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Big Beautiful Bill Clears Senate Hurdle; Funeral for Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman; Israel's Strike on Iran Killed 71 People; Iran's Supreme Leader: We'll Never Surrender; Senate Takes on Trump's Spending Bill; Pope Leo to Celebrate Special Mass; Heavyweight Boxing Champ has Ukraine on his Mind; Drones the Key to Improving Safety on Mount Everest. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 29, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

Ben Hunte, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CNN Newsroom with me, Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you here.

Coming up on CNN Newsroom, the so-called big beautiful bill clears a major hurdle in the U.S. Senate, but what actually ends up in the bill is anything but settled. Pope Leo is getting ready to celebrate a special mass this morning. We'll go to Rome for a live report. And drones may be the key to improving safety on Mount Everest. We'll take you on a stunning trip to the roof of the world.

Welcome. We are beginning with Breaking News in Washington where President Donald Trump is hailing a great victory from Congress. He says he's very proud of Republican Party for advancing his massive budget. Bill late on Saturday night. After extensive negotiations with several holdouts, the so-called big beautiful Bill cleared a procedural vote with 51 senators in favor and 49 against.

But this is all just the beginning Senate Democrats are now forcing clerks to read out the entire bill, which could take up to 15 hours. Then there's going to be a debate followed by a vote-a-rama, an open- ended hours long series of votes on amendments. CNN Senior White House reporter Betsy Klein has more from Washington for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That Saturday night vote marked a make-or-break moment on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. And President Trump was keenly aware of the razor thin margins in the Senate and all of the hurdles and uncertainties because he had been fielding calls and holding meetings and even playing golf with a key group of Republican senators over the better part of the last 24 hours.

Ultimately, if passed, this legislation, this sweeping tax and spending package would really unlock President Trump's domestic agenda. And the White House is keenly aware that this is a critical moment to get this over the finish line while Republicans control both the House and the Senate. And for those reasons, President Trump, along with Vice President J. D. Vance had been working those phones, holding meetings, inviting senators to the White House to get this to a yes.

The president scrapped a planned weekend in New Jersey to spend a rare weekend here in Washington where he held a round of golf with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, along with Senator Eric Schmidt of Missouri, and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, notably a key holdout who had concerns about spending in this package, as well as the provision that raises the debt limit. Paul ultimately voted no on that bill.

But Vance himself had headed to the Senate where he was poised to take a tie breaking vote. Ultimately, that was not needed. The reality here is that there are deep policy divisions within the Republican Party on the scale and scope of this bill, but the president ultimately lashing out at Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, the other no vote. He said in a post to social media just before the vote passed that he would threaten to primary Tillis who is up for reelection in 2026. He said numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the primary against Senator Thom Tillis. I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks looking for someone who can properly represent the great people of North Carolina.

The president had also held a major event pushing for the bill on Thursday where he went after those who would vote no as grandstands and not good people. The president had been pushing to get this done by the 4th of July. He expressed a little bit of softening of that deadline earlier this week saying it was important, but not the end all. So, we'll be closely watching how these proceeds in the days ahead as they work through some of the key provisions in this bill, in this so-called vote-a-rama.

This is still far from over. Once and if the Senate passes this bill, it's still needs to go to the House of Representatives where they need to approve those changes before it can go to the President Trump's desk. So, the president clearly has a lot more lobbying to do and it remains to be seen if he can close this deal.

Betsy Klein, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:05:00]

HUNTE: Well, ahead of the vote, CNN spoke to senators from both parties with very different takes on the bill. Their perspectives show the level of division that exists in the Senate despite the measure's passage in Saturday's procedural ballot. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MIKE ROUNDS (R-SD): Anytime you make an amendment to a bill like this, you've got to know what the score is. And I think what's going on is they're trying to make sure that the scores on their amendments are appropriate and that they'll fit within the confines that the bill calls for. SEN. PETER WELCH (D-VT): The Medicaid cuts nearly a trillion dollars. The nutrition cuts, the stripping of states of the ability to pass their own legislation about social media and A.I., that really causes a lot of harm in red states and blue states. It's equal participation in the pain that this bill is going to inflict. So, just as an example, you saw the community hospital folks in Ohio sending a letter to their two Republican senators saying, this is a real problem for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Well, let's dig deeper with Richard Johnson, a lecturer in U.S. politics at Queen Mary University of London. Richard, thanks for being with me. How you doing?

