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CNN International: 17 Congressional Dems Calling On Biden To Drop Out; Obama And Pelosi Speak Privately About Biden Campaign; World Leaders Watch Biden's Performance Closely. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired July 12, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, HOST, "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Time and the same moment. It's too late to do anything about chasing -- changing candidates and getting more money and finding a candidate and fixing it and moving on. But, we're also in a perpetual state of the next 24, 48, 72 hours --

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Or waiting for months. Yeah.

BOLDUAN: -- are critical. I mean, I'm seeing quotes upon quotes of like the next 96, 94, I mean --

GRIFFIN: Right.

BOLDUAN: -- pick your number of hours. So, I don't know what to do.

GRIFFIN: I think we're going to see the --

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is the CNN Newsroom.

Straight ahead, a growing number of Democrats are calling for Joe Biden to step aside. But, the U.S. President for now is clear he will keep fighting for reelection. Then, Alec Baldwin's tense trial resumes in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and we're expected to hear the testimony of the armorer of the film "Rust". We're live outside the courtroom. Plus, after seven months of pre-wedding celebrations, the son of Asia's richest man is finally tying the knot in lavish style. We'll have the latest as the main event gets underway.

All right. After a news conference that was neither a rousing success nor an unmitigated disaster, Democrats are left wondering today what to do about Joe Biden. For growing number of congressional Democrats, the answer is to call for him to end his reelection campaign. There are now 17 elected Democrats publicly urging him to step aside as the nominee. Prominent Representative Jim Himes joined that list a short time after Biden's Q&A session with reporters. Biden's high-stakes news conference showcased his ability to speak expansively about the economy, foreign affairs, but it also included one notable flub, which came right after a verbal stumble earlier in the day. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin -- (applause) -- President Putin -- he is going to beat President Putin -- President Zelenskyy. Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President. I think she is not qualified to be President. So, let's start there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Biden reiterated he has no plans to drop out of the race. He also spoke about his admiration for his Vice President Kamala Harris, amid calls for her to replace him at the top of the ticket.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: First of all, the way she has handled the issue of freedom of women's bodies to have control over the bodies. Secondly, her ability to handle almost any issue on the board. This was a hell of a prosecutor. She was a first rate person. And in the Senate, she was really good. I wouldn't have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be President. From the very beginning, I made no bones about that. She is qualified to be President. That's why I picked her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. We're going to cover all of these many angles, and let's begin with CNN's Lauren Fox in Washington, D.C. She is tracking the reaction from Democrats in Congress. So, right now, 17 elected members who say he should step aside. What happens with that list, as the day grows?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That list has nearly doubled since 24 hours ago, and three of those additions came last night after this press conference, including the top Democrat Jim Himes, who just moments after the conclusion of this press conference tweeted out his statement, saying that he thought that Joe Biden should step aside, that he should usher in a new generation of candidates in the Democratic Party, and give people an opportunity to run for President in his stead.

Now, one thing to keep in mind here is that there were a number of Democrats, who I talked to last night, who felt as though President Biden performed very well, who were happy to see that he did not have the kind of performance he had at the debate, but many of them also warning in the same breath that they are concerned it wasn't a strong enough performance to perhaps stem the tide overall. And I think that that is a consistent theme that colleagues at CNN are hearing. One thing to keep an eye on today is, does this number continue to grow? Does it continue to grow into the weekend? At some point, I think Democrats are hoping that the focus turns to Republicans next week at the Republican Convention. But, one thing you heard from Jim Himes was essentially this idea that

it has now been two weeks, and he is concerned that people are still talking about the President's fitness for office, and in some ways it's not something that you can easily put to bed because every high- profile moment, whether it's a press conference or meeting in the Oval Office that's televised, or a discussion with his Democratic colleagues, people are going to be watching very closely for every comment, every stumble, every potential flub, and I think that that is a problem for Democrats going forward.

[08:05:00]

They are acknowledging that. And one of their concerns is that the longer this drags on, the harder it is to change momentum or direction.

Now, it's worth noting, this is still only 17 Democrats of hundreds, right, and I think that that is an important thing to caveat here. But, it is just also worth noting that this isn't going away for Democrats. Every hallway I was in over the course of the last week, every meeting I was taking out, reporters were asking over and over again, whether or not Democrats were supporting their candidate, and this is an uncomfortable moment for them.

