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Multiple Tornadoes Reported As Severe Threat Continues; Police: 6 People Stabbed In Massachusetts, Suspect In Custody; Biden Delivers Commencement Address At West Point; Trump Booed And Heckled At Libertarian Convention; Americans Arrested In Turks & Caicos Await Fate. Aired 5-6 am ET

Aired May 26, 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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[05:00:37]

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all our viewers watching from the United States and around the world. I'm Anna Coren. We begin with relentless severe storms that continue to threaten millions across the U.S. this Memorial Day weekend. Especially hard-hit overnight, Texas and Oklahoma. Well, this is what's left of a gas station in Valley View, Texas north of Dallas. And it's just one of several reports of major damage in the area.

Officials in Denton County, Texas say they are responding to reports of multiple victims and people trapped. It's unclear how many people are injured. There are also reports of overturned 18 wheelers damaged homes and downed power lines.

Meanwhile, rescue and damage assessments are underway in Cook County just north of Denton after a possible tornado Saturday night. And in Oklahoma, police say the town of Claremore is shut down and to avoid the area. Well, there to reports of extensive damage to homes as well as downed trees and power lines. The State Emergency Operations Center has been activated. Right now around 240,000 homes and businesses are without power across multiple states in the region.

And the threat is far from over. For more, I'm joined by CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar who has the latest. Allison?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, that's right. So we take a look at the video behind me. This was from one of the storms from late last night. This is from Windthorst, Texas that is in northern, Texas for some perspective there. But again, you can see the tornado there off in the distance. And this was one of more than a dozen tornado reports that came in yesterday over a hundred damaging wind reports and 70 hail reports, some of them as large as the size of baseballs.

You can again see most of it is clustered right through here in the central portion of the U.S Especially the tornado reports, but we also had some areas of the southeastern U.S. and also portions of West Virginia and even Pennsylvania looking at some severe thunderstorms.

We still have active severe thunderstorms ongoing as we speak. You've got a severe thunderstorm watch across portions of Texas and some tornado watches in effect a little bit farther to the north states like Missouri, portions of Kentucky, Illinois and even Arkansas. And it's all from this cluster of showers and thunderstorms right through here. We have active tornado warnings. We've had enough tornado emergency off and on for the last 20 or 30 minutes, for some of these storms and several severe thunderstorms as well.

So the threat is not over this is expected to continue not only this morning, but even as we go through the afternoon and evening hours. Very similar to yesterday, but we're just starting to see a lot of that severe potential begin to shift a little bit eastward. So you're still looking at the same threats we saw yesterday, which includes a few tornadoes, golf ball size hail and wind gusts up around that 70 mile per hour range.

The main focus is also going to include a bit more populated cities. You're talking Chicago, Cleveland, down through Atlanta, that includes Nashville, Memphis, even up around St. Louis. So a lot of cities here that could have the potential to have some outdoor activities may be postponed or even canceled today for the holiday weekend.

Here's a look at the forecast, through the morning, the focus again is still going to be the same places that we're seeing it now. By the afternoon, we start to see more of that spread into St. Louis, Chicago and then down into portions of western Kentucky.

That first line continues to make its way over towards the northeast by late this evening. But then you start to see this. This is the second wave that begins to develop later on this evening. That is the line that's going to slide across portions of Kentucky, Tennessee and eventually down into states like Georgia and even the Carolinas once we get to the overnight and the morning hours.

So tomorrow morning, stay -- cities like Knoxville, Atlanta, and even Charlotte likely to have at least a little bit of a soggy commute. Some folks are off tomorrow for the holiday. But for those that aren't, they will have to contend with perhaps some very wet roads in the morning. Still the potential exists even tomorrow. It's slightly weaker, but still having the potential there for some damaging winds, some hail, and maybe some isolated tornadoes. That includes Washington D.C., Pittsburgh down through Raleigh, Charlotte, North Carolina, down through Columbia, Atlanta, Montgomery, and then back into portions of Mobile and even Baton Rouge.

So this is going to be a multi-day event, Anna, where we're going to have to keep a close eye on this.

COREN: Allison Chinchar, we appreciate the update. Thank you.

