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CNN This Morning

At Least 18 Aftershocks Rattle Northeast After Rare Quake; Israel Opening Erez Crossing To Allow Crucial In Aid Into Gaza; 2 Days Until Solar Eclipse Spans Across U.S.; Trump Again Requests Judge In New York Criminal Trial To Recuse Himself; Georgia Judge McAfee Rejects Trump's 1st Amendment Argument; Trump Suffers Back-To-Back Defeats In Georgia, Florida Case; New York Judge Denies Motion To Delay Criminal Hush Money Trial; "LightSound" Allows Blind And Visually Impaired People To Experience Eclipses; Diddy's Son Faces Sexual Assault Allegations. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired April 06, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The beauty was shattered by tragedy. Ed Lavandera, CNN Dallas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Ed, thank you for that. Be sure to watch the brand-new original series "SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA: THE FINAL FLIGHT". It premieres tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

The next hour of CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. It is about 7:00 a.m. Eastern right here in our Atlanta studios. Welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING.

BLACKWELL: We are all here ready for you. Here's what we're watching for you this morning. More than a dozen aftershocks have been reported in the hours since that rare earthquake in the Northeast yesterday. Now, residents are describing that moment and the impact on the critical systems in the area.

WALKER: The U.S. is on alert for a, quote, significant attack on Israeli or American targets in the Middle East, more on what prompted the warning and how soon they expect it to happen.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Plus, we are looking at your eclipse forecast. We have a growing severe risk along the path of totality, so we'll take a look at that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Caitlin Clark's final call of the game, it's going to be for a national title. Her Hawkeyes beat UConn last night, but a controversial call at the end of this game has Huskies fans just super mad this morning. We're going to have that coming up in sports. WALKER: All right, the U.S. is actively preparing for a significant attack from Iran in the coming days. Officials in the U.S. and Israel are on high alert after an Israeli airstrike in Damascus that killed at least seven Iranian officials, including a top commander.

BLACKWELL: The State Department says it warns Tehran not to use the strike as a pretext to attack U.S. personnel and facilities in the region. We're also waiting this morning for word on when Israel will reopen crossings to allow aid into Gaza. And Erez Crossing is one of them. American officials worry widespread destruction will prevent aid from reaching those in need.

Camila DeChalus is covering this for us. Camila, good morning to you. Does the U.S. have any, first, on this attack that they expect from Iran? Any specific intelligence about what they're expecting will come?

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Victor, Amara. At this time, U.S. officials tell us that an attack made by Iran is inevitable. And even though we don't know the specifics of when and exactly how they're planning to strike back, we know that it could come as early as next week. Now, this issue was a major talking point the last time President Biden spoke on the phone with the Israeli prime minister.

And both governments say that they are making preparations and preparing for the worst-case scenario. But the bigger picture here is that if Iran does strike back, then this could potentially escalate and become a wider regional conflict. And that is something that President Biden has really strived to avoid since the Israel and Hamas war broke out. Victor, Amara.

WALKER: All right, Camila DeChalus, thank you very much. You know, sources tell CNN the director of the CIA and Israel's intelligence chiefs are heading to Egypt to continue hostage negotiations.

BLACKWELL: Hamas rejected Israel's last hostage counter offer. An official close to the discussion says that Hamas believes Israel is offering nothing new.

WALKER: Let's go now to Nada Bashir in London. Nada, are you getting any indication that this new round of talks might be successful considering that very stern conversation between Biden and Netanyahu and Biden imploring Netanyahu to empower his negotiators to strike a deal.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, there is certainly mounting pressure on all sides particularly though on Israel from the United States to come to some sort of at least a temporary truce agreement at this stage according to a diplomat familiar with those ongoing discussions. There are still significant gaps which remain in any sort of agreement that is currently on the table.