Democrats met yesterday behind closed doors with Biden campaign officials at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. And while a lot of members were really mum coming out of that meeting, my colleague Manu Raju and I reported that there was a very frank, serious and sometimes emotional discussion behind closed doors. And senators are being very careful. There is only one Senator, Democrat Peter Welch, who has come out publicly and said that Biden should not be the candidate running for office at this moment. But, others have expressed concerns that he can't win in November. And behind closed doors, we're told that those discussions were really serious yesterday. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lauren Fox, keep us posted throughout the day. Thanks so much.

All right. While more Democrats are publicly calling for Biden to step aside, the conversation happening in private may be more significant. CNN has learned that Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have been talking about Biden's chances and they're both concerned, but neither is sure what to do next. Democrats say Pelosi and Obama are among the very few people who have the kind of relationship with Biden that would allow them to have a truly candid, rather, conversation with the President.

CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere joining me right now. Good to see you, Isaac. All right. So, they're having conversations. Maybe that's not so unusual. It seems like they would have regular conversations. But, what do we know about the content of the conversation between Pelosi and Obama?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, they're both concerned. They both expressed their concerns to other people. But, they've talked about their concerns about Biden's electability with each other and what to do about it. This is part of an effort among a lot of leading Democrats to figure out, how do you get to whatever next is? As Lauren was saying just a moment ago, there is an expectation that there will be more Democrats who will be coming out and saying that they think Biden should leave the race. But, there are also still Democrats who are saying that they think Biden should stay in the race.

The one thing that I agree on is that they would love to move past this conversation, whether it's going to be Joe Biden or it will be another person who steps in, likely in that case, it's Kamala Harris. The feeling is that they need some sort of push to get past this. And they look to Barack Obama, given his long and complicated relationship with Joe Biden, and Nancy Pelosi, given her own long personal and political relationship with Joe Biden over many years, to be the ones who at this point maybe have the ability to either steer Joe Biden out of the race or to say to other people, OK, we're sticking with Biden. Here is what it's going to be.

WHITFIELD: So, if you don't mind, elaborate on the long and complicated relationship between Biden and Obama. I think most people are, their memories just go straight to, this is a beautiful, like, bromance, between the two. But, you underscore the complicated part, because there was another juncture in which, and this is just one of the examples, right, in which Biden wanted to run. Obama didn't necessarily encourage that from happening. So, for Obama to now come to Biden and say, let me discourage you from -- you're seeking reelection, is that part of the complication that you're expressing?

DOVERE: Yeah. Absolutely. If you go back to nine years ago about right now, Joe Biden's son Beau had just died, and he was at the -- in the summer of 2015, thinking about making a late entry into the presidential race. A lot of people at that point saw that as a way of him maybe trying to cope with the grief. He spoke with Barack Obama about it over the summer. They used to have, if you remember, weekly lunches, when they were both in the White House. And the way that Biden has written about, what, those conversations were is he said, Obama was not encouraging. And he takes that personally that Obama was not supportive of him running.

Barack Obama's take on what happened then, I'm told, is different, that he feels like he was just trying to encourage Biden to deal with his grief and focus on that and to think about how hard running would be -- would have been at that point. That is a difference of opinion of what those conversations were like.

[08:10:00]

But, it doesn't really matter other than where Joe Biden would likely think about things, if it came to him again at this point. One person that I spoke with said to me, look, it's speculation, but a person who knows Joe Biden said to me that the reaction at this point if Obama were to say to Biden, I think you need to step aside, would be to say, well, Mr. President, you used that chip in 2015 and you were wrong, and that's what got us Donald Trump. And the person said to me that would make Obama would go into Biden saying, you should step out, might make Biden dig in more. Obama is aware of that and trying to navigate that along with a lot of other dynamics interpersonally between them and politically about this situation.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. All right. Super fascinating. Edward-Isaac Dovere, thanks so much.

DOVERE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. The press conference and Biden's overall performance at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. didn't just have the attention of U.S. politicians and voters, but he was also closely being watched by world leaders.

Let's bring in now Nic Robertson, who is in London for us. So, Nic, now that it's officially over, are some of these world leaders speaking more candidly about their observations of the President, their interaction with him, and then also the press conference that kind of closed the show?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah. If they are speaking more candidly, they're not doing it publicly. It's not leaking out. And that's no surprise, because they know that -- these leaders know that they might have to deal with a completely different President, Donald Trump perhaps, come early next year. So, it's not something they would do anyway. And they do worry about having a Republican President because they know that that could be more isolationist, not so good for NATO, or all of those issues that we've been talking about. Who had the most sort of one-on-one time with President Biden this time? That was the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He was in for a 45-minute meeting. It ran a little long, almost an hour, according to Starmer.

