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11 Killed When Car Plows Into Crowd At Vancouver Street Festival; Trump's Approval At 100 Days Lower Than Any President In At least 7 Decades; Severe Storms Threaten 40M+ With Monster Hail, Potential Tornadoes; No Cause Of Deadly Iranian Port Explosion As Toll Rises to 40; Backlash Over FBI Arrest Of Wisconsin Judge Who Allegedly Obstructed ICE; Conclave To Select Next Pope Expected To Begin In May; Alleged "Grandpa Gang" Faces Trial Tomorrow For Kardashian Heist. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired April 27, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:34]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Good afternoon. Thanks for joining me this hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in New York.

I'm Erica Hill in for Fredricka Whitfield in New York.

We begin with breaking news. At least 11 people are dead, dozens more injured after a driver plowed a car through a crowded street fair in downtown Vancouver, Canada last night. Hundreds of people were celebrating an annual Filipino heritage festival when the incident happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE RAI, INTERIM VANCOUVER POLICE CHIEF: The driver of the vehicle was the lone occupant, and he was arrested at the crime scene by members of the Vancouver Police Department after bystanders and witnesses intervened to detain him.

I can now say with confidence that the evidence in this case does not lead us to believe this was an act of terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN's Paula Newton joining us now from Canada's capital.

So Paula, understandably, a country now in mourning. Also an important note there that they do not believe that this is an act of terrorism.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And it's an important note, of course, given how shocked everyone in Vancouver is beyond. I mean, the interim police chief there saying, Erica, that this is the darkest day in the city's history.

More chilling still, 11 now dead, they say, of all ages; dozens more injured and that police are not ruling out that the death toll will, in fact, go up.

I mean, Erica, this is hard to fathom. This is the Filipino community, usually with such joyous and vibrant events throughout Canada.

And this was just wrapping up. It was around 8:00 at night, and the SUV apparently was let into a street where they had parked the food trucks.

And from there, according to police, this vehicle, this SUV started ramming into people.

You can imagine the scene afterwards, but when they are starting to really come to terms with this in Vancouver, they are wondering, is there more that could have been done? What were the motives from the suspect? None of this really being revealed at the moment.

There were barricades apparently in the area, but police continue to say that, look, there was no security risk and that literally thousands of events go on like this every year in Vancouver. They had made a security assessment. There were no specific security risks to this event.

Suffice to say, Erica, as you can imagine, the grief far and wide here in Canada and also obviously in the Philippines.

But I want you to listen now to Prime Minister Mark Carney, who spoke in the last hours. And he also became quite emotional. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son or a daughter. Those families are living every family's nightmare.

And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino- Canadian community and to everyone in the broader lower mainland Vancouver, I would like to offer my deepest condolences and my wishes for strength and compassion in this tragic time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, so many have been trying to offer whatever they can do to the Filipino community in Vancouver and beyond that is still coping with this.

Erica, I mentioned as well, this is the last day of campaigning in Canada's federal election campaign. All the party leaders doing what they can to really have solemn events that are respectful of what is, I'd like to say this is the first time it's happened in Canada. It is not, Erica. And yet it will be one of the most tragic mass casualty events in Canadian history. So, you know, just taking in the gravity of that for everyone will be difficult.

I also want to mention that police say in Vancouver going forward, this event will affect all operations. And I will mention that Canada and Vancouver, along with the United States, of course, are hosting things like the World Cup next year and a lot of the security precautions as happened in New Orleans, a lot of those being reviewed at this hour, Erica.

HILL: Yes, it's certainly -- it's certainly an important note and good to keep in mind as we move forward. Paula, appreciate it. Thank you.

As President Trump is now closing in on the 100-day mark of his second term, that's this Tuesday, a new CNN poll out this morning shows his approval rating dropping to 41 percent. That is the lowest for any newly-elected president at the 100-day mark in at least seven decades.

[14:04:46]

HILL: Keep in mind here, too, it is not just his overall approval numbers that are on the decline. The president's handling of foreign affairs is now at 39 percent approval. That's down from 42 percent just last month.

And it comes as the Trump administration's top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, says this will be a, quote, "very critical week" in determining whether the U.S. will continue its efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.

CNN's senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joining us now.

