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Mexico Elects First Female President; U.S. State Secretary Blinken Discuss Ceasefire Proposal with Israeli Ministers; Ukraine's President Visits he Philippines; No party Won a Majority in South Africa's Election; African National Congress Losses Majority After 30 Years; Japanese Company Invests $48M In New Whaling Ship; Hunter Biden's Felony Gun Charges Trial Begins Monday; Atlanta Declares State of Emergency After Water Main Breaks; Long Lines At Government Banks As Cuba Starts To Run Out Of Cash. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 03, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States, around the world and streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. I want to bring you the official results in what will be and is an historic election in Mexico. They are now in. We will have those in just a moment.

Voters are set to elect their first female president, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, a prodigy of the outgoing president, is projected to win. Her rival, Xochitl Galvez, supported by a coalition of opposition parties earlier, she had said she thought she had won, but at this stage, we understand that Sheinbaum is the winner.

I understand that we are actually going to bring up our reporter, who's standing by, Gustavo Valdez. Have we got Gustavo standing by? Gustavo, talk to us about the outcome here. Of course, we've learned that Claudia Sheinbaum has won, but what was the hold up here?

GUSTAVO VALDEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was something that the Institute of Elections called off the first conference about an hour ago. They said there was a glitch in the system. They assured everybody that it wasn't hacking. But within minutes, they just announced the results and they're really shocking, because even though it was expected that Claudia Sheinbaum was going to win, the polls earlier during the campaign showed that she had broad support, but she might get up to 60 percent of the vote.

This is even higher than what Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador got six years ago. So, the support for the Morena party that they represent, it's much higher than it was six years ago, considering that Morena has only been around for 10 years. That gives you an idea of the political power that Lopez Obrador has amassed over the past six years, and the continuity that it might represent having Claudia Sheinbaum be the next president, because she has pledged to continue with the policies of Mexican President Obrador.

So, it is surprising the margin of victory of Claudia Sheinbaum. She's getting ready to give a speech that has been delayed because they were waiting for this announcement. Even though the (inaudible), the National Institute of Election has said that this is a preliminary report based on the early count, is very likely that it's going to stick in. As you said, Mexico will have its first female president in history. She's also the first president of Jewish descent in Mexico history, even though she doesn't talk a lot about her background.

We can tell you that she's a 61-year-old academic. She started in academia. She has a Ph.D. on environmental engineering. She was first the minister of the environment for Lopez Obrador when he was the mayor of Mexico City. And then she was elected mayor of the city when Lopez Obrador became president six years ago. So, her incursion in politics is relatively short-lived within the past few years. But she is now the woman who is going to lead the Mexicans for the next six years.

CHURCH: Yes. So, talk to us more about what Claudia Sheinbaum would bring to the table as the new president of Mexico. And, of course, an historic moment because being a woman and the first woman to take this level of leadership role in the country.

VALDEZ: So we talked to voters, you know, during these past few days, not only in the capital, but across the country. And given that the two top candidates were female, they had already come to the conclusion that they would have a female president. So that was not a driving force to go and vote for her. But they say that this helps with Mexico's image of being a macho country where women don't have a place.

Mexico has actually changed its laws to encourage and actually force the parties to have more female candidates. So, there's a very equal division of power between men and women in Congress and the governorship.

[02:04:58]

So, it's not a surprise for Mexicans. So, obviously she's going to have that pressure on her or she's going to have to live up to what it means to be the first female, and really only the second female head of state in North America. The only other female was the prime minister in Canada a few years back. So, it's really relevant for the region. And she's going to be the representative of Mexico in this very important binational relationship with the United States.

The issue of immigration, trade, drug trafficking. So, the White House is going to be looking very closely to see if she continues with the policies of Lopez Obrador or if she's going to change. And this is what many of the voters told us. They said they recognize the influence of Lopez Obrador, but they would like to see him fade away and let Claudia Sheinbaum be her own person, bring her own ideas and lead the country in the way she feels without the pressure of somebody behind the scenes.

CHURCH: All right, Gustavo Valdez joining us live from Mexico City. These results are just coming in. Of course, we just heard Claudia Sheinbaum has won Mexico's elections, the first female president of that country. Joining us now from Mexico City is Lila Abed. She is the acting director of the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute. Appreciate you being with us.

