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WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to Accept Plea Deal Averting Prison in the United States and Allowing His Return to Australia; Florida Panthers wins Stanley Cup Championship in Thrilling Seven Games; China's Lunar Probe Successfully Returned to Earth; Atlanta Eyes as Future Host of the Sundance Film Festival from 2027; JJ Redick Steps In as New Head Coach for Los Angeles Lakers. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 25, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom." I'm Anna Coren.

Just ahead, just two days until the CNN Presidential Debate, we'll take a look at how both candidates are preparing and what their plans are for the American economy.

Julian Assange is set to walk free thanks to a plea deal with the Biden administration, ending his years-long standoff with the U.S.

And the Florida Panthers win their first NHL championship in franchise history.

We're just two days away from the U.S. presidential debate right here on CNN that will be like -- unlike anything we've seen before. Right now, President Joe Biden is cloistered at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland with more than a dozen of his top aides, all very aware of the rust that can settle on an incumbent president and hinder their performance in the first debate of the election cycle. The Biden team says it's preparing to encounter any of the many incarnations of Donald Trump, including a very disciplined version.

Meanwhile, Trump says he's been preparing for the debate by going to events and taking questions and he indicated podcasts may be the best way to get ready for the showdown.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How are you preparing? I'm preparing by taking questions from you and others, if you think about it, but I'm preparing by dealing with you. You're tougher than all of them.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COREN: CNN's MJ Lee has a closer look at the debate preparations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, THEN-DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everybody knows he's a liar, but I just want to make sure.

TRUMP: I want to make sure you are the last in your class.

MJ LEE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four years after this contentious debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump featuring a torrent of insults, name calling and interruptions.

TRUMP: Why would you answer that?

BIDEN: Because the question is, the question is, will you shut up, man?

LEE (voice-over): President Biden is again preparing to face off against his unpredictable predecessor on the debate stage. CNN is learning that Biden is preparing for whatever version of Donald Trump might show up Thursday night, including a potentially disciplined Donald Trump, recreating the experience of going up against Trump, a key feature of the mock debates.

BOB BAUER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL, OBAMA WHITE HOUSE: You want to find some balance between recreating the experience and not attempting to, if you will, audition for "Saturday Night Live."

LEE (voice-over): Top campaign aides insisting that regardless of whether the ex-president is unhinged or more demure on Thursday, there's simply no altering his record.

MITCH LANDRIEU, BIDEN CAMPAIGN NATIONAL CO-CHAIR: People are going to know that he's a twice impeached convicted felon who's been found to have defamed somebody, sexually abused somebody and gone bankrupt six times. They will always know that.

LEE (voice-over): Ahead of the high stakes debate set to unfold inside CNN's Atlanta studio, Biden hunkering down with more than a dozen of his top aides at Camp David.

The campaign hoping to showcase two starkly different visions on a whole host of issues, the economy, democratic institutions and reproductive rights.

BIDEN: Decades of progress shattered just because the last guy got four years in the White House. We know what will happen if he gets another four. For MAGA Republicans, Roe is just the beginning.

LEE (voice-over): Democrats on Monday seizing on the two year anniversary of the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade and placing blame squarely at Trump's feet. A new Biden campaign ad featuring testimonial from one Louisiana woman who says she was turned away from two emergency rooms after a dangerous miscarriage at 11 weeks of pregnancy. UNKNOWN: He's now a convicted felon. Trump thinks he should not be

held accountable for his own criminal actions, but he will let women and doctors be punished.

LEE (voice-over): Vice President Kamala Harris, who has emerged the administration's leading voice on the issue, one of many top Democrats blanketing the country today.

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: In the case of the stealing of reproductive freedom from the women of America, Donald Trump is guilty.

LEE: Now, if it's impossible to predict how former President Donald Trump might behave on Thursday, even Biden allies would acknowledge that President Biden's performance can be mixed. There are days and events where the president is very focused and sharp and other times when he is simply less on his game.

[03:04:59]

So there's no question that the president and his group of aides that are huddled right now at Camp David are also going to be working on the performance aspect. And they're certainly hoping that the President Biden that gave his State of the Union remarks back in March, that that is going to be the version that shows up to the debate stage on Thursday night.

