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Biden Unveils New Israeli Cease-Fire Proposal; Trump's Guilty Verdict Impacts Swing County Voters In Pennsylvania; Kyiv's Go-Ahead To Strike Russia With U.S.-Made Weapons; U.S. Defense Secretary At Singapore Security Summit; South Africa Elections; Mexico Likely To Elect Its First Woman President; Ukrainians Find Flaws With $10 Million U.S. Abrams Tank; UEFA Champions League Final; 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired June 01, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome you all wanting us here in the states, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
U.S. President Joe Biden lays out a three-phase peace proposal for an end to the war in Gaza.
What's different about this plan and what obstacles remain?
Donald Trump rails against Thursday's guilty verdict. We will look at how it could impact his sentencing ahead of any appeal.
And a historic election in South Africa that could see the long-ruling ANC party lose its grip on power after 30 years. What this might mean for the Rainbow Nation.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Joe Biden says Israel has offered what he calls a comprehensive ceasefire plan to Hamas, which could lead to an end of the war in Gaza. Biden says the three-stage plan would begin with the full ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
It would be followed by the release of all hostages and end with a reconstruction plan from the enclave. At the White House Friday, President Joe Biden explained why it's so important for both sides to act.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is truly a decisive moment. Here's those made their proposal. Hamas needs to take the deal. There are those in Israel who will not agree with this plan and will call for the war to continue indefinitely. Some are even in the government coalition. I've urged leadership in Israel to stand behind this deal. We can't
lose this moment. Indefinite war pursued of an identified notion of total victory, that will not bring hostages home. That will not, not bring an enduring defeat of Hamas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Well, less than an hour after those comments, Israel's prime minister seemed to contradict the president, saying the war in Gaza won't end until Hamas is eliminated. Israel also confirmed its forces have pushed into central Rafah after a new offensive launched in the city in early May.
Israel is facing international criticism for its military operations in Rafah, which has uprooted hundreds of thousands of civilians, many not for the first time. CNN's Jeremy Diamond takes a closer look at the new proposal.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Joe Biden on Friday, laying out a new Israeli proposal that he says could lead to a permanent end to the hostilities.
This new Israeli proposal, which President Joe Biden described in more detail than he ever has in terms of any of these ceasefire and hostage release proposals that we've seen over the course of the last several months, it does include several key Israeli concessions in the direction of Hamas that we have not seen before.
At the heart of this proposal, though, is this notion of eventually getting to a permanent ceasefire. And that would happen in the second phase of this agreement.
But critically this Israeli proposal says that getting to a second phase, getting to that permanent ceasefire would need to be negotiated during the first six-week phase of this agreement, the first six-week ceasefire that is taking place.
But there is a kind of elegant solution that is being put forward here to the notion that Israel is unwilling to sign up for a long-term ceasefire on the front end of this deal. And that is to say that those negotiations, according to this proposal, will stretch on beyond that six-week cease-fire if indeed the negotiations continue.
As long as those negotiations continue beyond that, Israel also here appears to be agreeing to seeing the release of the bodies of some of the dead hostages in the first phase of this agreement.
That's something that Hamas had previously proposed and which Israel has not agreed to so far. But there is a key "but" here and that is the fact that the Israeli prime minister's office, within about an hour of President Joe Biden making the speech, which he very much framed as a way to get to an end to this war in Gaza.
The Israeli prime minister's office saying that they will not agree to end the war until all of the goals of that war are achieved. And the Israeli prime minister has set out two main goals, not only securing the release of the hostages but also, of course, defeating and destroying Hamas' military capabilities in Gaza.
That is something that the Israeli prime minister says they have not yet achieved. And so it's difficult to square that circle here, other than the fact that the Israeli prime minister, of course, has a lot of domestic politics to contend with.
A far-right governing coalition keeping him in power, which very much does not want to see the war end until the goal of defeating Hamas has indeed been completed.
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So Hamas has responded as well. And they are saying that they have viewed President Joe Biden's speech quite positively. They say they're willing to engage in negotiations, any negotiations on a proposal that bases itself on this notion of a permanent ceasefire.
And so that will ultimately be the key question here.
Will Hamas be able to agree to negotiating that permanent ceasefire during this first phase, during the ensuing weeks that might be necessary, rather than securing an Israeli commitment for a permanent ceasefire at the very beginning of these negotiations?
And that much remains unclear at this stage -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
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BRUNHUBER: And joining us now is Gideon Levy. He's a columnist for the "Ha'aretz" newspaper and a former adviser to Shimon Peres.
Thank you so much for being here with us.
So first of all, why do you think it was President Joe Biden who announced this plan?
