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New Details on the Charlie Kirk Assassination Emerges; U.S. Secretary of State Visits Israel; "Adolescence" Wins Big at the Emmys. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 15, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead.

New details are emerging about the suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, we'll have the latest on the investigation.

The U.S. Secretary of State is in Israel during a precarious moment for the region, details on Marco Rubio's trip.

And President Trump expands on his ultimatum to NATO, we'll look at how it could impact the military alliance.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us.

Five days now since the shocking murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and investigators still have not said what they think the gunman's motive was. Utah's governor confirms they are looking into a note left by suspect Tyler Robinson. This comes after the Vice President of social and gaming platform Discord said there had been communications between the suspect's roommate and a friend after the shooting about the contents of a note.

Meanwhile, video obtained by the Associated Press from a home security camera shows a person matching the suspect's description walking through a neighborhood before Wednesday's shooting. CNN has geolocated the footage to a neighborhood about a half mile away from the university where Kirk was speaking when he was gunned down. The alleged killer has been placed under a special watch at the Utah County Jail pending a mental health evaluation.

CNN's Danny Freeman is in Utah with more details on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are still a lot of outstanding questions we have about 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the main suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk, but over the weekend we did learn a lot more information.

I'm going to highlight two of the things that we actually learned from Utah's governor on Sunday, one concerning a potential note left behind by Robinson and the other regarding Robinson's roommate that he had here in St. George. So first, that roommate.

Per Governor Cox of Utah, Robinson was roommates with a, quote, "romantic partner" who was a male transitioning to a female. However, Governor Cox emphasized that this person, this roommate, has been incredibly cooperative with authorities and seemed genuinely shocked to learn about what Robinson has been accused of. I'll also note when CNN pressed Governor Cox if this was at all part of a potential motive regarding Kirk's killing last week, the governor said it's easy to draw conclusions, but he declined to speculate further.

Now, Governor Cox also told CNN that Robinson was a part of a conservative family here in southwest Utah, but Robinson had been moving left over the course of the past few years. That's according to family. I want you to take a listen to how the Governor characterized this shift in recent days.

DANA BASH, "STATE OF THE UNION" ANCHOR: Some outlets are reporting that the suspect lived with a transgender partner. Is that accurate? And are investigators looking at this part of his life as a possible motivation?

GOV. SPENCER COX (R-UT): Yes, definitely, and yes, I can confirm that. I know that has been reported and that the FBI has confirmed that as well, that the roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to a female. I can say that that he has been very cooperative. This partner has been incredibly cooperative, had no idea that this was happening and is working with investigators right now.

FREEMAN: Now, I want to turn to that potential note left behind by Robinson, allegedly, according to the social and gaming platform Discord, a roommate and a friend of Robinson's had mentioned, quote, "contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere."

Now, the governor appeared to acknowledge that note's existence, but declined to go into any more detail, saying that this is all still a part of the ongoing investigation. I'll note the next thing that we're all looking ahead towards is Tuesday, that's when Robinson is expected to make his first court appearance and we're expected to hear from prosecutors the formal charges announced.

Danny Freeman, CNN, St. George, Utah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:05:09] CHURCH: Members of Congress and Trump administration officials were among those who attended a memorial service and prayer vigil for Kirk at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Speakers on Sunday included White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

A massive memorial is planned for next Sunday at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance says he'll pay tribute to Kirk, who he called his friend when he hosts "The Charlie Kirk Show" podcast later today.

The U.S. Secretary of State is visiting Israel and meeting with the country's Prime Minister this hour. Israeli sources tell CNN that Benjamin Netanyahu plans to raise his government's potential West Bank annexation plans during those talks.

Israel is weighing whether to apply sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank. And the sources say he wants to understand where the Trump administration draws the line on annexation.

On Sunday, Marco Rubio visited the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem. His visit comes just days after Israeli strikes on Hamas in Doha.