MJ Lee, CNN at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Tune in to see the presidential debate coming up on June 27th at 9 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. And we will replay the entire debate a few different times. You can watch the first replay starting at 7 a.m. London time. That's 2 p.m. in Hong Kong.

Well, tempers flared during a long day of hearings in the classified documents case against Donald Trump. At one point, the judge told a prosecutor she did not appreciate his tone. She also appeared skeptical about placing a gag order on Trump, who had appointed her.

The special counsel's office says the gag order is needed because law enforcement officers are facing threats after Trump repeatedly and misleadingly claimed the federal agents who searched his Mar-a-Lago estate were authorized to murder him.

But Judge Aileen Cannon said prosecutors must show connecting facts between what Trump said and the actual threats. Cannon did not issue a ruling on either the gag order or on allegations from Trump that the special counsel's office is being improperly funded.

A temporary election worker in Arizona is under arrest after allegedly stealing a security fob and keys from an election center in Maricopa County. Well court documents reveal Walter Ringfield was seen on surveillance video last week grabbing a lanyard with keys and a fob attached to it. He was later confronted by his supervisor and the fob was found during a search of his home. Ringfield now faces charges of theft and criminal damage. Arizona and Maricopa County specifically has been a hotbed for election conspiracy theories since 2020. But Arizona officials say Ringfield's arrest shows that election safety protocols in the county are working.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is expected to appear in a U.S. courtroom on Wednesday to accept a plea deal with the Justice Department, but it won't be in New York or Washington. The 52-year-old Australian is heading to the Northern Mariana Islands after spending the past five years in a London prison.

He's expected to plead guilty to a single count in one of the largest ever leaks of classified U.S. government material. In return, Assange will avoid spending any time in an American prison and return to Australia a free man.

CNN's Clare Sebastian is following developments live for us from London. Clare, it would seem that Julian Assange has managed to wait out the U.S. Justice Department. What are we learning about this plea deal?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and I think this plea deal certainly is a welcome result for the supporters of Julian Assange, and it gives him and the Justice Department a little bit of what they want. He will plead guilty, which, according to persons briefed on the matter, is essentially a red line for the Justice Department.

They were not willing to go for this unless it included a felony guilty plea. So they're getting that on one count. Don't forget he had faced 18 charges in the United States, 17 of which were under the Espionage Act, with a maximum sentence of 175 years, although, of course, he was never expected to serve anywhere near that long, even if that was possible.

Julian Assange will get two things that he wants. One, to walk free, and two, to avoid ever having to set foot on U.S. soil. He has now left the U.K. You can see those pictures there, which were released by WikiLeaks. And he is heading to the town of Saipan on the Northern Mariana Islands.

This is a remote U.S. outpost where there is, in fact, a federal court, where a federal judge will, on Wednesday, hear his guilty plea and approve this plea bargain, which involves, we think, a 62-month sentence, which will be considered time already served in Belmarsh High Security Prison in the U.K. So he will then be released if this plea deal is granted by this federal judge, and will go on to Australia. So, as I said, a result for his family, his supporters. Have a listen to his wife, Stella Assange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STELLA ASSANGE, WIFE OF JULIAN ASSANGE: Throughout the years of Julian's imprisonment and persecution, an incredible movement has been formed, a movement of people from all walks of life, from around the world, who support not just Julian and not just us and our family, but what Julian stands for, truth and justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So that is, of course, the argument that you hear from his supporters, that this was all about journalism, the pursuit of truth and justice, the releases over the years that we saw of many troves of data, highly classified diplomatic cables, national security information, things like that.

[03:10:07]

A reminder that he has spent five years in Belmarsh High Security Prison in London, and before that, seven years in a sort of self- imposed incarceration in the Ecuadorian embassy, which he entered facing charges in Sweden of rape. Those charges, of course, have now been dropped. So this will be the first time that he has walked free in more than a decade, Anna.

COREN: Clare Sebastian, joining us from London. Thank you for the update.