GIDEON LEVY, "HA'ARETZ": It has a lot of meaning. It means that the United States is standing behind. But the most interesting point is the timing of this declaration, namely on Friday night, Shabbat in Israeli tradition; Saturday, when all the autodogs (ph) and the settlers and the right-wingers and (INAUDIBLE).
The older, right-wing part of Israel is disconnected. And this was a very good timing. And we can live in this very, very sweet, sweet illusion that Israel might agree to it. And then we come Saturday evening.
And then they will all come out and reconnect. And then we'll realize that Israel and Netanyahu cannot say yes to the best offer that Israel can imagine.
BRUNHUBER: So OK, so you're saying this is a sweet illusion. President Joe Biden was trying to frame the military operations so far as basically job done, that they've degraded Hamas enough.
Obviously, plenty of people in Israel who disagree. So most importantly, prime minister Netanyahu.
So what do you make of the fact that Netanyahu seemed to pour a measure of cold water on this?
You're basically saying that there is an actual, significant disconnect here between President Joe Biden and Netanyahu on this idea of this peace plan.
LEVY: The more this war goes on, the more convinced I am that it has only one purpose and this is to guarantee the continuance of Netanyahu in office. I gave him more credit than this. But now to say no to this offer will be (INAUDIBLE) criminal because it means more victims. It means no release of live hostages.
It means Israel turning into a pariah state. To say no to this is really criminal. And if Netanyahu will do it, which I'm sure he will, then we will all be convinced, including the Americans, that we face a partner who is not a partner for anything.
The only problem is that the Americans, again and again, and President Joe Biden, above all, are never considering taking measures to promote their advices, their very good advices.
It's not enough to speak softly to the Israelis. It must be accompanied by measures. As long as you arm the Israeli army, as long as you finance it, you cannot say, stop the world when you are arming this war.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, so far, I mean, President Joe Biden, at least going down that path to restrict the offensive arms that would be used in Rafah, for instance. You talk about the pressure from the right wing in Israel that doesn't want him to accept this deal.
Will there be pressure within Israel from Israelis, who actually want to make this deal happen, who want to see this ceasefire and certainly to see the hostages returned?
LEVY: Sure, there will be pressure but it will not be enough. We faced in the last eight months weekly demonstrations; bigger, smaller but meaningful. But Netanyahu doesn't consider it because there's -- this is not his political base.
And Netanyahu feels not only his political base but his political base is in the extreme right wing of Israel.
BRUNHUBER: Well, listen, it's been fascinating to get your assessment of this. Really appreciate it, Gideon Levy in Tel Aviv. Thank you so much.
LEVY: Thank you.
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BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump and his attorneys are planning their next moves after his conviction on 34 felony counts. The former U.S. president spoke Friday less than 24 hours after the guilty verdicts, slamming the Biden administration, the Justice Department, Michael Cohen and others.
His speech was full of grievances and false claims. Many of his fellow Republicans were quick to defend him. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell posted this on social media.
"These charges never should have been brought in the first place. I expect the conviction to be overturned on appeal."
Now there were plenty of false claims made. New York has a 20-year maximum for felonies like this.
But will Trump actually go to prison?
Our Jason Carroll has more on the possibilities.
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TRUMP: This is a scam.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump showed no sign of contrition in front of cameras today, the former president choosing some of his words carefully.
TRUMP: I'm under a gag order, nasty gag order, where I've had to pay thousands of in penalties and fines and was threatened with jail.
CARROLL: Trump has already violated the court's gag order 10 times violations, which can be considered during his sentencing. It's just one of the factors Judge Juan Merchan will review now that Trump has been convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Each count carries up to a $5,000 fine and a maximum of a four-year prison sentence, though, legal experts say jail time for Trump seems unlikely for a number of reasons, including Trump is a first-time offender. His age, he's 77-years-old and he was convicted for a low- level felony.
And consider this, according to "The New York Law Journal," that Manhattan district attorneys office, has prosecuted more than 400 cases involving falsifying business records since 2015. Recent data shows just one in 10 resulted in a defendant serving jail time.
If and again, a very big if Trump is sentenced to jail time, he could end up at any one of several facilities in New York City, including the notorious Rikers Island.
DORA SCHRIRO, CORRECTIONS EXPERT: The majority of the facilities are on Rikers but there are what are also referred to as borough houses, jails that are located in four of the five rows of New York.
CARROLL: Trump would also have what corrections experts call sight and sound separation from the general inmate population.
SCHRIRO: Some of it is we would accomplish separation for the safety and security of that individual and others.
CARROLL: Dan Horwitz is a defense attorney who has some insight into the workings of the Manhattan district attorneys office.
DANIEL HORWITZ, FORMER MANHATTAN ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY: If he wasn't the former president, if he wasn't running for president again, this would be an entirely different conversation.