Qatar is hosting an emergency Arab-Islamic summit today to discuss a response to the attack. A draft resolution calls for Arab and Islamic countries to develop necessary mechanisms for collective security. Qatar's Prime Minister says they will continue mediating an end to the war in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI, QATARI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This aggression will not lead to anything but aborting de-escalating efforts and confirm the Israeli government's intentions to reject peaceful paths to resolving the Palestinian issue. Israel's barbaric and demagogic practices will not deter us from continuing our sincere efforts with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States to stop this unjust war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Kevin Liptak has more on Marco Rubio's visit to Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, faces a delicate balancing act as he visits Israel this week, coming just days after Israel targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar, just as President Trump was working to secure an agreement on a new proposal to end the war in Gaza and release all of the hostages there.

President Trump said that he was very unhappy with Israel's strike and while the White House released a carefully calibrated statement, it betrayed a sense of frustration inside this building at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to launch this strike on a staunch U.S. ally. Now, Marco Rubio, as he was departing, said that his plans were to

discuss that strike with the Israelis. And as he arrived, it was clear that the U.S.-Israel relationship was still very strong. His first stop was at the Western Wall alongside Netanyahu.

Netanyahu says that Rubio's visit to Israel was a testament to the durability, the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. But what these two men talk about behind the scenes could potentially be much more fraught.

As President Trump grows more and more frustrated that the war in Gaza is seemingly being prolonged. And as Israel ramps up preparations for what it says will be an occupation of Gaza City, it doesn't seem precisely clear that Netanyahu and Trump are on exactly the same page. And certainly Rubio's objective in this visit will be to try and learn more what Netanyahu's plans are for bringing this conflict to an end and also not alienating other U.S. allies in the region.

You know, Monday will be the five-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords. Those are the agreements that presidents struck during his first term to have a number of Arab countries normalize their ties with Israel. This is one of his proudest accomplishments of his first term in office. But already you hear rumblings that potentially some of Israel's actions could potentially put those accords at risk.

So that will be Rubio's objective in Israel. From there, he will travel to the United Kingdom to meet up with President Trump as Trump embarks on a state visit that's set to begin Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

This will be President Trump's second state visit to the United Kingdom. The Brits are calling that unprecedented. He'll be treated to a carriage ride at Windsor Castle, he'll meet King Charles III, all culminating in a large state banquet on Wednesday evening.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.

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CHURCH: Secretary Rubio's visit to Israel comes amid the imminent ground operation into Gaza City, which could begin as soon as today, according to an Israeli official. The IDF intensified its air offensive across Gaza on Sunday, killing at least 61 Palestinians, according to local officials.

The strikes came ahead of a meeting called by Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the risk a ground operation would pose to the remaining hostages. There are thought to be about 20 hostages still alive in Gaza.

Another building at the Islamic University in Gaza was destroyed by several missiles on Sunday. Israel's Defense Minister posted a number of videos of the strikes on social media and said, in part, the hurricane storm continues to strike Gaza.

Donald Trump says he is, quote, "ready to do major sanctions on Russia if NATO does the same thing," and only if all NATO member countries stop purchasing Russian oil. The Trump administration has been putting inconsistent pressure on Russia in recent months, giving two-week deadlines but allowing those to pass without taking action.

Now, President Trump says it's up to NATO and Europe to make a move.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: NATO has to get together, Europe has to get together. Look, Europe is that my friends, but they're buying oil from Russia. So we can't be expected to be the only ones that are, you know, full bore.

But Europe is buying oil from Russia, I don't want them to buy oil. And the sanctions that are putting that they're putting on are not tough enough. And I'm willing to do sanctions, but they're going to have to toughen up their sanctions commensurate with what I'm doing.

REPORTER: Just to clarify, you want to move ahead of NATO (inaudible)?

TRUMP: Well, I'm ready to move ahead, but they have to do it. I think they will.

But right now they're talking and they're not doing look, they're buying oil from Russia. We're not buying oil from Russia, they're buying a lot of oil from Russia. That's not the deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Europe is largely shifting away from Russian oil, but NATO members Hungary, Slovakia and Turkey still purchase it. And Turkey is the world's third largest buyer after China and India.

Well, meanwhile, Ukraine says it is targeting the heart of Russia's oil production, launching a drone strike against one of the country's largest refineries early Sunday. The strike caused a large-scale fire at the refinery. The Kurishi plant is in Russia's northwest Leningrad region, that's more than 800 kilometers or 500 miles from Ukraine's border.