So in terms of this week ahead of high stakes diplomacy, what more can you tell us about what is on deck?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPRTER: Well, you know, I think it's clear that the president is getting frustrated that his attempts to broker this -- an end to this war have so far not borne fruit. Remember, he said he would be able to do it within 24 hours of taking office. Now we're butting up on the 100-day mark, and it's clear that Trump and members of his team are concerned that this could all be essentially a waste of their time. And so it is setting up quite a critical stretch of days.

We heard today from Marco Rubio saying that this will be the week that President Trump decides whether to continue these efforts to pursue a negotiated settlement in Ukraine, or to move on to other issues.

Listen to more of the top diplomat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This is going to be a very critical week. This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it's time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more important, in some cases.

But we want to see it happen. There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We're close, but we're not close enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, in some ways, this is not a new message from Rubio. He has said before that time is vanishingly short to try and reach an end to this war.

What's not necessarily clear is whether this is a negotiating -- a negotiating tactic to try and put pressure on Ukraine and Russia, or whether Trump and his team are serious about walking away from these talks.

And Rubio's telling this past week was an opportunity for them to try and ascertain exactly how serious both sides of this are.

You had Steve Witkoff the president's foreign envoy in Moscow talking to Vladimir Putin. You also had U.S. officials talking with their Ukrainian counterparts in London. But it's not clear as of this morning how close the two sides are to coming to some kind of deal.

We heard from the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who said that there were still some fine tuning to do on this peace plan. We've also heard from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, who says that he can't sign off on a number of the American proposals that are in place to try and end this war.

Certainly, the fear among Ukraine -- among European officials is that Putin is just trying to string these talks along. He thinks that time is on his side. In fact, it sounds as if President Trump may believe that as well based on his post yesterday when he said that he thought Putin may be tapping him along.

I think this all adds up to an uncertain fate for the Ukrainian peace talks, but it will be an important moment, I think, on that 100-day mark, if this war has not ended, which it certainly doesn't look like it will be.

HILL: Given that we are two days out from that 100-day mark, it would be quite something if we heard of it tomorrow.

Kevin, really appreciate it. Thank you.

Also joining me this hour, David Sanger, CNN political and national security analyst. David, as we look at all of this, you know, I think Kevin makes a really good point that the question now is seeing these repeated comments from Secretary Rubio just about ten days, a week ago, it was we could we could leave this in a matter of days. Now he says this is basically a make-or-break week.

Is it your sense, based on your sources, that this is, in fact more of a negotiation move on the part of the White House and the part of the administration to put pressure on Russia? Or does it really mean it could be days away from the U.S. walking out?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Erica, they want to put pressure on both parties. I'm not sure they're actually interested in putting the pressure on Russia as they are on Mr. Zelenskyy, who obviously met here in Rome yesterday with President Trump.

The reason I say that is that Mr. Zelenskyy is passing around an alternative peace treaty proposal or at least ceasefire proposal. One that would put much greater burden on Russia, including Russia paying reparations to Ukraine, one in which the territory issues are kicked down the road some, one in which Russia would basically have to let Ukraine build up a security presence to keep the Russian forces from taking over the rest of the country at some point in the future.

And I think that President Trump has looked at that and realized Vladimir Putin is going to reject this. So he's trying to find some kind of a middle ground.

[14:09:52]

SANGER: My own view is that President Trump isn't that concerned about what the details of a ceasefire are, as long as he can get the ceasefire and move to his bigger objective, which is to normalize relations with Russia, get Ukraine off the table.

HILL: You know, it's interesting too. I noticed in that interview today on "Meet the Press", secretary Rubio almost downplaying the lack of penalties on Russia, he was asked specifically -- Kristen asking him about what about, you know, these new Russian sanctions. What would that mean?

He says adding any sanctions now, all that would do would really prolong the war. Take a closer listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: We're still hoping to see that this effort works out in diplomacy, and that we can bring these two sides closer together. I mean, the minute you start doing that kind of stuff, you're walking away -- you're walking away from it. You've now doomed yourself to another two years of war, and we don't want to see it happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: He says they don't want to get there. I mean, later in the interview, he says, he did say more than once, both sides need to get something. Both sides needs to give something up.

But again, sort of to your point, it is this question about is this really about preserving or somehow, I guess, improving the relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin?