CARROLL: Horwitz formerly prosecuted white-collar cases for the Manhattan D.A. and says are more realistic outcome for Trump might involve in paying a fine, sentenced to probation, a conditional discharge or home detention.
HORWITZ: Would you prefer to sit at Mar-a-Lago, maybe play a round of golf I'll fifth the probation department of commits you to do that but you're not permitted to go on the campaign trail. I guarantee you that Donald Trump would say, I'd prefer not to have home detention. It is a restriction on your liberty. There is no doubt about that.
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
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BRUNHUBER: One of Donald Trump's former attorneys tells CNN that he also thinks the former president won't be sentenced to prison or even house arrest. William Brennan spoke to CNN on Friday, here he is.
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WILLIAM BRENNAN, FORMER TRUMP ATTORNEY: I think it'll be a sentence of non-incarceration. The benchmark for sentencing is set by the federal government.
They look at the 18 USC 3553, which governs sentencing, the seriousness of the offense, the nature and circumstances of the offense itself, the nature and circumstances of the offender, the need to avoid unwarranted parody of sentences.
They want similarly situated people to be sentenced the same way and the potential for reoffending and rehabilitation. And as Elie said, 70 percent to 90 percent of these types of cases are non-incarceration. You have a 77-year-old defendant with no criminal record, very unlikely to reoffend in his lifetime.
And when you factor into this, the lifetime secret service protection, it just may be onerous, even if it's a close call for Judge Merchan. So, I think that it'll probably be a sentence of probation.
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BRUNHUBER: Now polls show most people won't be swayed one way or another by the verdict. They've made up their minds on who they support and that's that. But even a small shift in the right place can make all the difference.
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Our Danny Freeman takes us to one battleground to find out what voters have to say.
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LISA VON DEYLEN, PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP SUPPORTER: Thank you so much. Have a great day.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the Trump store in Ben Salem, Pennsylvania, their newest product is their most popular.
FREEMAN: The verdict came down and you guys started printing this shirt.
VON DEYLEN: Yes. Yes, so it was actually kind of like Christmas morning when I walked in today. I saw a stack of these. It's like, oh, awesome.
FREEMAN (voice-over): The small shop, not affiliated with the campaign, became a gathering spot Friday for supporters of former President Donald Trump to buy merchandise and process Thursday's conviction.
VON DEYLEN: It didn't surprise me. I was highly disappointed but I wasn't surprised at all.
FREEMAN (voice-over): Some Trump supporters were galvanized and upset over what they viewed as a rigged trial from the start.
ANN MARIE CLAMBELLA, PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP SUPPORTER: It just made me angry, because why is this even, you know, anything to do with what's going on now in the world. Like, we have like so much going on and are worried about this. Like, come on. I feel like justice was just thrown out the window.
RANDEE TECKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP SUPPORTER: Restores my faith a little bit in the justice system.
FREEMAN (voice-over): But other voters we spoke with in nearby Warrington, Pennsylvania, were pleased with the outcome.
TECKLIN: I know that there are some people who won't change their mind no matter what. They will believe the things he says, like the judge is corrupt and everybody's corrupt except him, of course. And I worry about that but I'm hopeful.
TUNDE DANIEL, PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP SUPPORTER: I fell that the jury did their job. They actually stood and to me, they turn out to be a hero of the day.
FREEMAN (voice-over): We spoke to all of these voters in Bucks County, one of the all-important suburban collar counties surrounding Philadelphia. President Biden won bucks by about four points, roughly 17,000 votes. The margin here crucial in the critical swing state that President Trump lost in 2020 by just over 80,000 votes.
RUDOLPH RICHARDSON, PENNSYLVANIA UNDECIDED VOTER: I knew it was coming. Everybody knew it was coming.
FREEMAN: Really?
RICHARDSON: Yes, you can't escape the mouse strap every time.
FREEMAN (voice-over): Rudolf Richardson is undecided. He thinks the conviction actually made Trump more relatable. And while he says he voted for Biden in 2020, he's still not sure who will vote for in November.
FREEMAN: Could you imagine voting for someone who has been convicted of felonies?
RICHARDSON: I don't judge. I don't ever judge. So if there's all if you do right, if -- I say if you do what you're going to say you do, I'm more straightforward. If you're going to do what you say you're going to do, then that's the horse you got to go with.
FREEMAN: Danny Freeman, CNN, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
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BRUNHUBER: Still ahead, a key security summit is underway in Singapore right now. The U.S. Defense Secretary is meeting with regional allies and rivals alike. A more assertive China and Russia are looming large.
Plus Mexico prepares for a historic election overshadowed by violence. We'll have more on that next. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine says it took a pounding from a new barrage of Russian strikes overnight. Officials say at least 12 people were injured in attacks on the Kharkiv region, including eight children, while the state grid operator is also reporting strikes on the energy system which damaged facilities in five regions.