Well, police say a suspect is in custody after six people were stabbed in two cities in Massachusetts. In the first case for young women aged between the ages of 9 and 17 were stabbed at a movie theater in the city of Braintree. Shortly afterwards, another woman and a man were attacked in a McDonald's in Plymouth.

[05:05:11] None of the injuries were life-threatening. The early investigation suggests there is a likely connection between these incidents.

U.S. President Joe Biden took aim at Donald Trump as he addressed the graduating class at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Saturday.

Although he didn't mention the former president by name, he drew a sharp contrast with his Republican rival by underscoring the values which Democrats say are at risk.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Biden on Saturday delivered the commencement address at West Point, where he called the cadets the next generation of leaders in both civilian and military life.

And while President Biden did not name former President Donald Trump, nor did he make a direct election year appeal, he did underscore values that he has said or previously said that are at risk if his Republican rival were to take a second term. For example, the preservation of democracy, as well as U.S. leadership on the world stage.

Now, the President talked about the multiple global challenges that the United States faces around the world, including, for example, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, saying that the U.S. remains steadfast in its support of Ukraine. And also talking about the strength of the NATO alliance, saying, quote, "That it is the greatest defense alliance in the history of the world." And that is one of the messages that the President was trying to drive home in this address, that being the importance of those alliances for the United States.

JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: Our women and men in uniform are hard at work, strengthening our alliances, because no country has allies like ours, investing in deterrence. So, anyone who thinks they can threaten us thinks again. Defending our values, by standing up to tyrants, and safeguarding the peace by protecting freedom and openness.

Thanks to the U.S. Armed Forces for doing only America can do, as the indispensable nation, the world's only superpower, and the leading democracy in the world. Never forget Americans are strongest when we lead not only by our example of our power, but by the power of our example.

ALVAREZ: Now, the President also acknowledged the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing efforts to try to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza. He also talked about the, quote, "urgent diplomacy" and trying to reach a ceasefire deal as those talks continue after remaining largely stalled. Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COREN: Well, meanwhile, President Biden's campaign also lashed out at Donald Trump, casting him as, quote, "anti-freedom." In a statement, Biden's campaign spokesperson said Donald Trump says his Republican Party is the Party of Freedom. But tell that to the women who have had the freedom to make their own health care decisions ripped away and their pregnancies monitored by the government or to the adults who have the right to marry who they love under threat.

As for Donald Trump, he didn't get the adoring welcome he's used to when he spoke to a freedom loving crowd on Saturday. It wasn't his MAGA friends. It was at the Libertarian Party's convention. And they booed and heckled the minute he took the stage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: You heard those words. Nominate me or vote -- vote for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: The former Republican president was hoping to sway some libertarian voters his way. Trump's unconventional visit shows his campaign's growing concern over third party candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But the crowd was raucous and Trump ended up giving one of his shortest campaign speeches yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Our rights and freedoms have never been more in danger than they are right now. That is why I have come to extend a hand of friendship to ask for your partnership to defeat communism, defeat Marxism and defeat crooked Joe Biden who is destroying our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Joining us now is Thomas Gift. He's the founding director of the Center on U.S. Politics at University College London. Great to have you with us.

I have to start with that booing, that reaction that Donald Trump got. That would have been a bit of a hit to his ego, I would assume.

THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR, CENTER ON U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: I think you're right, Anna. Thanks so much for having me this morning. This was certainly a different crowd for Trump. He's used to his own events where audience members are vetted. Everyone's wearing red MAGA hats. Instead, he was walking in as a persona non grata, a big government conservative who represents in many ways the antithesis of libertarianism.

This is a very self-selective, ideological crowd that shows up to an event like this. A lot of hardline libertarians believe that most mainstream Republicans and Democrats are cut from the same cloth, that neither wants to shrink government, that neither wants to rein in entitlement and discretionary spending.

[05:10:10]

When you look at Trump's record, forget all the scandals, there's not a whole lot to like if your goal is to diminish the size and scope of the state. During his term, Trump added about $8.4 trillion to the national debt, which came in the form of pandemic bills and executive actions and general spending increases, some from tax cuts. That's the kind of record that's going to get you an icy welcome at a libertarian conference.

