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Biden Tells Supporters to Ignore Polls Showing Him Trailing Trump in Several States; Biden to Give Commencement Address at Morehouse College; War Cabinet Member Gantz Delivers Ultimatum to Netanyahu; Trump Addresses Embattled RNA, Urging Gun-Owner to Vote; Los Angeles D.A. Unable to Charge Sean "Diddy" Combs for 2016 Assault Against Then-Girlfriend. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired May 19, 2024 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:56]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

President Joe Biden courting Black voters in a battleground state. What to expect from his much-anticipated commencement speech today at Morehouse College.

An ultimatum from within the Israeli government, how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is responding to calls for him to solidify a plan for Rafah.

And hundreds of thousands of people still without power in Texas and Louisiana, as high temperatures threaten the region.

President Biden is on campaign trail this weekend, talking with supporters at a downtown Atlanta restaurant and attending a fundraising event. Now, he's working to allay fears over recent polls that put him behind Donald Trump in several battleground states.

Now, in a few hours, Biden will give the commencement speech at the historically Black all-male Morehouse College. This comes as the President is facing criticism for his policies towards Israel and Gaza. And there are concerns that what should be a joyful day could turn ugly. Arlette Saenz has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden will deliver the commencement address at Morehouse College, an all-male historically Black college here in Atlanta, Georgia. The event is meant to celebrate the graduating seniors, but it has come with a dose of controversy, as some faculty and students have expressed frustration with President Biden's handling of the conflict in Gaza. That is an issue that has been of key concern to many young voters. The White House dispatched a senior official just last week to Morehouse College to meet with a small group of faculty and students. That meeting lasted a little over two hours, and I'm told that about half of it focused specifically on the issue of Gaza. But President Biden will face a very delicate balancing act as he gives his remarks on Sunday.

One, there is the potential for possible protests due to his support for Israel in its war against Hamas. But then also the president is trying to navigate shoring up support among Black voters, including young Black men. Black voters comprise a core part of Biden's constituency and coalition back in 2020 that sent him to the White House. But recent polling has shown some lagging support from that group.

Now, President Biden stopped to meet with some Black voters, supporters at a restaurant here in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, and talked about the accomplishments of his administration, but also warned the threat that Trump could pose if he's reelected. President Biden also took a bit of a swipe at his rival. Take a listen.

JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: The fact is that this election, lots of stake, lots of stake. It's not about me; it's about the alternative as well. You know, he -- I think it's fair to say -- I won't use the exact phrase that I'd use if I was still playing ball, but my opponent is not a good loser.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: But he is a loser.

SAENZ: This is all part of a weekend long push by Biden to court Black voters after he speaks at Morehouse College. The President will then travel on to Detroit, Michigan, another key battleground state. He will speak at the NAACP dinner there to offer another message to Black voters as Biden and his advisers are very aware that they need to keep that constituency together if I don't want to secure another four years in the White House. Arlette Saenz, CNN traveling with the president in Atlanta, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: I spoke earlier with Gevin Reynolds, contributor to "The Root" and a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris about the impact of President Biden's visit to Morehouse and how the President is resonating with Black voters. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEVIN REYNOLDS, CONTRIBUTOR, THE ROOT: I think it's an incredible opportunity for the President to -- to visit Morehouse College and to address a university which the President knows has been on the forefront of helping to push our nation forward for so long. He knows the legacy and the rich history of Morehouse College. I think many of the students there recognize that the President recognizes that. But I -- you know, based on the conversation that I had, there were some that expressed some hesitance with, you know, the President coming and sort of wondered if their special day would turn into more of a campaign visit.

[05:05:01]

BRUNHUBER: You wrote that many young Black voters, especially young Black men, are feeling, I'll quote you here, "unloved, unheard, and unsupported by the Democratic Party." So why is that? And can a speech change any of that?

REYNOLDS: Well, Kim, I think it's important to think about this from a historical perspective. So we know that in 1964, President Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat, signed the Civil Rights Act into law. And he did so against a lot of protests from Southern Democrats, who at the time were the racist party. And when he signed that bill, all those Democrats defected from the party and became Republicans. And I think from then on, over the decades that followed, it was pretty clear which party stood for what.