They included two power plants operated by Ukraine's largest private energy company, which took significant damage. That's happening a day after the U.S. gave Kyiv the green light to conduct some strikes inside Russia with U.S.-made weapons.
The permission applies only to areas near Ukraine's Kharkiv region, where Moscow recently launched a new offensive. In his announcement on Friday, U.S. secretary of state said the request for that came from Ukraine.
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ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: Over the past few weeks, Ukraine came to us and asked for the authorization to use weapons that we're providing to defend against this aggression, including against Russian forces that are massing on the Russian side of the border and then attacking into Ukraine.
And that went right to the president. And, as you've heard, he's approved the use of our weapons for that -- for that purpose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Defense Secretary is in Singapore right now for a major security summit. Lloyd Austin is meeting with America's key partners in the region. Here he is earlier today with Thailand's defense minister.
And on Friday, Secretary Austin held rare talks with his counterpart from China. CNN's Ivan Watson joins us now live from Singapore.
So are we seeing signs here of thawing tensions at all?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly these two powers, these two governments are communicating better now than they were exactly a year ago.
Because, at the previous annual security conference here in Singapore, the U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, was not granted a face- to-face meeting with his Chinese counterpart, though he did go up at a dinner and have an impromptu handshake with him.
And then that defense minister kind of disappeared for months until, sometime later, the Chinese government announced he'd been fired without real public reason given.
This time around, the defense chiefs of both China and the U.S. did meet face-to-face. They were able to engage in discussion there, a whole host of issues where they have disagreements, whether it is Taiwan, the South China Sea, Washington's position that China is supporting Russia in its war effort in Ukraine.
Beijing's assertions that the U.S. is trying to establish some kind of Cold-War style system of alliances and blocs containing China. These are the kinds of things that the two officials would have been able to discuss face-to-face.
And in his remarks earlier today, the U.S. defense chief Lloyd Austin said that it was better for these two militaries to be communicating rather than risking miscommunication and a possible incident in these various friction points, where the two militaries come up face-to- face.
BRUNHUBER: And Ivan, so the U.S. as well trying to bolster support with other countries in the region.
What progress are they making there? WATSON: Yes, I mean, that is one of the discussion points, the talking
points that the U.S. Defense Secretary is making over and over again that the U.S. is committed to its allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Case in point, you had the president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., who gave a keynote address. The Philippines is involved in real tense over the course of the past year, skirmishes, if you could describe it that way with China in disputed areas of the South China Sea, which both governments claim for themselves.
I've witnessed firsthand how Chinese vessels have swarmed Philippine Coast Guard ships and resupply ships and fired water cannons at them and even bumped them and caused injury to Philippine service members.
The question was raised with the Philippine president, what would happen if a Filipino were to die in one of these incidents?
This is what he had to say in response to that question. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERDINAND MARCOS JR., PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: If a Filipino citizen is killed by a willful act, that is, I think, very, very close to what we define as an act of war.
And therefore, we will respond accordingly. And our treaty partners, I believe, also hold that same standard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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WATSON: I asked Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Defense Secretary, what the U.S., as a treaty defense ally of the Philippines, would do if one of the Filipinos were killed. He said he didn't not want to get involved in hypotheticals. But this is what else he had to say.
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GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: But our goal is to make sure that we don't allow things to spiral out of control unnecessarily.
And again, I will not speculate on any one thing or another. I will continue to emphasize that our commitment to the mutual defense treaty is ironclad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Meanwhile, the Chinese military spokesperson has said that China does not bully any country in the region -- back to you.
BRUNHUBER: All right, I appreciate that. Ivan Watson in Singapore. Thanks so much. After the break, a political power shift not seen in decades is
underway in South Africa as election results roll in. We'll have that coming up, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN NEWSROOM.
2024 will see more people take part in elections around the world than at any time in history. Now some will pass without much notice or have the outcome all but preordained.
But some will be truly consequential, taking power from those who held it for decades and giving it to others for the first time.
So we're going to look at two of those elections right now.
South Africa is looking at its biggest political shift since the end of apartheid. For the first time in 30 years, the ruling African National Congress party is set to lose its majority after this week's vote. With results from 90 percent of voting districts counted, the ANC was at 41 percent.
It's a huge blow for the party of Nelson Mandela since the ANC will be forced to form a coalition to stay in government.
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TESSA DOOMS, POLITICAL ANALYST: The biggest thing today is he's always been in journal to itself. One of the reasons why you don't see days is you really having this kind of big debate with the opposition oftentimes is because they know the real power struggles are within themselves.