RICHARD JOHNSON, LECTURER IN U.S. POLITICS, QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: Good morning. Good to be with you.

HUNTE: Oh, I'm glad you're here. The Senate cleared a key procedural vote to advance Trump's big beautiful bill. What were the most significant overnight changes that helped to shift that vote and who was behind all of them?

JOHNSON: Well, one of the changes, although it sounds small in the -- when you have such a narrowly divided Senate is made a big difference was a change to the work requirements for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, for the states of Alaska and Hawaii.

You might think, why are Alaska and Hawaii now exempt from the work requirements for the next two years? Well, because one of the key holdout Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski, happens to be senator from Hawaii, and she was one of those people that we thought might vote against it, which could have required at best a tie-breaking vote from Senator Vance from Republican's perspective, but actually she was able to be brought round on this motion to proceed.

So, there are lots of tweaks that are going on. You can't do things that are too big because this is going through this process of reconciliation. And each time you make a major change, it has to go to the Senate parliamentarian and whether it falls within these fiscal rules, procedural rules of the reconciliation process. So, every little change then might have to -- might have a ripple effect throughout the bill. But this was seen as one that was significant enough to make the move on, and it won over Senator Murkowski's vote for now at least.

HUNTE: All right. And President Trump is pushing for a July 4th deadline to have all of this wrapped up. How realistic do you think that is now and did that messaging influence the Senate's negotiations?

JOHNSON: I think having a deadline does concentrate minds, and also members want to go back to their states and districts for the 4th of July celebrations in the towns and cities. So, that's also a kind of a preexisting deadline that already exists in the minds of members. In terms of how likely that is, the Senate -- I think one of the things that's really important for listeners to understand is the Senate is a much more decentralized body than the House. So, in the House, the House leadership, namely the speaker, has a lot of control over the timetable and the procedure and can push things through quite quickly. And Nancy Pelosi as speaker was sort of the master of this.

In the Senate, individual members of the Senate have a lot more room to slow down procedures. And so, we're seeing this right now where Senator Schumer -- it could have been any senator, it didn't have to be Senator Schumer, can ask for the bill to be read in its entirety, and as this is a thousand-page bill that's taking some time. At the end of this, as your colleagues mentioned earlier, then senators are allowed to propose amendments to the bill. These amendments are likely to fail. But this is what they call a vote-a-rama, and it's one of those privileges that senators have.

I think the record is 44 amendments being voted on in one of these vote-a-ramas. So, of course, each time you have that you can hold open time for voting it, it slows down the process. So, I think 4th of July is not impossible, but it's going to be difficult and it will probably require some moral persuasion, some pressure behind the scenes on some senators to exercise some restraint on this.

HUNTE: Let's talk about that a bit. So, House Republicans have already spoken up about their concerns around the bill. The Senate version has been called insulting, disgusting, and it's been reported that the bill could add more than $4 trillion to debt over the next decade. How are Senate Republicans defending all of that, and what are the biggest hurdles that this bill's going to face in the House?

[04:10:00]

JOHNSON: Look, the big overarching reason why Senate Republicans are supporting this bill is because it's a major tax cut. And for many Republicans, certainly of a certain vintage, one of the reasons they went into politics was to cut taxes. There's obviously an important debate to be had about who shoulders the costs of paying for those taxes. And in this instance, those costs are being paid for by serious cuts and extra requirements that have been put on eligibility for certain social programs like Medicaid, health insurance for low-income Americans, and the SNAP, program food stamps that I mentioned before.

