that this can be delivered.

And you see right here, this is the pier and this is the containment area. There they're going to put stuff in there for delivery to either points within Gaza.

DEAN: And just militarily right now, the IDF says it's ramping up operations in northern Gaza. That was a place they had been in, kind of gone out of, and now Hamas they say is back and kind of filling a power vacuum essentially.

LEIGHTON: Yes, exactly.

DEAN: How are they going to try to regain control of those areas? And is this what people are concerned about that they'll just -- Hamas will come back?

LEIGHTON: Well, that's the problem. That's the problem with the Israeli strategy right now, Jessica, and the fact is that once you clear an area like this, you have to expect groups like Hamas to come back. You see in the northern area of Gaza, this area right around here. you had the famous Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza City, Beit Hanoun.

All of these areas right here were once cleared by the Israeli army, but once they move their operations down to other areas like the south, right here, in the central part of the country, and of course this southern area right here, that then becomes an area of less concentration for the IDF forces so what ends up happening is Hamas just moves. They move north, they move wherever the Israelis aren't. And so the Israelis find themselves having in essence to cover the entire country. And that becomes a really tough game of whack-a-mole at that point.

DEAN: And then we see Rafah down here at the southern part, which of course has been such a focus about Israel threatening to go in and the Biden administration pushing back on that. What is the current status of the operation there in Rafah?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think one of the key things to look at here is the damaged part. And, you know, when you focus specifically on Rafah, you see a few little specks of yellow right in here. That is the more recent damage. But even before the 8th of May, all of this was damaged already by Israeli strikes. And of course the entire enclave here of Gaza in the north, in the central part, the southern part, and the extreme southern part. All of that was damaged considerably. And when you look at the picture of it on the ground, this is what

that looks like. This is what these kids and everybody else who lives there has to deal with every day. And when you have a population of about a million or so who people still remaining in Gaza, that becomes a real problem for anybody to deal with in this case.

DEAN: And while this goes on, Cedric, we see you so many times, you are one of our contributors, and as such, you knew our friend Alice Stewart, who we sadly had to report today has died. And I know you wanted to say something about her.

LEIGHTON: Absolutely. Alice was a dear friend of mine. One of the things that she would do is she would jump in anytime that anybody needed help. And one time they were shorthanded in the makeup room and she stepped in and she took care of me --

DEAN: She did your makeup.

LEIGHTON: She did my makeup just as, you know, just as anybody, you know, who is working professionally in that area. She -- and she assured me that she was a semi-professional in that arena because she had done Senator Cruz's makeup and a lot of other people's, but she was a dear friend.

And she even got to the point where she was about to offer my son a job working as a researcher for her. So miss her dearly because she was a good person and she, you know, believed in her particular positions, but she didn't do it to the exclusion of others. She was somebody that you could talk to about really anything. And we'll miss her dearly.

DEAN: I know. The through line and talking to so many people tonight and hearing about our friend Alice was just how many lives she touched without people even really knowing it.

LEIGHTON: Yes.

DEAN: You know, I mean, you're our military analyst.

LEIGHTON: Absolutely.

DEAN: Who would have thought that you two would have a relationship, but that was really part of her sparkle and what was special about her, was her -- the way she invested in relationships.

LEIGHTON: Yes, that's the key and to her relationships were everything. And whenever we spoke, we were only paired I think once or twice on the air together. But it was always a great time to be with her, to talk to her about things. And, you know, she's going to be somebody that we will always I think remember here at CNN.

DEAN: Dearly miss. All right, Cedric, good to see you.

LEIGHTON: Good to see you, too, Jessica.

DEAN: Thanks for coming on. LEIGHTON: Thank you.

DEAN: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:14:25]

DEAN: This just in to CNN. A federal judge has granted a motion to reopen the sentencing case against David DePape. He was the man convicted of assaulting Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi's husband.

CNN's Veronica Miracle joining us now.

Veronica, what more are you learning about this?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the judge is reopening the sentencing portion of this case on a technicality because she did not give him an opportunity to speak before she handed down the sentence. On Friday, he was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison and before that sentence came down, he did not get a chance to talk or say anything.