And what Starmer said, when he was asked by a British journalist about the competency and capability of President Biden, he said, look, this was a guy who was on top of all the details that we went through on foreign -- all the foreign policy details. And Keir Starmer said, we went through them at speed. I mean, this was, like he said, this was a short space of time that we had in relative terms. And he wanted, Keir Starmer wanted to make the most of it. So, they got through a lot, and his readout was Biden has got it, and that's what we heard from President Macron too, the French leader, of course, he came out with the same evaluation. Biden was on top of it.

This was a complex NATO summit, getting everyone through it, getting all the things delivered, they wanted to deliver out of it. That as managed in person with the leaders by President Biden, and that they're giving them a tick in the box, as they say, behind closed doors. Of course, there are concerns, but we don't expect to hear them publicly from them.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nic Robertson in London, thanks so much.

All right. President Biden, meantime, apparently undeterred by all of the speculation around his campaign. He is going to be traveling to the battleground state of Michigan in the coming hours for a campaign event in Detroit. And as he tries to persuade voters he is up for a second term in office, all eyes are on him. CNN's Kayla Tausche is at the White House. So, Kayla, the White House,

or at least some of the officials who spoke to CNN, said that they were encouraged. They were relieved. They liked what they saw last night. So, how does that give him, I guess, good footing on his journey to Michigan?

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the White House and campaign officials that I spoke with said that he hit the marks that at least they had laid out for him that he injected a bit of charisma into the appearance. He hit some substance on foreign policy and he attacked Donald Trump in a way that he had failed to do on the debate stage two weeks ago.

But, when I spoke to other Democrats, they acknowledged that the bar for the President was higher, that he did better or in the words of one strategist, he did great, but not well enough to stem the mounting pressure that at this point has become so great within the party that people cannot unsee what they saw two weeks ago, and they're saying they don't want to be holding their breath every time President Biden takes the stage. Certainly, the White House and the campaign are bracing for more defections, especially from lawmakers who are up for reelection in swing districts or in red districts or red states, and they expect that to continue happening. In the words of one official, it could be a drip, drip, drip, according to what that former official told CNN.

But even so, the President is undeterred. He is unapologetic in his decision to continue running for President. He'll visit Michigan today and appear with many elected officials there in a state that is very critical to his reelection, and even his campaign acknowledges that.

[08:15:00]

In a memo they put out yesterday, Jen O'Malley Dillon, who is the chair of his campaign, said that his path to 270 electoral votes includes, or requires, rather, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, the so-called blue wall that President Biden was able to flip in 2020. He needs to hold all of those states. Right now, according to CNN polling, Michigan currently leans Republican. So, Biden has some work to do, and he is coming from behind after two weeks of setbacks after that debate. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kayla Tausche at the White House, thanks so much.

Still to come, President Biden's call for a ceasefire in Gaza grows more urgent, as witnesses on the ground tell us of more Israeli airstrikes in the territory. A live update, straight ahead. Plus, the heartbreaking account of one hostage held in Gaza for eight months and the emotional reunion with his mother. That moving interview, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More now on U.S. President Joe Biden's crucial news conference. During nearly 60 minutes, Mr. Biden talked about a wide range of topics, including the Israel-Hamas war. Asked him if he wished he had done anything differently in the course of the conflict, he said, there are things he wishes he had been able to convince the Israelis to do. But, he expressed optimism about the chances for a ceasefire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: But the bottom line is we have a chance now. It's time to end this war. It doesn't mean walk away from going after Sinwar and Hamas. And if you notice, you know better than most, there is a growing dissatisfaction in -- on the West Bank, from the Palestinians about Hamas. Hamas is not popular now. And so, there is a lot of moving parts. I just have to keep moving to make sure that we get as much done as we can toward a ceasefire, a ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: There is still heavy fighting being reported in Gaza, and we're getting worried that the bodies of some 100 Palestinians have been found in and near Gaza City. The Palestinian Civil Defense says this follows a partial withdrawal of the Israeli army from several neighborhoods in the area. And you're looking at video now from a neighborhood in Gaza City, where major battles have raged since an Israeli evacuation order at the end of last month.