So, Mexico has elected its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, a prodigy of the outgoing president. And she has won apparently by a large margin, apparently perhaps even by as much as 60 percent. What's your reaction to her big win and just how significant is this? Unfortunately, I'm getting word that we have lost Lila Abed. We will attempt to reconnect with her. Let's move on. Of course, we will come back to this very historic news.

The U.S. Secretary of State spoke with two Israeli ministers on Sunday. Antony Blinken assured Yoav Galant and Benny Gantz that the Israeli peace proposal announced by U.S. President Joe Biden would, quote, "advance Israel's long-term security interests." Here's more now from the U.S. national security spokesperson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER: Where we are right now is that proposal, an Israeli proposal, has been given to Hamas. It was done on Thursday night, our time. We're waiting for an official response from Hamas. We would note that publicly Hamas officials came out and welcomed this proposal. We have every expectation that if Hamas agrees to the proposal, as was transmitted to them, an Israeli proposal, that Israel would say yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime, families of hostages being held in Gaza gathered outside Benjamin Netanyahu's office, putting pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister to accept the new proposal and bring their loved one's home. CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now from Abu Dhabi. So, Paula, what is the latest on this proposal to end the war in Gaza, and what's Israel and Hamas saying about it?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, at this point, we are waiting for a response from Hamas. As you heard from the U.S. Secretary of State there, there was a suggestion that it was an initial positive reaction. That's certainly the statement that we saw at the end of last week from Hamas, saying that they were viewing it positively, that the response would be constructive.

And we also know from the Israeli side, we've heard from the Israeli prime minister's office over the weekend, saying that they want to make sure that their conditions are met. So really reiterating the importance, as far as Israel is concerned, that Hamas is unable to militarily govern or even politically govern Gaza on the day after and to make sure that all the hostages are back and to make sure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.

So those are the three conditions that we have heard consistently from the Israeli side. Now, when we heard from the U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday, he did try to address those concerns, knowing Israel's position, saying that he believes that Hamas has been so downgraded that it wouldn't be able to carry out another attack, the likes of which it did on October 7th.

He also addressed his recognition that there will be resistance from within Benjamin Netanyahu's own coalition. There are far right elements of the coalition who have already said that if there is a ceasefire agreed before these conditions are met, then they would leave the coalition and that could effectively collapse the government and cause new elections to be called.

[02:10:06]

So, it is a bit of a tightrope that we're seeing, certainly on the Israeli side at this point. You have the public pressure on the Israeli prime minister. You have the opposition leader, Yoav Lapid, saying this is an important deal on the table that needs to be taken. And yet you have on the far right of the coalition resistance to this kind of deal being accepted.

There was a war cabinet meeting on the Israeli side on Sunday night. We don't have exact details about what was discussed, but I think it's fair to guess that this would have been one of the top things on the agenda. And we also heard from the defense minister saying that it was important that a day after the war that Hamas was in no way in control. So it appears that Israel is now looking towards the end of the war and what Gaza would look like after that.

So, at this point, the U.S. appears hopeful. We know that over the weekend there have been many phone calls made by the Secretary of State to different countries trying to encourage them to put pressure on either side, on Israel and on Hamas, to say yes to this deal. As the U.S. President Joe Biden said, it is now time for this war to end. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Paula Hancocks joining us live from Abu Dhabi. Many thanks for that report.

Ukraine's president is continuing his Asia-Pacific trip with a visit to the Philippines and a meeting with the country's president. Volodymyr Zelensky is making personal appeals to leaders in the region to attend the upcoming Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland. On Sunday, Zelensky wrapped up his meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue Security Conference in Singapore, where he met with the country's president and prime minister.

Zelensky also met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. He thanked the U.S. for giving limited permission to fire U.S. weapons into Russian territory, but says Washington needs to lift more restraints so Ukraine can properly defend itself.

All right. Back now to our breaking news this hour. Claudia Sheinbaum is projected to win Mexico's presidential election and become the country's first ever female president. Joining us now from Mexico City is Lila Abed. She is the acting director of the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute. Appreciate you being with us.