[19:15:02]

And so right after this hearing prosecutors filed a motion and said, though David DePape did not have to speak, he's not required to, he should have been given a chance to do so. They also said that they reached out to DePape's lawyers and the lawyers, his defense team actually opposed this motion. They did not believe it needed to go forward. Regardless, today, Judge Jacqueline Corley filed her own motion rather, and she admitted to the error and agreed that DePape should have been given the chance to speak. So they will be reopening the sentencing portion of this case on May 28th at 9:30.

Separately, his defense team has filed an appeal on the entire sentence. And this is all regarding his federal case. He's actually facing other charges in a state case which is going to trial. He's facing attempted murder, burglary, and assault among other charges. And that is going to be playing out later this summer.

Back to you.

DEAN: All right, Veronica Miracle, for us with that breaking news update. Thanks so much.

Also tonight Donald Trump just wrapped up after headlining the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Dallas.

CNN reporter Steve Contorno is joining us now.

And Steve, you were there for all of his remarks. What did you hear from the former president tonight?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jessica, the National Rifle Association endorsed Donald Trump for president today. But the former president said he needs more than the backing of gun owners to win this fall. He needs their votes. Listen to what he told this gathering in Dallas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, CURRENT U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've got to get gun owners to vote because, you know what, I don't know what it is. Perhaps it's a form of rebellion because you're rebellious people, aren't you? But gun owners don't vote. What is that all about?

I've heard that and I heard it a few weeks ago that if the gun owners voted, we would swamp them at levels that nobody has ever seen before. So I think you're a rebellious bunch. Let's be rebellious and vote this time, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Trump went on to boast that he, quote, "didn't move an inch" on gun laws when he was president and said that the nation's gun owners have been under siege under President Joe Biden. He said he would reverse all of Bidens policies on guns if he is elected. And he said he would even fire the ATF director, the country's top gun regulator.

His appearance here at the NRA drew a strong rebuke from the Biden campaign with this statement from Vice President Harris, quote, "At a time when guns are the number one cause of death for children and teens in America, Donald Trump is catering to the gun lobby and threatening to make the crisis worse if reelected."

Now it will be interesting to see what kind of support the NRA can actually provide Donald Trump this cycle. The organization has been beset with leadership crises, with scandals, with financial mismanagements. They gave $30 million to help him win in 2016. It's unclear how much they can give him this cycle -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right. On that Steve Contorno for us from Dallas, Texas. Thanks so much.

And joining us now is CNN presidential historian Tim Naftali.

Tim, great to see you. Thanks for stopping by this evening. Let's start first with Trump speaking at that NRA convention after the group was found liable in a corruption case, its leader stepped down. Some strategies say that the NRA isn't relevant anymore, but Donald Trump felt the need to go there and be there on this Saturday night. Why do you think that is and what does he gained from being there well?

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, both candidates have to ensure the turnout of their winning coalitions. Donald Trump needs to get that 2016 coalition back together and voting. And of course President Biden wants the 2020 coalition that put him into office to vote. A key part of Donald Trump's 2016 coalition were people for whom the Second Amendment is a big issue, gun owners and members of the NRA, the NRA itself may not be able to provide the punch, probably won't be able to provide the political punch that he used to.

But Donald Trump needs those gun owners, particularly in rural counties, to come out to vote in big numbers to win the election in 2024. And I think that's why he went to the NRA.

DEAN: Yes. And that was that clip that Steve showed, right where he said, OK, I need you to vote this year. I really need you to show up.

President Biden, the meantime time, is in Atlanta ahead of this address at Morehouse College tomorrow, where we've seen in some polling specifically that "New York times"-Sienna poll that Biden's support among black voters is softening specifically among young black men. Do you think this sort of targeted campaigning will work? Do you think he can make some progress on that?

NAFTALI: Jessica, I don't think he has a choice. He's got to try because for the Biden coalition to be successful he has got to get young people to vote and young people, unlike old people, tend not to make the extra effort to vote.

[19:20:10]

And he also needs to do extraordinarily well among people of color, particularly among black Americans, but not solely among black Americans. The fact that he's losing percentage points to Trump. I mean, he'll still win more votes of black Americans than Trump. But the fact that he's losing some percentage points means that in certain areas where urban votes might help him overcome rural votes, he's not going to be able to do that in this election cycle as he was able to do so in 2020.