We've seen both sides moving back and forth between Doha and Cairo, holding various rounds of talks. We are expecting the CIA Director William Burns to be in Cairo, meeting with the Mossad Director David Barnea again to continue those discussions. We know, of course, that over the last few weeks a major sticking point has been discussions around the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for the number of Israeli hostages currently held captive in Gaza to be released.

And of course, we did hear from a senior Hamas official earlier in the week saying that they have rejected Israel's latest counter proposal because they failed to address two of their key and newest demands. Now, they are calling for Palestinians in Gaza to be permitted to allow to return to the north, and they are of course also still calling for withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. That has not been addressed according to sources and diplomats familiar with those discussions and ongoing negotiations.

[07:05:06]

Israel wants to see a system put in place to inspect those attempting to return to the north, and of course, has said it will not be redeploying its troops from northern or central Gaza, and in fact, will continue to push forward and move southwards but wants to maintain some sort of security presence in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, of course, also continuing to push for a permanent lasting ceasefire.

This is something that many in the international community are now backing. They do want to see at least a pause in fighting to provide some respite on the humanitarian front and to allow a window for further diplomatic negotiations. But as we've heard repeatedly now from the Israeli side and from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they do not see a ceasefire as being feasible at this point and wish to continue pushing forward with a ground operation in the south.

So, that has certainly a raised concern. But again, mounting pressure from members of the international community, particularly off the back of the killing of seven members of the World Central Kitchen, NGO, humanitarian organization, growing frustration, including from some of Israel's closest allies. So, it remains to be seen whether that will influence talks taking place in Cairo this weekend.

BLACKWELL: Nada Bashir reporting for us. Thank you so much. Millions of people in the Northeast are hoping for a calmer day after being rattled by at least 18 aftershocks from a 4.8 magnitude earthquake that could be felt all the way from Washington, D.C. to Maine.

WALKER: However, there were no serious injuries or damage reported in the strongest earthquake to hit New Jersey in more than 240 years. But the shaking did leave a lot of people and pets startled. More than 23 million people felt light shaking and much of it was caught on camera. CNN's Jason Carroll has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): It shook pictures off walls in this home in Middlesex, New Jersey, and had many dogs and at least one cat running for cover. And had some East Coast residents like this one in Bridgewater, New Jersey, questioning exactly what had happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that?

CARROLL: The magnitude 4.8 quake hit at 10:23 a.m. according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter near Lebanon, New Jersey, located about 50 miles west of New York City. It was the strongest to hit New Jersey since before it was even a state, 1783, the year the U.S. defeated Great Britain and won the Revolutionary War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this an earthquake?

CARROLL: The quake felt as far north as Maine. Residents also reported feeling it in Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

The tremor temporarily caused a ground stop at all three major airports surrounding New York City. Three homes in Newark, New Jersey, had to be evacuated due to structural damage, though no reports of major damage or injuries in the tri-state area.

ERIC ADAMS (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: New Yorkers should go about their normal day. First responders are working to make sure the city is safe.

CARROLL: The event, anything but business as usual for people in a city and region of the country not accustomed to the ground suddenly shifting beneath their feet.

NED TANNER, FELT EARTHQUAKE IN NEW YORK: Me and my colleague were on the 83rd floor of 30 Hudson Yards and so we got in pretty good shake.

ARACHE PALACIOS, FELT EARTHQUAKE IN NEW YORK: We thought it was the metro or the train because it was very weird to feel an earthquake.

CARROLL: Given the vast critical infrastructure of the region, New York's governor says structural engineering teams dispatched to inspect the city's bridges, tunnels and subways.

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): We are going to be reviewing all potentially vulnerable infrastructure sites throughout the state of New York that is critically important in the aftermath of an event like this.

CARROLL: And while the quake didn't last long, 10 seconds or so by some accounts, it left an impression with those who felt it. Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: I feel like that was everyone's reaction to it. Even if you didn't feel it, it's like, what? There was an earthquake?

BLACKWELL: Especially if you sit in New York, New Jersey, like, wait, is this what I think it is? Yes, it was. Yes, it was.