LILA ABED, ACTING DIRECTOR, WILSON CENTER'S MEXICO INSTITUTE: Thank you so much for having me, Rosemary. CHURCH: So, Mexico has elected its first female president, Claudia

Sheinbaum, a protege of the outgoing president, and she has won apparently by a large margin, perhaps even as much as 60 percent. What's your reaction to her big win and how significant is all this?

ABED: According to the preliminary results released from the National Electoral Institute, in fact, Claudia Sheinbaum, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's protege and former mayor of Mexico City, has a really healthy lead ahead of opposition leader Xochitl Galvez.

This was very much an election for and about Claudia Sheinbaum, but it was also a referendum of current Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who for the last six years has sustained really high levels of approval rates, anywhere between 60 to 70 percent, which reflect the current percentage that Claudia Sheinbaum has won in Mexico.

Now, these are historic elections, not only because more than 20,000 positions were up for elections, the largest in the country's history, but as you well mentioned, it is the first time that Mexico has elected its first female president. Now, going forward, the big question surrounding Claudia Sheinbaum administration is what role, if any, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will continue to play during her six- year term and what that means for her internally with the governing party.

The grip of power that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador currently has over the governing party may look very different under a Claudia Sheinbaum administration. We have to remember that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador founded Morena, and in essence he is Morena, and so the way that the governing party reacts to Claudia coming into power is going to be increasingly interesting to monitor, and we have to wait and see the composition of Congress.

I think whether the majority party is able to attain a supermajority will really dictate how much Claudia Sheinbaum will be able to achieve in the next six years.

CHURCH: Right, and of course, projected to win, Claudia Sheinbaum faces many challenges, including tackling public security and safety concerns, perhaps the top concern here, organized crime, energy and immigration. How will she deal with those challenges?

[02:15:06]

ABED: When we look at her 100-government plan, her political platform, there are several areas where she differentiates herself from Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and I think that's the other great mystery about the Sheinbaum administration, is how much will she continue building on Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's political platform, which essentially brought her not only to the candidacy, but to power, and in which areas she might break away from her predecessor.

In looking at her political platform, there are three areas specifically that she outlines where we could see potential change. The first one is in the energy sector, where her scientific background and environmental engineering degree has pushed her to state that she looks to foreign direct investment in clean and renewable energies.

In Mexico, something that's very different from sort of the fossil fuels and dirty energy that AMLO has, you know, pushed forward during his administration. On the security front, there seems to be a potential change in terms of AMLO's hugs-not-bullets strategy and what Claudia wants to do in terms of strengthening intelligence and information gathering to combat transnational criminal organizations that have taken control of a vast area of Mexican territory.

And then on the last point, there is a potential shift in foreign policy in regards to the relationship specifically with the United States, given that the issues of migration, security and commercial ties between both nations will be determined not only by Claudia Sheinbaum's success today, but also who will win the White House in November.

CHURCH: All right, Lila Abed in Mexico City, many thanks for joining us and sharing your perspective and analysis. Appreciate it.

ABED: Thank you.

CHURCH: Donald Trump says he wouldn't mind going to prison. Coming up, why he says that putting him behind bars could be a breaking point for his supporters. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:00]

CHURCH: -- president and now convicted felon Donald Trump says he'd be okay with serving prison time. This comes just days after he was found guilty of all 34 charges in his hush money criminal trial. But as he awaits sentencing on July 11, the Republican candidate for president warns a harsh punishment could lead to a breaking point among his supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, FOX NEWS HOST: The judge could decide to say, hey, house arrest, or even jail.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It could --

HEGSETH: -- how do you face what that could --

TRUMP: I'm okay with it. I saw one of my lawyers the other day on television saying, oh no, you don't want to do that to the president. I said, don't -- you don't beg for anything. You just, the way it is.

I don't know that the public would stand it, you know. I don't -- I'm not sure the public would stand for it with a --

UNKNOWN: So, you could try house arrest or --

TRUMP: I think it would be tough for the public to take. You know, at a certain point, there's a breaking point. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: New polling reveals most Americans agree with the hush money verdict. A CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday finds 57 percent of Americans think the jury reached the right decision. But the verdict hasn't made much of an impact on Americans' views of the candidate. In a new ABC/Ipsos poll, 31 percent viewed Trump favorably, with 32 percent saying the same about Biden.