Well, Julian Assange's mother said in a statement, this shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. I spoke last hour with Australian Senator David Shoebridge of the Green Party, who campaigned for his release, and I asked him for his reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DAVID SHOEBRIDGE, AUSTRALIAN GREEN PARTY: Yes, it is about quiet diplomacy, but I think it's far more about millions of ordinary people across the planet who actually prize truth-telling, who think it's important that governments are held to account, that militaries are held to account, and they rate what WikiLeaks and what Julian Assange has done. Truth-telling can be very inconvenient for people in power, but Julian Assange stands for that principle that a truth can be more powerful than any government.

COREN: He has managed to wait out the U.S. Department of Justice. I wonder if you have any insights into this plea deal, and do you think it's a case of the Biden administration wanting to put this to bed, a saga that has dragged out for too long, as we heard from the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese?

SHOEBRIDGE: Well, I think this in part reflects the fact that people in Washington from across the aisle, and not just Democrats, but across the aisle, realize that it's important to stand up for brave reporting. It's important to stand up to the ability of people to hold governments to account.

As an Australian Senator, I never thought it was legitimate that the United States government could seek to prosecute an Australian citizen who was never on U.S. soil for the so-called crime of sharing the secrets of the United States military. What Julian Assange showed was some pretty awful, appalling instances

of the United States military in Iraq in a war which my government was complicit in and also involved in. Incidents like the collateral murder video. I don't believe that it was ever a legitimate act from the United States government to seek to prosecute an Australian citizen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, now to the U.S., where an aging dam in Minnesota is said to be on the brink of collapse as the upper Midwest deals with the aftermath of heavy rain and flooding. Authorities say they don't know if the Rapidan Dam near the city of Mankato will totally fail.

For now, it's still intact and there are no plans for mass evacuations. Emergency officials say the Blue Earth River cut around the west side of the dam, carrying damaging debris and causing power outages. The dam has been around since 1910 and was once a source of hydroelectric power.

The U.S. National Weather Service is warning that temperatures will continue to soar across parts of the country today. States in the Central Plains could even see temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more than 37 degrees Celsius. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers has the forecast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, another hot day in places across the southeast, across parts of the Midwest, across parts of California. Still fairly cool across New England and even upstate New York.

But we've seen all of this very heavy rainfall keep mainly the northern part of the country cool here across the U.S. with heavy rainfall. Some spots picking up a foot and a half.

Now that's just about a half a meter of rainfall in 72 hours and every place there is flooding. Some places major flooding, other places record flooding. A lot of water still to get down into those bigger rivers.

There'll be a few scattered storms across the Midwest, across parts of Iowa, all the way through Chicagoland later on today. But the storms keep moving. Notice they're not just sitting in one place when they sit. That's when they create all of that havoc when it comes to the flash flooding.

Could feel like 110 degrees though with the heat and humidity in places before it does decide to rain later on today. And over the next few days, more than three quarters of the country will see temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. So yes, a couple of cool days in store for Boston.

Even New York, 90 doesn't feel that bad compared to where you were, almost 100. D.C. you did get to 100. It'll be 93 later on today. And even for Atlanta, a high of 97. So stay cool if you can. A few more days of this still on the way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Chad Myers, thank you.

The Florida Panthers are raising the Stanley Cup, the team's first ever NHL title. They beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 Monday night. Sam Reinhart scored the winning goal.

[03:15:01]

The Panthers won the first three games of the series. No team has come back from that deficit to win the Cup since the 1940s. The Oilers' Connor McDavid was awarded the Consmith Trophy as the most valuable player throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Well, coming up, Israel's Prime Minister walks back his weekend comments after appearing to dismiss the latest ceasefire proposal backed by the U.S. More on his latest remarks ahead.

Plus, authorities identify the alleged attackers who opened fire on churches and synagogues in southern Russia. Those details after the break.

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COREN: In Washington, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is meeting with top U.S. officials who are hoping talks will help bring a better understanding of Israel's plans for the war in Gaza and its plans in the north, where tensions are flaring between Israel and Hezbollah.

On Monday, Gallant sat down with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who emphasized the need to stop the war in Gaza from becoming a wider conflict. The two also discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage-release deal.