The Democratic Party was perceived to be the party for civil rights, expanding civil rights for Black folks, whereas the Republican Party was viewed as being the antithesis of that. I think now that we're decades beyond that, I think what you're seeing is that a lot of younger Black voters just aren't seeing it that way anymore. They're not giving the Democratic Party that same benefit of the doubt that older Black voters perhaps are.

And so despite the fact that I think the President has amassed an incredible record of accomplishments and has delivered an incredible amount of policy wins for the Black community, including, you know, younger Black voters, when you talk about creating jobs and investing in HBCUs, investing in Black-owned small businesses, expanding healthcare access, canceling billions and billions of dollars in student debt, I think what we're seeing is that a lot of young Black voters just haven't felt that quite yet.

And so it's important for the President, I think, during his speech to really lean into his record, but before doing that, to address the frustrations and the concerns that a lot of younger Black voters are feeling right now with the Democratic Party.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Listen, we only have about a minute left, but since you and I are both in Atlanta, I want to sound you out here. President Biden flipped Georgia in 2020. You're here, you're -- things do seem different this time around. Trump leads in the polls. The state has passed voting restrictions. Democratic strategists don't like to hear it, but polls show Black support for Trump is growing. And again, Georgia could make all the difference. So compare it to the last election. What are you seeing here in Georgia this time around?

REYNOLDS: Well, you're right, Kim. You know, I think what you pointed out, I think the election will come down to Georgia again, and as a proud Georgian, I think that's pretty cool. Look, I think we're obviously not in a pandemic right now in the same way we were four years ago, so it certainly feels very different in that respect. I think it's important to emphasize that President Biden's support among Black voters is very solid, and President Trump's support among Black voters is abysmal. I don't think we're going to see a defection en masse of Black voters from President Biden to former President Trump. I think what we could see, you know, in a state like Georgia is perhaps some of the younger Black voters staying home.

And so I think it's important, it's imperative that the Biden campaign make up that enthusiasm gap, because we know on the other side, President Trump's base is ready to come out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, Donald Trump is also out on the campaign trail this weekend. He had a warning for gun rights activists at a meeting of the National Rifle Association in Texas. Details plus a look at efforts to change voting laws in states across the country coming up a little later this hour.

In Israel, a key member of Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet has issued an ultimatum. Benny Gantz says he will quit the war cabinet if Netanyahu doesn't lay out a plan to get the hostages back, establish a post-war government in Gaza, and normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENNY GANTZ, ISRAELI WAR CABINET MEMBER (through translator): If you prefer the national to the personal and choose to follow in the footsteps of Herzl, Ben-Gurion, Begin, and Rabin, you will find us partners in the struggle. But if you choose to follow the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation into an abyss, we will be forced to resign from the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Netanyahu's office says Gantz's demands would be a defeat for Israel. Now, in Tel Aviv, new anti-government protests on Saturday. Demonstrators are calling for the return of the hostages and new elections in Israel.

And in Gaza, signs of desperation as trucks filled with aid drove away from the new floating pier. People climbed on board and took boxes of food. One man says they did it because of widespread hunger.

The United Nations says about 800,000 Palestinians have evacuated Rafah. That's nearly half of the city's population just one month ago.

Now, in northern Gaza, Israeli tanks were spotted moving into Jabalia. It's the largest of Gaza's Palestinian refugee camps. This month, Israel restarted military sweeps of areas it previously cleared. Journalist Elliott Gotkine is live in Tel Aviv.

So, Elliott, first, take us through Gantz's ultimatum, Netanyahu's response, and what it might mean for the fragile coalition and for the war. ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Kim, Israel's war cabinet has largely put on a united front over the past few months, despite their obvious divisions. But these divisions have now really burst out into the open. Just on Wednesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who, together with Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, make up the three members of the war cabinet.

[05:10:03]

Yoav Gallant, the Defense Minister, just on Wednesday, criticizing Netanyahu openly for failing to come up with a coherent plan for the day after the war with Hamas in Gaza, in particular, warning against the possibility of Israel being in control militarily on the ground in Gaza after the war is over.