I want to bring in now CNN's Scott McLean. Scott, what is the latest?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Fredricka. Yeah. You mentioned that partial withdrawal from parts of Gaza City by the IDF has revealed widespread damage. According to civil defense, in one neighborhood in particular, Tel al-Hawa, 50 or 60 bodies are under the rubble. The municipal office for Gaza City said that workers are trying to deliver water to people who are still there with, in their words, great difficulty.

[08:20:00]

Now, the IDF describes this much differently, obviously. They say that in this area, they found a weapon production facility. They found cash. And they said, in their words, any terrorists who posed a threat were eliminated. Now, those evacuation orders had been in place for most of Gaza cities since Sunday, affecting some 250,000 people, and there are still tens of thousands of people on the move, trying to find really any safe place to go. Some people are so desperate, though, Fredricka, that they're actually going back to a place called Shejaiya, which is in eastern Gaza, a place that civil defense says is 85 percent destroyed.

Other people are too afraid even to use the officially designated evacuation route, citing safety concerns, and some simply don't want to leave, because as one 76-year-old man told CNN, a man who hasn't had any fresh food in six months, he said he would rather die in dignity than deal with whatever indignities he might find trying to find a place to live outside of his home and area. Other people who are making the trek, like one woman spoke to the CNN, stringer on the ground, have complained about the heat and the long distances that they are having to walk with children. She said that her family slept outside for three days with no water at all.

This comes on top of the fact that, of course, the WHO says that there is, look, one quarter of people experiencing starvation, one third experiencing acute malnutrition, and on the back of a UN report that says that famine has now taken hold across the entire Gaza territory. We have also learned just in the last little bit, Fredricka, that the IDF says that it raided a former UNRWA building in around Gaza City. They said that they found weapons there, and again, in their words, terrorists there. It's important to point out, though, that UNRWA has not used this building for several months now.

WHITFIELD: And I wonder too, what's the latest on anymore ceasefire negotiations? Meetings did take place in Cairo recently. Biden last night called on yet another one, at least another one to happen. What's the latest?

MCLEAN: Yeah, Fredricka. So, negotiations wrapped up in Doha. The negotiating team for the Israelis traveled back to Israel, met with the Prime Minister, and then last night, they were sent on their way for more talks in Cairo. So, they will be continuing there. And look, two sources told my colleague Alex Marquardt that there is some progress being made. But, there are still some tough issues to resolve. What those issues are, specifically, is not clear.

The Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is blaming Hamas for putting demands on the table that contradict the plan that is already being discussed. Netanyahu himself, though, of course, has been accused of moving the goalposts, because over the weekend, you'll remember that Hamas said that it was willing to forego one of its main demands, and that is that any ceasefire that's agreed to would be a permanent one. They said that they'll forego that provided that a permanent ceasefire is at least discussed in the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage exchange process. But then, the Prime Minister came out and made quite clear that he would not agree to anything that did not allow Israel to continue on afterwards.

The President was asked about this yesterday. He gave that clip that you played there, saying that they have a chance, not really giving much indication as to how close they are. And I should also just point out quickly, Fredricka, that he said specifically, the President said specifically that Hamas is losing popularity inside the West Bank. But, it is worth noting that the most recent polling data that we have shows that their popularity is actually increasing in the West Bank since the October 7 terror attack. In fact, half of the people inside the West Bank said that, were elections to be held there today, they would vote for Hamas that's twice the number that there was before the war. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Scott McLean, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you.

Meantime, there are still 120 hostages living and dead held inside Gaza. And until last month, Andrey Kozlov was there as well. He was working as a security guard at the Nova Music Festival when Hamas fighters attacked. And in an interview with CNN's Bianna Golodryga, Kozlov have detailed his months of captivity, the psychological and physical torture he endured, and finally after his rescue last month, the emotional reunion with his mother.

(BEGIN VIDEOAPE)

(VIDEO PLAYING)

[08:25:00]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR AND SR. GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: We all saw the video of when you were reunited with your mother at the hospital. As a mother, it brought tears to my eyes to see how you fell down on your knees, hugging her. Do you know how difficult I would imagine you do, those eight months were for them?

ANDREY KOZLOV, RESCUED RUSSIAN-ISRAELI CITIZEN HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: I was so afraid to see them.

GOLODRYGA: You thought you'd never see them again?

KOZLOV: I possibly, right. I mentioned how like my mother and father and brother, they will not hear the words, I love you, anymore.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you can see the full interview with rescued hostage Andrey Kozlov on Amanpour at 1 p.m. Eastern today. That's 6 p.m. in London and 8 p.m. in Tel Aviv. It will also air on Anderson Cooper 360 at 8 p.m. Eastern tonight. That's 5 p.m. on the U.S. West Coast.