WALKER: Jason Carroll, thanks so much for that. Well, the total solar eclipse is just two days away, but clouds could obstruct some people's views of this rare event.

BLACKWELL: CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa joins us now. So, it's going to be a close call for some people, I guess.

RAFFA: We're watching this really closely because we've got a storm system that develops in the Southern Plains and actually could bring us some clouds and maybe even some strong and severe thunderstorms. That looks like the storms will fire up after the eclipse, but there's going to be a lot of people in Texas on Monday.

Here's that path of totality. We lined it up with the severe risk and you can see it's a level two out of five severe risk for some damaging winds and large hail as some storms fire up later on in the afternoon. So, it will come with some rain, a couple of clouds there, especially in the Southern Plains from Texas over towards Louisiana and Arkansas.

[07:10:11]

We will, though, have some breaks in the clouds along the path of totality. So, if you've got clouds, it's not that you're not going to see it. It just might not be the most crisp of view. It actually looks like New England, might have some of the clearest skies. So, when we're talking about cloud cover, you know, it could be broken where it's mostly cloudy and there's still some peaks in there.

Even with partly cloudy skies, you still see the sun here and there. So, you just have to be lucky that there's not one cloud passing over at that time. Now, what's another cool thing when it comes to the weather in the eclipse is that because of the moon creating that shadow over the sun, temperatures will actually drop. The weather service is already forecasting temperature dips over parts of Texas and Rochester during that totality. So, you'll get a little bit of a cool breeze as well.

BLACKWELL: But those temperatures will rebound as soon as the moon moves on.

RAFFA: Yes.

BLACKWELL: OK. Got it.

RAFFA: Exactly.

BLACKWELL: Elisa Raffa, thanks so much. So, Israel says that it has now approved reopening a key crossing to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war started six months ago. Well, CNN is live near that crossing with the latest.

WALKER: Plus, back-to-back step backs in two of Donald Trump's legal cases. We'll have more on that and his repeated efforts to get a judge removed from one of his cases.

BLACKWELL: Plus, as you know, we are counting down to the solar eclipse still ahead. The device that allows visually impaired people to experience this eclipse. One of the creators will join us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:16:19]

BLACKWELL: Israel has approved a temporary opening of the Erez Crossing to help increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. It's a checkpoint located between Israel and northern Gaza that's been closed since the Hamas attack on October 7th.

WALKER: The announcement came after President Biden expressed frustration about the Gaza crisis in a quite tense phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday. CNN's Nic Robertson is joining us now. Nic, are you hearing anything about the timing of the reopening of the Erez Crossing?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: No hard details yet but there is an expectation that it could be as early as tomorrow. I'm just going to step back out of the way because we're right down at Erez right now. Mattias is going to zoom in there and you're looking at the Erez Crossing.

Now, this is a crossing that traditionally was used for Palestinians mostly to come out and do their day jobs in Israel and then and then go back into Gaza at the end of the day. But of course, this is one of the main places that Hamas attacked and kidnapped IDF troops there and shot up the, you know, shot up a lot of the facilities there.

It can get aid trucks through there and this is what we're expecting to happen and we know that the IDF was down there speaking with the World Food Program yesterday. We know that the government's under a lot of pressure to make it happen but I have to tell you we've been along the border here. We tried to have a live broadcast with you in the last show and there were the IDF troops there said we couldn't broadcast from there, so we came here.

It's still a tense situation around here. We can hear gunfire from the other side of the border. You can see that's Gaza on the hilltop behind me there. You can hear explosions still. So, the question in my mind is, the White House is looking for action from the Israeli government. They've said that they'll open this crossing, but the action will be those aid trucks going in with gunfire and explosions so close by on the other side that seems that's going to be difficult to achieve.

And we know from satellite imagery just over the border there many of the roads leading to the border have been hit by heavy bombs over the last six months some of those roads are so cratered there's no tarmac. So, how are these big aid trucks going to get in and out of there? So, of course, all these questions and the focus really is on because the White House, State Department, safely blinking here in February, asking for this border crossing to be opened.