SANGER: So I think one of the most interesting parts of Secretary Rubio's statement there, Erica, is that, there's not a whole lot of utility right now for them in putting more sanctions on Russia. And the Russians know it. And there's not a lot left to sanction.

When the president was saying the other day, maybe we'll put tariffs on Russian goods. Well, we're not importing any Russian goods. We haven't been for years. Even before the war broke out, there wasn't much that Russia made that we wanted. So that's a pretty empty threat. And Putin knows it.

The bigger opportunity here is to open up with Russia, I think in the presidents mind, to get American oil companies in, to get gas flowing again, all areas where the U.S. could profit.

And of course, that's the way he looks at Ukraine as well, with the great yet-unsigned minerals agreement, which the president, you may remember, said was going to be signed last Thursday. And that was gone too.

HILL: Yes. Yes, there is a there is a lot there that is for sure. And oh, to be a fly on the wall in any of those conversations, but specifically between the two presidents there at the Vatican.

SANGER: Yes.

HILL: Yes. David, really appreciate it as always. Thank you.

SANGER: Great to see you.

HILL: Still ahead here, deadly torrential rain in Oklahoma triggering flooding, turning roads into rivers. As you can see from these images, entire neighborhoods being swallowed, cars submerged.

Meantime, a new system of severe storms is already threatening the central states with monster hail and potentially strong tornadoes.

Plus, ICE agents in Florida arresting nearly 800 immigrants over four days in what they are calling a, quote, "first of its kind operation".

And the trial over the 2016 jewelry robbery case targeting Kim Kardashian starts tomorrow. What we know about the so-called "Grandpa Gang" accused of that $6 million heist.

[14:13:07]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Heavy rain pounding parts of southern Oklahoma, sending floodwaters into streets and homes. Police say one person died after they drove into standing water.

Lawson -- Lawton rather, Fire Department responded to several calls for help from the massive flooding. At one point, the streets were so flooded that residents had to be rescued, you can see here, using boats.

A video shared with CNN shows floodwaters flowing into apartment areas, swamping cars. Listen to one woman as she describes losing everything.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TINA ALLEY, LAWTON RESIDENT: We lost everything. I think we've got some clothes that we can salvage, that were hanging up. We have maybe some a few valuables that were high up in China cabinets, things like that, family heirlooms that we were able to save.

But as far as anything that we're going to be able to use for a home, we lost everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Just heartbreaking there.

And as CNN's Allison Chinchar explains, there are more severe storms and possible tornadoes in the forecast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right. So we've got this system here that's really going to develop and take shape, especially as we get through the evening hours tonight, and could bring the potential for some strong to severe thunderstorms from North Dakota all the way down through Texas.

But then the system is going to shift eastward as we head into Monday, and that's when we really see the system strengthen a lot.

Now you're looking at a level four out of five for severe potential, and you're talking more than 40 million people under this threat because you've got cities like Chicago, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Kansas City, even down through Oklahoma City as well that are looking at these threats for severe weather. And this includes damaging winds up around 60 -- 70 miles per hour.

You're looking at very large hail. We're talking the size of baseballs and even a few tornadoes. And some of these tornadoes, the Storm Prediction Center is warning could be strong tornadoes, perhaps the size of EF-2s or even larger.

Now, the timeline for a lot of these storms, we've already seen some activity earlier in the day today. But as we go through the rest of the evening, more and more of those storms develop, especially across the Northern Plains and into areas of the upper Midwest. And that continues well into tomorrow morning.

[14:19:51]

CHINCHAR: So maybe kind of a soggy commute for many early in the day Monday. Then by Monday afternoon and especially into the evening, we still have the storms up north. But now we're also starting to see the southern edge of those storms beginning to develop. So Texas, Oklahoma also starting to see the potential there.

In addition to all of the potential for the severe storms, we also have the threat for flooding. The biggest risk for excessive rainfall is going to be in the north, because you're going to have a lot of those storms train over the same regions over and over.

So Minneapolis, Fargo and even up around Rapid City, looking at that potential for the excessive rainfall as we go through the rest of the day Monday. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Allison, thanks for that.

We are also learning more about a routine security check, which led to the arrest of an active-duty Coast Guardsman's spouse this week. Officials say the wife was apprehended on the base of a Florida Naval Air Station by immigration authorities after an expired work visa led to her being flagged for removal.