Now we've got Benny Gantz, member of the war cabinet, former Defense Minister, former head of the IDF, and possibly Netanyahu's biggest political rival, coming out and laying down this ultimatum, saying if you don't come up with a six-point plan, which includes getting the hostages back, destroying Hamas, returning displaced people to the north, and also making progress towards normalization with Saudi Arabia, then he will quit the government by June the 8th.

But it's unclear exactly what that would mean in practice, because let's not forget that even if Benny Gantz removes himself from this government, Netanyahu still has the numbers. He still has enough people in his coalition government, in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, to remain in power.

So what Gantz seems to be doing is, perhaps on the one hand, ensuring that he has an easy way out if he feels, in his words, that Israel does hit the rocks that it is heading towards right now, and at the same time trying to position himself politically as a kind of prime minister and waiting for the day after Netanyahu's government.

But as I say, unless Netanyahu fails to keep these far-right ministers and his ultra-orthodox ministers in the fold within his coalition government, and there's no sign that Netanyahu, the wildest of political operators, would allow that to happen, then Netanyahu will remain in office. He won't need to go to the people of Israel until October 2026, some two and a half years away.

So even though opinion polls suggest that if an election were to be held tomorrow, Netanyahu would lose, he doesn't actually have to go to the polls until October 2026, unless by some mistake, perhaps on his part, or miscalculation, I should say, on his part, he's unable to keep his far-right ministers within the fold of his coalition, as I say, something which seems unlikely that Netanyahu is going to allow to happen, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting, yeah. And then Elliot, sadly, the discovery of another body, of another hostage, the fourth in two days, and pressure building on Netanyahu to bring the rest of the hostages home.

GOTKINE: Kim, this pressure has been building on Netanyahu for months now, but we know the talks mediated by the Egyptians and the Qataris between Israel and Hamas on getting some kind of ceasefire deal in place in exchange for the release of a number of Israeli hostages, that has hit a brick wall.

And at the same time, Israel is now discovering the hostages that it previously thought was alive are now, in fact, dead. And as you say, they discovered the body of Ron Benjamin, a 53-year-old father of two, a keen cyclist, used to go biking every Saturday morning.

And so it was on that fateful Saturday morning of October the 7th, he was out on his bike, he got killed, the IDF says, by Hamas militants, and then his body was abducted into the Gaza Strip. And Israel recovered his body, along with the bodies of three other hostages that it had already announced that it had found on Friday. And the big concern, and they've been saying this for weeks, for months now, is that there simply isn't time.

Time is running out for the hostages being held in the Gaza Strip now since October the 7th. If something isn't done, if the government doesn't do whatever it takes to bring them home, then they may not be able to get their loved ones back into Israel alive. That is their biggest fear.

There are still 124 hostages, the IDF believes, being held inside the Gaza Strip, about a quarter of whom are already dead, and these protesters are concerned that that number of dead will only grow. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much, Elliott Gotkine in Tel Aviv. Appreciate that.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. The state-run Saudi press agency reports the two discussed the need to stop the war in Gaza and how to find a credible track towards a two-state solution.

The report says they also reviewed a nearly finalized draft of strategic agreements between the Kingdom and the U.S. Sullivan is expected to travel to Israel on Sunday for talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

More Ukrainians are being evacuated near the northern border, but heavy fighting with Russian forces is making it harder to leave. Officials say about 100 people are trapped in the embattled town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine's emergency services say explosions are moving closer and the situation is getting worse every minute.

At least three people were killed and seven others injured over the last 24 hours, according to police. The head of Kharkiv's Defense Forces says the overall situation in the region is difficult, but Ukrainian troops are gradually stabilizing it. Kharkiv is hoping to beef up its defenses by requiring all men between the ages of 18 and 60 to register with the military, even those living outside of the country. The new law went into effect on Saturday as Ukraine faces a shortage of troops and equipment.

[05:15:09] Georgia's President Salome Zourabichvili says she has vetoed the so- called foreign agents bill that sparked widespread protests across the country. It would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents or face fines. Critics say it's modeled after Russian laws meant to snuff out opposition. And Zourabichvili says the bill could jeopardize Georgia's chances of joining the European Union.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALOME ZOURABICHVILI, GEORGIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today, I vetoed the Russian law. This law is Russian in its essence and its spirit. It contradicts our constitution and all European standards. Therefore, it represents an obstacle to our European path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: A simple majority in Georgia's parliament could still overrule the president's veto. 84 lawmakers voted to approve the bill on Tuesday with only 30 voting against it.