CNN military analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton joins us now. I appreciate you being with us.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I was great to be with you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So President Donald Trump said Sunday that Europe sanctions on Russia are not tough enough, and he added that the U.S. is ready to apply additional and stronger sanctions on Russia. But only if and when NATO nations did the same and stopped buying Russian oil and gas. What impact might an ultimatum like this have on the alliance, do you think? LEIGHTON: Well, it could have some significant impact. Now, one thing

to keep in mind, Rosemary, is that the countries that are importing or continuing to import large amounts of Russian oil include countries like Hungary and Slovakia. Those countries have resisted calls to cut their ties to Russia in terms of oil and gas supplies.

Other countries have significantly reduced their consumption of Russian oil and gas. And there is definitely a chance that those countries can move their consumption from Russian gas to, for example, American or Middle Eastern oil and gas.

So there are ways to work around this. It is, I think, not a complete deal breaker for the alliance, but it's clearly something they'll have to work through at this point.

CHURCH: And Colonel, President Trump also expressed frustration Sunday with the slow pace of negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine. And he now recognizes that he's the one who needs to step up and do all the talking, given President Zelenskyy and Putin are not able to do so. What's your response to this? And why has it taken Trump this long to come to the conclusion that he's the one that needs to do this?

LEIGHTON: Yes, that's actually kind of a mystery to a lot of us who've been watching this, because we see the role of the United States as being critical to any type of potential solution, whether it's a ceasefire or a permanent peace, to the Russia-Ukraine war.

[03:15:02]

The fact that the President seems to be realizing this right now is a good step in the right direction. But clearly it shows that this is not the easy war that he thought it would be, not something that could be solved, as he famously said in 24 hours.

This is going to take months, if not a year or so, of negotiations to actually put an end to. And it's going to require a lot of diligent effort from the U.S., as well as the European partners, to work with both Ukraine and Russia to get hostilities to an end.

CHURCH: And Colonel, what do you think Putin's trying to achieve with these repeated violations of NATO airspace by Russian drones? First Poland, then Romania. And how should NATO respond?

LEIGHTON: Well, Putin is testing NATO air defenses and he's trying to figure out exactly what the vulnerabilities are and how much he can get away with. So it's a test both from a technical perspective as well as a diplomatic perspective. If he can in any way find weaknesses in the alliance, whether it's in the air defenses themselves or in the diplomatic stance that the Western powers are taking, then he will exploit those weaknesses.

So Putin is trying to figure out if there's a way forward by exploiting weaknesses. But if he can't find that, then he will find other ways to try to use asymmetric means, whether it's kinetic means or cyber means or other forms of asymmetric warfare to destabilize as much of Europe as he possibly can. And of course, he will try to destabilize Ukraine, which is of course his primary goal.

CHURCH: And Colonel, how would you assess the state of the war in Ukraine right now in the wake of escalating Russian attacks across the country?

LEIGHTON: Yes, certainly those Russian attacks are making a bit of a difference in terms of the volume and the number of missiles and drones that are being lobbed in Ukraine's direction. So there is clearly a limit to the effectiveness of Ukraine's air defenses.

But on the other side, we do see the Ukrainians holding fast in some areas in the east, they have also apparently been able to eliminate a lot of the Russian incurred into the Sumy region. And then the other key thing that the Ukrainians are able to do is attack over great distances using their drones and their homegrown home-built missiles. They've been able to attack places as far north as Primorsk, which is near St. Petersburg.

And they've been able to impact the Russian energy sector. So what we're seeing is a bit of a drawn out stalemate. And this could have a significant impact on both countries but it could show that there is a weakness to the Russian economy and the Russian efforts to, in essence, finance this war.

Although Putin has made progress getting China and North Korea and India even on his side, there are significant weaknesses to the Russian economy. And any type of Ukrainian efforts to limit the supplies that he's getting will make it more difficult for Russia to prosecute the war.

CHURCH: Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much for joining us, I appreciate it.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Rosemary. Thanks so much for having me.