[03:19:56]

Gallant's visit comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told local media on Sunday that he was prepared to agree to a temporary pause in fighting in exchange for the release of some hostages and that the war would continue after a ceasefire with the goal of eliminating Hamas.

That move appears at odds with a recent proposal that would result in a permanent ceasefire. Well one day later in the Knesset, Mr. Netanyahu said the war would not end until all hostages are returned to Israel and insisted he wasn't walking away from the proposal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We will not end the war until we return all the hostages, 120 hostages, both the living and the dead. We are committed to the Israeli proposal that President Biden endorsed. Our position has not changed.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COREN: CNN's Nada Bashir joins us now with London for more. Nada, the families of some of the hostages, they have released a video. Tell us what is in the video and how the public is responding.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Anna. We have seen over the last few weeks and months mounting pressure from the family members of hostages currently held captive by Hamas in Gaza. We've seen, of course, this huge protest taking place on the streets of Tel Aviv, calling for a full ceasefire, calling for the Israeli government to focus more on securing the release of hostages.

Now, seemingly in response to those earlier remarks by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that there would be an agreement to a partial deal, a group representing the hostages and their family members has released more video from October 7. A warning to our viewers, this footage is distressing.

Some of this footage had previously been released, but we are now being authorized to show the full video showing three Israeli hostages being abducted by Hamas militants on October 7, placed in the back of a pickup truck before being driven into the Gaza Strip.

One of those hostages, Hersh Goldberg Polin, an Israeli-American hostage, can be seen in the video, his face bloodied and arm injured. Now, this video has, of course, been released by a group representing the hostages and their family members. They have been deeply vocal over the last few months, putting pressure on the Israeli government to do more to secure the release of all the hostages.

And of course, as you mentioned, Anna, the comments that were made by the Israeli Prime Minister in his first one-on-one interview with Israeli media since October 7, suggesting that there would be a partial deal, that there would be a temporary pause to allow the release of some hostages. That has drawn widespread outcry.

And of course, as you mentioned, this puts the Israeli government at odds with the current peace proposal put on the table as announced by President Biden, which would see a three-phase process, which would eventually see the peaceful and full release of Israeli hostages, both those held captive alive and those that have been killed over the course of the war, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Many of those, of course, as we know, are held under administrative detention in Israeli jails with no charges placed against them. Netanyahu, perhaps in response to this pressure, has walked back on those comments. He has said that the war will not end until all hostages are returned.

And of course, as you mentioned, Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, is currently in the United States meeting with US officials. Again, more pressure from the Biden administration on the Israeli government to agree to a full and permanent ceasefire deal as outlined in the current peace proposal on the table.

COREN: Nada Bashir in London. We appreciate the update. Thank you. Well, the death toll from Sunday's attacks on churches and synagogues

in Russia's southern Dagestan province is now up to 20, with almost 50 others wounded. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has new details on the gunmen involved. And a warning, some of the images in his report are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the horror Putin rose to power, pledging to eradicate. But still, nearly a quarter of a century later haunts him now.

Pitched battles in the southern region of Dagestan, where likely Islamist militants attacked Jews and Christians in synagogues and churches over hours in which police struggled into the night to gain control.

We still have an incomplete picture of what sent security services into a frenzy Sunday as evening prayers began. But it is clear the flames spread along Dagestan's coast down to this synagogue in southern Derbent. And the police were also targeted. Their ranks stripped thin by mobilization to Putin's other wall in Ukraine.

Russia's security services keen to emphasize their swift reaction, releasing this video of them securing the Assumption of Our Lady Cathedral in Makhachkala.

[03:25:02]

Dagestan used over two decades to scenes of mangled metal and police hunting militants. But this time, absorbing whether Putin's war in Ukraine had taken away the security forces from their own home streets.

And the disturbing news that three of the gunmen were related to a local official, one his son, another a nephew, and a third a cousin, a local MMA fighter.

A key victim, Father Nikolai, pictured here, apparently having his throat slit amid reports there was a hostage standoff for a while.

The deaths announced so far, mostly police, leaving questions as to whether more civilians had been killed when they came to evening worship. And the main suspect here, ISIS-K, yet to claim the attack, and officials slow to name them.