Millions across the central plains are under severe weather threat just days after deadly storms clobbered Texas. Nearly 400,000 homes and businesses are still without power amid rising temperatures.

Plus, wildfires in Maui, Hawaii last year were some of the deadliest in U.S. history. Just ahead we'll learn about some of the health effects still plaguing those who lived through the fires.

And rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs is unlikely to face charges for videotaped assault on his then girlfriend. Why time is on his side. That's next here on CNN. Please stay with us.

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[05:20:37]

BRUNHUBER: Nearly 400,000 homes and businesses in southeast Texas are still without power after that complex of storms slammed across the area on Thursday. Authorities in Houston are scrambling to restore power amid climbing temperatures and humidity.

Meanwhile, millions across the Central Plains face an increasing threat of severe weather that could bring tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds to the region. CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Some pretty powerful storms packed winds up to 100 miles per hour Thursday night in Houston and that knocked out power. You could see people in the dark here in a Costco.

Now, officials are saying that the power could stay out a couple of days, maybe even weeks in spots because of the way some of the transmitters were hit. This could be a problem as heat starts to build this weekend going into early next week. We'll find temperatures in the middle 90s, but that could feel even hotter than that once you factor in some of the humidity.

Look at the heat index values approaching 100 to 105 from Brownsville, Texas, up near 100 in Corpus Christi. Heat index values in the middle 90s in Houston, again without power and air conditioning. This could pose a little bit more of a risk, so be careful to take breaks as you're cleaning up some of that damage. That heat builds in the south as another storm system develops there in the Rockies and that's going to pose our next severe threat in the Plains by Sunday and Monday.

We're looking at another couple of rounds of storms with damaging winds, large hail, and maybe some tornadoes possible, so we'll need to stay weather aware.

You can see the storms are starting to fire up late on Sunday, especially across parts of Kansas going into Nebraska and we'll have that front slowly start to work its way into the rest of the Midwest as we go into Monday with that continued storm threat.

So for Omaha, you're looking at temperatures above average before that front with highs in the 80s as showers and storms roll through as we start out the work week and those temperatures do get back closer to average with highs in the middle 70s.

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BRUNHUBER: Let's see if your weather just doesn't pose a risk to your home or your community. It can also impact your health. A new study from the University of Hawaii evaluated the long-term impact of the devastating Maui wildfire last year. It killed at least 100 people and displaced more than 10,000.

The Maui wildfire exposure study released this week tracked the health and disease risk over time for 679 participants, two thirds of whom lived in Lahaina at the time of the fires. Now they found that 50% of those participants reported worsened physical health, 50% reported signs of depression and suicidal thoughts and there was an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and respiratory issues.

Now, those people also reported increased difficulty accessing medical care and nearly 40% still struggled to get food.

So for more on the study, let's bring in one of its authors. Ruben Juarez is an Economics Professor at the University of Hawaii and he joins me now from Newark, New Jersey.

Thanks so much for making time to be with us here. I know you're in transit to present on your paper. So first, just on the health statistics, about half saying that their health is worse. I mean, explain that. What do we know about the cause here? What health effects are they reporting?

RUBEN JUAREZ, ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII: Yeah, aloha. So yeah, so we know that this is a community that has been affected by the fire, you know, pre-wildfire, 10% of the population just didn't have good access to care and medications. Now we are seeing that up to 40% of these people just don't have good access to medical care or medications.

In addition, many of the people lost health insurance, so -- during the fires. So we're seeing that about 10% of the population just don't have access to good health insurance. You look at Hispanics in particular, we're seeing that up to 38% of them, they just don't have good access. So that's one of the issues.

The second issue is this is a rural community that, you know, people just didn't have good access in the past. And now housing is one of the priorities because of the displacement. Yeah.

BRUNHUBER: And it's not just physical effects as well. It's mental health too that's suffering.