CHURCH: The new school year is off to a fearful start in one of America's largest school districts. Families across Los Angeles are afraid to take their children to school amid President Trump's immigration crackdown. That story just ahead.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

With immigration raids happening across the U.S., some parents are afraid to take their children to school. The uneasiness intensified last month after a special needs teen was pulled from a car and handcuffed by federal agents in California. Now, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District is leading efforts to keep ICE away from his campuses.

CNN correspondent Julia Vargas Jones sat down with the superintendent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Los Angeles, a recent target of aggressive immigration enforcement actions.

After protests and a weeks-long legal battle, the Supreme Court allowed so-called roving patrols to continue in the city, just as L.A. kids went back to school.

Los Angeles Unified Superintendent has drawn a line in the sand. Schools, he says, should be off limits to ICE. And he's asking for an expansion of protections.

ALBERTO M. CARVALHO, SUPERINTENDENT, LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Can we not establish zones of exclusion two blocks away from any school across the country where one hour before the start of the school day, one hour after the school day is over, that no action would take place within those two blocks.

VARGAS JONES: You asked, how would a first, second, third, fourth or sixth grader pose any type of risk to the national security of our nation that would require homeland security to deploy its agents to two elementary schools? Have you gotten an answer?

CARVALHO: Not yet. But I will ask the question again.

Our children are not a threat, our children are a promise. They've always been, immigrant or not.

VARGAS JONES: You've said recently that you would be a hypocrite if you did not defend students that are now going through what you went through as an undocumented teenager.

[03:25:07]

You said that you would put your job on the line if necessary for that. I'm curious as to where that line is right now.

CARVALHO: I feel I have both a professional but also a moral responsibility to stand in defense of those who today are experiencing the same journey I lived through over four decades ago. Agents have come into our community, they've tried to have access to our kids in elementary schools. And we've done what I believe is right.

VARGAS JONES: Are you concerned that at some point that will mean that you have crossed a line with federal agents, that you would be obstructing federal operations like we've seen other officials in Los Angeles be accused of?

CARVALHO: So we are informed by our own legal entities in terms of everything we do. We do not think that we are crossing the line. We are enforcing the law.

Do I have institutional concerns? I do. I'm concerned that somehow our protective policies and practices may invite a challenge that may compromise or threaten the federal funding we get from Washington, D.C.

Funding like Title One that supports kids in poverty or IDA, which supports students with disabilities.

VARGAS JONES (voice-over): As the Trump administration ramps up raids in other cities, Carvalho has a message for his counterparts.

CARVALHO: Know the law, know your legal rights, ensure that your institution is prepared to protect your kids and your workforce, but don't fail to maintain a dialogue because I do believe that it is at the table of conversation, a respectful way that you actually craft policies of protection for our kids.

VARGAS JONES: In a statement earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security did not address Los Angeles schools specifically, but it did say ICE is not raiding campuses or arresting children. Instead, it said the directive that allows ICE to go into schools would only be used in extremely rare cases and with supervisor approval.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Just ahead, growing fears of political violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing, what one CNN analyst says politicians need to do now to prevent another tragedy.

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[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

Israel's ground operation into Gaza City could begin as soon as today, that is what an Israeli official tells CNN. The IDF escalated its air offensive on Sunday, striking several more high-rise buildings in Gaza's largest city, The attacks preceded a meeting called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the risk a ground invasion would have on the remaining hostages in the enclave.

Qatar is hosting an emergency Arab-Islamic summit today to discuss a response to Israeli strikes on Hamas in Doha. A draft resolution drawn up ahead of the summit calls for Arab and Islamic countries to develop the necessary mechanisms for collective security. Qatar says the Israeli strikes will not deter it from mediating an end to the war in Gaza.

New details now in the investigation into Charlie Kirk's killing. Utah's governor says investigators are looking into a note left by the suspect in the shooting, Tyler Robinson. The motive is still unclear, Robinson is set for his first court appearance tomorrow. Well there's a push by leaders on both sides of the aisle to tone down

the rhetoric as Charlie Kirk's killing raises fears of further political violence. But that message stands in contrast to Donald Trump, who continues to accuse his political opponents of provoking violence, pinning the blame on the left.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Well, the problem is on the left. If you look at the problem, the problem is on the left. It's not on the right, like some people like to say the right.

