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CNN International: Jury Set to Begin Deliberation in Donald Trump's Criminal Hush Money Trial; Voting Underway in South Africa in Which Could be a Pivotal General Election; Pope Francis Apologizes for Using Anti-Gay Slur; Rare Wu-Tang Album Going on Display at Tasmania Museum. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired May 29, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster. Here our top stories today.

Jury deliberations are expected to begin today in the historic hush money trial of Donald Trump. The court heard from nearly two dozen witnesses over 21 days.

Haiti's transitional presidential council has picked Garry Conille as prime minister. Conille briefly served in the same role more than a decade ago. He'll now be stepping down from his current role as a UNICEF regional director.

North Korea is tormenting South Korea by sending more than 150 floating bags of garbage over the border. South Korean officials say the waste is attached to giant balloons. North Korean state media says the move is to retaliate against South Korean activists who send banned materials into the North, such as propaganda leaflets, food, and medicine.

Closing arguments then in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial wrapped up on Tuesday, and the jurors are set to begin deliberations in the coming hours. CNN's Brian Todd breaks down what we know about the jury and the stress they'll endure.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The foreperson is an Irish immigrant male who works in sales and hasn't finished college. He shares a jury box with a young female software engineer who lives with three roommates in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Also in the jury box, a retired wealth manager.

Just a few of the 12 people who now have to work closely together to decide the fate of the former president of the United States.

LESLIE ELLIS, TRIAL CONSULTANT, THE CAISSA GROUP: These are not people who would necessarily get in touch and hang out and know each other under other circumstances.

TODD (voice-over): The 12 Trump jurors, seven men and five women, plus six alternates, are diverse in ethnicity, education, employment background, and in their consumption of news. One female juror said she doesn't really follow the news. Another was not aware that Donald Trump is facing charges in other criminal cases.

SHAN WU, FORMER U.S. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: I worry a little bit about what experience they have in breaking down a lot of information and having to analyze it if they kind of just don't pay attention to the news that's going on.

TODD (voice-over): Two of the Trump jurors, both men, are attorneys themselves. One a corporate lawyer, the other a civil litigator. Analysts say that could be good or bad.

On the positive side, their skills in analyzing the law could help fellow jurors. But conversely, they could dominate the jury room.

ELLIS: If they might not be tempted to sort of lead the charge and tell all of the other jurors how it should go.

TODD (voice-over): During this trial, jurors have been observed in the courtroom smiling during lighter moments, swiveling their heads back and forth during exchanges with witnesses like Michael Cohen and studiously taking notes.

But there's one particular disadvantage that these Trump jurors have at this moment. Court has been dark for about a week. Experts say jurors are usually not allowed to take their notes home with them and are often prohibited from consuming news, sometimes even barred from watching TV.

WU: The biggest disadvantage is the lack of freshness and memory. By the time they get to deliberations, any dark days, any breaks, that's all hard for them to recall things.

TODD (voice-over): According to jurors, in another high-profile hush money trial, the case of former vice presidential nominee John Edwards, the hardest part is about to start, the deliberations.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: How tough was it in that deliberation room? I mean, how --?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It got really intense at times.

COOPER: Did it really?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh yes, oh yes.

COOPER: Screaming, yelling, that kind of thing?

TODD: As for the pressure these Trump jurors are facing.

ELLIS: They're under immense pressure. Not only is it a bit of a circus, when it's all over, they're going to have friends and family and employers to go back to who are all going to be asking them a lot of questions. TODD: As for any advice for jurors in this particular highly charged case, the analysts we spoke to say, block everything out. Concentrate only on the facts of the case. And when the case is over, they say, try not to take anything personally, including insults and other personal attacks because those will come.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: CNN's Brian Todd with that report.

South Africans going to the polls right now for a general election that could upend the 30 year rule of the African National Congress. The party of late president Nelson Mandela facing serious challenges. With a country suffering from years of corruption, stark inequality, and violent crime.

CNN's David McKenzie is with us live from Johannesburg. How much enthusiasm is there, David?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot of enthusiasm and some frustration at this particularly busy polling station in downtown Johannesburg because of technical difficulties.

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Just a short time ago, Cyril Ramaphosa, the president, voted in Soweto. This will be a moment where he's under a great deal of pressure. Everyone I've spoken to, at least in this part of the city, says they want change. They're frustrated with some of the issues facing this country.

I'm joined by David Ngobeni. You know, David, I know you're a bit frustrated, waiting, you've got other things to do, but what are some of the big issues you think are facing voters right now?