DEAN: And so let's talk about the presidential debates as well, one of which is going to happen here on June -- on CNN. What I want to ask you about is when it's happening because it's currently scheduled for June 27th, which is really early for a presidential debate. What do you make of that? And how do you think that that date -- what does it mean in the broader race?

NAFTALI: Well, no campaign asked me my opinion, but I suspect that one reason why the dates were chosen was as insurance just in case. And unfortunate viral moments should happen there will be time afterwards for the public to forget it.

It was I think extraordinarily important for President Biden to show that he was willing to debate. Donald Trump has been saying over and over again, he would debate. President Biden's challenge is to convince -- some of the American people that he's up for the job. He's up to the job for the next four years. And a debate is a perfect way to do it because it's for the most part unscripted. So he had to do a debate and he had to show enthusiasm and he basically had to be the one to push for debates.

Thats very important. It was a very good sign. Nevertheless, it's also important to be certain that in case something goes wrong, and I mean for both candidates, that there's time after the debates to change the narrative. So I think that's a reason why these debates are not happening in late October.

DEAN: All right. Tim Naftali, we're going to leave it there, but thanks so much. Always good to see you.

NAFTALI: My pleasure, Jessica. Thank you.

DEAN: We're going to have more news after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:26:56]

DEAN: Starting today, all Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 must register with the military, even those living outside of the country. Ukraine is facing an acute shortage of troops, weapons, and equipment as it tries to fend off Russia. Russian troops have been gaining ground from the north, pushing into Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Today, Ukraine is telling residents there to evacuate as Russian fire comes closer and closer.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh accompanied Ukrainian soldiers in the area this week as Russian bombs landed nearby.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: They can hear a drone here. So hard to tell with the wind and the trees and the artillery. But that's a constant threat for them now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:30:05]

WHITFIELD: All right, starting today, all Ukrainian men of fighting age must register with the military. That includes Ukrainians living outside the country. Anyone between 18 and 25 will go through basic training. The new law comes as the country faces a shortage of equipment and manpower in the war with Russia.

Also new today, Ukraine is evacuating residents in the Kharkiv region as Russian forces mount an offensive there. Officials say Russian shelling is moving closer and closer to the area.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh accompanied Ukrainian soldiers this week, even as Russian bombs nearby and drones raced overhead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice- over): When nightmares recur, they're often the same. Here they get worse. The border town of Vovchansk bearing the blunt horror of Moscow's race to take as much as they can in the weeks before Ukraine starts feeling American military help again. Every street aflame, Russians deeper inside the town. Policeman Maxim is answering one of 35 calls from locals on Thursday

to evacuate. The day before, three colleagues were injured. The shelling never stops.

MAXIM, UKRAINIAN POLICE (through text translation): Quiet. Everybody get down.

PATON WALSH: Three people still coming out, and you have to imagine quite how desperate for these final people the situation must be to leave.

(Voice-over): Mikola (PH) and his wife hiding in their basement, but despite staying through the first Russian occupation and then liberation two years ago, they found the airstrikes last night just too much. They're joined by Maria, their mother, who can't hear the shelling or anything too well.

Thousands evacuated since Russia invaded again around here five days ago. Why everyone has to leave is clear again as we drive out, as it is with almost every part of Ukraine Russia covets. Just utter destruction, little left to rule over. This is their first moment of calm in many days. Entire lives in plastic bags.

She's saying it wasn't like last night was scary and everyone else was talking about significant bombardment, more that it was just better to get out of there. 85.

(Voice-over): An armored ride to a new world knowing they may never get back to their homes, tormented for days by shelling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through text translation): Aerial bombs, everything. And mortars.

PATON WALSH (through text translation): Did you see the Russian soldiers?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through text translation): No. They are over there, on the other side of the river, and we were on this side. They were shooting close to us. Firing machine guns and everything.

PATON WALSH (voice-over): We head back in with another police unit who soon learned two of the houses they must rescue from are impossible to reach.

[19:30:04]

(GUNSHOTS AND EXPLOSIONS)

WALSH: As we wait --

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: Drone?