It didn't happen. We know at other border crossings there are problems. Protesters come and block the route. We know that there are people in Prime Minister Netanyahu's right-wing cabinet who don't want this border crossing to be opened, think the way to pressure Hamas is to hold back the humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the U.N. says people are close to starvation in the north of Gaza.

The government's allowed in, it says 20,000 aid trucks into Gaza since the war began. The U.N. says four times that number of trucks would have been needed under normal circumstances. So, the picture of the need is great. The picture here is, it feels a bit like uncertainty. With gunfire, you know, getting the trucks in, that's not going to be straightforward.

WALKER: Yes, absolutely. A lot of logistics at the very least to be worked out. Nic Robertson, glad we got you back up live. Thanks so much, Nic.

And coming up on a new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER", six months after October 7th released hostages, talk about the terrors they endured while in captivity. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The last message I got was that they jumped from the window and were hiding in the bush. And then, we lost the connection.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She later learned they jumped because terrorists were tossing explosives into their home. But they stayed hidden, watching the horror for two hours.

[07:20:09]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then a young man, like 19 years old, was just jump on the window and make like a gym, you know, like sports. One of the --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was doing pull-ups.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, something like that. And then, he saw them. It's just behind the bush, you know. And then, this young boy called the Hamas terrorist. And my Sahar, she couldn't run away because her legs fell asleep, she couldn't move. Erez, he was very clever. He tried to get up to the roof, but then they saw him. They showed the gun, and they said, go out or we shoot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sahar, Erez and their 53-year-old father, Ofer Calderon, were caught.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Catch "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER" tomorrow evening at 8:00 Eastern.

BLACKWELL: Still ahead, Trump's New York civil or criminal trial, I should say, is scheduled to begin in a week. And now, he's trying one more time to get the trial judge to recuse himself. How this could push back the start date?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:25:39]

BLACKWELL: Police are searching for a man they say lit a fire at Senator Bernie Sanders' office in Vermont. The Burlington Police Department released pictures last night asking for help to identify him. CNN's Melanie Zanona has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the fire marshal's office has determined that this fire was "incendiary in nature" and the investigation is now being turned over to local police and state police. Sanders' office is located in a historic building, a masonic temple that houses a number of other retail offices and a number of other office spaces.

An official said they arrived on the scene and they located a fire in the vestibule in between an elevator and the entrance to Sanders' office. The official said that they evacuated the scene and that there was some fire and water damage but that thankfully no one was injured. We do have a statement from state director, Catherine Van Hays.

This is someone who works for Senator Sanders and she said they were grateful to the fire and police for first responders and that they were relieved that no one on their staff or anyone in the area was harmed. But even though no one was injured, it is still a very alarming incident, especially given the recent uptick in threats that we have seen leveled against members of Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: All right. And that was CNN's Melanie Zanona reporting. Thanks so much.

In a memo made public Friday, Trump's lawyers are once again asking the judge in Trump's criminal trial to recuse himself. Since Judge Juan Merchan's ruling last year, Trump has become the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and his legal team says that changes things. Trump suffered back-to-back setbacks in trying to get his Georgia election and federal Florida classified documents cases dismissed. Joining us now is CNN Legal Analyst Joey Jackson.

Always good to have you, Joey. Let's start with these major setbacks you're talking about where Trump is trying to get his cases thrown out. First, the federal documents case. So, you have Judge Aileen Cannon, who rejected Trump's bid to dismiss the charges based on the Presidential Records Act. But it seems that she and the Special Counsel Jack Smith, they're clashing. They're at odds, namely over this, the potential jury instructions she called his request unprecedented and unjust what's going on here?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, I don't know about that. Good to be with you. Listen, here's the reality. The reality is, is that I think number one was the right call, Amara, with respect to her denying any motion to dismiss. You know, the basis for really dismissing a case, and in this particular case, certainly not even near meeting the standard, I think what the judge is doing, Amara, she's conflating two separate statutes.