The problem we have is on the left, and when you look at the agitators, you look at the scum that speaks so badly of our country, the American flag burning all over the place. That's the left, that's not the right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Political violence has targeted both Democrats and Republicans in recent years. But the U.S. President has mostly ignored attacks on Democrats as he denounces violence committed by left-leaning offenders.

And earlier I spoke with CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein about President Trump's comments and what can be done to bring down the nation's political temperature.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST, AND OPINION WRITER, BLOOMBERG: We went through a terrible period in the late '60s and early '70s, not only assassinations but bombings. And ultimately we did get out of it.

[03:35:05]

And what it takes is a full-throated denunciation of this from wherever it comes from all sides of the political spectrum. And as you point out, in the clip you played, you're getting the opposite from President Trump, who essentially is saying that violence or radicalism on the right doesn't seem to be a problem because these people are patriots, they care about crime, they care about the undocumented coming into the country.

It's a problem only when perpetrated by the left. And of course, his pardoning of the January 6th rioters sends that message. You really need the political, and not only the political, the civic leadership of the country to lock arms and to say that whatever our disagreements, and they are real and they are deepening, violence is not the way to solve them in a democracy.

CHURCH: And Ron, how potentially dangerous is this point? In American history, if leaders choose to fan the flames of hate rather than find ways to stop the rise in political violence, and will gun reforms ever be part of this debate, given where we are at this time? BROWNSTEIN: You know, gun control is fundamentally impossible in the

U.S. as long as the filibuster survives in the Senate. I mean, there are too many states where, smaller states, where gun ownership is kind of interwoven into the culture of the place, mostly because of a hunting or kind of rural tradition, where it becomes impossible.

So that meaningful action there just isn't going to happen as long as our filibuster stays in place. I think there are two separate dangers here. I mean, you know, one is obviously what we're talking about, more political violence, assassinations, just kind of this regular threat.

But there's something else that's happening here, which is that, you know, Trump's reaction to this is very much in tune with his overall vision of the presidency. He views himself, I think, fundamentally as the President of a faction, not of a nation. He wants to use national power to weaken the ability of blue America to resist him and the MAGA agenda.

And he's doing it in lots of different ways, whether it's threatening to cut off funds, sending the National Guard into blue cities, arresting mayors and judges and other officials, and now with this threat from him and Stephen Miller and others, to use this terrible tragedy as a pretext for trying to use law enforcement against a broad range of institutions in the other party.

That is a kind of road that you've seen in other countries where democracy has ceased to function in all but name. And it is something that really, I think, is tearing at the fundamental cohesion of America in ways we haven't seen since the Civil War. And I don't know exactly how that plays out.

I do know that if we continue to go down that road as well, I think we could be looking at possibilities that right now you can't even imagine or articulate, but that do threaten the ability of the U.S. to continue to function as a single, unified nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And Charlie Kirk was a passionate defender of free speech, but a growing online campaign has emerged targeting some people who comment on him or his public positions. Conservative activists and some Republican elected officials have publicly singled out posts and messages for extensive criticism.

One website is collecting tens of thousands of social media posts, the site's anonymous owners state their explicit aim is to get people fired for those posts. Delta, American and United Airlines have already announced the suspension of workers who they say were celebrating Kirk's violent death online.

Well New York Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed New York mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani on Sunday. Hochul did not endorse Mamdani after he beat former Governor Andrew Cuomo and current Mayor Eric Adams in the city's mayoral Democratic primary. Her endorsement could help Mamdani bridge the gap with establishment Democrats. They've been reluctant to endorse him. Cuomo and Adams are both running as independents. President Trump has called Mamdani a, quote, communist and has tried to get Adams to drop out of the race.

Well, still to come, how Catholic leaders are using social media to reach the next generation of believers in Europe. We'll take a look.

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[03:40:00]

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CHURCH: A fizzy fiasco in Mexico City where a soda delivery truck was swallowed by a sinkhole on Saturday. Luckily, no one was injured. People watched as the weight of the truck pulled it backwards and deeper into the sinkhole.