You know, Republicans used to talk about being fiscally prudent about being a party that was about managing the budget of the country, like you'd manage a household budget. Yet actually, one of the important changes that's come through in the Senate bill is that the debt ceiling, which was going to be lifted already by $4 trillion under the original House bill, the senators have now increased that. And so, the debt ceiling's going to be lifted by an additional $5 trillion.

So, they're anticipating that the U.S. debt is going to grow and grow and grow under this Republican Congress and Republican president. And that's a major kind of priority shift I think from the Republican Party of say, even compared to the George -- Early George W. Bush era.

HUNTE: OK. Richard Johnson, learned a lot from that. Appreciate it. Thank you for being with me.

JOHNSON: My pleasure. Thanks very much.

HUNTE: A private funeral was held on Saturday for Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota state, a lawmaker who was murdered along with her husband in an act of shocking political violence. The service was attended by several Democratic leaders, including former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz delivered a eulogy, and Julia Vargas Jones has more for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A funeral with the highest state honors in the country's first Basilica, Minnesota in mourning. Governor Tim Walz presenting the children of Mark and Melissa Hortman with the flags flown above the capital on the day their parents were killed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember your servants, Melissa and Mark.

JONES (voice-over): The political nature of their tragic deaths, the undeniable backdrop for the day's events.

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): All of us are searching for some kind of meaning, some kind of lesson that we can learn to help ease our loss, and maybe it is this moment where each of us can examine the way we work together, the way we talk about each other, the way we fight for things we care about, a moment when each of us can recommit to engaging in politics and life the way Mark and Melissa did.

JONES (voice-over): In attendance for mass, former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. On Friday, mourners paid their respects as the Hortmans laid in state at the Minnesota capital, Melissa, the first woman in state history to receive that distinction. Laid to rest beside them, their golden retriever, Gilbert.

Just a few miles away in federal court, the man accused of killing the Hortmans appear before a judge. His attorney told a court, Boelter has been sleep deprived due to jail conditions and communication has been difficult. The judge granted a delay and his next hearing is now set for July 3th. Boelter faces state and federal charges, including murder, firearm offenses, and stalking. Authorities say the June 14th shooting was a politically motivated assassination and that Boelter could face the death penalty if convicted. He allegedly went to the Hortmans' home, dressed as a police officer, and opened fire when police showed up, then fled, triggering the largest manhunt in the state's history.

Before the Hortmans, authorities say Boelter went to the homes of three other Minnesota state politicians. At one of them, police say, he shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife multiple times. Both are making a recovery, but say they are, quote, "lucky to be alive". According to court documents, authorities later searched Boelter's vehicle and found at least three AK-47 assault rifles, a nine- millimeter handgun, as well as the list of names and addresses of other public officials, most of them Democrats or figures with ties to the abortion rights movement.

There have been questions about what Boelter's wife Jenny knew, and when. Investigators say she was initially not forthcoming with information, but later became cooperative.

On Thursday, Jenny Boelter spoke out for the first time, saying she and her children are absolutely shocked, heartbroken, and completely blindsided. She called the attack a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenants of our Christian faith, adding that from the start, her family has fully cooperated with investigators, and they're grateful to law enforcement for apprehending her husband and preventing further harm.

[04:15:00]

JONES: This attack comes at a time of historic rise in threats against public officials and division in America. But, the overall message from Saturday's service was that there is still hope to mend that division that came both from Governor Walz as well as from the pastor who led the services, especially when he shared what the kids of the Hortmans had asked people to do in the memory of their parents. They said, plant a tree, pet a dog, or try a new hobby. The best way to honor our parents' memories is to do something to improve your community, however small.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Days after the U.S. launched strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, Iran's supreme leader vows his country is not done fighting. His comments and a look at new images showing the strikes may not have caused as much damage as Donald Trump claims, coming up on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

HUNTE: New developments out of Iran where officials say Israel strike on notorious Evin Prison killed 71 people. The news outlet of Iran's judiciary reports that the victim of Monday's attacks included prison staff, inmates, relatives visiting prisoners, and people living nearby and days after the U.S. launched strikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities. CNN has obtained a satellite images that seem to show activity at the site at the core of Iran's nuclear program.