Of course, we understand who is behind the organization of these terrorist attacks, he says. We understand what the organizers were trying to achieve.

Extremism has long cursed Dagestan. The Boston bombers partially linked back to here and its militants in 2013.

And police have long been ferocious in their response, fueling yet more extremism, analysts say. Yet in 2022, protests erupted when so many Dagestani men were sent off to Ukraine. And so now, the old agony of terror, perhaps made worse by police being thinned out for Putin's long war of choice.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Joe Biden is no stranger to the debate stage, nor is he a stranger to zingers and guffs. We'll look at some of his more memorable moments.

Plus, young protesters plan to gather at Kenya's parliament to speak out against a new finance bill. What sparked the weeks of protests? Just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back.

The first debate in this year's race for the White House is now just two days away. Many are wondering how President Joe Biden will perform. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has a look back at some of his stellar moments and stumbles on the debate stage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a stage Joe Biden knows well.

For over 50 years of public office, he has appeared on numerous debate stages.

As a multi-time presidential candidate, vice presidential candidate, senate candidate, and now incumbent president.

JOE BIDEN, THEN-DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know who I am. You know who he is. You know his character. You know my character. You know our reputation is for honor and telling the truth.

SERFATY (voice-over): Creating memorable moments by seizing an opening.

JOE BIDEN, THEN-DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Rudy Giuliani, there's only three things he mentioned in a sentence, a noun and a verb and 9-11.

SERFATY (voice-over): Showing off his folksy personality.

JOE BIDEN, THEN-DEMOCRATIC VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: With all due respect, that's a bunch of malarkey.

UNKNOWN: And why is that so?

BIDEN: Because not a single thing he said is accurate.

SERFATY (voice-over): Pushing his opponent.

DONALD TRUMP, THEN-REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm willing to do anything. I want to see peace.

BIDEN: Then do it, sir. Say it. Do it. Say it.

TRUMP: You want to call him, what do you want to call him? Give me a name.

BIDEN: White supremacist.

TRUMP: Who would you like me to condemn?

BIDEN: White supremacist.

TRUMP: Proud Boys. Proud Boys. Stand back and stand by.

SERFATY (voice-over): And punching back.

ERIC MICHAEL SWAWELL, THEN-DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Joe Biden was right when he said it was time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans 32 years ago. He's still right today.

BIDEN: I'm still holding on to that torch.

SERFATY (voice-over): Moments which went on to help him.

BIDEN: I'm the only one on this stage that actually got anything done on health care.

SERFATY (voice-over): But Biden has also had plenty of harmful moments.

BIDEN: We can do this by making sure that we're in a position that we, in fact, allow people to get their times up.

SERFATY (voice-over): Backing away from a direct challenge from his future vice president.

KAMALA HARRIS, THEN-DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You also worked with them to oppose busing.

BIDEN: I agree that everybody wants their -- in fact -- anyway, my time's up. I'm sorry.

SERFATY (voice-over): Stepping into scrutiny with his penchant for gaffes.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, THEN-NBC NEWS ANCHOR: The "Los Angeles Times" said, in addition to his uncontrolled verbosity, Biden is a gaffe machine. Can you reassure voters in this country that you would have the discipline you would need on the world stage, Senator?

BIDEN: Yes.

WILLIAMS: Thank you, Senator Biden.

SERFATY (voice-over): And more enduring dents that still haunt his reputation.

BIDEN: My ancestors who worked in the coal mines in northeast Pennsylvania don't come up after 12 hours and play football for four hours.

SERFATY (voice-over): From nearly 40 years ago, when he was accused of plagiarism on the debate stage.

BIDEN: It's because they didn't have a platform upon which to stand.

SERFATY: And many believe that debate performance and those accusations of plagiarism is what sunk his first bid for the White House. Now, fast forward now nearly 40 years later, this debate he's facing is one of a kind for him and he has acknowledged that in the past. He says all debates are tough and certainly this one is no exception.

Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Mark Zandi is the chief economist at Moody's Analytics and he joins us now from Philadelphia. Mark, great to have you with us. Let's start with how Biden and Trump's economic policies differ. Break it down for us, please.