COREN: Trump's calls to abolish the deep state and take a much, I guess, lighter touch on regulation. I mean, would that be attractive to libertarians? No?

GIFT: Well, you know, libertarians do emphasize the rule of law. And one thing that Donald Trump is not known for as he encounters his 91 criminal indictments is the rule of law. Cutting the deep state isn't necessarily consistent with the rule of law, and it's not necessarily consistent with respect for government institutions that libertarians want.

The deregulatory aspect, creating conditions for businesses to thrive and so forth, that would be appealing to many libertarians, but I think it's a relatively small fraction. Of course, libertarians themselves are a relatively small fraction of the electorate, so I'm not sure if they're going to be a major difference in this campaign.

COREN: Tell me, Thomas, are libertarian voters, you know, those who want to see less government in all aspects of life, are they a swing vote that's up for grabs or do they tend to vote a certain way?

GIFT: Well, I do think that this election is going to be quite interesting because they probably mostly lean toward the Republican side simply because the GOP is more known for at least reining in spending to an extent, although even that consensus has really eroded in certain years. I think that they could be a swing vote on the margins when an election is so close as we're expecting, but at the same time, it's a relatively small fraction, and even those who identify as libertarians or classical conservatives, most of them aren't showing up to an event like this, and most of them aren't so dyed in the wool in terms of their opinions.

COREN: Well, as we know, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was featured speaker. Trump and Biden, I guess they each cast him as being a plant from the other side. Does he represent more of a threat to one or the other in certain states?

GIFT: Well, I do think that RFK Jr. could be a difference maker. A new "Bloomberg" survey has his numbers dropping down to about 7% from double digits last November. But that's still a sizable figure when the two major candidates are running so closely.

Data from background states do show that RFK draws just slightly more from Trump 2024 voters than Biden voters, but that's within the margin. Interestingly, though, these tend to be voters who in a typical election would vote Democrat and now are more likely to defect to Trump. But I think the real question is how Kennedy positions himself down the stretch. If he's going to focus on COVID vaccines and government conspiracies, et cetera, it's going to Trump by eating into his populist base, but if he focuses more on Democratic issues, climate change, minimum wage, labor rights, et cetera, I think it'll take support away from Biden.

The other question is how hard Trump and Biden or their super PACs and surrogates actually start to attack Kennedy on the campaign trail and with advertisements. And I do think that they're starting to do that, which is one reason why his numbers have laid.

COREN: (OFF MIC) Thank you so much for joining us.

GIFT: Thanks, Anna.

COREN: Ukraine's second-largest city takes more deadly fire from across the border. Still ahead, Russian bombs hit a hardware store in Kharkiv, and civilians pay a terrible price.

Plus, an American who was arrested in Turks and Caicos for carrying ammunition is back home, but there are still four others awaiting their fate. That's coming up.

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[05:18:08]

COREN: Russia is not showing any signs of slowing down with its deadly strikes on Ukraine's second largest city. On Saturday, it hit a hardware store packed with shoppers in Kharkiv. Ukraine says at least 12 people were killed and more than 40 others injured. The strikes started a fire that spread over two and a half acres. 16 people are still missing.

Ukraine says Russia hit Kharkiv three more times on Saturday, causing at least 25 additional injuries. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the attacks show how desperate Ukraine is for more help from its allies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): When we tell leaders of the Western world we need sufficient air defenses, when we say real decisiveness is required in order to make us able to protect the lives of our people in the most effective way possible. In order to stop Russian terrorists from coming anywhere near our borders, we are talking about preventing terrorist attacks like this one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: But cross-border strikes didn't go in just one direction on Saturday, according to Russia. It says at least two people were killed and 10 injured in a Ukrainian attack in its Belgorod region.

One home caught on fire while about 20 other buildings were reportedly damaged. Earlier this week, Mr. Zelenskyy urged allies to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Such strikes are a red line for the U.S. and some other allies that provide long- range weapons to Ukraine.

Well, for more on this, Malcolm Davis joins us from Canberra, Australia. He's a Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Malcolm, great to see you. Why is the U.S. still so reluctant to let Ukraine use weapons like HIMARS to target sites inside Russia?

MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST, THE AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Look, basically, it's a fear of escalation, a fear that this could either escalate into a wider war or even a nuclear war. And I think that Moscow is playing on that fear. They've just recently had a military exercise where they explicitly used tactical nuclear weapons in the exercise and simulated the launch of tactical nuclear weapons.

[05:20:16]

And at the same time, they're undertaking provocative actions along NATO's periphery, for example, in the Gulf of Finland. Russia and Putin are deliberately exploiting the Biden administration's fear and the fear of some European NATO members that this could end up in not only a wider war between NATO and Russia, but even a nuclear war.

COREN: So what's it going to take to overcome this fear? I mean, how bad does the situation have to get?

DAVIS: Well, I think the Biden administration and NATO need to understand that if they don't allow Ukraine to defend themselves by utilizing the weapons that the U.S. and others supply to Ukraine in decisive strikes against Russia itself, then the risk is that Russia can continue to make advances at Ukraine's expense, lives will be lost.

And ultimately, you could see a situation where Russia in 2025 emerges victorious. And then you have the scenario where Russia has succeeded in Ukraine through a combination of threat and aggression. And Putin will be emboldened to essentially do the same thing against NATO.

So you end up in that same place that Biden is so fearful of in terms of a wider war or even a nuclear war. The best way to deal with that threat is to give Ukraine the means to strike back hard using Western supplied weapons, and at the same time, increase the strength of deterrence messages going to Moscow to make sure they don't use nuclear weapons.

COREN: The reluctance that we are seeing that's having an immediate impact on the battlefield, is this U.S. politics coming to the fore?

DAVIS: I'm not sure it's domestic politics per se. I think it is actually within the Biden administration, there is a group that is concerned about the prospect of escalation. The Secretary of State is trying to push against that fear, saying that the U.S. should allow Ukraine to use these weapons. But the National Security Advisor, I think, is reticent, as is President Biden. So it's an inter-administration or intra- administration debate that's occurring amidst the background of U.S. domestic politics and election year.

COREN: Malcolm, as we know, Russia is hammering Kharkiv at the moment, Ukraine's second largest city. I mean, it has momentum. We have seen that over the past weeks and months. But are you surprised that Russia hasn't made more advances, considering Ukraine's shortage of weapons, ammunition and air defense systems?

DAVIS: Well, look, I think that what you're seeing with Russia is a determination to essentially make steady incremental advances and at the same time, stretch Ukrainian forces across the length of the front lines running from Kherson in the south through to Kharkiv in the north. What Russia seeks to do is gradually prepare the ground for further offensives occurring either in the Donetsk region or in the Kharkiv-Vovchansk region. And I think that Putin is quite happy to be patient and play for a protracted war.

Ultimately, what he wants to do is wear down the Ukrainians. And he knows that he doesn't have a lot of time because ultimately weapons will start turning up from the U.S. and from Europe and will start to have an effect. But for the time being, he can continue to push forward.

The Russians also don't have unlimited resources and so therefore they can't afford any catastrophic reversals. So they're playing this quite cautiously.

COREN: Malcolm Davis, always great to get your analysis and perspective. Thanks so much for joining us.

DAVIS: Thank you.

COREN: Ceasefire and hostage release talks involving Israel and Hamas are scheduled to resume on Tuesday. And an Israeli official tells CNN that Israel's war cabinet will meet in just hours from now.

On the streets of Tel Aviv Saturday, anti-government protesters demanded the government do more to bring the hostages home.

Well, journalist Elliott Gotkine is in Tel Aviv with more on the demonstrations and the upcoming round of ceasefire talks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Thousands of Israelis again took to the streets of Tel Aviv and cities across Israel to keep up the pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to do a deal that would bring the hostages home after almost eight months in captivity.

Now at the same time as that was happening, we got word at CNN from an Egyptian official familiar with the matter telling us that hostage talks were actually set to resume this coming Tuesday in Cairo. An Israeli official familiar with the matter similarly telling CNN that hostage talks were set to resume as early as this week.