The Fordow facility is buried deep inside a mountain to guard from attacks. U.S. officials, say B-2 bombers were used to drop bunker bus stop bombs there.

Iran's supreme leader is repeating his vow, his nation will never surrender to the United States. The statement came in a posting on X and was the first message from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since the start of state funerals for those killed in Israeli airstrikes early this month, Our Fred Pleitgen was there as the streets of Tehran filled with huge crowds of mourners. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a gigantic procession right through the heart of Tara Rock. There are thousands of people here who are trying to touch the caskets. They're trying to give the folks who are on the caskets items to rub on the caskets.

Now, there are 60 coffins in total that are going through the city, among them, Iran's top military leadership. You have the head of the Islamic Revolutionary hardcore Hussein Salami, the head of Iran's missile program, Ali Hajizade, many others as well, including nuclear scientists, but also civilians. There's also women and children whose caskets are in this procession right now.

People here say that they're honored to pay their final respects to those who were killed, but they're out so vowing to continue to stand up for both the U.S. and Israel.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Death to America, death to Israel, she says. God willing, they'll be destroyed soon.

My message to Trump is, God willing, you will die, he says, because you attacked Iran, and be sure the people will take revenge for the blood of these martyrs soon with the obliteration of Trump, Israel and the United States.

And all this comes as Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has lashed out at both the United States and Israel, saying he believed that Iran's military campaign against the Israelis was victorious and that also the U.S. has gained nothing from bombing Iran's nuclear installation.

At the same time, the Iranians are vowing to be defiant, saying that their nuclear program will continue. Of course, enrichment will continue as well.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Protestors are once again demanding that the Israeli government bring back the remaining hostages from Gaza. In Israel, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is talking up a ceasefire for the devastated enclave where an airstrike early on Saturday killed nearly a dozen members of one family. CNN's Nic Roberton reports from Tel Aviv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice over): On hold during the Iran conflict, energized by the possibilities of that perceived victory.

RUDY CHEN, FATHER OF HOSTAGE ITAY CHEN: Prime Minister Netanyahu, because he can and he must bring all the hostages back, the living and the deceased, because we want all of them. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ROBERTSON: The hostage protestors in full voice at their first regular Saturday rally in three weeks. Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod, hopeful she'll get her 20-year-old son back soon.

VIKI COHEN, MOTHER OF HOSTAGE NIMROD COHEN: We feel that it's a little different. Trump is very demanding and we believe in him. We trust him, and we know he has the power to stop the war. He can pressure our prime minister to do it, to finish the war in Gaza. And in this way, all the hostages can come back home.

ROBERTSON: The deal they want now is a comprehensive agreement, bring all the hostages home, 50 of them, about 20 believed to be alive, and get the army out of Gaza.

In Gaza, peace can't come soon enough either. Tents pitched on this sand hit, rescuers say, by an Israeli airstrike early Saturday. The IDF say they are looking into the incident.

By daybreak, this night's horror revealed, a huge crater and no tents.

[04:25:00]

The recovery not done. Alone with a shovel, Abu Muhammad searching for two children, eight of their deceased brothers and sisters already found.

Among the dead were children age 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10 and 11 years old. Muhammad says. There were two boys, five girls, their mother and their grandmother.

In Tel Aviv, the days of war counted by the second. Eyes of both sides of President Trump to stop the clock.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think it's close. I just spoke with some of the people involved. And it's a terrible situation that's going in Gaza he's asking about, and we think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire.

ROBERTSON: President Trump is turning up the mood music for a possible deal in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu's top confidant is expected in Washington soon. It hints at momentum. But Israelis have been here before. Hopes dashed by differences.

Nic Roberson, CNN. Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: OK. Well, there's so much more to come on. CNN, including the latest on President Donald Trump's multi-trillion-dollar spending bill now up for consideration in the Senate.