MARK ZANDI, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MOODY'S ANALYTICS: Big differences. President Trump wants to impose much higher tariffs on imports from all around the world. He wants to restrict immigration and engage in mass deportation. He wants to extend the tax cuts for individuals that he implemented in his first term and extend them for corporations as well, lowering the corporate tax rate again.

Of course, a lot of other changes to the regulatory environment as well. President Biden would continue to pursue his policies, the Inflation Reduction Act, which is tax subsidies to try to help with climate mitigation, risk mitigation. He would pursue more infrastructure spending. The CHIPS Act was an effort to continue to be an effort to promote semiconductor production in the United States R&D.

He also wants to extend the tax cuts, but only for folks that make less than $400,000 a year. And unlike President Trump, he would raise taxes on corporations. And of course, he would go in a very different direction on regulatory policy as well.

COREN: I guess, though, that there is limited difference, though, when it comes to fiscal deficit. I mean, Biden is running like 6 percent, which is wartime levels. [03:35:01]

Unemployment is below 4 percent. And then you've got Trump's proposal to cut taxes. It's not going to have the same impact because of the fiscal deficit. Is that right?

ZANDI: Going forward, if you were to stick to the script that they've laid out for us, though, President Trump would add much more to deficits and debt. Again, his intent is to extend the tax cuts for individuals, for everybody, lower income, middle income, high income, and also lower the corporate tax rate. And that would add to the deficits in a very significant way.

President Biden would extend the tax cuts for folks making less than 400K, but he would pay for it by raising taxes on corporations. So in terms of deficits and debt, again, if both candidates stuck to the script they laid out for us, President Trump would add more to deficits and debt than Biden would.

COREN: Mark, inflation is obviously a huge issue everywhere in the world, but it's going to be a major factor for U.S. voters. Neither Trump or Biden will properly address inflation because that would require raising taxes or cutting government spending. How do you see inflation in America moving forward?

ZANDI: Inflation is now closing in on the Federal Reserve's target. Going forward, I would expect inflation to settle into something that we all feel more comfortable with.

Now, of course, President Trump's tariffs would add significantly to inflation, right, because that just jacks up the cost of all imported goods.

And if he follows through on his deportation efforts, that would make life pretty difficult for businesses that rely on immigrants in the agriculture, mining, leisure, hospitality, retailing. Those industries would struggle with much higher labor costs and that would cost more inflation as well. So, you know, again, looking forward, if the two candidates got what they wanted, I think President Trump's policies would be more inflationary than Biden's would be.

COREN: Trump is creating a narrative that President Biden has created a mess of the economy, despite the fact that GDP growth remains strong and unemployment is at record lows. Does he have an edge over Biden by the mere fact that he hasn't been in charge for the past four years?

ZANDI: Good point. I mean, I think no matter who would be president right now, no matter what their policies, they'd have kind of a tough time. We've all been through the proverbial ringer, and I think the collective psyche is pretty fragile. People are just worn out and pretty upset and don't feel good about anything. And I think that they would take it out on anybody in their policies.

But objectively speaking, you take a step back. And as the effects of the pandemic and Russian war fade, the U.S. economy is performing, you know, well. The unemployment rate is 4 percent. That's about as low as it gets. It's been there for more than two years.

You have to go way back into the 60s to find a time when unemployment has been this low for this long. And it's low across all demographic groups. And I think it's fair to say the U.S. economy is the strongest economy on the planet, bar none, including the Chinese economy. So, you know, there's a lot of reasons to, you know, for people to be upset. They're still paying a lot more for food and rent and gasoline than they were just a few years ago. But, you know, you add it all up, the U.S. economy is doing pretty well.

COREN: Mark Zandi, we certainly appreciate your analysis. Thanks so much.

ZANDI: Yeah. Anytime. Thank you.

COREN: U.S. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, wants a new trial disputing his conviction on federal gun charges on a technicality. He and his lawyers claim the trial court did not have jurisdiction over the case because of appeals he filed challenging his prosecution.