DAVID NGOBENI, VOTER: I think it will have to be on top of the list. It will have to be unemployment, the economy, the inflation is fucking everyone up, certainly for the language. Like, people just don't have enough and the crime and the corruption at the top overall is like the big issues that are facing everyone right now.

MCKENZIE: You have a job as a land surveyor, but many young people like yourself have no jobs. What is the feeling of hope for the future right now from people of your age group?

NGOBENI: There isn't much hope, to be honest. Like, I cannot, like, for instance, encourage anyone to be going into land surveying right now because there's very few jobs. If you have a job, you're very lucky. You know what I mean?

MCKENZIE: What do you want to happen politically now because of this vote?

NGOBENI: Politically, I think anything that would boost the economy so the inflation can come down a little bit. That would be really helpful. Then the rest, we can take care of it. MCKENZIE: Thank you very much, David.

You know, Max, I've spoken to a lot of people who express this frustration. It must be said, this area is a stronghold of opposition groups in rural areas and with older voters, I've seen still a great deal of enthusiasm for the ruling ANC. But the critical issue here is, will the party of Nelson Mandela drop below 50 percent or lower and will they be forced to form a coalition government?

So it is a very important vote and one very closely watched, I think, around the world -- Max.

FOSTER: Yes, so eyes then move to, you know, future kingmakers, don't they, if that is the case? I mean, how, you know, how is it set up for coalition building in that country?

MCKENZIE: Well, it's set up like a parliamentary system like the U.K. and other parliamentary systems around the world. If the ANC, Max, drops below 50, just a small amount, they might be able to join up with small opposition parties to form a government. If they lose a substantial amount of their majority, they could turn to a larger, more substantive opposition group.

This is uncharted territory for South Africa. The ANC at one point got 70 percent of the votes in these general elections. They have seen their support dwindle because of the issues and the frustrations facing South Africans.

But of course, like any democratic nation, you don't know until those final votes are tallied, which will be in the next few days or into the weekend -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, David in Johannesburg, thank you.

Huge protests and heated debate didn't stop Taiwan's parliament from passing a controversial reform bill. Lawmakers approved the measure, which calls for closer scrutiny of the new president and his administration.

Supporters say it's necessary to improve government accountability.

Tempers flaring yet again on the floor of the legislature during the debate. Opponents of the bill call it anti-democratic and say it will increase Chinese influence in Taiwan.

Melinda French Gates is speaking out about resigning from the Gates Foundation. The prominent philanthropist says she'll now focus her charity work on American women's reproductive freedom. In a Tuesday op-ed in the New York Times, she attributes the decision to the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling to reverse the constitutional right to an abortion, calling America's high maternal mortality rate unconscionable.

She writes I now feel compelled to support reproductive rights here at home. For too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women's rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense. I want to help even the match.

She says she'll donate a billion dollars through 2026 to advance women's rights.

French Gates, who co-led the foundation with her former husband, Bill Gates, announced her resignation earlier this month.

Pope Francis asking for forgiveness after reports that he used a homophobic language during a meeting with Italian bishops.

CNN's Vatican correspondent, Christopher Lamb, has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Vatican says the Pope has apologized for feelings of offense following reports he used an anti- gay slur. Two Italian newspapers say Pope Francis made the remarks while meeting bishops in a closed door meeting last week. The Pope has instructed bishops not to accept gay men for the priesthood, and this is the context in which he was making his reported remarks.

[04:40:00]

But in a new statement, the Vatican insists the church welcomes everyone.

The Pope's remarks have caused a real stir because of the use of an anti-gay slang word, something that he used whilst discussing with Italian bishops whether to admit gay men to the priesthood. But the Vatican, in a statement, stressed the Pope never intended to express himself in homophobic terms and said Francis apologizes for any offense. It also says that the Pope has repeatedly stated that the church must welcome everyone, including, quote, everyone as they are.

Now, of course, this has been the Pope's consistent message during his pontificate when it comes to LGBTQ-plus Catholics. Pope Francis is the Pope who said, who am I to judge at the beginning of his pontificate when asked about gay priests? He's also opened the possibility for same-sex couples to receive blessings.

So the Pope's remarks, as they were reported in the media, caused surprise. It's also been suggested that the Pope was not fully aware of how offensive the term he used was. And the statement that the Vatican has issued is clearly saying that Francis did not intend for it to be homophobic.