Plus, Pope Leo will preside over a special mass soon. We'll have a live report for you. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HUNTE: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Ben Hunte. And this is CNN Newsroom.

[04:30:00]

A few hours ago, the U.S. Senate voted to advance President Donald Trump's big beautiful bill late on Saturday at a multi-trillion-dollar measure, passed a key procedural hurdle by just two votes, 51 to 49. Mr. Trump declared it a, quote, "great victory" in a social media post, but this was not the final vote. And now, Republicans must satisfy multiple holdouts who are demanding changes. The Senate majority leader sounded quite an optimistic no.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD), U.S. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Mr. President we have before us today a once in a generation opportunity to deliver legislation to create a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America. With one bill we can deliver on a number of priorities, tax relief for hardworking Americans, economic growth, a stronger national defense, a more secure border, a more reliable energy supply.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: But Democrats warned for the measures, unpopularity with the American public could come back to haunt the GOP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), U.S. SENATE MINORITY LEADER: If Republicans succeed, proceed, and follow Donald Trump over the cliff with this bill tied to their ankles like an anvil, they will not only doom their own communities, they will doom their political fortunes, their own political fortunes, and have no one to blame but themselves. I yield the floor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: CNN Senior Reporter Annie Grayer has more on how events unfolded in the Senate on Saturday and some of the issues the measure faces going forward.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: It was a long and tumultuous day in the United States Senate. It almost looked like the bill was not going to clear this procedural hurdle, and Republicans were negotiating behind the scenes for hours. They even had Vice President J. D. Vance come to Capitol Hill in case his vote was needed as a tie- breaking vote.

But then after hours of negotiating, Republicans rushed back to the floor and a group of senators delivered the votes needed to pass this key procedural hurdle. So, those Republican votes are Republican Senator Ron Johnson, Cynthia Loomis, Rick Scott and Mike Lee. And now, there is hours of debate that have to unfold before voting on final passage of the bill.

And remember, this is just the first step. If Republicans can pass this in the Senate, it still has to go back to the house, which passed a different version of this bill. So, the two chambers are going to have to rectify their differences there. And Republicans are running against a tight timeline.

President Trump wants this on his desk by July 4th.

Annie Grayer, CNN from Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Opinion polls show that Canadians are furious with Donald Trump for targeting their country in a trade war. But in the western province of Alberta, the U.S. president's actions seem to have fueled a fledgling separatist movement. People who want to, as some say, make Alberta great again. CNN's Max Saltman has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MAX SALTMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Canadian patriotism is at an all-time high in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to turn their country into the 51st state. But for these people in the oil rich province of Alberta, the problem isn't the U.S., it's Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the only political event I've ever been to in my entire life. Because I believe in it so passionately.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Abusive. It's an abusive girlfriend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a toxic relationship. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not that we want to leave Canada behind, but at the end of the day, how come it's OK to leave Alberta behind?

JEFF RATH, CO-FOUNDER, ALBERTA PROSPERITY PROJECT: Canada is literally planning the destruction of our culture, the destruction of our economy.

SALTMAN (voice-over): This is Jeff Rath, a Calgary based lawyer and one of the most vocal proponents of succession in Alberta.

RATH: Hop in, we'll go to the top of the hill. The Canada we all grew up in doesn't exist anymore as far as most of us are concerned. We have far more in common with people in Montana than we do in Ottawa and Montreal.

SALTMAN (voice-over): Rath co-founded the Alberta Prosperity Project. The organization's goal is to turn the province into a sovereign country with close ties to the United States.

RATH: Completely open border, zero tariffs on both sides of the border are almost completely integrated into the larger U.S. economy.

SALTMAN (voice-over): The Angus Reed Institute, a Canadian public opinion research organization found that just over a third of Albertans might support secession. But this minority view gained a real political potential after the Alberta legislature lowered the number of required signatures or province-wide referendum last month.