All of this coming as ICE officials in the state also announced a massive immigration operation, which has led to the arrest of nearly 800 immigrants over the -- over four days.

And the Trump administration is defending its nationwide crackdown, including cases involving children who are U.S. citizens.

CNN's Brynn Gingras joining us now with more of the details on these cases, including one of these cases out of Louisiana. So Brynn, what more do we know?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Actually, we're learning about even more cases out of Louisiana from our colleague Dakin Andone. And I'll get to some of those details in just a second.

But first, let's talk about that two-year-old you were just mentioning, Erica. From what we understand, the mother of this two- year-old who is here in the country illegally, but the two-year-old is a U.S. citizen born in Louisiana.

She was with her mother when she went into this routine check in with federal officials. And according to her attorney, almost immediately was taken into custody. And they say that she authorized officials to give her her two-year-old child, let her come with her back to Honduras.

Now the father of this child is claiming a whole different story. He's essentially saying he tried to reach out to government officials and say, listen, I have a sister-in-law who is a U.S. citizen. Let the children or child go with her. But they say federal officials didn't allow that.

Now, as I said, there was another instance that our colleague was also just reporting on that we're getting reporting -- about rather. And that is of a four and a seven-year-old also going with their mother to a routine check in with government officials with ICE and essentially being taken into custody within 24 hours and then brought to Honduras.

In this case though, a four and a seven-year-old, we're told are receiving cancer treatments in the United States. Now again, in all of these cases, the children are U.S. citizens, their mothers are not.

Now, allegedly, what we're learning is that officials claim these mothers gave permission. They asked that their children come back to them to come back with them to their home country, and that is what they are claiming. And actually, that was backed up even more by Tom Homan on the Sunday

news circuit. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: The children are deported, the mother chose to take the children with her. When you enter the country illegally and you know you're here legally and you choose to have a U.S. citizen child that's on you, that's not on this administration. If you choose to put your family in that position, that's on them.

But having a U.S. citizen child after you enter this country legally is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. It doesn't make you immune from our laws.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: Now, lawyers for these mothers, Erica, are claiming that this just shows this is a lack of due process. This shows that they also had no chance, no choice in the matter, they claim. And they also said they weren't even able to be in these meetings with ICE with their clients. So these attorneys were not present.

So we'll see how this all shakes out but certainly another concerning example of these immigration policies.

HILL: Yes, certainly want to stay on top of. Brynn, appreciate it. Thank you.

Also, this breaking news in to CNN.

Israel launching an airstrike on Lebanon's capital of Beirut despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah but the IDF says it was targeting.

Plus, new questions about whether missile fuel may have played a part in a deadly port explosion in Iran, which has now claimed the lives of at least 40 people and injured a thousand others.

[14:24:09]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Breaking news now from the Middle East. We are seeing the first images from a massive explosion in southern Beirut. You can see them right there, an Israeli airstrike targeting what it said is a Hezbollah facility in the Lebanese capital, that's according to Israeli officials.

At this point, it is unclear whether that strike caused any casualties. It happened after the IDF advised civilians to evacuate the area. Lebanon's president condemning the attack.

You'll recall back in November, Israel and Hezbollah entered into a ceasefire but the IDF has carried out a number of strikes since that time. Iranian authorities still have not revealed just what caused the

massive explosion in that country's southwest, as state media now puts the death toll at 40 with nearly a thousand people injured.

The blast sent a huge fireball into the sky on Saturday. Eyewitnesses say chemicals in an area housing shipping containers caught fire and then that set off a much larger explosion.

Here's CNN's Larry Madowo with more on the new surveillance video showing the moments just before the explosion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're learning a bit more about this massive explosion in southern Iran, in the Bandar Abbas Port, including from this new CCTV video that appears to show the moment this explosion took place.

MADOWO: What appears to be a warehouse explodes, some people can be seen running from the scene and a fire ignites. This fire we now know spread a thick gray smoke, rose up in the sky, and was up there spreading for hours.

[14:30:03]

Authorities were forced to declare a state of emergency, ask people to stay indoors and lock their windows. Avoid any outdoor activities because of the risk of the pollution from the air. The main question is what was the cause of this fire?

Iran's national oil refining and distribution company said none of its facilities were involved here. None of its pipelines or fuel tankers were involved. One theory is that it could have come from a section where chemicals sulfur was being stored. That is still under investigation. And authorities in Iran have been scrambling to correct what they see as misinformation.