[05:25:14]

Now this all stems from discussions that were presided over by CIA Director Bill Burns in Paris with his counterpart from the Mossad in Israel and the Qatari Prime Minister, the Egyptians were there but they were kept in the loop. They said that progress was made in those discussions and that has now led to a resumption of these hostage talks being about to take place in Cairo this week. And that will give some of those people protesting on the streets of Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Israel renewed hope, cautious hope, that a deal to bring their loved ones home.

More than 120 Israelis still being held hostage, about a quarter of whom are believed to be dead by Hamas after the October the 7th massacres and kidnappings were carried out. It will give them renewed hope that a deal could be done to see their loved ones brought back home to Israel. At the same time it would lead to a temporary ceasefire and the freeing of a number of Palestinians being held in Israeli jails.

Now, as all that is going on, of course, Israel still reeling from another torrid week on the diplomatic front where we had the ruling from the International Court of Justice effectively telling Israel to call off its operation in Rafah where Israel says it has to go in to destroy the last remaining battalions of Hamas to prevent the militant group from ever carrying out another atrocity on the scale of October the 7th.

Now the ICJ's rulings are legally binding but it doesn't actually have the power to enforce them. Now in theory members of the U.N. Security Council could table resolutions to carry out action against Israel if fails to abide by the ICJ ruling but invariably any resolution against Israel would no doubt be vetoed by the United States. On top of that Israel says that it never has nor would it ever in the future carry out actions which to use the words of the ICJ ruling would bring about the physical destruction in whole or in part of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

So perhaps no practical implication in terms of Israel's military operations in Rafah and the Gaza Strip but certainly diplomatically this will just merely add to the growing pressure on Israel. Of course we also had prior to this ICJ ruling the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. We've also seen countries such as Norway and Spain saying they intend to recognize Palestinian statehood. All of this as I say adding to the diplomatic pressure on Israel and adding to Israel's isolation.

Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: In Gaza a deadly Israeli drone strike near Jabalia has killed at least 10 people. We have video from after the strike and we have to warn you that it is graphic. A number of the victims were children. The drone hit a school that people were using for shelter. This video is from a clinic where the bodies were taken. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment but has not yet heard back. Witnesses say they thought the school was a safe place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABU MOHAMMAD, WITNESS (through translator): Even schools are not safe anymore. The place where people shelter is not safe. Not even five percent nor two percent nor one percent safe. We only ask for safety from God and the people who might hear us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: In Rafah, the Director of the Kuwait hospital says he is the only functioning hospital. His is the only functioning hospital in central Rafah available around the clock. The U.N. says Gaza's hospitals are dealing with shortages of fuel medical supplies and equipment.

The U.S. is condemning China's military drills around Taiwan and is urging Chinese officials to act with restraint. Beijing claims it was testing its ability to quote seize power with the two days of war games earlier in the week launched only days after Taiwan's new president took office.

China is denouncing President Lai Ching-te as a dangerous separatist and earlier called the drills a punishment for so-called separatist acts.

The U.S. State Department says using a normal routine and democratic transition as an excuse for military provocations risks escalation and erodes long-standing norms that for decades have maintained peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait which is critical for regional and global security and prosperity and a matter of international concern.

It's been called one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change. Just ahead details on the deadly heat wave that's making life unbearable across South Asia.

Plus, more than two dozen people killed in a fire at a gaming arena in India. What we know about the deadly incidents so far. Stay with us.

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[05:33:24]

COREN: Welcome back. We continue to monitor severe weather impacting the U.S. midsection. In Texas, rescues and damage assessments are underway in areas north of Dallas after severe storms and possible tornadoes.

And in Oklahoma, there, too, reports of extensive damage. The State Emergency Operations Center has been activated. And the threat is far from over. More than 100 million people are at

risk of severe storms today, with almost 2 million people under a new tornado watch in effect across several states until 10 a.m. Central Time.

Well, meanwhile, South Asia is enduring a relentless heatwave that has surged heat-related hospitalizations, canceled schools, and forced people to go to extremes for the slightest relief. Our Michael Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): Northern India is no stranger to heat, but unusually hot temperatures this year have made daily life almost unbearable. An unrelenting heatwave sending temperatures soaring to nearly 50 degrees Celsius. That's 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hospitals face surging numbers of patients with heat stroke and other heat related illnesses, as many have no choice but to just push through the brutal temperatures.