All right. Still to come, a growing number of Democrats calling on President Biden to end his reelection campaign. What's next for the President? I'll speak to a Democratic strategist. And testimony in Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial set to continue with the now convicted armorer for "Rust" called to the stand. A live report from the courthouse, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's take a closer look at our top story this morning. A growing number of congressional Democrats are calling on Biden to end his reelection campaign. There are now 17 of them publicly urging Biden to step aside as the nominee. Democratic Senator Chris Coons spoke to my colleague Sara Sidner last hour, and defended the President. Take a listen.

[08:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): The path forward is that Joe Biden, who ran for and won the primaries in state after state after state, and is the only Democratic candidate for President who has a huge number of delegates at our convention next month, is that President Biden will keep doing what he has been doing the last two weeks. After the debate, which I recognized was a terrible performance by Joe Biden, a shocking performance, I urged him to get out and to engage with voters. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Biden's high-stakes news conference on Thursday showcased his ability to speak expansively about the economy and foreign affairs, but President Biden also addressed concerns about his polling numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: How accurate does anybody think the polls are these days? So, bottom line is, all the polling data right now which I think is premature because the campaign really hasn't even started. I mean, it hasn't started in earnest yet. Most of the time, it doesn't start till after September, after Labor Day. So, a lot could happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Biden reiterated he has no plans to drop out of the race.

Joining me right now is CNN Political Commentator and Democratic Strategist, Maria Cardona. Good morning to you, Maria.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, & DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Hey, Fred. Thank you so much for having me.

WHITFIELD: Wonderful. So, one White House staffer telling CNN after the press conference relief, saying that they thought the President did great. What was your assessment, and how do you think it might impact his commitment to stay in the race?

CARDONA: I think he did really, really well. He showed an extreme command of the facts. He stood up there for over an hour and took questions from reporters, without scripts, without a teleprompter. He flubbed a couple of things. But, look, that can happen to anyone. And as you know and your viewers know, this is a President who has a speech impediment from the moment he was a little boy.

But, here is what I think is happening, Fred. I think that the bar for this President has become so high that for many Democratic lawmakers, he will never be able to clear that bar. But, here I think is the most important thing to take into consideration, and I think what Senator Coons was getting at, and frankly, what President Biden was getting at as well. There are millions and millions of grassroots voters out there, Fred, who are absolutely supporting this President, no matter what, as long as he is in the race. And the President has made it very clear that he is in this race. He is not going anywhere.

And as long as that is the case, these millions of grassroots voters, includes black voters, Latino voters, women voters, women who are so concerned about the future of their reproductive rights, immigrant voters who are so concerned that under another Trump presidency, their families will be ripped apart, black voters who know that another four years of President Trump will be absolutely catastrophic for their communities, they are absolutely 100 percent behind President Biden, and they do not appreciate lawmakers who are so ready to discount the 14 million votes that voted for him, the voters who voted for him, because they're calling him to step aside.

So, that is what the party is facing. And what President Biden said last night is very true. It's the voters that count. And right now, they are, for the most, part behind him. You've seen the polls, have not really changed. This race has not changed. And some of the polls in the battleground states have President Biden gaining ground since the debate.

WHITFIELD: So, is it your feeling that there is damage that is being done to the President and his leadership, when you have now 17 elected Democrats who say they want him out of the race, even if it is contrary to, as you just stated, that some polling shows that voters, the voters who want him to stay in, continue to say they want him to stay in? So, what kind of damage is being done to the President at this juncture?

CARDONA: I'm so glad you asked that question, Fredricka, because I do think it's damaging. Because you can imagine, if I was an ad maker for Donald Trump, I would already have all of those Democratic lawmakers on video talking about why they think this President should step aside. I believe that every time a lawmaker comes out and publicly states their concerns and the fact that they want this President to step aside, they are campaigning for one person, and that's Donald Trump.

And look, I'm not discounting those concerns. I'm not discounting the fact that many are still worried within the Democratic Party. But, let's keep it in the family. Go to the campaign. Go to the White House. Talk to the President. Talk to his inner circle. He is having these conversations even as we speak. So, why don't you go and tell him, tell the campaign in private what your concerns are?