JUAREZ: Yeah. And one of the interesting things that we are seeing about mental health is that, of course, people have been physically affected by the fire. Those who were exposed, you know, at the plume of fire, they are showing the symptoms of, you know, problems with lungs, things like that.

[05:25:10]

But mental health is actually affecting the wide population, not necessarily those who were directly affected, but also indirectly affected. So we're seeing that depression, for instance, more than 50% of people are showing signs of depression.

We actually have a survey of pre fires where we're expecting about 30%, so increase 20%. And then suicidal ideation is another thing, of course.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. I mean, just such a severe effect across the board. And what's interesting about your studies is that you've been taking sort of snapshots. Are things getting better at all?

JUAREZ: Yes, they are. So there is some good hope that, you know, people are transitioning from hotels into housing, probably housing at least. But that was one of the big concerns of people, just try to move into a more secure housing.

Employment is also another of the things that we are seeing that people get in employment. But, you know, there is still severe issues, and we are concerned because, you know, when you don't have a house, health is your priority, right? I mean, you want to have a physical place to live, and people don't take care of their health. And basically, the study that we are doing is basically a nudge for them to go on.

BRUNHUBER: We may have lost the audio from our guests. Can we? Yeah, we can't hear you. I'm sorry, we'll have to -- we'll have to let you go. But that was Ruben Juarez speaking to us about the health survey in Hawaii after the fires there. Our thanks to him. All right.

All right, well, he has already clinched the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. Now, former President Donald Trump wants more. When we come back, Trump's call to American gun owners to actually get out and vote. The new report says more than half of the states in the U.S. have passed laws making it harder for voters to cast their ballots. We'll have more on that coming up.

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[05:30:34]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

In just a few hours President Biden will give the commencement speech at Morehouse College here in Atlanta. And there are worries about how students will respond to the President amidst growing opposition to the war in Gaza, and U.S policy towards the war. Biden arrived in Atlanta a day early to attend a fundraising event where he stressed the importance of the coming election. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: It's not about me; it's about the alternative as well. You know, he -- I think it's fair to say -- I won't use the exact phrase that I'd use if I was still playing ball, but my opponent is not a good loser.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: But he is a loser.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, for his part Donald Trump spent his Saturday courting members of the National Rifle Association. Their annual convention Trump boasts about not caving into political pressure to impose new gun restrictions when he was president. He urged gun owners to get more involved in the upcoming election.

CNN's Steve Contorno has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: The National Rifle Association endorsed Donald Trump for president at their convention in Dallas on Saturday. But the former president said he needs more than the backing of gun owners in this election. He needs their votes.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. REPUBLICAN 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, I heard it a few weeks ago. If the gun owners voted we would swamp them at levels that nobody's ever seen before. So I think you're a rebellious bunch. But let's be rebellious and vote this time, OK? CONTORNO: Trump went on to boast that he quote, "didn't move an inch on gun laws when he was president and he has said the nation's gun owners have been, quote, "under siege" under President Joe Biden. He vowed to unravel all of Joe Biden's gun policies if he is elected to a second term and said he would also fire the ATF Director, the nation's top gun regulator.

His appearance in Dallas drew a strong rebuke from the Biden campaign with this statement coming from Vice President Harris. "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."

It remains to be seen how much the NRA can assist Donald Trump this cycle. Eight years ago, they put upward of 30 million dollars toward helping him defeat Hillary Clinton. But the organization has faced a number of crises in the recent in recent years including scandals related to financial mismanagement that have threatened its relevancy and his coffers.

Steve Contorno, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The state in which you live could very well determine how easy or difficult voting this November could be. A new report by the Brennan Center for Justice analyzes new laws passed across the country. It finds that at least 11 states are in fact making it easier to vote. Kentucky for instance now allows mail-in ballots to be sent to addresses other than the ones on file in some circumstances.

Nebraska has restored voting rights for ex-felons who have completed the terms of their sentence including probation rather than waiting two years. But the Brennan Center found that almost 2020 -- sorry, that most states 28 in all have enacted laws since 2020 that make it harder to cast a ballot.

Alabama and Idaho for instance now impose criminal penalties in some cases for helping with absentee voting. A North Carolina law mandates that mail-in ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted eliminating a three-day grace period.