And so now for the first time I think in, in at least 10 years, I mean, people could (INAUDIBLE) say the EFF was the last big breakaway from the ANC. The ANC is now confronted with itself.
But I think in its biggest challenge of the former president of the ANC leading the charge (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And joining us now out of Johannesburg is Ebrahim Fakir. He's an election analyst for the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa.
Thanks so much for being here with us.
[04:30:00] So we heard rumblings going into this.
Are you surprised by the results so far?
EBRAHIM FAKIR, ELECTION ANALYST, ELECTORAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA: Astounded would be the right term, Kim, entirely astounded.
I don't -- I didn't really foresee that the decline would be as cataclysmic as it has been, especially for the ANC. One expected, given the opinion polls in the leadup to the election, that it probably might have settled at around 45 percent or so.
And certainly not in the low 40s, which is where it appears it might end up.
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FAKIR: I think --
BRUNHUBER: Yes, let me jump in.
What do you think led to this such widespread dissatisfaction?
What were the main issues here?
FAKIR: Well, really there are three things. The first is the kind of degree of impunity with which the ANC appear to have governed over the last 15 years, the real unaccountability, the reality of abusing its majority in a fairly crude way.
Especially given that there was this massive commission of inquiry into state capture, corruption, as you would call it. And the -- there was really no necessity for that kind of commission if parliament, under the ANC, would have been allowed to conduct its oversight and routine oversight functions, firstly.
Secondly is I think that the level of mistrust in public institutions and in political parties has been so high. And while the election was being conducted, there were long queues. There were snaking queues. There were delays. And much of this was attributed to the fact that there is a massive voter turnout.
What it appears is if the voter turnout was not as huge as was anticipated and in a proportional representation system and the turnout is not that high the proportion of other parties shows up bigger.
That's the second.
The third, I think if we really look at this, the distribution of the votes is not so much that people have shifted to other opposition parties. They shifted. But 40 percent remained with the ANC. Another 15 percent went with President Zuma's party, a former leader of the ANC. So basically, if one thinks that, look, the impunity of the ANC was
being punished, well, in fact, what's been happening is that the voters have just redistributed that kind of reward for impunity across the two different parties.
BRUNHUBER: Interesting.
So you can read it different ways, I guess. Maybe not such a great sign for the -- for the opposition.
But what do you think this means sort of longer-term for the ANC?
So is this just a blip because of those internal divisions or do you think they are sort of a force diminished?
FAKIR: I think there's a realignment going on and that's understandable.
I mean, the reality is that there's a degree of uncertainty which must characterize any kind of democratic process.
And South Africa is squarely in that era of substantive uncertainty, which is a win for voters, because it means political parties can no longer, as the ANC did for 30 years, take the attitudes and perceptions and support of voters for granted.
So they don't have to work for it. Hopefully, it breeds a greater amount of responsiveness on political parties once they get into power and authority.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, let me ask you about that because that's important.
We only have a minute left. But to form a government, they'll have to form a coalition with the opposition Democratic Alliance Party or join up with the former president's party.
So in any of these scenarios, will they actually be able to kind of crack on and actually address all of the deeply entrenched issues, like crime, electricity infrastructure, economic imbalances and so on?
FAKIR: Well, one would hope they would. And that the attitude going into any negotiation for a coalition would not simply be about proximity to power but to part start taking public policy issues seriously.
And if the calculus is largely about proximity to power, there I'm afraid we can see the same kind of accountability. But look, any kind of coalition is fraught with danger. If they go with the Democratic Alliance, the suspicions and animosities run so deep that you might have one partner wishing to be obstructionist to the other.
If however, they go with either the EFF or the new MK Party of President Zuma, the reality is, will that undermine each other?
What interest would they have to go back into a coalition with someone who they literally broke away from a few months ago or even a few weeks ago?
So each of these are fraught with real dangers. The real calculus among political parties has to now be, forget the proximity to power and let's think about how we construct a coherent policy program going forward.
BRUNHUBER: Change is ahead. Still to see whether it will be positive or negative, Ebrahim Fakir in Johannesburg, thank you so much, really appreciate it.
FAKIR: Thanks, Kim, nice to chat with you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: On Sunday, Mexico is set to have one of the largest elections in its history.
[04:35:03]
More than 20,000 positions are on the ballot nationwide. And the country is poised to elect its first female president. CNN's Gustavo Valdes has more on this historic race, where public safety is a top issue.
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GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexico is on the brink of electing its first female president as two of the top contenders representing the country's better known parties are women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
VALDES: A cause for celebration for some voters, who think it's time to have a female president.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
VALDES: But conscious that gender alone is not the main reason to vote. Even the candidates rarely used their gender in their political speech.