[08:35:00]

Every time you make this public, every time we air this dirty laundry, it only helps to support one person, and that's Donald Trump.

WHITFIELD: Maria Cardona, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you so much for being with us this morning, from D.C.

CARDONA: Thanks so much, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Turning now to Texas, anger is mounting, as more than a million people are facing another day of high temperatures without power, four days after Hurricane Beryl battered South Texas. Many Houston-area residents are struggling to access fresh food, air conditioning, safe drinking water. Houston's main utility is facing a slew of questions about why it was not more prepared. And now, the governor is requesting an investigation.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov is in Houston with the latest. How miserable is it for residents right now, Lucy?

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, we are actually in front of the CenterPoint Energy headquarters. This is the Houston utility epicenter of now a storm of public outrage over the fact that so many more Houston residents are waking up yet again for their fifth day now without power. And as you pointed out, look, no electricity means there is no air conditioning, no lights, no refrigeration, this as sweltering temperatures are expected to continue with no relief in sight.

The prolonged power outage is also turning deadly. At least 10 lives in Texas alone claimed by that storm and its aftermath, including two from carbon monoxide poisoning and one person whose oxygen machine ran out of battery, and with hospitals struggling to cope the NRG Arena stadium here, has been converted into a temporary medical -- emergency medical center.

Now, CenterPoint is facing the brunt of the anger and its criticism over the company's lack of preparation for the storm. The Texas governor ordering an investigation into their hurricane response. The lieutenant governor, meanwhile, alluding that a lack of money could have been an issue for CenterPoint in terms of them not mobilizing additional manpower, stating that they couldn't, and I quote, "they couldn't bring in 11,000 people for four days out and put them in a hotel and feed them, and they don't even know where the storm is going." Now, CenterPoint's VP of Operations, meanwhile, urging patients. Take a listen. I think we don't have that sound. But, he did urge patients.

Now, meanwhile, Fred, the National Weather Service has issued yet another heat advisory for today. We could also see some lightning and storms in this morning, and that could, of course, hamper relief fire personnel. CenterPoint does expect about 80 percent of their customers to get power back by the end of the day Sunday.

But, the big headline, Fred, is that still leaves about half a million Texans to face the sweltering heat without any power next week. And of course, keep in mind, this is the nation's fourth largest city. It refers itself as the energy capital of the world, with so many widespread power outages. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. The troubles are mounting. It seems unrelenting. All right. Lucy Kafanov in Houston, thank you so much.

Jury deliberations are set to begin in the Senator Bob Menendez corruption trial on Friday morning, today. The once-powerful Senator from New Jersey faces more than a dozen conspiracy charges for his alleged involvement in a years-long bribery scheme. Menendez used to be head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Federal prosecutors say the Senator tried to use his position to advance Egyptian military interests, interfere in criminal prosecutions, rather, and secure investment from Qatari officials, among other things.

All right. Also back in court today, actor Alec Baldwin in his involuntary manslaughter trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Court is set to resume in the coming hours with the armorer of the film "Rust", Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, expected to be called to the stand. Reed was found guilty earlier this year of the same charge Baldwin is now facing over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the "Rust" film set. Her attorney tells CNN that she will not cooperate and plans to plead the Fifth. CNN' Josh Campbell has been following the case from New Mexico. He is

joining us right now, outside the courthouse. So, Josh, what are prosecutors wanting to ask her, even if Hannah Gutierrez-Reed ends up pleading the Fifth?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, this is set to be a really critical moment here. I mean, you think about it. Alec Baldwin is going to be looking across that defense table, and one of the people that he blames for this ultimate tragedy here, and what prosecutors have been trying to get at is, why did a live round of ammunition make its way onto the set of the movie?

[08:40:00]

That has been the question that we've had all along. But, as we learned yesterday in court, for investigators, it's not a mystery at all. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARI MORRISSEY, SPECIAL PROSECUTOR: Is there evidence that Hannah Gutierrez brought the live rounds onto the set of "Rust"?

MARISSA POPPELL, SANTA FE SHERIFF'S CRIME SCENE TECHNICIAN: Yes.

MORRISSEY: As you sit here today, do you have any question about who introduced the live ammunition to the set of "Rust"?

POPPELL: No.

MORRISSEY: Who do you believe it was, based on your investigation?

POPPELL: Hannah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now, prosecutors want her to speak about that herself. And as you mentioned, her attorney says that she will not be cooperating on the stand. But, what we will be looking for, potential sparks in court whenever Baldwin's defense attorney actually cross-examines her. We'll be watching for that.