On Sunday, just after Iranian officials said that the fire was 80 percent contained, some containers are reported to have exploded, reigniting a part of that fire. Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, says he has sent several aircraft with experienced professionals to help put out the fire.

The big investigation will be about what caused this fire, and this is especially important because of the speculation about the timing of this explosion happening as the United States and Iran had begun a third round of talks about the country's nuclear program in neighboring Oman.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Just ahead here, protests over the arrest of the judge who is accused of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest, as another judge who works with her speaks out about the arrest. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think they're trying to send a message to chill the judiciary. It's really appalling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:36:04]

HILL: Growing backlash now following the rest -- of the FBI arrest of a Wisconsin judge. Protesters actually gathering outside the FBI's Milwaukee headquarters on Saturday. You see these images there? They're demanding answers.

The FBI accuses the judge of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest. A law enforcement official telling CNN Judge Dugan faces two charges for obstruction and concealing that individual from arrest.

CNN's Kyung Lah joining us now with more.

So, Kyung, as I understand it, you were actually able to speak with another Wisconsin judge for his take on all of this. What did he tell you?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Now, you can see that considerable outrage there, just in that short little clip that you had of that protest there. Erika. The judge I spoke with is someone who knows her very well. He works in Milwaukee. He parks his car just a few spots away from Judge Dugan.

And he says, look, he's known her for some two decades. He has worked alongside her. He knows her as a community member and as someone who has, you know, strong credentials of keeping a very fair courtroom. While he cannot go into the facts of this case because he simply wasn't there, and he has to maintain some distance from this particular case, he says what is concerning to him is somebody who works in this exact same area, in the same city. The message that this sends.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE PEDRO COLON, WISCONSIN COURT OF APPEALS - DISTRICT 1: There is no way that we would have treated a much more dangerous criminal the way we were treated Judge Dugan. And that's what's essentially pathetic about this situation. And that's why we have so much concern. It's because another branch of government is telling an independently elected state branch of government, that is the judiciary of Wisconsin, that they have particular rights and more rights than anyone else.

And that is not true. That is not true as to them. That is not true as to anyone. We do it in an unbiased, fair way. And to the extent that they create these circumstances, what they're essentially is creating chaos. I expect less people will appear for their criminal appearances in

court. I expect that victims will be afraid to come to court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: Now, the judge is speaking out at considerable risk here because he obviously has to be concerned about becoming a target in these political times. But he says he is doing so to try to defend Judge Dugan and to defend the justices in the state of Wisconsin, saying that, look, this is just one judge in Milwaukee. You at home may just see all of these events happening across the country and trying to figure out which one should you be really concerned about?

Judge Colon says you really should be concerned about this one, because the message here is that everyone needs to fall in line with the politics of the Trump administration. And in Wisconsin, his mission is to look at the facts and be fair -- Erica.

HILL: Wow. Kyung, really appreciate it. Thank you.

Just ahead here, who will succeed Pope Francis as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics? Preparations now underway for the upcoming conclave. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:44:02]

HILL: More tributes today. Remembering Pope Francis, the Catholic Church's college of cardinals attending a mass at the Basilica di Santa Maggiore, where the late pontiff was laid to rest yesterday. Before the ceremonies, each of the cardinals had a moment to visit Francis's tomb. As soon as next week, they'll be sequestered in the conclave to decide who among them will become the next pope.

Joining us now, CNN Vatican analyst Elise Allen.

So, Elise, we don't have the exact date yet, or at least I haven't seen it crossed today, but it's typically anywhere from 15 to 20 days after the pope's passing. When you look at where things stand in this moment, there's been so much made about the number of cardinals who were appointed by Pope Benedict, whether that could have an impact on who they ultimately choose as the next pope. How much do you think that would factor into the decision-making process?

ELISE ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Well, good evening, Eric. It's wonderful to be with you. You know, whenever the cardinals do enter into the conclave and we're expecting, you know, that date is right, has not been announced yet.