WALSH (voice over): They hear a buzzing noise. WALSH (on camera): I think they can hear a drone here. It is so hard to tell with the wind and the trees and the artillery, but that's a constant threat they call them now.

WALSH (voice over): Then our security adviser spots it. They raise their weapons.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: Can I (bleep) it up?

WALSH (voice over): But will firing make them more of a target?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: What if it is ours?

WALSH (voice over): Three drones, one large one that hovers, and two small ones whizzing about. Exposed and powerless, if we run for cover, they might come for us.

All we can do is hide in trees and hope that if we are seen, the Russians instead have a better target in mind. But they come right overhead.

That noise --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the car and move, I say.

WALSH (voice over): Either the sound of death or someone deciding, they are not worth their payload.

We decided to leave, but again, we cannot travel fast enough to escape the drones. Only expose ourselves and pray they lose interest.

Perhaps they did, we will never know. But behind us, Ukraine is aflame again because however, the West's interest in this war wanes, Putin's burns brighter than ever.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Vovchansk, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: And joining us now here in Washington, former US Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor.

Ambassador, thanks so much for coming on this evening. We want next report there, and we couple it with this news that they are widening the draft in Ukraine. What do you -- taken all together, what does that tell you?

WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Jessica, it means that the Ukrainians really do need men, soldiers, men and women. They are expanding the draft. They are going to have to train them up, so it is going to take some time for them to have the three months of training that they really need. Nick also mentioned that the weapons that are coming from the big package that the United States finally passed and is going to start -- has already started coming, but it will get there in bulk. It will get there in time to really have a real effect over the next month or so.

So it is not good around Kharkiv, there is no doubt about it.

DEAN: And with Russia's new offensive in the northeast, there are some concern that Kharkiv could be really under threat.

TAYLOR: It is under threat of artillery. It is probably not under threat to be taken. The Russians don't have enough people, soldiers, equipment on the ground now to be able to take it. That could change.

The problem for the Ukrainians is the United States has not allow the Ukrainians to fire into Russia where those Russian troops are mounting, are massing, are getting ready, and that is a big request from the Ukrainians, that they be allowed to use weapons against military targets wherever they are.

DEAN: And you mentioned the aid that is coming in from America, it is not quite there in bulk just yet. What would you say is the status of the war for Ukrainians at this moment?

TAYLOR: They need to stabilize. They need to be able to stop this gradual grinding movement that the Russians are using. The Russians are taking advantage of this paucity of weapons, the pause in the weapons that we are providing them.

The Russians have known that is coming. They have seen this coming. They're taking advantage of it. They are pushing harder than we thought they would or that the Ukrainians thought they would. They thought they would be maybe in the late spring, in the summer would be this offensive by the Russians, but the Russians have moved it up in order to take advantage of the Ukrainians not having the equipment that they need from the Americans.

DEAN: They can't come soon enough for the Ukrainians.

And we know that the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is urging China to send a delegation to the peace talks next month. What do you make of those calls from President Zelenskyy?

TAYLOR: So the peace discussions, conference, summit in Switzerland. Switzerland is inviting some 150 nations and probably a hundred will show up, 60 nations have already said yes, so this is developing into a real discussion. It is not going to have the Russians. The Russians will not be there. That's not the purpose.

The purpose is to think about what a peace plan would be in terms of humanitarian, in terms of energy security, in terms of food security. So this is an opportunity for the Ukrainians hosted by this Swiss to make that point too many of the nations around the world.

DEAN: Right, and not to mention that Putin was with Xi Jinping and it all circles back together, doesn't it? TAYLOR: It does. We'd like to see the Chinese show up at this in Switzerland, but the chances are, they won't.

DEAN: Slim. All right, Ambassador Bill Taylor, thanks so much.

TAYLOR: Thanks, Jessica.

DEAN: It is always nice to see you.

We will have more news when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:39:46]

DEAN: It is time for Champions for Change, a look at the unsung people whose ideas and innovations are dramatically improving lives, business and society.

And tonight, Dr. Sanjay Gupta visits a unique Colorado high school with a special mentor at leading its addiction recovery program.