All right joining us now from New York is Andrew Garber. He is with the Voting Rights and Elections Program for the Brennan Center.

I really appreciate having you want to take us through these findings. The headline here that voters in almost half the country will face new voting restrictions in the upcoming general election. I mean, is that as disturbing and worrisome as it seems on its face?

ANDREW GARBER, COUNSEL, BRENNAN CENTER'S VOTING RIGHTS AND ELECTIONS PROGRAM: Yes, it is. Thank you for having me, happy to join. It's definitely a big concern because we want to be seeing states make it easier for people who are eligible to vote to be able to do so. And really going back to January 2021 right after the last presidential election, which was followed by a lot of lies and myths about voter fraud taking place when the reality that election was safe and secure and there was no evidence of any widespread issues.

[05:35:07]

Some states began to very quickly pass legislation that made it harder to vote. And so those -- those restrictions come at all stages of the voting process. For many people, it may become harder to register. They may have less access to an absentee ballot or early voting than they did last time. Or it may be simple as there are fewer polling places and it means they'll have to travel farther or wait in a longer line.

So those are big concerns we're seeing. And certainly it's good on the other hand that many states have made it easier to vote, but that's something you'd like to see all states do.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and as you say, it continues to trend. And I imagine most of the restrictions were passed in red states. Is that right? I mean, and what states were the most restrictive?

GARBER: Restrictions have been passed in many different states. And it's not uncommon actually for a state to pass both restrictions and expansions in the last few years. So it's important to note that not all new laws are created equally. We've seen states such as Texas, Georgia, Florida, Iowa pass laws that make it harder to vote in a variety of ways.

We sometimes call these omnibus laws because they do a number of things to make it more difficult to vote. So it's important as well to see exactly what the restrictions are because sometimes they can pile up and then sometimes it's more of a death by a thousand cuts. You make it a little bit harder to vote here, a little bit harder to vote there. And that's something that just all of a sudden people don't realize they had to register or request an absentee ballot as early as they needed to, where they see a really long line on election day. That's the result of a few different changes in policy and they ultimately leave without the email.

BRUNHUBER: Right, you talked about Georgia. I mean, it's hard to know, but in terms of how it might influence a close election, are there any battleground states that are heavily affected? I know here in Georgia, they're moving through a law that would make it easier for citizens to challenge other people's votes, for instance.

GARBER: Yeah, that's right. Georgia is a place that's seen a lot of action in terms of election restrictions over the last few years. That's a place where voters should be looking ahead, thinking about this year's election to make sure that how they voted last time is something that they're still able to do in the same way.

Again, they don't need to travel far to a polling place, for instance. On the other hand, I think it's important to note that states such as Michigan have actually, a battleground state has led the way in the expanding voting access. In 2022, their citizens overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure that had a variety of things that made it easier to vote. And through a series of laws last year, the state legislature implemented that. So a number of the battleground states have gone in different directions in terms of voting access in the last couple of years. And that's kind of a microcosm of the greater story where there really is two Americas.

And as you said at the top, the state you live in more than ever defines whether it's becoming easier or harder for eligible people to vote.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and as well as some states making it easier, I know that, you know, people on both sides of the political aisle might welcome some of the laws that are sort of targeting technology in terms of AI and deep fakes and so on.

I want to get to solutions here and not much can be done now before November, but so for voters themselves, what broadly is your advice for voters this November?

GARBER: People should be confident in their eligibility to vote. They should do so through the means that are available to them in the state that are best and most convenient for them. And I would encourage voters to think about and make a plan for voting in advance of the election, whether that's a primary, some states still primaries coming up over the next couple of months or the November general election, but to be looking up their polling place, thinking about transportation, any needs such as child or family care and seeing what's available to them in their state.

Many people voted absentee for the first time in 2020, for example, if that's something voters want to take advantage of, they should be looking at it early because there are deadlines for requesting those ballots. There are deadlines for registering to vote if you're not yet registered. But certainly anyone who wants to vote in-person on election day should be prepared to do that and just to make sure again, they're able to get to the polls and anything they need to take care of in their personal life.

So if it happened to something they've thought about a little bit in advance so that any last-minute surprises, whether it's bad weather or anything else don't stand in their way.