Even though those appeals were rejected, the court had not issued what's called a mandate notifying the lower court of the ruling. Hunter Biden was convicted on three felony charges for violating laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on whether states can restrict gender affirming care for minors. This comes after the Biden administration challenged a transgender care ban in Tennessee. CNN's Paula Reid takes a closer look at the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: This is the first time the court is really going to delve into the issue of gender affirming care. This will be a blockbuster case with nationwide implications. Now, the case the justices agreed to hear focuses on a transgender care ban in Tennessee.

The state law enacted last year bans hormone therapy and puberty blockers for minors. Doctors who violate the law can face civil penalties. Nearly half of all states have bans on transgender care for minors. And legal challenges have been working their way through the federal courts for well over a year now.

[03:40:03]

Republican lawmakers who support the Tennessee ban say decisions about care should be made after an individual becomes an adult. But opponents argue bans violate the civil rights of trans children and conflict with parents' rights to make decisions about their child's medical care. The Biden administration, along with families of transgender minors, challenged the Tennessee law. Now the case will be heard in the fall.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Civil rights groups have teamed up with parents in Louisiana to sue the state over a new law that requires all public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. Their lawsuit claims Louisiana is violating both U.S. Supreme Court precedent and the First Amendment. They say it would pressure students into religious observance and be divisive in classrooms. Supporters of the law argue the Ten Commandments are rooted in legal history. But the bill's Republican author says it puts a moral code in the classroom.

Well ahead of plans for mass protests at Nairobi's parliament today, Amnesty International tells CNN at least 12 prominent social media users have been abducted. Parliament is set to debate and discuss amendments to a controversial finance bill that has sparked nationwide protests for more than a week. Protesters argue the bill would raise the cost of living. But the International Monetary Fund insists it's a necessary move to reduce Kenya's budget deficit and government borrowing.

Well, CNN's Larry Madowo is following developments for us in Nairobi. Larry, describe the scene where you are right now.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anna, we're outside parliament, which has been sealed off again as lawmakers inside begin discussing the controversial finance bill, which would raise taxes on a lot of commodities, has been extremely unpopular with many people in Kenya.

You see this heavy security police presence here, just meters away from the people's house, that is the National Assembly. This was the case on Thursday, but the barricades have gone up sooner and further. So it's harder for people to get to parliament this time.

You see the water cannon truck over there and over on City Hall way, even more barricades. So no protesters can get this close to parliament.

Protesters have called for seven days of rage to pressure the government of President William Ruto to drop the finance bill, which they say would make their life expensive. But one of the other concerns here has been about prominent social media users that have gone missing in the last few days.

I'm here with Irungu Houghton, who's the executive director of Amnesty International. What more do we know about these missing users?

IRUNGU HOUGHTON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: I mean, as Amnesty International, we are horrified by some of the testimonies we've heard over the last 24 hours. We have probably about 12 people unaccounted for who have been picked up in many cases by people who are uniformed or not uniformed.

But essentially, they have been abducted in the middle of the night, and there has been no opportunity for them to get either legal assistance or for their families to know what is happening with them. And I think this has to be the most contradictory management of a protest that we have seen in probably 20 years. On one hand, you have the Ministry of Interior saying that the

protests will be respected, that the article the Freedom of Assembly is sacrosanct, and they will respect that. But on the other hand, we have officers in vehicles, police vehicles, going around and arresting protesters.

MADOWO: So, you think the police are the ones that arrested these 12 people?

HOUGHTON: We have no doubt that many of these cases are police officers. We have had not just license plates, but we had even testimonies of people who were there when they were being abducted by people who said that they were police officers. But the pattern is very clear.

It seems to be that this is a special unit operating under the auspices of the Nairobi Regional Commander Adamson Bungay, and it is not operating within the normal practices of police, which essentially would be that you are informed of the charges of why you have been arrested.

In many cases, people are just being arrested, they have been taken to police stations or to other locations, but it is impossible for us to be able to reach people quickly, and that has been the major concern.

I think what we are going to start seeing is a lot more families beginning to use the constitutional principle within our constitution that says that they can apply for habeas corpus, because essentially we are now seeing not just abductions, but disappearances.