ANA MARIA SALAZAR, JUSTICE ANALYST: The question mark is, once this woman is elected president, whomever it may be, how different will her leadership be than Mexican politics, a politician?
VALDES: Journalist and security analysts Ana Maria Salazar says Mexicans are used to seeing women in high political positions, like state governors and supreme court judges. So it's no surprise that most people are focused on each candidate's plans for the future of the country, with one issue being their top priority.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language). UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
VALDES: Public safety. Mexico is considered one of the world's most dangerous countries.
SALAZAR: Whomever this person is, they're really going to have to have a serious evaluation as to how do you deal with a country where organized crime has dramatically increased territorial control?
VALDES: Dozens of candidates have been killed during the current political cycle.
Claudia Sheinbaum, candidate of Morena, the party currently in power, has pledged to continue the policies of president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who, under the banner of "abrazos, no balazos," "hugs, not bullets," decided to not to engage the army or law enforcement to actively pursue criminal organizations.
A tactic many believe has failed. Opposition candidates such as Galvez want a change of strategy, proposing partnering with the United States to form a binational police force to fight crime and money laundering.
SALAZAR: Something dramatically has to change and neither one of them, neither Xochitl Galvez or Claudia Sheinbaum, have been able to lay a strategy that would at least guarantee a systematic reduction of violence in Mexico in the next six years.
VALDES: Public safety is not the only issue where the legacy of Lopez Obrador will shape the next presidency. In six years, Morena, the party founded 10 years ago, controls 20 of the country's 32 states and holds more seats in Congress than any other party.
Provisionally, Mexican presidents tend to stay away from politics once they leave power. Lopez Obrador has pledged to retire to his ranch in southern Mexico.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
VALDES: But many doubt he'll go away entirely.
SALAZAR: You can assume that if Claudia Sheinbaum becomes the next president of Mexico, the outgoing president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, will be following very closely on a daily basis every decision she makes.
VALDES: A future in which a woman will have to step from under the shadow of a man to lead a country and carve her own path -- Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: A high-tech weapon with a price tag of $10 million a apiece but the U.S. Abrams main battle tank is failing to impress Ukrainian soldiers on the front line. That's coming up, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine is reporting casualties and damage in a new salvo of Russian strikes overnight. Officials say at least 12 people were injured in attacks on Kharkiv region, including eight children, while energy facilities in five regions were damaged in what's described as a massive and complex attack on the power grid.
Ukraine says it shot down more than 80 Russian missiles and drones overnight. Meanwhile, emotions were hard to keep in check as Ukraine and Russia conducted their latest prisoner swap.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): You can see this woman couldn't hold back tears as she saw her son for the first time in more than two years. Kyiv says she was among 75 Ukrainian POWs who were exchanged for 75 Russians on Friday.
She reunited with her son just two days after his birthday. Russia has also repatriated the remains of more than 200 fallen Ukrainian soldiers
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BRUNHUBER: Well, it's the right kind of weapon for a different kind of war. At least that's how some Ukrainians are describing the U.S. Abrams tanks supplied by Washington, as Nick Paton Walsh finds out in this exclusive report, the $10 million tank is a poor fit for Ukraine's battlefield.
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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): They hide feverishly as they're a prime target for Russian missiles. But if Moscow knew the trouble these U.S. supplied Abrams tanks are causing
Ukraine. They might not bother. Let them keep them. The M1 Abrams, America's main battle tank, a veteran of fighting Saddam in Iraq and dozen
insurgents but -- Ukrainian fields and $500 attack drones not so much.
WALSH: There was such a fuss around whether Ukraine would get these but from the moment the decision was made, yes. Through the training, through
the time it took to get to the front line. But war has enormously changed.
WALSH (voice-over): All 31 America gave and now in one area in the east where Ukraine is losing ground. Training in Germany, the interior in
Ukrainian and while there is gratitude for all U.S. help, they can't pretend this is working.
"JOKER," UKRAINIAN 47TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE: Its armor is not sufficient for this era. It doesn't protect the crew. For real, today it's a war of
drones. So now when the tank rolls out they always try to hit it number one target.
"DNIPRO" UKRAINIAN 47TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE: On the battlefield without defense the crew doesn't survive.
WALSH (voice-over): They've learned the hardest way here in the pitched battle for the City of Avdiivka. One of their drivers lost a leg recently.
Off camera, they show us how they're adding active armor plates on themselves. Then there were the shells. Not enough of the wrong type for
the wrong sort of fighter.
"JOKER": We have -- for direct tank to tank battle. Much more often we work as artillery. We take apart a tree line or a building. Once we fired 17
rounds into a house and it was still standing.
WALSH (voice-over): Better than Soviet tanks they still say even though this one fresh from Poland is already broken down. Condensation can fry the
electrics they also say. Really, this is a solid gold wrench of a gift. This is a tank for a kind of war NATO would only fight backed by huge
artillery and air power. They're being asked to do things NATO never would.