[14:45:02]

We're expecting it might begin around May 6th or 7th. We're hoping the next few days will get some clarity on that. You know, but I would say don't look too carefully about who appointed these cardinals. You know, Francis himself is appointed about 80 percent of the cardinal electors. Of course, if you're there are over 250 cardinals in the Catholic Church. Those who are 80 are not eligible to vote in the conclave. Those who are under 80 are, there are 135 who are under 80 and are therefore eligible to vote in a conclave. And of those men, 80 percent were appointed by Pope Francis.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that were going to get somebody who is in complete continuity with him. You know, Pope Francis and Benedict before him and John Paul II before him, appointed men, not so much for their policies. You know, I think Benedict did a little bit more so.

Francis, really, in his appointees, focused on men based off of where they're from to highlight a specific geographic area. Those countries on the peripheries. Places that maybe have small catholic populations. But where he felt they needed to be encouraged or just have a stronger voice and stronger representation in the church. And so many of those men, we don't necessarily know where they stand on any given issue. So it's really a kind of a mixed bag as we're going into this in terms of what to expect.

HILL: It's also -- it's still such a secretive process. I mean, we know we all know bits and pieces. And I'm told "Conclave" was, for the most part, pretty accurate. At least that seems to be what I'm hearing from experts. And yet part of that movie too, is also about the jockeying amongst cardinals, sort of the, you know, almost an election process in some ways where they're campaigning with one another.

How much of that is really happening in this moment with these cardinals who have now arrived in Rome?

ALLEN: Well, just on that movie conclave, ill quote something that, you know, my husband, who's also a commentator, has said, you know, if you're looking, you know, for accuracy in that movie, its about, you know, comparing, you know, using space balls as a guide for, you know, space travel, you know?

So, there are some things that might -- there's some things that might, you know, reflect the general process. But in terms of, you know, accuracy and the details, you know, I wouldn't take that as a point of reference per se.

But there is some -- you know, jockeying to some extent is going to be part of the process, you know, in, in the sense that cardinals really want to figure out where they want to go. They need to figure out what direction they want to go, and they need to find out which candidates are going to be best who they think are going to be best to take the church in the direction they believe it needs to go in. So, of course, they're going to be talking to one another, trying to promote one, one cardinal or another, one personality they think is more up to the task than another. There's going to be some politicking behind the process.

But it's really trying to determine, you know, who is most apt, for the needs of the church and the world today, especially coming after a personality such as Pope Francis, who made such a big impact. They need to figure out who's going to be able to step in to his shoes and fill the enormous shoes that he left behind. You know, but its also not just Pope Francis, but, you know, they're letting the successor of Peter.

So, the successor of a history of 2,000 years of popes here, you know. So, it's really gauging the needs of the church and the world today in light of what happened during Francis's papacy and going from there.

HILL: And that was a papacy that, as you and I talked about in the last couple of days, was one of inclusion, right? That that Pope Francis was calling on this church to be more merciful, to spend less time, maybe tied up in theological debates and more of it reaching out to the wounded and the suffering, the people on the margins really doing the ministering, this more pastoral approach.

Given in many ways how successful that has been in terms of a Pope Francis who connected not just with Catholics, but with a large number of people just across the globe writ large, how important do you think that is and will be taken into account as these cardinals think about to your point, who is taking the helm here? Who is moving the church in the direction? Is that the direction they want to continue on?

ALLEN: You know, I think Pope Francis's great emphasis on mercy and compassion and inclusion, you know, is something that really resonated with a lot of people. You know, there are going to be some cardinals that thought he maybe he should be more clear on, on certain issues. They wanted him to be clear on doctrinal issues and moral issues. They thought he was a little too ambiguous.

So, they might look for somebody. You know, when we're talking about inclusion, that might be a little, you know, what they feel might be a little clearer. From the church's traditional standpoint on those issues. You know, so there are going to be some cardinals that want to take things in that direction.

But I think overwhelmingly Pope Francis's approach, you know to the poor, to the marginalized, giving them priority, saying these are the ones that, you know, Jesus himself put first.

[14:50:04]

And that's what the church should be doing. You know, I think that's something that they are absolutely going to keep as a priority. You know, that's in a sense, the heart of the gospel. And Francis really made an effort to bring that to the fore of the church and put that at the center of her action and her mentality, you know, to make sure the church's actions are guided fundamentally on a premise of mercy and compassion more than anything else. And I think that's something they're going to certainly try to continue in whoever comes next.

HILL: Elise, really appreciate it. Thank you.

ALLEN: Thanks.