Now, in not dismissing the case, you have this Presidential Records Act, which prosecutors are saying, judge, this has no application here. What is the Presidential Records Act? It's an act which in essence says that records that are really received by the President or the White House are public records. There are certain circumstances in which you can personalize those records. That is not this case.

This record, this case is about classified documents. It's about the Espionage Act. And so, there's no basis for her to have this at all. And so, the reality is, is that I think it was absolutely the right call by her. With respect to these jury instructions, I really don't know what the judge is doing, and here's why. The judge is asking and really indicating that the case can be dismissed, potentially, right, at trial if a record is developed which would show that these records were classified documents, really personal records, and not presidential records.

It's not even predicated upon that. So, the real special counsel is very frustrated by the judge even insinuating that it's about that and that's what the dispute is about. And the judge really is saying that I'm not going to decide that now, and the special counsel saying, well, why not, so that I can appeal it. And so, that really is what the real tension is between them and to the extent she doesn't decide them, Amara, there's no basis to appeal, and it delays, delays, delays the case and that becomes problematic.

[07:29:53]

WALKER: Not for Trump, though, because that is part of his strategy, right? So, let's go from the federal documents case to the Georgia election subversion case where you have the Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee rejecting, again, the arguments that Trump's speech was protected under the First Amendment in his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

At the same time, you have spelled the defendants of Trump, who are considering seeking a gag order against Fani Willis, as you know, Fani Willis has made -- continues to make public comments about this trial.

Could this effort to get Fani Willis under a gag order, could that backfire on them?

JACKSON: So, I think, potentially a gag order you can say, right? A gag order for -- would really be good for all parties. Right? A case is about what happens in court. It's about what ultimately the evidence shows and is presented, and not about really trying to taint a jury prior to any trial.

And so, wouldn't be unusual for a judge to say, OK, listen, let us not, either party, whether it be Fani Willis or any of the Trump people, or the other defendants to be making comments. That is OK.

The real essence of it here, what the judge had made a decision on already is that the case is not going to be dismissed on First Amendment grounds. That, I don't think, Amara, was a surprise. The reality is, is that yes, you have a right to free speech. Yes, you have a right to political speech, but that right doesn't give you the ability to try to circumvent an election in any manner.

And so, I think the judge made the appropriate call. Yes, I do think we could see the potential for neither party moving forward to make comments. And I think that would be fair, I think it would be appropriate. And I think it would be about the case, the facts, and the law.

Once the case gets underway. When it does, it's anyone's guess, we just don't know yet.

WALKER: One case that will get underway is a hush money case that begins on April 15th. And of course, Trump and his team trying to get that trial delayed, that was denied. And now, there is this motion requesting Judge Juan Merchan. to recuse himself.

I know you've worked with him. I just wanted to know your -- help us understand, under what grounds are trying to get him to recuse himself. Of course it has to do with his daughter, who worked with a digital ad company that had high profile democratic clients that disparaged him.

But where is the conflict here that they are watching.

JACKSON: There is none. I think, it's a Hail Mary, Amara. I think the fact that, you know, what his daughter would or would not have done, how does that play into the case? How does it impair his judgement? How does it impair his impartiality? What does it do with respect to his ruling? You don't get to recuse a judge because they don't decide in your favor.

This is a case, I think, that will go forward on April 15. That with jury selection, and I think this case will be tried before jury of his peers. That is the former president.