DANIELLE SMITH, PREMIER OF ALBERTA, CANADA: I think we can't ignore the fact that a third or more of Albertans are fed up. I think that's a notice to Ottawa that they've got to take this seriously. The question is, what can we do to address it?

SALTMAN (voice-over): Danielle Smith, the province's premier and the member of the Conservative party says she's against secession, but understands the reasons behind it.

SMITH: I think my job is to try to get people feeling good about Alberta's place in Canada again.

[04:35:00]

TAMARA LEE, CALGARY RESIDENT: It's really dangerous to be flirting with this idea. Right now, Canada needs to be unified.

SALTMAN (voice-over): Lifelong Calgary resident Tamara Lee says most Albertans have no interest in even entertaining the idea of independence.

LEE: We are having a little tiff with our American neighbors, whom up until recently we were best friends and it's being used as a political football by, unfortunately, our provincial politicians. Maple Maga is what we call them.

RATH: Donald Trump's election has given us a lot of hope. If anybody was going to have the guts to recognize an independent Alberta, it would be the Trump administration.

SALTMAN (voice-over): Rath hopes to collect enough signatures for a vote on secession by spring 2026. And if it's unsuccessful this time --

RATH: We just roll up our sleeves and work harder. None of us are going home. We'd have another referendum as soon as we could.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: In a few hours, Pope Leo will celebrate mass at the Vatican, marking the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. They were martyred under, are considered founders of the Sea of Rome. During the special mass, he will place the Pallium, a will investment of that's a symbol of authority on several archbishops. Included in the ceremony is a U.S. cardinal who's critical of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and on migrants themselves.

Let's dig deeper. CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb joins me now from Rome. Christopher, thank you so much for being with me. So, Pope Leo is giving the pal to dozens of archbishops today. What does that tell us about his leadership style and how he sees the role of the Vatican?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ben, it's quite interesting that Leo is giving the palliums himself to the archbishops, because Pope Francis had actually stopped that tradition. And this is something that Leo has revived. And I think it shows that in the early weeks of his papacy, of course, he was elected on the 8th of May, so it's still very early days. He's sharing he wants to be his own man. He is pursuing his own style of leadership in the Vatican and in his leadership of the Catholic church.

At the same time, he's very much in keeping with the Franci's reforms, the processes of renewal in the church that Pope Francis tried to begin. But he's taking his time. He's spending a lot of time listening to people in the Vatican before making any big decisions. But we are seeing him revive some things, some traditions, including he's taking a holiday. He's going to take a vacation outside of the Vatican in Castel Gandolfo.

But today is significant because he is giving these important symbols of office to eight archbishops from the United States who are part of archbishops from around the world, receiving the pallium. This vestment, the palliums symbolizes authority and unity with papacy. And amongst those receiving the pallium are Cardinal Robert McElroy the archbishop of Washington, D.C., and other archbishops, including the Archbishop of Detroit, Cincinnati, Boston.

It comes at a time when leaders of the church, United States, are increasingly in conflict with the Trump administration over migration policy. Cardinal McElroy has been a prominent Trump critic. And the archbishops receiving the pallium are all sort of basically Pope Francis archbishops appointed by Francis. So, there's also a sense of continuity as well with Leo in these early days with Francis. So, his own style, but in keeping with Francis. Ben.

HUNTE: OK. CNN Correspondent Christopher Lamb, thank you for joining me. Appreciate it.

The world's undisputed heavyweight boxing champion is getting ready for a big match to defend his title. Ahead, he tells CNN why he always has Ukraine on his mind.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

HUNTE: In Serbia, anti-government protestors clashed with riot police in the country's capital of Belgrade. Police fired tear gas at thousands of demonstrators rallying against Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic. Serbs have been protesting for months, demanding new elections. The nationwide demonstrations began after a rail station canopy collapsed in November, killing 16 people. Protesters say it was a result of government corruption.