That's nearly the same as the pre-verdict survey. The two men will face off for the first time of this campaign in a CNN debate on June 27th, two weeks before Trump's sentencing and just days before the Republican National Convention. But will Donald Trump's continuing legal trouble impact his candidacy? I spoke about that with Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: The immediate reaction and the first three or so measurings of public opinion have somewhat surprisingly shown that, contrary to what people thought, that it wouldn't have any impact. It has had an impact and it's not favorable to Donald Trump.

Now, this will come as a surprise to many Republicans who have rallied to his support and done what they usually do, backed him, especially the public officials. But you see, the independents in particular have been repulsed by the convictions and by what they learned about Donald Trump during the trial. And they seem much less likely to support him or, if they back him, to do so enthusiastically. Many want him to drop out of the race.

Now, it won't surprise anybody that Democrats feel that way. But independents, a clear majority of them, pretty much chime in with the Democratic point of view. Republicans were unchanged for the most part, though about 15 percent of Republicans, which is very near the percentage that Nikki Haley has been getting, even though she's dropped out of the race. That's about what she's been getting and it would suggest that some of those people voting for Nikki Haley perhaps are less inclined to vote for Donald Trump now.

CHURCH: And, Larry, what are all the relevant polls for swing states specifically signaling to you at this juncture?

SABATO: Well, we haven't seen the swing state polls post trial. It'd be interesting to see if they follow the national pattern. I suspect they will. At least Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, they seem to be closer to the national average this year. So, we'll have to watch them carefully. But there's no reason to think they're not having the same reaction.

And Donald Trump really isn't helping himself. He's strengthening himself at the base because of all the language he's using, portraying himself as a martyr, as we would expect. But for people outside the Trump base and outside the Republican Party, this is not an attractive picture of Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Our thanks to Larry Sabato. And you can hear the rest of my interview with Larry next hour. And we'll be right back.

[02:24:55]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The results of South Africa's elections are in and the African National Congress has lost its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid's white minority rule. The ANC won just 40 percent of the vote. Now the party of Nelson Mandela must form a coalition government to stay in power. They have two weeks before the new parliament convenes to select a president.

If no coalition has been formed by then, new elections must be held. And senior international correspondent David McKenzie joins us now live from Johannesburg. Good to see you, David. So, how difficult will it be for the ANC to pull together this governing coalition?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, it's going to be very challenging because depending on the coalition they form, it could be very different visions for the country. And no one's going to be completely happy. It is certainly, as the cliche goes, uncharted territory. And it's all because the ANC saw a drubbing in the polls.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Sometimes change comes slowly.

[02:30:02]

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: Our people have spoken, whether we like it or not, they have spoken.

MCKENZIE: Sometimes it comes fast. In just one election cycle, the ANC, the party of Nelson Mandela, with a staggering drop in support. After three decades of dominance, that voters have spoken. The party that has defined South African politics losing its outright majority.

TK POOE, WITS SCHOOL OF GOVERNANCE: I think it means that society is passed the ANC by. We've always been waiting for the moment. We just didn't know the appropriate vehicle.

MCKENZIE: Many South Africans were fed up with rampant corruption, huge unemployment, and deep inequality. But the ANC collapse came in large part thanks to this man, disgraced former ANC president, Jacob Zuma. In just a few months, his new uMkhonto weSizwe Party, or MK, bled votes from the ANC tapping into Zuma's loyal support in KwaZulu- Natal province. Zuma and his party have without evidence claimed they were irregularities at the polls, threatening trouble if results were announced. MELANIE VERWOERD, POLITICAL ANALYST, FORMER ANC MP: Jacob Zuma is different. It's always dangerous to let ethnic and tribal tensions rise too much. I don't foresee it being any issue in the foreseeable future, but it is something I think that one always needs to watch. What to watch for next coalition politics the ANC likely must choose to combine with pro-business Democratic Alliance or the leftist radical Economic Freedom Fighters. Perhaps even adding Zuma's MK, no one knows for sure.

FIKILE MBALULA, ANC SECRETARY-GENERAL: We can also Africans to resist the efforts of those who want to weaken our democracy want to undermine electoral processes and who round to disregards the well of the people.

JOHN STEENHUISEN, DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE LEADER: Coalition can work. They work all over the world. It requires maturity and yes, they can be choppy waters ahead for South Africa, but we'll navigate them.