Francis is a Pope who apologizes for his mistakes and he clearly felt it was necessary to rectify the situation given this story and these reports were threatening to damage or undermine the work that he's done to welcome gay Catholics.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Cumbria, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: El Salvador's Navy has seized almost three tons of drugs in two operations off the country's coast. Its Ministry of Defense says officers found packets of cocaine after intercepting two boats earlier this month. Six people have been arrested. They're from Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador. The seize comes amid the Salvadoran government's huge crackdown on crime.

China's military has been testing out one of its latest weapons of war. That's a four-legged, gun-toting, headless robot which Beijing believes could replace human soldiers in some situations on the battlefield. CNN's Mike Valerio reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So during recent military drills with Cambodia, China's military showed off a robot dog with an automatic rifle on its back and well, this is what happens. It's a two-minute video made during the China-Cambodia military training exercise known as Golden Dragon 2024. In one drill, the rifle-firing robot leads an infantry unit into a training building.

And a soldier says in the video that's released by state broadcaster CCTV, quote: It can serve as a new member in our urban combat operations, replacing our human members to conduct reconnaissance and identify the enemy and strike the target.

Now, a CCTV video from last year also highlighted China's rifle-armed electronic canines in a joint exercise with the Chinese, Cambodian, Lao, Malaysian, Thai, and Vietnamese militaries. The dogs have been popping up on China's heavily regulated social media and this is the latest instance of that happening.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Last time ever, fans of the legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan could be able to listen to a rare album at a museum, but it's in Australia, so you'll have to go there. Its director joins us next.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: That's the legendary hip-hop group, Wu-Tang Clan. Next month, fans will have a chance to listen to the group's mysterious album, "Once Upon A Time In Shaolin." Only one physical copy of the album was ever produced and it'll be on display next month at the Museum of Old and New Art on the Australian island of Tasmania.

The album is subject to a legal agreement which prevents it from being commercially exploited until the year 2103. However, it can be played at private listening parties and that's what the museum is throwing.

Jarrod Rawlins is the Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Old and New Art. He joins us now from Hobart, Australia. I mean, this is exciting stuff. But people have to go a long way to hear it. Just explain how people can get to hear this album. JARROD RAWLINS, DIRECTOR OF CURATORIAL AFFAIRS, MUSEUM OF OLD AND NEW ART: Oh, the first thing you need to do is register to get a free ticket allocation which is done through our museum website which opens up tomorrow morning. It's roughly about 14 hours from now. And if you're lucky enough to get in line for one of those allocations, you'll be able to make your way to the museum from June 15 through to June 24 and attend one of the listening sessions.

FOSTER: Just explain for people that don't know this story how the music is held, what material it's on and how it's played out.

RAWLINS: The music was -- the album was recorded and then printed onto a double CD and then the digital masters were destroyed. So there's only the double CD, one physical copy that exists that will be brought to Tasmania. And we'll be playing it with an old Sony PlayStation 1 Wu-Tang edition that will be done in our dedicated music studio.

Which is a secure environment because there's a lot of security around the listening events and them not being publishable.

FOSTER: Fans are already freaking out knowing that CDs can break and scratch.

RAWLINS: They can break and scratch. That's why there's a lot of security and there's a lot of care. And that's why a museum is the perfect place for this object and this artwork to be presented in. And that's how we reached this point with the owners.

FOSTER: I mean, it's going to be so compelling for people to actually hear the actual CD playing out. But have you been tempted to create digital versions of some sort of insurance?

RAWLINS: I'm not the owner of the CD. That's a collective called Pleaser. They have their own protocols in place. And I know that there is just the one physical CD and that's what we're going to be focused on.

FOSTER: In terms of the music on there, can you just describe what's on it? And I don't know how much you want to give away because you want people to actually hear the experience, but what's on there?

RAWLINS: I haven't heard the CD. I'm waiting for the CD to arrive in Tasmania. Only a few people, a handful of people have been able to have the opportunity to hear the CD because it can't be shared digitally.

I haven't traveled to the States to listen to the CD with the owners. I trust that everything is in place and that the music is wonderful from what I've been told.

FOSTER: And what's the history of it? Obviously, you know, it's fascinating the way this has all played out, as it were, but why did the group release it like this? And have you had a response from them about your plan?

RAWLINS: The group, from what I have been led to understand and what I've read, they wanted to release one album. They cited Renaissance Patronage and everything that came with that, the support from one vendor, one supporter that allowed one great artwork to be created. And so that was part of their plan.

[04:50:00]

And what they did with that was they wanted to draw attention to the music industry's problems with online streaming services, making it difficult for musicians to get paid for sort of pirate downloads that were very popular and the problems with musicians actually earning money out of that.