A Ukrainian F-16 pilot died while fighting off one of Russia's largest drone attacks. Ukraine says the pilot's fighter jet was damaged in the attack. They also say he tried to steer the plane away from populated areas and did not have time to eject. Russia launched nearly 500 drones and about 60 missiles overnight. Ukraine says it down to more than 200 of the drones and 38 missiles. This is the fourth F-16 Ukraine has lost since the war began.

Boxing's undisputed heavyweight champion is getting ready to defend his title, but Oleksandr Usyk has more than a fight and a ring on his mind. He tells our Amanda Davies, why he's always thinking about Ukraine and its fight against Russian invaders.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT (voice-over): He is arguably the best boxer in a generation, preparing for one of the biggest fights of his life.

OLEKSANDR USYK, UKRAINIAN BOXER, WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Look, mom, I can fly.

DAVIES (voice-over): But family and country inescapable for Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk.

DAVIES: Tell me this, what is this?

USYK: It's signed the only Ukrainian hero.

DAVIES (voice-over): The military flag filled with inspirational messages with one he's keen to point out.

USYK: It's signed mama, for Ukrainian soldiers.

DAVIES (voice-over): That's from Oleksandr Matsievskyi's mother, a Ukrainian soldier whose defiance moments before he was executed by Russian soldiers became legend.

USYK: This man stayed like this. Russian, what do you want to say? This guy take cigarettes. Slava Ukraine. This guy -- killed.

DAVIES (voice-over): We're 2,700 kilometers from Kyiv at this training camp in Southern Spain that Usyk has made his home away from home, but with Ukrainian symbols everywhere, the war is very much front of mind. And though he says he tries not to read the news, he's well aware of Ukraine's daring drone strike on Russian air bases.

[04:45:00]

USYK (through translator): I would like to express my deep gratitude to Vasyl Vasilyevich (ph). Boss, great job. DAVIES (voice-over): A shout out for the head of Ukraine's Security Services. One of the many military figures Usyk crossed paths with while serving his country. He joined the Territorial Defense Forces when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 and has visited the frontlines several times since.

His success in the Ring has seen him become a source of inspiration, but also of some respite for those at the front.

DAVIES: What are your friends on the frontline saying to you? What are they telling you in terms of the mood, how they are doing?

USYK (through translator): They're more interested in what I'm doing. When I ask them questions, they say, wait, wait, wait. Tell us about yourself. What's going on with you? We try not to talk about the scary things they do to defend our country. What is happening there, what kind of shelling is happening, how they're being attacked, how they're heroically defending our country.

DAVIES (voice-over): Out of sight, out of mind, well, not quite for most Ukrainians and neither for Usyk. His sons may be here within arm's reach safe, but some of his family remain at home.

USYK (through translator): The girls, my two daughters and my wife, they are in Kyiv and it's a little difficult to balance things.

DAVIES (voice-over): Three and a half years after Russian troops marched on Kyiv, Usyk is still unbeaten in his professional career.

USYK (through translator): It's difficult, but I can switch off to do my job so that I can help my country more later on.

DAVIES (voice-over): The next challenge. July's heavyweight fight against Britain's Daniel Dubois at Wembley. A moment to send a message around the world.

USYK: Easy day. Today, it's easy day.

DAVIES (voice-over): Amanda Davies, CNN, Gandia, Spain.

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HUNTE: It's one of the deadliest mountains in the world, but new technology is offering a safer way to take supplies and equipment to and from Mount Everest Camps. All the details ahead on CNN Newsroom.