"JOKER": They would never do it. Aviation, artillery, then the tanks enters. And infantry call the aviation, call the artillery. We have no
aviation and artillery. We have only tank. And it's the problem.
WALSH (voice-over): When Abrams was captured and paraded in Red Square recently, the crew here joke at least the Russians managed to tow it away.
They've been struggling because these are so heavy. This threadbare army losing ground perhaps wish they'd got a gift receipt.
WALSH: If you could ask the Americans for one thing now what would you ask for?
"JOKER": I have only one question: Why is this taking so long and why it comes partially?
We are losing time.
[04:45:00]
It's death to us.
WALSH (voice-over): Machines built at the peak of American hyper power decades ago, sent half-heartedly it seems to hold back a fast changing world -- Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Eastern Ukraine.
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BRUNHUBER: Some of you may already be using AI to write your emails or to help with schoolwork but, along with the benefits, there are some unknown risks. We'll have an expert on artificial intelligence joining us after the break, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: On Saturday, the Champions League final will see Real Madrid in a showdown with Borussia Dortmund.
In the leadup to the match, CNN's Darren Lewis sat down for an exclusive interview with Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho, who talks about Ronaldo and opens up about his decision to take a stand on the field for the Black Lives Matter movement.
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JADON SANCHO, BORUSSIA DORTMUND STAR: It's the vote. How can I say it? He deserves it. His dedication to the game is unmatched. Always in the gym. We just wanted to be there but that's something I myself can aspire to.
It's definitely motivation, especially at his age now, doing what he's doing is, it's crazy. A lot of people do retire earlier than his age. So he basically tells the world that, if you look after your body, you can definitely go as far as that. So ...
DARREN LEWIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I want to show you another picture actually.
SANCHO: Yes. Wow, this is --
LEWIS: Describe it for me?
SANCHO: Was this after my second goal or my first goal.
LEWIS: It was after your third goal.
SANCHO: Was this after my third? LEWIS: Yes.
SANCHO: So I was in ba. Obviously, I think everyone in the world has seen the clip of George Floyd laying down. Having -- yes, they just start showing it, you know.
I woke up that morning and I was ready to go. And I just remember to myself, let me write a message because I feel like I'm going to score today. Obviously, I didn't know I was going to score a hat trick. But for me to score a hat trick and to spread this message, yes, I was very proud of this moment.
I just felt like, whoa, what I seen, you know, it kind of hurt me at that point.
There was no justice for him and I felt like the little way I could do is, you know, a lot of people do tune in to football. And to spread that message was important for me to get across.
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BRUNHUBER: And in the leadup to the match, CNN's Amanda Davies sat down with retired Real Madrid player and five-time winner Gareth Bale to talk about his experience playing in the final and the religion of winning the competition.
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AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Given the role that the Champions League had in your career, do you get a little special feeling on Champions League final eve?
GARETH BALE, RETIRED REAL MADRID PLAYER: Of course.
You go back to the memories of when you were in the final when you won them. So yes, obviously as a player, you're excited, you're a little bit nervous. But yes, it's kind of the ultimate club game. And everybody looks forward to it.
DAVIES: And you won your five with Real Madrid. They are the record 14 time European champions.
What is it about this competition and Real Madrid, do you think?
[04:50:04]
BALE: It's hard to explain, even being there it's still hard to explain but I think they prioritize the Champions League from day one. It is all about the Champions League. The first objective is to win that competition.
Obviously, we want to win the league and the cup. I think what comes first is the Champions League, the fans love it. The atmospheres in the evenings of a Champions League night is electric.
And yes, just what the club lives for and yes, it seems to be working. DAVIES: How's it talks about, is it -- is it talks about in different
terms?
BALE: Yes. It's more of a religion to try and win it. It is an obsessive kind of thing to keep trying to win the competition. And they're doing a pretty good job of it.
DAVIES: Yes. And you were there in 2022 when Carlo Ancelotti led them to that title.
What will he be saying to the players this evening, do you think?
BALE: Obviously knowing Carlo, not a lot. But just keeping the atmosphere very calm, very relaxed, yes, just doing what they always do, trying to keep their normal routines I think. And yes, it's just one of those.
You can really overthink a final. And I think a lot of teams who have not had that experience struggle with that. So -- but the end of the day, it's kind of keeping the same routine. You want to play your best football.
And obviously you've been playing very good football to get to the final. So it's really not a lot to that you should change. But finals and pressure make you do that.
DAVIES: How do you describe him as a manager?
BALE: Just a genius in terms of man management and tactics. Just he just kind of makes everybody feel, one, he is a very good -- not a manipulator but he really makes you all feel like you're a part of the team, even if you're not playing. He makes you feel a part the team.