MADOWO: I should point out that CNN has reached out to the Kenyan police about these people who are reported missing. The Kenyan constitution protects the right to protest. What did you make of the Interior Ministry there yesterday giving guidelines about what they can do and where they cannot go?

HOUGHTON: The Interior Minister's position yesterday was lawful. He spoke very much in terms of the framework for Article 37, but we also need to be worried about phrases around the possibility of counter- protesters, and it is really important that the police today essentially protect all that wish to express themselves.

[03:45:01]

The show of force that you see on the streets of Nairobi today is really quite shocking. I mean, we have really the scenes of potentially a war-torn city with military presence, not just police officers.

MADOWO: Irungu, thank you so much. Irungu Houghton, Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya. So, the protests begin in a few more hours, not just here in Nairobi, but other parts of the country. It's been a really organized movement, especially by Kenya's youth. Anna.

COREN: Larry Madowo in Nairobi. We appreciate the reporting. Thank you. A probe China sent to the far side of the moon has returned to Earth. The story behind this historic mission, next on "CNN Newsroom."

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COREN: A Chinese space object has successfully returned to Earth. Well, China's lunar probe has completed its historic mission to the far side of the moon. Launched in early May, it's China's most complex robotic lunar mission to date.

The probe brought back the first ever samples of dust and rock from the far side of the moon. China's National Space Administration says the mission was a complete success. It's a key milestone in China's effort to become a leader in space exploration. The country plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030.

Well CNN's Steven Jiang joins us now from Beijing. And Stephen, we witnessed the safe return of the probe together on live TV last hour. What details are we learning from officials about what was achieved on this mission?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Anna, this is certainly a moment of jubilation and celebration nationwide. Chinese leader Xi Jinping actually just sent a message of congratulations to the team behind this latest mission saying, praising them for achieving this milestone success and saying they are getting China a step closer to realizing its goal of becoming a space power.

[03:49:55]

Now, there is indeed a lot to be excited about scientifically because as we mentioned, this probe actually is expected to bring back up to 2 kilograms of lunar soil that it collected from the moon's South Pole- Aitken Basin. That is an impact crater formed some 4 billion years ago on the side of the moon that is never visible to Earth.

Why is that important? Because unlike on Earth, where a lot of the evolutionary evidence has been destroyed by the movements of plate tectonic, a lot of experts say the moon's far side is like a frozen record of what it was like in our early solar system. So now these samples will be studied very carefully by Chinese scientists first, before the government allows access to them by international researchers. But everybody, of course, will look at the results from the analysis of these samples to better understand the evolution of not just the moon, but also of the Earth and our solar system.

And strategically and practically, of course, this will also help China explore, potentially utilize resources on the moon, not to mention every progress they have made from these return sample missions will help China put astronauts on the moon because these are not only scientific missions, but also opportunities for the space program to perfect its control and command aspects. So that's why for China, this is probably going to potentially give them another leg up in this increasingly heated space race with the United States. Anna.

COREN: Absolutely amazing. Steven Jiang, joining us from Beijing. Good to see you. Thank you. Stay with "CNN Newsroom." We'll be back in just a moment.

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[03:55:00]

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COREN: After attracting Hollywood studios, Atlanta has now set its eyes on the Sundance Film Festival. The city has submitted a bid to host the prestigious event beginning 2027 and pledged a $2 million budget behind the effort. Officials have also launched a website that details what the city has to offer. Usually held in Utah, the film festival's contract is set to expire in 2026. The event attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year.

In the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers' new head coach is coming out swinging. JJ Redick met with reporters on Monday for the first time since he was hired. Reddick acknowledges he has zero coaching experience in the league, but he says his four years of college basketball and 15 years as a pro qualify him for the job. Reddick says he doesn't care about concerns or misconceptions others may have about him. He just wants to win.

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JJ REDICK, LOS ANGELES LAKERS HEAD COACH: Sitting in this seat, I know what the expectations are. Lakers fans have some of the most passionate fans around the world and the expectation is a championship. And so it's my job, it's our staff's job, it's Rob's job, it's all of us to deliver a championship caliber team. That's what I signed up for.

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Well, thank you so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren. "CNN Newsroom" continues now with Max Foster in London.

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