[19:40:06]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH HAYES, DIRECTOR OF RECOVERY, 5280 HIGH SCHOOL: Welcome to 5280 High School, we are the largest recovery high school in the country. We serve students who struggle with substance abuse, self-harm, eating disorders, and other destructive behaviors, and we teach kids how to live without drugs and alcohol one day at a time.

Hi, I'm Keith.

(GROUP answer "Hi Keith.")

So today's topic is about getting sober, how I got high.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The honors, I was miserable and active addiction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a pretty much every day thing. I was getting high.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Every morning starts with something known as BOAT -- Be Open and Authentic Together.

To sit and listen to that meeting is one of the most powerful things I think I've ever done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I remember this period of time where it was like if I wasn't high, I like was going to kill myself.

GUPTA: There is this quote that said that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety; the opposite of addiction is human connection and that is what that time period really is.

Are you breaking new ground with a program like this?

HAYES: That's the hope. I think a lot of other recovery high schools do a lot of clinical pieces, and that's cool. But I am sorry, another 16-year-old that looks like me, that sounds like me, that now has a year, 18 months, two years sober, sharing with me what they did to get sober is better than any doctor or clinical person can ever do to help them.

GUPTA: So how much of your own personal life experience is part of this role for you?

HAYES: I mean, it is everything. I started my journey in active addiction as early as 14-15 years old. I have five felonies today, felonies that I acquired while under the influence of drugs and alcohol and active addiction.

GUPTA: It is hard to reconcile the man that is sitting in front of me with all of that.

HAYES: Yes.

GUPTA: Are you the exception to the rule or are you the rule?

HAYES: There's a lot of us out here who have recreated our lives in recovery, but it is a part of my story and it is very important that I share those very terrible and inhumane things that I did in active addiction, so we can give hope to others that they can recover, too.

GUPTA: So what are we about to see here?

HAYES: So now were about to go into our Biology, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Woodshop class.

GUPTA: I like the Biology and Workshop together.

HAYES: Yes.

GUPTA: I could have used that.

HAYES: Yes, sir.

By doing project-based learning, it allows the kids to be able to learn 21st Century skills, learn how to collaborate well with others, how to problem-solve.

Also, core principles in recovery as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like an emotional outlet for me. I love to create.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You come here, you've got to put in the work and the action.

HAYES: I know every single kid. I can tell you about their story. I can tell you what they've been through. When they do make mistakes or things do happen, not beating them up about it. Loving on them, supporting them, and figure out what do we need to do next to help them get to the next level.

LUCY LENSFESTEY, SENIOR, 5280 HIGH: I started drinking and using when I was 13. I was smoking crack and fentanyl and drinking and ended up getting Narcan'ed and was in the hospital.

Keith was like a really big support through all of that and would just continuously show me that he loved me and cared about me, and I've been sober since then and now I have 17 months.

GUPTA: Congratulations for that.

LENSFESTEY: Thank you.

GUPTA: Do you dream about the future now?

LENSFESTEY: Yes. A few years ago, I didn't think I'd be alive and so, it was really weird turning 18 and having plans to go to college and just all of the things that I get to do now.

HAYES: At one point, I didn't know of Lucy was going to live or die. And now I know Lucy is going to do whatever she wants to do in this world.

Every single one of these kids gives us all hope today that no matter how hard your life is, things can get better one day at a time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: And you can watch our one-hour special "Champions for Change" tonight at nine Eastern.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:48:53]

DEAN: Tonight, we've been reporting some very sad news, CNN political commentator and Republican strategist, Alice Stewart has died at the age of 58. She has been a longtime fixture on this show, at this network, often appearing on our political panels.

CNN's Dana Bash has a look back at Alice's life and her legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Alice Stewart was a treasured member of the CNN family since 2016, a fixture on CNN's political panels for the better part of a decade, using her even tone to bring sharp insights and analysis to viewers regularly, drawing on years of her experience working on high-profile Republican campaigns.

She earned the respect of her peers as a conservative strategist, called on time and time again to support candidates and their causes and the ones she believed in. She brought a boundless well of energy to what is often grueling work in the trenches of national politics.

Alice's career started in journalism working in local news in her home state of Georgia, and as a news anchor in Little Rock, Arkansas.