MCKENZIE: Do you want to be part of a governing coalition?

STEENHUISEN: Of course, so many points being in politics as to get into government.

MCKENZIE: The results are deeply embarrassing for President Cyril Ramaphosa. He staked his reputation on reviving the ANC.

Is Cyril Ramaphosa under pressure now?

POOE: Oh, no, he's beyond under pressure. I think might need to start looking for a new job he always styles himself as the next incumbent to President Nelson Mandela. But last recollection, President Nelson Mandela never lost an election.

MCKENZIE: But Ramaphosa is well-known as a skilled negotiator, a skill that will now become very handy indeed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCKENZIE (on camera): Well, Rosemary, now will become the very difficult process of trying to figure out what route the answer will take, obviously, with only 47 percent of the vote, they faced a difficult scenario, persuading other parties, to do exactly what they want because they don't have the leverage at this moment.

There is going to be an ANC senior leaders meeting on Tuesday, where they might hash out some options for some kind of coalition or agreement for parliaments.

But it really is a difficult process because on the one hand, you have groups like the EFF that want change, radical change, a leftist party on other hand. You have the D.A., which is much more centrist, there is also a sense of factionalism in the ANC that could cause Cyril Ramaphosa problems that must be said that some of the people who are calling for radical change are those who could face corruption charges in the months and years ahead. So they also have a self-interest in the coalitions going one way or the other. But it will be a fascinating couple of weeks with very high stakes for

this country -- Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: All right. David McKenzie joining us live from Johannesburg. Many thanks for your report.

A Japanese company is doubling down on its investment in the controversial whaling industry with a brand new vessel. We will step inside the mothership after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:37:23]

CHURCH: Hunting whales commercially has long been a controversial subject, but Japan has continued the practice even amid a decline in demand for whale meat. One Japanese company has invested millions of dollars to build a massive vessel to re-energize the industry despite warnings from activists that Japan may be trying to hunt beyond its normal fishing grounds.

CNN's Hanako Montgomery joins me now live from Tokyo.

Good to see you, Hanako.

So, why is Japan continuing with whaling despite the controversy and, of course, it's declining popularity?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, like you mentioned, whale meat is not very popular in Japan and consumption is actually at a record low, but Japan is pushing ahead and trying to revitalize the shrinking industry for really three key reasons. The first, because it argues that it's actually sustainable according to its own research, since Japan left the International Whaling Commission in 2019, it's only allowed to hunt and its exclusive economic zone. And it says that according to its findings, to its research, that whale numbers are abundant.

Now the second argument they make is that whaling has a long culture and history in Japan, and it certainly does in certain pockets and certain regions of the country.

Now the third and final reason which I thought was quite interesting was even though Japan knows that whaling is not very popular, right now, it thinks that it can boost consumption once again, if it changes public perception.

This is what industry insiders told me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Marvels of the deep-blue are to others a meal. Whaling in Japan is poised for a major come back with the launch of this vessel.

This vast new whaling mothership, the Kangei Maru, cost nearly US$50 million to make, and it just goes to show how Japan is not only continuing to hunt whales, but also is trying to revitalize this shrinking industry in a very, very big way.

We get a tour of the ship led by Hideki Tokoro, the president of Kyodo Senpaku, the whaling company that made it.

He doesn't hide his fondness for whale meat and rejects the idea of changing his business model.

HIDEKO TOKORO, PRESIDENT, KYODO SENPAKU (through translator): We will not switch to whale watching unless it is eating whale while whale watching, which sounds very chic.

MONTGOMERY: This ship hunt whales in Japan's territorial waters, before getting served in the country supermarkets, school lunches, food carts and vending machines.

[02:40:01]

But public appetite for whale meat, just 1 percent of its former peak according to government data. It's still far from satisfactory for Tokoro. And with the launch of this expensive new boat, Tokoro says bills are piling up. But even if the new boat sinks him into bankruptcy, Tokoro insists there's no plan B.

Internationally, whaling is criticized as a brutal and unsustainable practice that once pushed many of these mammals to the brink of extinction due to centuries of overhunting and may still carry environmental consequences today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The things so were learning about whales is that they're not just consumers in this ecosystem, but by the fact of them consuming so much food, they recycle a ton of nutrients into the environment that actually helps to stimulate plant life growth.