Meanwhile, we're also getting insight into what the family of Halyna Hutchins thinks about all of this. Acclaimed attorney Gloria Allred has been in court throughout the trial. I talked to her yesterday. And she said that, according to the family, this case goes far beyond one incident. It actually has global implications for the movie industry. She said people who work on film sets shouldn't fear for their life. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLORIA ALLRED, HUTCHINS FAMILY REPRESENTATIVE: They want to know everything that happened that led to her untimely death. It's terrible tragedy. It's difficult because they are in Ukraine. They do not speak English. And often, when we are on the phone with them, they have to interrupt the call and run to a bomb shelter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now, as you mentioned, Fred, court is resuming here this morning. Attorneys will meet with the judge to go over some motions, and then we'll hear from the witnesses. It'll be quite a day.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. It will indeed. All right. Josh Campbell, thank you so much.

All right. New developments now in a deadly crossbow attack that has shocked the UK. Police say a man suspected of killing three women in the town of Bushey in the east of England has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Kyle Clifford was found by British police Wednesday after an overnight manhunt. The victims were the wife and two adult daughters of BBC horse racing commentator John Hunt. Police responded to the Hunt home Tuesday night and found the women with serious injuries. They say all three died a short time later at the scene.

Let's go now live to London, and CNN's Nada Bashir. Did we learn anything more about the circumstances, how all of this happened, the motivation and if the suspect knew these women?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are certainly still many more questions. That investigation is still ongoing. We'd heard from British police yesterday, saying the suspect was in a London hospital in a serious condition, and because of that, they hadn't been able to carry out that full questioning process. Now, of course, new developments, police confirming that a man has been arrested in connection with this triple murder. And of course, this is an ongoing investigation. But, there have been many questions around the possible motives and the relationship between the suspect and the three victims, Carol, Louise and Hannah Hunt, who were all, as you mentioned, found badly wounded at the scene by emergency services, and of course later died as a result of their injuries.

Now, we know, of course, that a crossbow is believed to have been involved and used in this incident. Police have suggested that perhaps other weapons may have also been used. We know, of course, that also tributes have been pouring in for the three victims. And there have been a lot of questions around the possible relationship between the suspect and the three victims.

Police have previously said that they believe the suspect was known to the family. And British media outlets have been reporting that there may have been a past romantic relationship between the youngest of the victims, 25-year-old Louise Hunt, and the suspect. In fact, Louise had posted recently on social media, sharing a post which praised women who leave toxic relationships, women who are brave enough to leave toxic relationships, and questions around the possible romantic relationship between the two in the past.

But, certainly, a lot of concern about the safety of women in this country, as we continue to see violence against women rising. But, as I mentioned, tributes have been pouring in from across the country. John Hunt, of course, was a BBC sports commentator, a well-known sporting commentator. The BBC itself has expressed its condolences. We've been hearing from numerous sporting figures across the country sharing their condolences, and of course, the British Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, who expressed her shock just yesterday around the deaths of these three women.

WHITFIELD: Nada Bashir, thank you so much, from London.

Coming up, millions of Venezuelans have fled their country over the last few years. But, their hope in the upcoming election will open the door to return home.

[08:45:00]

The story, straight ahead.

Plus, the son of Asia's richest man is getting married today. We'll have a look at the extravagant celebrations in India. The story, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Venezuela is preparing for presidential elections that somehow could change the country's future. Many of the millions who fled under the leadership of Nicolas Maduro are keeping a close watch on the upcoming vote two weeks from now.

Stefano Pozzebon talked with one Venezuelan woman who is now living in Colombia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST (voice-over): How do you build a home far away from your home? Sometimes, it's just a matter of finding the right people to help. These migrants in Bogota are doing just that, working with a foundation that provides free classes and counseling to vulnerable Venezuelans and Colombians alike.

Maria Alvarez (ph) arrived in Colombia seven years ago. She helped create the organization. Making a living as a manicurist is tough. But, Bogota has been welcoming. Home, however, is still somewhere else.

POZZEBON (Interpreted): What are your hopes for July? What do you think? What do you dream?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Interpreted): I want Venezuela to be free, that everything goes back to how it used to be.