SHEELA KUMARI, LEMONADE VENDOR (through translator): I sell lemonade here. The heat is so harsh here that when the wind comes, it feels like someone is slapping your face. We are drowned in sweat. We are surviving this heat to earn our living. The temperatures will rise. I don't know what we will do.

HOLMES (voice-over): The sweltering heatwave comes amid one of the final phases of the world's largest election. Polling places in the capital, New Delhi, were unusually quiet on Saturday, a sign that for some, casting a ballot isn't worth the burn.

[05:35:12]

The polling stations were fitted out with water dispensers, mist machines and shaded areas for those who were determined to cast their vote.

HASEEM, DELHI RESIDENT: It's a fundamental right and the foremost duty for every citizen of any republic or any democracy. We should be coming out, whatever is the weather, whether it is heat or whether it is cold or winter or anything of that sort.

HOLMES (voice-over): In neighboring Pakistan, some 26 million students are out of school for the next week as scorching temperatures there put children especially at risk, according to UNICEF. Frequent power outages leave families to swelter at home. Even at night in the city of Jacobabad, temperatures top 36 degrees Celsius or almost 97 Fahrenheit. Some residents pay to sleep on the rooftops of local inns, just trying to catch a breeze.

Meanwhile, the hellish temperatures don't stop these brick workers. For many of them, there's no choice. The life-threatening heat is the price they must pay to support their families. MUHAMMAD AAMIR, BRICK WORKER (through translator): It's too hot. We work for 15 minutes, then need to rest for half an hour. But we have to work to feed our children. We have no other option.

HOLMES (voice-over): Much of South Asia is susceptible to the effects of climate change, according to UNICEF. As average temperatures rise, so too do the risks. And in a region where locals are arguably used to the heat, even they are reaching their boiling point.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: An American man who was arrested in Turks and Caicos for carrying ammunition reunited with his family on Friday. Bryan Hagerich got a suspended 52-week sentence and a $6,700 fine, but he's not the only one trying to get home. CNN's Rafael Romo has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: His ordeal seems to be over, but there are several other Americans facing the same charge whose fates are still undecided. Bryan Hagerich is now describing his involuntary stay of more than three months in Turks and Caicos as the hardest time of his life.

The American from Pennsylvania returned Friday night after spending more than 100 days in the British Overseas Territory, where he was charged with possession of ammunition.

This is the moment he reunited with his children.

Hagerich was facing a 12-year sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of ammunition. He was able to return home after getting a suspended 52-week sentence and a $6,700 fine, according to his representatives. He expressed great relief and gratitude after landing Friday night in Pittsburgh.

BRYAN HAGERICH, ARRESTED FOR CARRYING AMMUNITION IN TURKS & CAICOS: Absolutely overwhelmed. Just so much joy. It's just amazing how, just in a matter of 12 hours, my life has just been a complete 180. Looking at 12 years to now, my biggest concern is coaching my kids baseball games tomorrow, and that is such a relief.

ROMO: Hagerich is not the only American arrested under similar circumstances. Four others have been released on bail while they await their court dates in Turks and Caicos, but one of them was allowed to return to the U.S. for medical reasons.

Among those still in the territory is Ryan Watson. He and his wife Valerie were stopped by airport security just before their return flight home. Valerie's charges were dropped, and she was able to return to the U.S. last month after being detained for 11 days, but her husband is still in Turks and Caicos. Valerie Watson told CNN on Saturday that her family is hoping the same legal strategy used by Hagerich may help her husband regain his freedom. VALERIE WATSON, HUSBAND DETAINED IN TURKS & CAICOS: I think we're planning to kind of follow the same path that Bryan did. You know, we share the same attorney. I think they've got a plan that they've already come up with, kind of how they want to proceed moving forward. So I think he's ready to just go in on Tuesday so they can get that going.