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Alice Stewart, I am press secretary.

[19:50:05]

BASH (voice over): That's where she decided to move into politics, becoming a spokesperson for the state's then Governor Mike Huckabee.

When he ran for president in 2008, she joined his campaign as press secretary, spending untold days and weeks trudging through the Iowa winter, helping deliver Huckabee's insurgent campaign of victory and the 2008 Iowa caucuses.

Years later, after joining two more presidential campaigns in the 2012 cycle, Michelle Bachmann, then Rick Santorum, she returned to Huckabee's for the 2016 run for the White House.

After one last campaign for Ted Cruz in 2016, Stewart came to CNN.

As a conservative commentator, Stewart joined her fair share of contentious debates on our air. It is no secret that we live in a time of deep political division, Alice was never divisive.

She was a fierce debater, but she prized civil discourse and walked the walk.

STEWART: The potential downfall of --

BASH (voice over): She stood her ground and expressed her point of view, but was never angry about it.

Just Friday night, hours before her unexpected passing, she was on "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer. Alice was always smiling her megawatt smile on camera and off.

She was so kind and thoughtful, cutting flowers from her garden to bring to colleagues in the makeup room, just to make their day a bit nicer, that was Alice.

Alice Stewart will be deeply missed and never forgotten. May her memory be a blessing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: May her memory be a blessing indeed.

Earlier on our show, we spoke with CNN political commentator Maria Cardona, who co-hosted a podcast with Alice, and you'll probably remember they often appeared together here on this show and on CNN, and though Maria and Alice often disagreed and had different political parties, they were very close friends, and this is what Maria told me about Alice's effect on those around her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR (via phone): ... and love, and if there is anything that everyone should remember about her, and I think this has been underscored by everyone who has spoken, is that Alice loved. Period. She loved.

She loved her family. She loved her dog, Sammy, that I think all of us knew and adored as well. She loved what she did for CNN. See loved what she did at Harvard IOP, and she loved communicating her passion about politics, about the importance of what she held dear in terms of doing these conversations, these really difficult conversations, especially in today's environment, doing it with respect and civility.

And I remember, Jessica, the day that we were all sent home from CNN, when everyone was going virtual because of the pandemic, we were no longer going to be in the bureau. Alice and I had just finished, I think we were on with Jim Acosta, it was one of the last time that we were on the air in the bureau and we went to the coffee shop right down the street and we said, we need to continue these conversations because more than ever, people need to see that people who don't agree can actually have these civil conversations.

And that's when the idea for our podcast "Hot Mics from Left to Right" was born and we did it. We did it throughout the pandemic. We still have it going on as you know and I am talking to you and it is still so unreal to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: It's so unreal to all of us. Alice was just here last night, and our thoughts are with Alice's family. We are sending so much love to them on this very difficult and sad day.

And to those who have been sharing their memories with us tonight, we were all very lucky to be an Alice Stewart's orbit.

We will be right back.

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[19:59:10]

DEAN: It is one of the greatest unsolved heists in world history. CNN's Original Series: "How It Really Happened" goes inside the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and how thieves managed to steal 13 priceless works of art. Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The FBI was getting so many tips, but then it went silent, you know, even though there were these 13 works of art that were missing, the information just sort of dried up until 2005 when the FBI got a big tip.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I recently took a trip to France in tracking down potential evidence in this case, you can confirm that you did go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we did go. We did go with friends. I can't get specific on what we were doing over there, but in broad terms, I can tell you that we were covering yet another lead that's come up.

KAYE: Around 2005-2006, the FBI gets a big tip that two Frenchmen living in Miami are trying to broker a deal regarding two paintings, a Rembrandt and a Vermeer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was really interesting about that statement, the Vermeer, there is only 34 verifiable Vermeer in the world and the only one that was missing at that time is "The Concert" that was stolen from the Gardner Museum.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: How it really happened airs tomorrow at 9:00 PM Eastern only on CNN.

Thank you so much for joining me tonight. I'm Jessica Dean and I am going to see you again tomorrow night starting at five o'clock Eastern.

An encore presentation of HBO's "Real-Time" with Bill Maher is up next.

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[20:00:42]