BRUNHUBER: Great advice, we'll have to leave it there. Andrew Garber, really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

GARBER: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Now, the U.S. is just one of many nations holding major votes this year. In fact, about half of the global population will participate in national elections in 2024.

Voters in the Dominican Republic are heading to the polls today. The presidency, vice presidency and all legislative seats are on the ballot. Incumbent leader Luis Abinader is the favorite heading into the contest. His post COVID election economic policies and anti- corruption probes have made him popular with voters. He'll be facing off against the three-time former president and the mayor of Santiago. And if none of the candidates receive 50% plus one of the tally, a runoff will be held June 30th.

[05:40:13]

Taiwan's new president is scheduled to be sworn in on Monday. Lai Ching-te will take over from the current president who's a member of the same Democratic Progressive Party and gives their party an unprecedented third consecutive presidential term. He'll start that term without a parliamentary majority and there's always the looming threat of possible military action by China. Lai has repeatedly offered to hold talks with China without success.

Beijing has denounced him as a supporter of formal independence for Taiwan, framing the election as a decision between war and peace.

Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing a backlash after videos surfaced of him violently assaulting his then girlfriend. But as the criticism grows, the odds that the rapper will face criminal charges are fading. More details on that next on CNN. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Authorities in Los Angeles are responding to video obtained exclusively by CNN showing Sean "Diddy" Combs shoving, kicking, and dragging his then-girlfriend during a 2016 altercation in a hotel. And despite the disturbing images, it seems unlikely the singer will be charged for the assault. Veronica Miracle has details.

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VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has issued a statement saying they have seen the video, they are aware of it, and that it is extremely difficult to watch and very disturbing. They go on to say in a statement that if the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately, we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted.

As of today, they also say that law enforcement has not filed a case with the District Attorney's Office. We reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department. They, too, say they are aware of the video, but they also say there is not an open investigation with the LAPD against Mr. Combs at this time.

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Now, we pressed and asked if any kind of report was filed after the assault, and they have not responded to our question. Sean Combs nor his team have not responded to the video.

Veronica Miracle, CNN, Los Angeles.

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BRUNHUBER: A federal judge has ordered that the sentencing case against David DePape should be reopened. He's the man convicted of assaulting the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. DePape got a 30-year prison sentence, but the sentence is being reconsidered because the presiding judge's sentencing hearing didn't give him a chance to speak.

Prosecutors also had raised concerns about how DePape was not able to address the court. His new sentencing hearing is set for May 28th. His lawyers, meanwhile, have appealed the entire sentence.

Three people are dead in western New York State after an Amtrak train collided with a pickup truck Friday night. All the passengers in the truck were pronounced dead on the scene in the town of North Tonawanda. There were no reported injuries to passengers and crew from the train, which was traveling from New York City to Niagara Falls when it struck the vehicle on the tracks.

Officials plan to refloat the cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore's Key Bridge in the coming days. Authorities say the MV Dali can finally be relocated after eight weeks of salvage operations and a series of controlled explosions to break apart debris that covered the vessel. Conditions permitting, operations will begin early Monday morning.

The ship will be moved to a local marine terminal once it's refloated. Six construction workers were killed when the bridge collapsed back in March.

All right after the break, the world's top male golfer is struggling at the PGA Championship after his run-in with police. We'll have the latest on that and more in Sports Headlines next, stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. Police in Louisville, Kentucky, say there is no body cam footage showing the arrest of world number one golfer, Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler was detained early Friday morning on the way to the Valhalla Golf Club ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship after police say he didn't obey an officer's instructions near the scene of a deadly car crash near the course.

According to police, the officer identified as Detective Bryan Gillis got hurt attaching himself to Scheffler's car when the golfer tried to drive around. It's not clear whether Gillis was wearing a body camera, and if he was, why it wasn't recording, which is required by police.

Scheffler, who called the incident a, quote, "big misunderstanding," faces four charges, including second-degree felony assault of an officer. As for Scheffler on the course, well, let's bring in Coy Wire.