POZZEBON (voice-over): She dreams that one day her son will finally meet his grandparents in Venezuela. He has only seen them in photos.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

POZZEBON (voice-over): This month, millions of Venezuelan migrants are sharing such dreams, as their home country heads to the polls. Authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro pledging to allow free and fair elections, as he campaigns for reelection, and the Democratic opposition uniting behind a single candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, a former diplomat who floated the idea of amnesty for former government officials who have been accused of crimes against humanity. It's the most credible democratic challenge in a decade. But, because more than seven million Venezuelans like Alvarez have fled the country under Maduro, the upcoming month can make an impact all across the Americas.

POZZEBON: Colombia has welcomed more than two million Venezuelan migrants in recent years. Many here have found a new home. But, for others, these streets are just the beginning of a journey to the north.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Venezuelans were the second largest group of migrants reaching the U.S. southern border last year. Many arrived from Colombia, crossing the treacherous jungle to Panama in the Darien Gap and then upward through Central America. Numbers, some experts fear, might increase should Maduro stay in power.

LAURA DIB, VENEZUELA PROGRAM DIRECTOR, WOLA: There are two reasons why migration will increase. The first is political because it's related.

[08:50:00]

I mean -- and this is the interesting part of it as well as that you cannot disconnect the complex humanitarian emergency from the authoritarian nature of the government. I think it's difficult to put a number to it, but it could be more than one million, two million Venezuelans leaving the country.

POZZEBON (voice-over): In Colombia, Alvarez is weighing her options. Her cousin crossed the Darien Gap last year. He now lives in the U.S., and she dreams of reconnecting with him. But, she is afraid of the jungle trek with her young son. And abroad, she cannot vote. Their dream is to go back home. If the government falls, millions will return, she says.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We'll right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK. Real-life crazy rich with Asian wedding. Wedding bells, in fact, are ringing for the youngest son of Asia's richest man. Anant Ambani, an heir to part of his family's vast fortune, is kicking off three days of wedding celebrations on Friday, today. He is marrying Radhika Merchant, a pharmaceutical heiress. The star-studded guestlist is rumored to include Grammy Award-winning singer Adele, Drake, and Lana Del Rey. And is that Cena? OK. So, he is supposed to be doing Shark Week, but he is also at an elaborate wedding there. The ceremonies will come to an end on Sunday after seven months of festivities. That's a whole lot of fun for a very long time, and today is the big crescendo. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is joining us right now with more of this

incredible weekend wedding bash. Oh, do tell. Give us some details.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know you're playing some of those red carpet arrivals there. Can you imagine a red carpet into a wedding, a wedding so glitzy, so glamorous? It's been called the wedding of the century in India. We'd put a royal wedding here in the UK to shame, and that's because there is already been seven months of festivities leading up to the day. And as you can imagine, everyone's expectations are sky high. Why is that? Well, before the wedding even began, they had many parties, one included Rihanna, performing to guests like Ivanka Trump, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. Just a few days ago, Justin Bieber was in India to celebrate the couple. There was a luxury cruise earlier in the year that had Katy Perry performing, and rumor has it that tonight's entertainment might be Adele. So, we'll find out --

WHITFIELD: Oh my God.

ABDELAZIZ: -- if that is true. All eyes, again, on that red carpet.

But, what happens when those celebrity guests get inside the venue? This is a huge venue, Fredricka. It's in Mumbai. It houses 16,000 people. And guess what the family has done with it? They have turned it into a city. The holy city of Varanasi, it's right on the Ganges River. It is very important in Hinduism, and this family has, throughout these wedding celebrations, really wanted to acknowledge Indian culture and heritage.

[08:55:00]

So, what they've done is they've hired hundreds of musicians, artists, chefs to bring that city to life and put it right in the heart of Mumbai for the who is who of Silicon Valley to Hollywood to Bombay to enjoy during this three-day event.

WHITFIELD: Oh my God. The opulence in those pictures, I mean, it's gorgeous. So, anyway. OK. I get Adele performing, Rihanna performing, Katy Perry performing. So, if you're an A-lister, like all the people that you mentioned, do they actually know, I mean, the groom or the bride, or is it just because they're celebrities, they get invited? I mean, what's the deal here?

ABDELAZIZ: You mentioned it, right? We're speaking about the family of India's wealthiest man. So, they have connections to the halls of power --

WHITFIELD: Wow.

ABDELAZIZ: -- everywhere, from LA to Mumbai.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gorgeous. Can't wait to see more pictures. Salma Abdelaziz, thanks for bringing those to us. Thank you.

And thank you everyone for joining me here in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Connect the World with Becky Anderson is up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)