WALKER: Joey Jackson, good to have you. Thanks so much.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: This next one is just a fantastic story. The way to enjoy Monday solar eclipse without seeing it. We'll tell you about the incredible device that's allowing people who are visually impaired to enjoy this experience with the rest of us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:37:42]

BLACKWELL: Technology will allow more people to experience the solar eclipse on Monday. Light sound is a device that translates light waves into sound waves, and enables visually impaired and blind people to hear the solar eclipse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP) So, this is an Open-Source project. I think this is fantastic. With volunteers learning to solder and build and donate 900 devices. This was created by two astronomers who were colleagues at Harvard: Wanda Diaz Merced, who is blind and had studied, turning mathematical data into sound, and Allyson Bieryla, who had developed 3D printouts that enabled sight impaired astronomers to feel images captured by telescopes.

And she leads the teams that as distributing LightSounds to communities across the world. She joins us now to talk about it.

I love this story so much. Allyson, thank you so much for being with me. First, how did you come up with this idea to sonify this anomaly?

ALLYSON BIERYLA, CO-CREATOR LIGHTSOUND: Yes, thanks. Yes. So, I work at Harvard, and I managed lab and telescope, so you're trying to graduate teaching. And so, I was thinking about -- excuse me, the accessibility of our labs and making sure that all of our students could engage in the labs in a meaningful way.

And I, like you said, Wanda Diaz Merced was colleague at Harvard. And so, I started talking to her about blind and low vision community. And she uses sonification for her research. So, he takes data and converts it to sound to interact with it.

And so, it happened to be the summer of 2017, when the last greater American solar eclipse came through.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

BIERYLA: And so, we were talking about how to make that accessible. So, we came up with this idea to create this standalone device that does just that, it takes data and converts it to sound. In this case, it takes light. It has a light sensor on it that's measuring the changing brightness of light as the (INAUDIBLE).

BLACKWELL: Can you, in a Saturday morning, friendly, non-Harvard scientist way explain how this actually translates the light into sound?

BIERYLA: Yes. It's actually really simple.

[07:40:01]

There is a -- there is a light sensor like I said on the device, and it's just measuring brightness. So, it measures room light, it measure sunlight, and those values are just numbers.

And so, we have a MIDI board component on it, and that MIDI synthesizer board is something that we can assign instruments to. So, a lot of musicians use this. So, basically, these are just numbers. And so, depending on the brightness level, we map it to an instrument.

So, we mapped the kind of the brightest light to flute sound, and the mid-range goes to a clarinet. And then, you know, in a in like a low- lit room, or in the case of totality during the solar eclipse, you'll hear just kind of a clicking sound, and that clicking slows down.

BLACKWELL: That's just amazing. Now, I mentioned there are 900 of these devices, have you sent them to individuals or they with families? Who has these around the country?

BIERYLA: Yes. It's across the board. We have sent them to schools for blind, we send them to libraries, museums, national parks, people celebrating in their backyard with their families, it's kind of all over the place. We have a map on our web site of all the locations, so, people can attend an event if they don't have one for themselves. And they, they want to get out and enjoy it.

BLACKWELL: You know, what I love about this is that there are a few things a year, and this actually obviously doesn't happen every year that we can all enjoy together, come outside look up, and experience. And I read that there was a woman who talked about her experience in 2017, where she felt because she's visually impaired, alone and isolated.

And this offers this community, and this communal moment to everybody.

BIERYLA: Yes, that's absolutely it. I think, you know, astronomy does that. I think solar eclipses, in particular, it's bringing millions of people together to celebrate what is a visually stunning and incredibly emotional and phenomenal event, unlike anything else.

But, you know, there is a community of people that can experience that with sight. And there really is no reason that we can't engage with different means, in this case, sound, you know, to interact with the, you know, the real time event, and not just have it be someone explaining it to you or, you know, hearing about it afterwards or --

So, that -- so, I'm really, really thrilled that there's been such positive feedback and people are excited about this. It's actually -- it's been overwhelming. We've just gotten such a positive response, and people are really excited about it. So, I'm really, really happy.

BLACKWELL: Well, fantastic work. I'll be thinking about this device and this extension to the visually impaired on Monday when we're all watching the solar eclipse.

Allyson Bieryla, thank you so much, and thank you for the work.