So, Coy, after doing well the day it happened, he struggled Saturday, right?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS: Yeah, yeah, that's right, Kim. After the second round Friday, Scottie Scheffler said that his head was still spinning from everything that had happened. By the third round Saturday, perhaps that adrenaline had worn off. After missing a birdie putt on the opening hole, the world number one and reigning Masters champ would hit a double bogey, bogey, then bogey again over the next three holes. He would go from three shots off the lead, Kim, to eight shots back by the end of the day, finishing two over par.

Meanwhile, the rest of the field played Valhalla really well with low scores pretty much across the board. On top at 15-under, Xander Schauffele, who's looking for his first major of his career, and second two-time major champ Collin Morikawa. Here's Scheffler on his struggles.

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SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, WORLD NO. 1 GOLFER: I was definitely, did not feel like myself today for sure, but yesterday happened and I did my best to recover from it and come out here and compete today. And, you know, I did a great job yesterday of coming out and competing, riding the adrenaline. And yeah, this morning was definitely not my usual routine for a round, if that makes sense. But, you know, at the end of the day, I came out here hoping to have a good round, wasn't able to get it done, which is pretty frustrating. But I'll come back and try again tomorrow.

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GARBER: Incredible comeback in the NBA playoffs, game six between the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavs. Dallas down 16 at halftime, but Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving take over. Kyrie scoring 18 of his 22 in the second half, Doncic dropping 29 points, finishing with his third straight triple-double.

That fadeaway J right there late in the fourth gave Dallas the lead, but the youngest team in the playoffs fight till the end. MVP runner- up, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, alley-oop to Chet Holmgren. Thunder back on top, SGA with a game-high 36. But this is what he'll remember, Kim, fouling P.J. Washington with two seconds left. It was a three-point attempt. So Washington would hit the first two, take the lead, then miss the third on purpose. So this prayer that the Thunder throws up goes unanswered. The Mavs stunning the Thunder, 117-116, advancing to the conference finals for the second time in three years.

Caitlin Clark, her first week in the WNBA, hasn't gone the way she'd hoped. Her Indiana fever falling to 0-3 on the season after getting beaten by the New York Liberty 91-80. The rookie phenom, Clark, putting up some points again, scoring a team-high 22 for the fever, but again, struggling with possession, turning the ball over eight times against the Liberty as teams continue to hound her on defense. The Liberty, though, Kim, bringing in a league record, $2 million in ticket revenue for this game.

All right, for the first time in a quarter century, there is an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Despite giving up six inches of height and 40 pounds and suffering a broken jaw, Oleksandr Usyk rallying to stun The Gypsy King, Tyson Fury by split decision, becoming the first to hold every heavyweight belt since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

After the fight, the 37-year-old Ukrainian dedicating his win to his home country and the soldiers.

Simone Biles starting her season off with a bang, flying through the air at the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday, pulling off the most difficult vault in women's gymnastics. The Yurchenko double pike, now named after Biles.

[05:55:09]

Then, Kim, watch this, floor routine, pulling off a triple-double first pass. Holy moly, she dominated her competition by claiming the all-around title by almost two points. Fellow Team USA stars Shilese Jones and Jordan Chiles joining Biles on the podium, finishing second and third in the all-around.

Kim, Simone Biles, a seven-time Olympic medalist, is just 68 days away now from her third Olympics. Of course, she's also officially qualified, but certainly looking right on track after that performance.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, those early difficulties. I mean, she seems to have completely bounced back from them. Great to see you. Coy Wire, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

All right, we want to leave you with this. So Garfield, the lasagna- loving cartoon cat, never had it so good. Have a look at this. Garfield Lookalike Competition took place in Malaysia, honoring the infamous feline and bringing orange cat owners together from all over the country.

Now, the winner was a four-year-old stray named Hara. His owner recalls being shocked by the judge's decision.

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ADAM ZAILANI, OWNER OF WINNING CAT: Most of the cat competitions are between expensive breed type of cats, which is most often, cat owners feels not included. But this time around, I just feel like this is a very good opportunity for Hara, which is just a stray cat to join this kind of competition.

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BRUNHUBER: And more than 100 cats joined the competition. Hara won a cash prize and cat food, but sadly, no lasagna.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning: is next. For the rest of the world, it's "Decoded."

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