MONTGOMERY: But Japan's fisheries agency says there's nothing wrong with whaling. They claim Japan you should continue whaling because their research shows it's sustainable, and whale populations in Japanese waters are increasing, allowing them to hunt even endangered species. Even if whale meets declining popularity is a regrettable trend for the agency.

TAKAAKI SAKAMOTO, DIRECTOR, WHALING AFFAIRS OFFICE, JAPANESE FISHERIES AGENCY (through translator): Since we are promoting seeing increased consumption of marine products, I think it is unfortunate that consumption is decreasing.

MONTGOMERY: Japan's whaling industry attempting to revive its shrinking business, betting on a future that may never materialize.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MONTGOMERY (on camera): So even though whale meat is increasingly on the menu, the question is, are people really hungry for it? Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Hanako Montgomery joining us live from Tokyo, many thanks for that report.

And thank you for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is up next. And for our viewers here in the United States and in Canada, I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:50]

CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers here in North America. I'm Rosemary Church.

The son of U.S. President Joe Biden faces a trial on felony gun charges in the coming hours. Hunter Biden is accused of illegally buying and possessing a gun while abusing or being addicted to drugs. He has pleaded not guilty, but it's the first time the child of a sitting us president will go on trial.

CNN's Marshall Cohen has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Hunter Biden is set to make history Monday when he walks into the federal courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware, he will become the first ever son of the sitting U.S. president to go on trial.

Special counsel David Weiss indicted Hunter Biden last year on three federal gun felonies. Hunter Biden is accused of unlawfully purchasing and possessing a gun while abusing drugs. It's against federal law for a drug user or a drug addict to buy a gun and to possess a gun.

And according to prosecutors, that is exactly what Hunter Biden did. He has been very honest and very public about his lifelong struggle with alcoholism and also with crack cocaine addiction, and prosecutors going to try to connect the dots between that addiction and that drug use and the purchase of this gun.

If he is convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison. Although there's a few things that might get in the way of that ever actually happening. First of all, he does not have an extensive criminal record and first-time offenders don't get the maximum. They never get the maximum.

And also a Hunter Biden's father, President Joe Biden, does have the power to pardon him for these offenses if he's convicted, which would wipe away the conviction and wipe away any potential prison sentence.

But listen, before we get to the finish line here, this trial has to take place. So, the prosecutors have lined up some key witnesses that can testify about Hunter Biden's drug use and tell the jury that, yes, it did happen around the time that he bought that gun.

They have three of Hunter Biden's former romantic partners. They have his ex-wife. They also have Hallie Biden, who is the widow of his brother, Beau Biden, who can testify. They're expected to take the stand probably in the coming days.

And also the prosecutors have just a large trove of text messages and materials from his infamous laptop describing his drug use. And they also have excerpts of his memoir that they plan on using against him. That memoir came out in 2021 and he was very honest, very forthcoming about his struggle with addiction. Prosecutors are going to try to use that against him to win a conviction in court.

It all kicks off Monday morning, 8:30 a.m. in Wilmington, Delaware. And, of course, Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Marshall Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A grass fire in northern California has burned through 14,000 acres or more than 5,600 hectares. The Corral Fire started Saturday in a city near San Francisco, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says, it's now 50 percent contained. Officials say weather conditions have improved and made it easier for firefighters to get a handle on the flames with winds lightening up, and temperature is dropping still residents closest to the fire have been ordered to evacuate the area.

The mayor here in Atlanta has declared a state of emergency following a number of significant water main breaks a major disruption for Georgia's capital, which has impacted businesses, hospitals, entertainment venues, and residents throughout the city. The mayor also apologized for the city's response.

Our Rafael Romo is on the scene with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPNDENT: This water crisis paralyzed vast portions of one of America's largest cities over the weekend, disrupting the lives of thousands upon thousands of residents and forcing some of the top tourist attractions in the south to shut down.

[02:50:02]

Yet another water main break was confirmed Sunday afternoon near the Carter Center, but it was fixed by the water department in a matter of hours. City officials said Saturday night that one of two major water main breaks located just west of downtown area was fixed, but they kept working Sunday on the second one, gushing water throughout the weekend.

Also, Sunday, workers delivered a very large part of the dislocation, possibly the one that water commissioner had previously said they needed to fix the break.