(CROSSTALK)

WALKER: What a way to be --

BIERYLA: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

WALKER: What a way to be so meaningfully inclusive. That's so beautiful.

BLACKWELL: I know.

WALKER: Wow. BLACKWELL: It's just -- it's just great that it's extended to people who could not watch it with the rest of us. They can now hear it and feel it.

WALKER: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Now, be sure to watch the coverage here of the "ECLIPSE ACROSS AMERICA" starts live Monday at 1:00 Eastern. You can also stream it on Max.

WALKER: Have you booked your flight?

BLACKWELL: I've not booked a flight yet. I'm checking my point balance to see if I can make it happen.

WALKER: It's pricey.

BLACKWELL: It is. It is.

WALKER: Arkansas, do you want Victor there?

When a big --

BLACKWELL: Arkansas happens to like me, I guess.

WALKER: Yes. Do you think another -- it's going to be crowded.

BLACKWELL: I'm coming, Arkansas.

WALKER: Be ready.

Well, when a big game is coming down to the wire, what's the one thing you don't want to see? The refs making a call to decide it, and a controversial call on that the ending that everyone is talking about?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:48:08]

BLACKWELL: Women's basketball superstar Caitlin Clark is on the way now to the national title game after Iowa squeaked by UConn in the Final Four.

WALKER: Andy Scholes is here with more-high, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Guys, it was a great game. I mean, it was so good throughout. But unfortunately, it was a controversial call at the end that kind of ended up deciding this one.

WALKER: Yes.

SCHOLES: I show you how it all went down to Huskies. They did a great job, all in Caitlin Clark in check, until about the third quarter. She would finally get going knocked down a pair of big threes.

Clark though, she had just 21 points in this one. But here I'll show you the play that everyone is talking about this morning. Iowa's up by one, UConn with the ball. Under 10 seconds ago, Beckers (PH) gives it, but they call Aaliyah Edwards for illegal screen. Take another look. I mean, a brutal call to make in that moment.

Hawkeyes with hold on to win, 71-69.

Here is UConn head coach, Geno Auriemma, was on that controversial call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENO AURIEMMA, HEAD COACH, UCONN: There's probably an illegal screen call that you could make on every single possession. I just know there were three or four of them called on us. I don't think there were any called on them. So, I guess we just got to get better at not setting illegal screens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. There will be Iowa versus South Carolina for the title on Sunday the Gamecocks with a big third quarter and ended up beating NC State easily 78-59. South Carolina, now 37-0, and we look into comes first undefeated national champions since UConn back in 2016.

The head coach Dan Hurley, he's going to lead the UConn men's team into the final four tonight against Alabama. And in this week's difference makers are Coy Wire, while he caught up with Coach Hurley and his wife, Andrea to talk about the Huskies run and their work off of the court.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN HURLEY, HEAD COACH, UCONN: She humanizes me a lot, you know. I'm a -- I'm a little rough around the edges in an intense guy. So, you know, she brings that, you know, that woman's touch, that heart and soul to our program, and really turns our team into a family.

[07:50:06]

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I love that.

And Andrea, no matter what happens this year, how would you put into words what this team has meant to you?

ANDREA HURLEY, WIFE OF DAN HURLEY: Oh, my gosh. I just -- I can't be any prouder. Like, oh, my God, I wouldn't cry. I'm a crier. I'm just so proud. Like, how can you not be -- like, they have broken records, they have done the most amazing thing, and they are so together, and they are such a -- this team is such a family that they got here by their closeness, like, just everyone.

WIRE: We love that emotion. And Coach, what does it mean to you, and how does it feel when you see your players going out into the community? That Connecticut Children's Hospital and helping Andrea help lift a lot spirits of others? D. HURLEY: It's -- these guys have incredible talent and they're incredibly successful and they have a major platform to go in and do great things in the community to inspire and to help young people grow and mature. So, just so proud of our guys.