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HUNTE: Welcome back. More protests in Venice on this third and final day of wedding mania for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. Some demonstrators who also work for Amazon say they can barely make rent on the wages they're paid. Many carried Amazon boxes with slogans like No Space for Bezos, and other messages that we don't repeat on air. The festivities reportedly brought in more than a billion dollars to the city, but protestors say it wasn't worth it.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Taking a city, emptying it of its inhabitants, basically privatizing it for a wedding, for a festive event, which brings nothing positive to the city, but rather robs its resources and identity is unacceptable to us. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: All the protests seem to have little impact on the newlyweds as they packed on the PDA while heading to the final wedding gala. Our Melissa Bell has been following everything from the parties to the protests all weekend in Venner.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Day three, the end of the Lauren Sanchez, Bezos now, and Jeff Bezos wedding that has so dominated attention here in Venice for the last few days, as each day of the last three, this outside the Amman hotel is the scene police boats, boats filled with paparazzi, as they wait to see not just the couple emerge day after day, but also many of their celebrity guests. This last evening, they're waiting for them to get into their vaporettos and head off to the last party. This could be held at the Arsenale. It had to be moved because of protests.

Still, undeterred protesters took to the streets again this final third day of the wedding this Saturday to make their anger known. There were workers from Amazon. There were anti-capitalists. There were climate change protesters. There were those opposed to Venice being used as a backdrop, as a postcard for this wedding, and opposed to the extravagance of it. We've seen them carry out a number of actions over the course of the last few days against the holding of this wedding and everything that went with it.

Still, it's gone on really without a hiccup, largely apart from the moving of that final venue, with all of the guests really abiding by what seems to have been their non-disclosure agreements. You'll have seen very little of what went on within the party, simply at the paparazzi shots of many celebrities that were invited, making their way around the streets of Venice over the course of the weekend.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Venice.

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HUNTE: A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is currently called Tropical Depression 2. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says if the storm stays on track, it could make landfall along the Mexican coast on Sunday night. Current forecasts say it's most likely to come onshore as a tropical storm. Flooding is a concern as the storm could bring up to 10 inches of rain to several southern states in Mexico.

For more than 70 years, Nepalese Sherpas have been setting the trail for climbers on Mount Everest. They've carried food equipment, and even sometimes the climbers themselves up the treacherous mountain trails. Dozens of Sherpas have lost their lives in the process. But now, a local startup is hoping to use drones to improve safety on the roof of the world. Allison Chinchar has more for us.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): For decades, climbers seeking to conquer Mount Everest and the Sherpas who guide them have faced grueling terrain, furious winds, and sub-freezing temperatures. Now, the feat, once thought to be impossible, is getting an upgrade. Descending from the sky above, a drone delivering oxygen, medicine and even ladders. Nepal-based Airlift Technology has launched a new way to get supplies up Mount Everest's campsites.

MILAN PANDEY, CO-FOUNDER, AIRLIFT TECHNOLOGY: The interesting thing is, so, from base camp to camp one, it takes seven to nine hours for climbers to reach, and our drone can reach over there within three minutes.

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CHINCHAR (voice-over): It's a game-changer for Sherpa guides who have long risked their lives crossing the deadly Khumbu Icefall to carry heavy loads.

TENZING DAVID SHERPA, MOUNTAINEER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TERRACES RESORTS (through translator): Every Sherpa on the mountain is super happy that the drones are now delivering equipment that they themselves don't have to carry 20, 30 kgs on their backs through this super dangerous part of the mountain.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): But, better yet, the drone doesn't fly back emptyhanded. With it goes garbage from past climbers.

NIMA RINJI SHERPA, NEPALESE MOUNTAINEER (through translator): We cannot blame anyone of throwing the garbage. But, yes, as the years has passed, the trash has accumulated on the mountain, and I think right now is the perfect time that we all come together and do something about it.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): Airlift Technology estimates it has removed over a ton of trash from March to May, following its successful drone trials.

SHERPA: At each camp, Camp one, Camp two, there is always trash either left behind or what I saw at Camp four, for example, is also it is inadvertent. It is not somebody who intentionally litters or leaves trash behind, but it is something like the tents being blown and ripped to shreds by the strong, strong winds that are up there.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): Equipment deliveries and trash pickup killing two birds with one drone.

Allison Chinchar, CNN.

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HUNTE: OK. That's all I've got for you for this hour of CNN Newsroom. But let's do it all again. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta, and I'll be back with more news after this quick break. See you in a moment.

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