HILL: Just ahead here, the shocking crime that allegedly had Kim Kardashian tied up and robbed at gunpoint finally going to court. New details about how she will have to relive that night, that terrible night on the witness stand.

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[14:55:30]

HILL: Kim Kardashian and a 2020 interview reflected on the moment she feared for her life when she was robbed at gunpoint in a Paris apartment. Now, as the long-awaited trial for that moment begins tomorrow, her words underscore the lasting impact of that ordeal.

Here's CNN's Saskya Vandoorne with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM KARDASHIAN, MEDIA PERSONALITY: I didn't know who he was, and I'm like, what is happening? Are we going to die? Just tell them I have children like I have babies, I have a husband, I have a family. Like I have to get home.

TV ANCHOR: Kim Kardashian West was held at gunpoint.

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's built an empire on fame and luxury. But one night in Paris left scars that lasted years.

Now, nearly nine years later, Kim Kardashian will soon face the men accused of tying her up and robbing her at gunpoint.

Disguised as police, they allegedly made off with about $10 million in cash and jewels. The men, most over 60, now nicknamed the "Grandpa Gang". Three of them escaped on bicycles.

Kardashian spoke about the violence on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians".

KARDASHIAN: Then he duct-taped my face. I think like my mouth to get me to, like, not yell or anything. And then he, like, grabs my legs and I wasn't, you know, I had no clothes on under. So --

VANDOORNE: But not everyone felt sorry for Kardashian.

KARL LAGERFELD, FASHION DESIGNER: You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you.

VIRGINIIE MOUZAT, LE FIGARO JOURNALIST: There's just one expression that comes to my mind, femme fatale.

VANDOORNE: Journalist Patricia Tourancheau wrote of the robbery in her book.

PATRICIA TOURANCHEAU, JOURNALIST (through translator): In France, it's still very badly perceived when people flaunt their wealth so much. And what was heavily criticized, for example, is Kim Kardashian's selfie.

So, they knew she had jewelry on her, but she's showing off. And her way of exhibiting her wealth in France is quite insufferable.

VANDOORNE: That selfie, now entered into evidence.

According to court documents, the thieves tracked Kardashian's social media and knew exactly when and where to strike.

In a strange twist, one of them, Yunice Abbas, has since turned the heist into a publicity tour. Now 70, he wrote a memoir titled "I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian" and promoted it on French television.

GABRIEL DUMENIL, ABBAS LAWYER, YL AVOCATS: Since his arrest and his imprisonment, he read such nonsense about the case, such violation of his privacy, that he felt that he had to speak his truth.

VANDOORNE: Abbas has downplayed the crime, and some in the French media have portrayed him more as a cheeky anti-hero than a criminal. He's pleaded guilty to armed robbery but denies kidnapping.

YUNICE ABBAS, GRANDPA GANG: I'm very happy for her. I ask her to forgive me. If she can't, too bad. I'll live with that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VANDOORNE: After years of delays, partly because of big cases like the Paris attacks, the trial will open here on Monday. Ten suspects are facing charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and more. They're not in custody, though, because of detention limits, and many are in poor health. Most say that they will plead not guilty, but if convicted, some of them could face up to 30 years behind bars.

Saskya Vandoorne CNN, Paris.

HILL: Well, in the new CNN original series, "MY HAPPY PLACE", six celebrities take you along as they travel to the places that have become their personal sanctuaries.

Our colleague, CNN anchor Boris Sanchez, is sharing his happy place with us. Key Largo, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Florida oozes from my pores. It is home and I feel special when I'm here. I feel right when I'm here. I grew up in south Florida not very far from the water. Got started with snorkeling, free diving, one thing led to another. I started scuba diving and I've never looked back.

Got Fabio, Junior, John.

These are my childhood friends. I've known them for many years. We've done dive trips down here now for seven or eight years.

The ocean itself is like a mystery. You sort of see what's happening above the water. And while that is captivating, what's happening underneath is unbelievable.

Key Largo is a place unlike any other in the United States. You have these massive shipwrecks just offshore. These wrecks are not only historic, they're teeming with life. We're right above the Spiegel Grove. It's an enormous wreck. It's about two football fields long, and its like a haunted mansion underwater.

It's been underwater for about two decades. Famously, the folks who sank it messed up, and it sank on its side. Then a hurricane came in about 2005. It fixed the boat. It lifted it upright.