You know, what we are -- UConn athletics is Connecticut's sports franchise. So, you know, we understand responsibility.

WIRE: Andrea, I mean, how does it feel when you have these players who have their busy lives and things to do, but here they are understanding the platform they have been given, and they are out there helping you help others?

A. HURLEY: Oh, my gosh. It's like, it's bigger than basketball. You know, you have these kids that just want to be part of something and their days are just, you know, sometimes they just have to forget about what they're going through. And when our kids come in there, some of these kids that I've been around, they weren't even sports fans, until our kids came in, and now, they are diehard fans that they are so obsessed with our team and it those are our future.

So, it just -- it's just amazing. And I just I'm so blessed to be a part of it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHOLES: Yes. And will anyone be able to stop those UConn Huskies there in Phoenix guys? They've won 10 straight games in the tournament by double digits. You can watch it all unfold on our sister station TBS tonight. UConn Alabama and you got NC State taken on Purdue.

WALKER: Wow. That's a nice interview.

BLACKWELL: Immediately, after he said, she humanizes me, she says, I'm a crier. I'm a crier. I'm a crier.

WALKER: Right on que.

BLACKWELL: Right on que.

WALKER: That was great.

BLACKWELL: All right, many thanks.

All right. Still to come, more legal troubles for Sean Diddy Combs and his family. Now, his son faces new allegations. We'll explain next.

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[07:56:59]

BLACKWELL: The son of rapper, Sean Diddy Combs is accused of sexual assault in a new lawsuit. A woman says that the 26-year-old Christian Combs sexually assaulted her while she was an employee on his father's yacht in December 2022.

WALKER: Diddy is also named in the lawsuit for aiding and abetting. Both Combs and a son deny the allegations.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is the first lawsuit against Christian Combs who is the 26-year-old model and rapper son of Sean Diddy Combs.

Now, accuser, Grace O'Marcaigh was a bartender and a crew member on a luxury yacht that she says was rented out by Sean Diddy Combs and his family in December 2022.

In the lawsuit, she alleges that Christian Combs sexually assaulted her after pressuring her to drink tequila that she says in the complaint she believes was laced with drugs. Now, I want to read you a piece of this complaint, which says, "Defendant Sean Combs turned what was sold as a wholesome family excursion into a hedonistic environment."

According to the plaintiff, "It resulted in an unexpected increase in workload for her and her colleagues, as well as unwanted exposure to unlawful drug use, sex work, and general chaos."

Now, in the complaint, there are photos that are allegedly of the accuser's arm that show bruises, which her attorney says came after this alleged physical assault.

There is also audio recordings that are referenced in this complaint, in which the accuser is allegedly asking Christian Combs, if he is drugging her and asking her to stop touching her inappropriately.

Now, we at CNN have not obtained those audio recordings, and have not listened to them. I reached out to an attorney for both Sean Diddy Combs and Christian Combs, and they do not address the allegations specifically, but they attack the attorney of the accuser. And here's part of what they told us. "We have not seen this woman's claim, but I'm sure we can expect the same kind of manufactured lies we've come to expect from Tyrone Blackburn and his client.

Now, Tyrone Blackburn is the attorney of this accuser and he is also representing two other people who have accused Sean Diddy Combs. Now, Sean Diddy Combs is not accused of sexual assault in this lawsuit, but he is named as a defendant. This is the sixth lawsuit to come against the mogul and rapper. And, of course, this comes as he is the target of a federal investigation, where we saw last month that two of his homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by the feds. Victor and Amara?

WALKER: All right. Elizabeth, thank you.

And it's a time of the morning again. "FIRST OF ALL" of Victor Blackwell is up next. What do you have?

BLACKWELL: So, we know that the White House have been trying to get Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel to allow more aid into Gaza and to protect civilians. It seems there was an escalation this week.

[08:00:01]

I'll ask a Muslim American, who recently met with President Biden, also, a Palestinian American helping feed people in Gaza if they agree, and what they think of the timing.