By then, crews had already cleared and cordoned off the area. A local mayor says the city's aging drainage system had collapsed underground, causing the incident.

Pope Leo has given his first sit-down media interview as Catholic leader. Excerpts were released on Sunday coinciding with his 70th birthday and the delivery of the traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square.

He told the Catholic news site Crux that he's on a huge learning curve in his new role. The pontiff noted how the salaries of chief executives dwarf those of their employees and how that had changed over time, increasing the wealth gap.

[03:45:09]

He said inequality was one of the factors behind polarization in society. He also expressed hope for an end to the war in Ukraine and lamented that the United Nations had, quote, "lost its ability to bring people together on multilateral issues."

Many mainstream religions in Western countries have been charting a sharp decline in youth engagement. But in Europe, Catholicism is witnessing a surprising rebound. This, despite the Catholic Church's troubled past and global sex abuse scandals.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more on what's inspiring this youth revival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sharing the oldest of messages in the newest of forms. On Instagram and TikTok, Sister Albertine leads prayers and offers advice to her more than half million followers. Part of a growing tribe of Catholic influencers who are speaking to a generation dusting off the solemnity of the past. SISTER ALBERTINE DEBACKER, FRENCH CATHOLIC NUN AND SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER: This is how God is doing. I think he's surprising us. How are we going to help these young people?

BELL (voice-over): Partly through song and dance. At this Christian festival in the foothills of the French Alps, a young generation has flocked. Many followers of Sister Albertine have come to hear her speak.

JEANNE FABRE, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE (through translator): She really makes questions of faith accessible. And in fact, she's really authentic.

BELL (voice-over): The 29-year-old nun says she's inundated with questions. Her role, simply to take to the space where the young spend most of their time.

DEBACKER: Jesus was going outside, Jesus was walking all the time, he was searching for encounter people. And now in 2025, to encounter people, we have to start with social media.

BELL: Over the last few years here in France, there's been a doubling in the number of adult baptisms. With nearly half of those coming from families with no religious background. The starkest rise of all is amongst the very youngest, 18 to 25-year-olds.

BELL (voice-over): The stunning rebuilding of Notre-Dame may also have added a new shine to the image of Catholicism. Audrey Bourges, who's 24, shows us where she was fortunate enough to be baptized on Easter.

AUDEY BOURGES, CATHOLIC CONVERT: So at the church I was really helpful because I joined just after COVID. I found friends, I found my boyfriend, I found everything I was looking for in my life, peace and some people I can rely on.

BELL (voice-over): Back at the festival, Sister Albertine, just back from the Vatican's Jubilee celebrations, tells the crowd of her chance encounter with Pope Leo. She'd been invited as one of more than a thousand influencers as the church moves to capitalize on this thoroughly modern megaphone to the young.

FR. LUCIANO COUTO, HEAD OF YOUTH MINISTRY, CHEMIN NEUF COMMUNITY: They are eager for that, they are thirsty for that experience, God can talk to me. And they are coming to the Catholic Church because we have a 2000-year tradition of teaching people to hear God's voice. And that's awesome.

BELL (voice-over): A religion, says Father Luciano, that is yet again showing its remarkable power of resurrection.

Melissa Bell, CNN, in the French House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Donald Trump says TikTok's U.S. future is in China's hands. The U.S. President says he's working toward an agreement with Beijing for the social media app. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is facing a Wednesday deadline to sell to a U.S. buyer or be banned in the country, President Trump has already delayed enforcing the ban three times.

Well still to come, Hollywood's biggest stars come out for the 77th Emmy Awards. We'll discuss the biggest wins and upsets of the night after a short break. Stay with us.

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[03:50:00]

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CHURCH: It was the biggest night in television on Sunday as the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards aired live from Los Angeles. Netflix's "Adolescence" took home six trophies, the most of the night.

They won for outstanding limited series, directing, outstanding lead actor, supporting actor and actress and writing. All of those for a limited series or anthology, it makes actor Owen Cooper the youngest ever male winner of an Emmy.