And that's a special trait to have and not many managers are able to that. And I guess it's a big reason why he has had the success he's had.
DAVIES: In the old days, there was always that kind of conversation that Brits moving to Spain would struggle to settle in. You defined that. Jude Bellingham is somebody who is defining that.
What have you made of the impact that he's made in his -- in his first season?
BALE: Yes, no, I think it's been good. It's -- I guess it, when people do say that kind of drives you on to me to prove them wrong, I guess. So, yes. It's one of those. I think he's had a good season. But I'm sure he will want to win this competition more than any other.
So still a hard game ahead. But one I think Real Madrid should have enough to win.
DAVIES: How decisive do you think he will be in terms of deciding the outcome tomorrow?
BALE: Again, the same as any attacking player, I guess even defensive player. They're all going to have a massive say, I think, yes, attacking player, normally take the glory. So you kind of just hope it's your day. You get that chance in there, you're able to take it.
DAVIES: But how much of an impact, a threat do you think Dortmund will pose?
BALE: Yes. They're a merit, not just making up the numbers in the final ,which I'm sure a lot of people maybe will think. Yes, I obviously believe that Real Madrid are going to win. They have the experience of being in finals like I've said. And they knew how to get it done. But yes, Dortmund are going to be a danger, no doubt.
But I think Real Madrid will have enough.
DAVIES: Do you wish you were still playing?
BALE: No. I'm actually happy --
(LAUGHTER)
BALE: -- with what I did. The time was right for me to retire. And I'm still happy with my decision.
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BRUNHUBER: Police in Colorado are crediting 10 millimeters of metal for saving the life of a shooting victim. They say a 22 caliber bullet that was fired during an argument was stopped by a silver necklace.
The bullet would have ended up in the victim's neck had it not instead become lodged in the chain he was wearing, causing only a puncture wound.
Police say the suspect was arrested at the scene and is facing attempted homicide charges. They also note the necklace was likely not pure silver, as pure silver is soft, adding, quote, "Maybe think twice before you knock a knockoff."
Spanish police said Friday they seized 11 metric tons of foraged football shirts. That's more than 24,000 pounds of fake tops were meant to be sold ahead of Saturday's Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
They feature iconic names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe as well as jerseys from Real Madrid and Barcelona and Spain's national team.
The foraged goods also included luxury items, leather products and electronics. The total market value, an estimated $6.5 million.
A 12-year old from Florida won this year's U.S. Scripps National Spelling Bee following a tie-breaking spelloff, involving some of the most obscure and complex words in the English language. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Adelantono.
BRUHAT SOMA, NATIONAL SPELLING BEE WINNER: A-D-E-L-A-N-T-O-N-O.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hyporcheme.
SOMA: H-Y-P-O-R-C-H-E-M-E.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bisellium.
SOMA: B-I-S-E-L-L-I-U-M.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mycteric.
SOMA: M-Y-C-T-E-R-I-C.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Endecha.
SOMA: E-N-D-E-C-H-A.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sericin.
SOMA: S-E-R-I-C-I-N.
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Well, I'm dizzy just trying to follow that. I wouldn't be able to spell any of those words but Bruhat Soma from Tampa did. He correctly spelled 29 words in 90 seconds, defeating seven other finalists in the bee's second ever spelloff.
[04:55:00]
In addition to the prestigious award, he takes home $50,000.
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BRUNHUBER: I'll have to show that to my son.
Eminem appears to be killing off his alter ego in his latest project. An album, titled "The Death of Slim Shady."
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): He just dropped the album's first single, "Houdini," which samples from the 1982 Steve Miller Band hit, "Abracadabra."
In the video, Eminem battles it out with his younger self and travels to the present from 2002, the year he released the single, "Without me." The new release follows a recent faux obituary in the "Detroit Free Press" for Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady. The full collection is set to release this summer.
After multiple delays, the highly anticipated launch of Boeing's Starliner is a go for today. The new spacecraft is set to carry two veteran astronauts to the International Space Station. They'll return to Earth and eight days in the reusable crew capsule.
If successful, the mission could be a Starliner's final benchmark tests before NASA officially certifies the craft to transport crews to the ISS.
Previous launches were scrubbed due to issues with the rocket and a helium leak in the propulsion system.
NASA's James Webb space telescope continues its mission to demystify the cosmos. On Thursday, the agency announced the discovery of what appears to be the earliest known galaxy.
It's a bright and vast body of stars formed during the universe's infancy some 290 million years after the Big Bang, a period astronomers call the cosmic dawn.
Before Webb's observations, scientists didn't know galaxies could exist at this stage in the development of the universe.
That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please do stay with us.