ROMO: Turks and Caicos officials say U.S. citizens are not being targeted. The territory's premier told CNN that out of the 195 people sentenced for firearm-related offenses over the past six years, only seven were U.S. citizens and no American has received the full 12-year sentence to date.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: American rapper Nicki Minaj is out of police custody after she was detained in Amsterdam. Authorities said, quote, "soft drugs" were found in her possession at Schiphol Airport Saturday. Minaj live- streamed her arrest on Instagram. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICKI MINAJ, AMERICAN RAPPER: I'm not carrying drugs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, but it's not a question to you. I think it's smart to go inside.

MINAJ: I'm not carrying drugs. Number one, when I came here, my -- the back --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, you can go inside.

MINAJ: I'm not going in there. I need a lawyer present.

[05:40:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will get a lawyer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: The 41-year-old rapper received a monetary fine and was allowed to continue her travel, but a concert slated for Saturday night in Manchester, England, was postponed, according to a social media post by the venue. CNN has reached out to representatives for Minaj for comment.

Well, Mexico has extradited a top cartel member to the United States in what U.S. President Joe Biden calls a good day for justice. El Nini, as he was known, was one of the most wanted people sought by the U.S. He faces charges of drug trafficking, possession of machine guns and witness retaliation. Salas was arrested in Mexico in November. He's now in U.S. custody.

President Biden praised the move, saying El Nini played a prominent role in the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. The United States has charged him for his role in illicit fentanyl trafficking and for murdering, torturing and kidnapping numerous rivals, witnesses and others.

Well, after the break, AI manipulated videos of flooding Chinese social media websites to peddle political propaganda and sell product. That and more when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Lately, Chinese social media appears to be flooded with videos that have been manipulated using artificial intelligence, also known as Deepfakes. And these videos are growing more deceptive as the technology advances. But although the videos are fake, the danger posed by them is very real.

Will Ripley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): I am really envious of you Chinese.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): China is the safest country in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): Only in China can you sleep soundly.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Chinese social media, what you see --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am Chinese.

RIPLEY (voice-over): -- may not be what you get.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): Single men in China, I have good news.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The women in these videos supposedly Russian, with messages appealing to the romantic fantasies and nationalist pride of some Chinese men.

[05:45:02]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): I love this land. I love China.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Below the videos, comments like this. "Welcome to China, Russian beauty."

OLGA LOIEK, YOUTUBER: This is so creepy.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Olga Loiek is a student at the University of Pennsylvania. She claims in this video on her YouTube channel, someone cloned her image in China and is peddling products and propaganda with AI generated deepfakes of her. LOIEK: The narratives my clones were voicing sounded like blatant propaganda.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Deepfakes designed to build a narrative of alliance and admiration between China and Russia, largely untouched by the government's heavy-handed censors.

CNN cannot independently verify the videos, which have now been taken down. But not before Loiek says they racked up thousands of views.

LOIEK: Here she already has 140,000 fans. And she has a ton of videos of my face. Where she likes saying how much she likes Russia, and how much Russia needs Chinese economic support.

As a Ukrainian, this has obviously been infuriating for me.

RIPLEY (voice-over): How this happened? Loiek says she has no idea. CNN showed Loiek's real and fake videos to people in Taipei.

RIPLEY: Couldn't tell the difference?

How's your Chinese?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: AI.

RIPLEY: AI, you can tell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I have no idea.

RIPLEY: You can't tell which one is AI?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Artificial intelligence is advancing so quickly. Experts say you need AI detection software just to identify some deepfakes.

TYLER WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS, GRAPHIKA: A general kind of undermining of a source of truth.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Amplifying the power of disinformation and not just in Chinese.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Staged by the Filipino side --

RIPLEY (voice-over): Chinese state media is using AI enhanced videos on TikTok, altering the reporter's voice and face. A disclosure on screen for just a few seconds, easy to miss.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Under China's jurisdiction.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The video is pushing Beijing's narrative on the South China Sea.

RIPLEY: Is this a threat to democracy? FELIPE SALVOSA II, JOURNALISM PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS: Most definitely. I think China has found a more cost-effective way to get its message across.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Turning today's digital landscape into a battleground for truth, where seeing is no longer believing.