Other winners included "Severance," which took two categories, including Brit Lauer's win for outstanding lead actress in a drama in her first nomination. The final award of the night went to "The Pitt," produced in part by CNN's parent company for outstanding drama series.

And joining me now is television host and entertainment news expert Andrew Freund. Good to have you with us.

ANDRE FREUND, TELEVISION HOST AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS EXPERT: Good to be here. Good to be here, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So "Adolescence" and the studio dominated the awards show. But what did you consider to be the biggest wins of the night?

FREUND: I mean, the biggest win of the night is clearly the studio taking home 13 total Emmys this season, making it the most awarded comedy of tonight, basically of all time. Seth Rogen taking home four awards tonight. Best comedy, best comedic actor.

So really, you know, the studio was a huge winner. That being said, also, as you mentioned, "Adolescence" was a huge winner. Owen was the youngest winner in 40 years, also the youngest male winner in any acting category of all time.

So it was a big night for T.V. tonight, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" won outstanding talk series just two months after being canceled. And that got him a standing ovation. How significant was that win at this time?

FREUND: I mean, that win was very significant, Rosemary, considering the show is broadcast on CBS tonight. And when he won, the crowd went crazy. They were even chanting Stephen, you know, at that time. And, you know, he only has nine months left in the show. He made a lot of jokes during the show, saying he has 200 staffers that are going to be looking for jobs come next year.

So it was a huge win for Colbert and everyone wanted him to win. Politics aside, he's a great guy.

CHURCH: And what were the biggest upsets of the night, do you think?

FREUND: I mean, I think one of the biggest upsets of the night was when Brit Lauer won for "Severance." You know, she snubbed Kathy Bates. Kathy Bates was kind of favored to win for Matlock, but she took home best leading actress in a drama category, so that was one kind of snub.

The other win that was very interesting was Jeff Hiller. Now, Jeff Hiller took home supporting actor in a comedy series for a little show called "Somebody Somewhere," which is on HBO Max, also the parent company of CNN. And he snubbed Bowen Yang and Harrison Ford.

So a couple of snubs, but, you know, it was just a great night.

CHURCH: Yes. And Andrew, comedian Nate Bargatze hosted the awards night for the first time, but he is now getting criticized for low energy, seen by many as the wrong choice for the event. What did you think?

FREUND: Low energy isn't a polite way to say it, Rosemary.

[03:55:03]

But he even made some jokes that he didn't rehearse for the show. He was performing in Denver the past two nights, came into L.A. this morning.

So he was an interesting choice. I don't know if he was the most exciting choice, but he was fine, I guess. I think it's a tough gig no matter what.

CHURCH: Yes. And I think he donated quite a bit of money, didn't he? So that was his contribution to the night.

Andrew Freund, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

FREUND: Thanks, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So a new animated film has claimed the top spot at the U.S. box office all the way from Japan. "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" opened this weekend to an estimated $70 million. That breaks a record previously set 26 years ago by "Pokemon: The First Movie."

"Infinity Castle" beat out new installments in "The Conjuring" and "Downton Abbey" franchises, the anime film about demon-hunting warriors begins the final story arc following the hit show, which launched in 2019. It's the first in a trilogy of films that will wrap up the "Demon Slayer" story with no official date set for its next entry.

Well, NASA scientists think they may have found the oldest sign of life on Mars to date. The Perseverance rover found these rocks last year. They feature leopard-like patterns that NASA believes could have been made billions of years ago.

They say the marks may be signs of chemical reactions that supported the life of microbes. But they're also looking into other possibilities. CNN aerospace analyst Miles O'Brien spoke with CNN's Jessica Dean earlier about these potentially startling developments on the red planet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AEROSPACE ANALYST: If, in fact, upon further analysis, we can determine the, you know, sort of the history of that life, the big question is, is it a second genesis of life or is the life on Earth from the same source? In other words, could the life have been transmitted from some sort of meteorite from our planet to Mars or vice versa, which, Jessica, means we might all be Martians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: How about that?

Thanks for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "The Amanpour Hour" is coming up next, then stay tuned for "Early Start" starting at 5 a.m. in New York, 10 a.m. in London.

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