AL WIGGINS JR., COMMISSIONER, CITY OF ATLANTA DEPARTMENT OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT: We're waiting for a particular part to arrive. We expect for their partner arrived here soon, once that part arrives, we think that this will be a routine repair. And once the repair is completed, we'll be able to restore water services immediately.

ROMO: Hours after apologizing to the city mayor, Andre Dickens declared a state of emergency to be able to access resources to deal with this water crisis. He also explained what the city has done to help those impacted by the water outage.

ANDRE DICKENS, ATLANTA, GEORGIA MAYOR: We have touched more than 30 senior communities, homeless shelters, hospitals, and other centers across the city with vulnerable populations. Two deliver fresh drinking water and flushing water impacting about 10,500 people.

ROMO: We have also heard from Emory University Hospital, Midtown, which announced has moved back to normal operations because water pressure returned to the hospital after several water main breaks in the area where repaired. The hospital also said ambulances have resumed normal service as well, although they will continue to provide bottled water to patients, visitors, and staff, because there's still a boil advisory in the city.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Inflation has dealt a heavy blow to the Cuban peso. Some residents can't afford the cost of milk or eggs, and others can't get the cash sitting in their own bank accounts.

CNN's Patrick Oppmann has more on Cuba's deepening economic crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a country of seemingly endless lines, these are perhaps the most frustrating people waiting to get money, their money in government-run banks.

The lines are long and there's no guarantee that by the time they get to the front, there'll be any cash left.

We've been here for an hour she says and haven't been able to get inside yet.

Sometimes you do the line and they don't have enough money.

Despite government attempts to move transactions online, cash is still king in Cuba. And there isn't enough of it.

Many banks limit how much cash people can take out, and the largest build of the government prints is this one, 1,000 pesos. At the official rate, that's about $40, but in the black market, it's only worth about $3.

Runaway inflation has inflicted further pain on the already ailing Cuban economy. Lately, government run banks no longer allow foreign companies to withdraw dollars or euros either, saying they simply don't have any on hand. The Cuban government blames the crisis on the U.S. government's economic sanctions and murky plots, they allege, to make record inflation in shortages even worse.

But Cuban journalists tracking inflation from abroad say much of the country has lost faith in the banking system and currency.

There's no production in Cuba, he says. Production in the country has collapsed. The country is bankrupt.

In Cubans like retiree, Nancy, complaining that even when the peso regains some value against the dollar, the prices stay the same or still go up.

I don't earn enough each month. She says, I received 7,000 pesos, but a packet of milk is almost 3,000 pesos. A carton of eggs, the same price. I'm not getting by at all.

Some economists think Cuba needs to devalue its currency officially or adopt the U.S. dollar.

But as the island confronts the worst economic crisis in decades, both money and time maybe running out.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: This Thursday marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of World War II, when 160,000 allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in the largest seaborne invasion in history.

This year, France is going all out, hosting a grand commemoration, featuring world leaders and more importantly, veterans who survived that bloody day. Here is our Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A heroes' welcome. More than 60 World War II veterans arrive in France ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day this week, many over the age of 100, having lived a lifetime since serving their country. But the gratitude for those who fought and died on those fateful Normandy beaches is timeless.

[02:55:06]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's unreal.

HOLMES: On the 6 of June 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on beaches of France and the heavy fire from Nazi Germany's forces, the fighting intense, more than 9,000 allied soldiers killed or wounded, but it was a turning point in the war.

Eight decades later, these men and women, some who fought in Europe, others in the Pacific, know firsthand the sacrifices made on that day and the days to follow.

BILL WALL, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: I was in it from the beginning. I lost some great friends. All of these people who are out there on their crosses and unmarked graves are the true heroes.

HOLMES: But for one veteran and his companion who arrived in France ahead of the others, it was a bittersweet trip and a chance for a new beginning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just such an experience for us and we're very happy and very much in love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the way, we're getting married in France.

HOLMES: The leaders of France, the United States, the UK, Canada, and Germany will attend the anniversary ceremonies on Thursday.

In the past 80 years, the world has changed. Presidents, prime ministers, and chancellors have changed, but some of the surviving members of the greatest generation are still here, keeping watch for a grateful nation.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And thank you so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Do stick around.