So they've actually restricted access to this music in order to highlight that problem and also highlight that this is an artwork, needs to be treated like an artwork. And that's why at the museum, I worked with the curators and with the membership of the ownership group to see that wish through that we can highlight this work for the band as an artwork and not just as a release.

FOSTER: I mean, you're going to be adding value to it as well, aren't you? We probably are just by talking about it, but can you just explain how it has changed hands because it has been bought and sold, hasn't it?

RAWLINS: It has been bought and sold. It was originally bought by a person called Martin Shkreli who is known as the Farmer Bro. At one point, probably one of the most unpopular men in the U.S. He was jailed for six or seven years for raising the price of AIDS and other medications in a very unfair and unreasonable manner. And that came and caught up with him. The U.S. Department of Justice seized assets, this CD being one of them. There were other artworks as well seized. And the group collective known as Pleaser purchased this asset from the U.S. Department of Justice.

FOSTER: In terms of the fan base, we're not just talking this group though, aren't we? I think Cher fans will probably want to hear about it as well.

RAWLINS: I have heard a rumor that there are a couple of tracks where Cher makes an appearance. There could be other people. Only a few of us will ever hear it until 2103 when it's allowed to be played.

FOSTER: The lucky people who do get a chance to hear it, obviously they have to get over there as well, but are you expecting a lot of demand and how many opportunities are there to hear it?

RAWLINS: We are expecting a lot of demand. The opportunities there'll be in the few hundreds. We have the studio which we need to use because of the security requirements around searching people and ensuring there are no recording devices going into the listening events.

So it does actually restrict the numbers and there is huge demand. We've had calls from people from places such as London and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere who were wanting to plan trips next week to come to Tasmania. It's very exciting. FOSTER: So less than a thousand, would you say? How many people are going to get a chance to hear it?

RAWLINS: Yes, in Tasmania, I'd say less than a thousand.

FOSTER: OK, Jarrod Rawlins, really appreciate it and good luck. Hope your website holds up. We'll be right back.

RAWLINS: Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WU-TANG CLAN: In the jail at the age of 15, a young buck Selling drugs and suck, who never had much Trying to get a clutch on what I could not touch To the court where you sit and I face incarceration

Pacing, no one upstate my destination ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Colombia's Congress has approved a nationwide ban on bullfighting in a significant victory for animal rights activists. The bill will now be sent to Colombian President Gustavo Petro to be signed into law. Stefano Pozzebon has the details from Bogota.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Colombia has become the latest country in the world to effectively ban bullfights, marking a significant victory for animal rights activists and progressives in the Andean nation. The bill was passed by the Colombian Chamber of Representatives on Tuesday evening with 93 votes in favor and two against. According to its text, bullfights will still be allowed until 2027 as a transition period for the bullfighting industry.

Nevertheless, there were supporters of the ban celebrating the results which came after years of failed votes in Congress.

ALEJANDRO GARCIA, COLOMBIAN CONGRESSMAN (through translator): To the country, we say we are prioritizing the protection and welfare of animals. And to the world, that Colombia is going through a cultural transformation where all beings are treated with dignity.

POZZEBON: Until now, Colombia was one of only eight countries around the world to still allow the practice of bullfights, which is known as corridas in Spanish. Spain and Mexico are the countries that see most of corridas or bullfights around the world these days. The bill will now pass to the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, to be signed into law.

And Petro himself has long been a supporter of the ban. He took on X, formerly known as Twitter, to celebrate the results in Congress on Tuesday, saying that congratulations to those who managed that death will no longer be a show.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: A lost Caravaggio painting, which was almost mistakenly auctioned at a bargain price, is now on display at a museum in Madrid after being rescued and restored. It was painted by the Italian master in the early 17th century. It is one of about 60 known Caravaggio works in existence. The work was once part of King Philip IV's art collection. It changed hands over the years and went unnoticed until it surfaced at an auction house as the work of an unknown painter with a startling price of just $1,600. Experts caught the mistake and kept it from being sold.

New Yorkers were treated to the phenomenon known as Manhattan Henge on Tuesday. Each year, the setting sun lines up with Manhattan's streets to provide one of the most amazing sunset photos you can capture in New York City. The effect only lasts a few minutes when sunlight shoots down the thoroughfares that aren't blocked by any of the city's skyscrapers. The occurrence is named after England's ancient Stonehenge.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. CNN "THIS MORNING" is up next after a break.

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