RIPLEY (on camera): Every time I do a story about these deepfake videos, what strikes me is the quality keeps improving. Our researcher Yong spent hours putting these through algorithms to determine with 99% accuracy whether these videos are real, whether they're fake, whether the voice has been altered, the face has been altered. Who on social media has time for that and a lot of people don't take the time which experts say is dangerous, particularly in democracies when people are watching these videos and then potentially using the information they hear to make decisions about how to vote.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Stay with CNN, much after the break.

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[05:51:49]

COREN: Officials with the PGA Tour say they are devastated by the sudden and unexpected death of 30-year-old American golfer Grayson Murray. Andy Scholes joins us now with the latest. Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yeah, Anna, Grayson Murray was playing at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth on Friday when he withdrew from the tournament due to an illness. Then yesterday, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan broke the news that Murray died Saturday morning.

Now, Murray, who had spoken about his battles with alcohol and mental health in the past, was having a breakout season after winning the Sony Open in January.

No cause of death was announced, but Peter Malnati was playing with Murray this week and was just heartbroken by the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER MALNATI, PGA TOUR GOLFER: It's so funny. We get so worked up out here about, you know, a bad break here or a good break there. You look and -- and then something like this happens and you realize that we're all just humans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Commissioner Monahan spoke with Murray's parents. They urged for the tournament this weekend to continue because, quote, "That's what Grayson would have wanted." Murray was just 30 years old. All right, elsewhere, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker speaking publicly for the first time since giving the controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College earlier this month. And Butker, who is a devout Catholic, says he does not regret expressing his beliefs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRISON BUTKER, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS KICKER: At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion. In my seven years in the NFL, I've become familiar with the positive and negative comments.

But the majority of them revolve around my performance on the field. But as to be expected, the more I've talked about what I value most, which is my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I have become. It's a decision I've consciously made and one I do not regret at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: The Chiefs are heading to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl on Friday. It's not clear if Butker will attend after criticizing President Biden in his original speech.

All right, the Celtics now have a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, but it wasn't easy. They were down 18 in the third against the Pacers, but Jrue Holiday coming up big, gets the and one here to give Boston the lead, 1-12 to 1-11. Then, look at him here, steals the ball from Andrew Nembhard with under 10 seconds to go.

Now, the Pacers had one last chance to tie this one and they ran a football play. It almost worked, but Aaron Nesmith's three, no good there. Celtics win, 1-14 to 1-11. They're going to go for the sweep tomorrow.

On the Ice, the Stars evening up their playoff series with the Oilers. Mason Marchment scoring the game-winning goal in the third. Dallas ends up winning 3-1. That series now shifts to Edmonton, tied at a game apiece.

And finally, after getting her first win in the pros on Friday, Caitlin Clark shut down by the Las Vegas Aces last night. Two-time defending champs holding Clark to just eight points. The Fever Star rookie making just two of her eight shots while turning the ball over six times. Vegas rolls in that one, 99-80 as Indiana falls to 1-6 on the season.

[05:55:12]

But Anna, the Fever's schedule to start the year could not have been tougher there. Five of their first seven games were against three of the best teams in the league. So, you know, Clark, a rookie, let's give her some time. I'm sure she's going to find her groove and do just fine.

COREN: No doubt. Andy Scholes, good to see you.

SCHOLES: All right.

COREN: Thank you.

Well, the Cannes Film Festival is celebrating the legendary U.S. filmmaker George Lucas, the mastermind behind such cultural juggernauts as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, received an Honorary Palme d'or. The director has never actually sought a prize at Cannes, but several of his films have been screened there out of competition.

Lucas's friend, the renowned filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, presented the prize and called Lucas his, quote, "kid brother."

One of the men behind songs loved by generations of children and adults has died.

(MUSIC)

COREN: Well, that scene from Mary Poppins won an Oscar for best original song for Richard M. Sherman. Disney said in a statement that he passed away on Saturday from an age-related illness.

Richard and his late brother, Robert, wrote songs for Mary Poppins and many other Disney classics. They also penned, "It's a Small World" for Disney's theme parks. Richard M. Sherman was 95 years old.

Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren. For viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "Bold Pursuits."

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