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CNN This Morning
Memorial Day Weekend Travel Ramps Up; Jack Smith Seeks Gag Order On Trump; Special Counsel Seeks Gag Order Over Trump's "Locked And Loaded" Claim; American Missionaries Killed By Gang In Haiti; NOAA: Hyperactive Atlantic Hurricane Season Expected This Year; Congress Breaks For Holiday Week After Failing To Pass Border Security Bill; Tucker Carlson Becoming A Familiar Face On Russian State TV. Aired 6-7a ET
Aired May 25, 2024 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[06:00:32]
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good Morning Welcome to CNN This Morning is the best day of the week. Saturday, May 25. I'm Victor Blackwell.
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: End of the month nearly, I'm Amara Walker. Good to be with you. Here's what we're working on for you this morning.
The holiday getaway has begun for tens of millions of Americans this morning but strong storms and brutal heat could spoil the unofficial kickoff to summer we will have team coverage.
BLACKWELL: And for the first time in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case Special Counsel Jack Smith is asking a federal judge to place a gag order on former President Donald Trump, what could be off limits with Trump to talk about.
WALKER: Plus, new sexual assault allegations are leveled against music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs why legal experts think a civil lawsuit just filed could possibly lead to more criminal charges for Combs.
BLACKWELL: And get ready because the start of Atlantic hurricane season is one week away why forecasters think it could be one for the record book that's coming up to.
Well, Memorial Day weekend is now here. And if you have not started traveling yet, prepare yourself because AAA is expecting their highest travel numbers in 20 years and that's a lot of people on the roads, but 38 million.
WALKER: So let's take a look at which metro areas will be the worst for all you road trippers out there. Coming in at number one, of course, Atlanta. The Atlanta to Savannah route will take you a whopping five and a half hours today around 4:45. Boston, Chicago, Denver and Detroit will also see anywhere from a 27 percent to a 56 percent increase in their typical traffic. And CNN's Pete Muntean explains the busiest days are yet to come especially on the roads. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The backups are building here at Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Bridge. This is the gateway to the eastern shore of Maryland Ocean City beaches. Also the beaches in Delaware like Bethany and Rehoboth, and Maryland officials say 330,000 cars will pass through here between now and Monday really fits into the theme of this huge weekend for Memorial Day road trips.
38.4 million people expected by AAA to drive 50 miles or more. That's a 4 percent increase over last year a 2% increase over 2019 before the pandemic. It's bigger than 2005. Widely considered to be one of the biggest years for travel after the post-9/11 slump fully recovered. The biggest since 2000.
One of the things that's driving this is AAA says gas prices are about the same as what they were last year the national average for a gallon of regular $3.61 and AAA's Aixa Diaz says this bubble shows no signs of bursting with people prioritizing spending on travel.
AIXA DIAZ, AAA SPOKESWOMAN: Gas prices, though have never really been a factor in terms of keeping people home. AAA has always found that people will just budget around gas prices. It's certainly nice that we're not paying some astronomical number right now, but it doesn't really hold people back.
MUNTEAN: The really tricky part now will be finding an escape from the congestion. AAA anticipates that traffic in some spots, major metro areas leaving town and coming back into town after the holiday could be double the norm. Pete Muntean, CNN, Annapolis, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: All right, Pete Muntean, thank you so much. So no matter where you are headed this weekend, you will have to keep an eye on the weather in Allison Chinchar's outfit. What does it say?
BLACKWELL: Lightning Bolt. OK.
WALKER: Thunder. Thunder is on the way.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Just looks like polka dot. So I'm actually happy that someone actually noticed. There you go.
BLACKWELL: We always know this.
CHINCHAR: This is true. And there's going to be a lot of lightning today, probably not the best thing you want to hear, especially if you maybe you've got some outdoor plans, lots of festivals, cookouts, things like that, that are going to be taking place, but it's been a very busy last 24 hours.
Take a look at all the severe reports we've already had. You're talking over 300 of them in just the last 24 hours. Now we're going to be adding even more reports on top of that. The main concern for today is really going to be the center of the
country, especially for tornadoes, but we're still going to be looking at the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and then some area across the South East as well. And that's where we have a lot of these active thunderstorms ongoing as we speak.
[06:05:00]
Nashville, areas of Knoxville, Chattanooga is starting to slide into portions of Jackson, Mississippi and even Huntsville, Alabama. This is where we're going to continue to see the threat for this morning for really much of the southeast. We've had a couple of warnings off and on this morning, not out of the question to see some of those continue.
Then for Sunday, the threat begins to shift a little bit farther off to the east. Now we're talking more of the Ohio and Mississippi River Valley still looking at a few tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, and even some large hail.
But the real threat after this morning's first round across the southeast, the real threat really begins to ramp up late this afternoon. And really focus this evening across the center of the country. Here you can see that main line squeezing in through the overnight hours.
This is where we have the best chance for tornadoes again across that center portion of the country. And we're talking pretty large tornadoes, possibly EF2 or even stronger. That line then continues to slide off to the east as we go into the day Sunday. And then you see a lot more of those storms ramped back up Sunday afternoon, and will continue into the evening hours.
If that's not enough, even if you are one of those folks lucky enough not to have to deal with showers and thunderstorms, the other concern especially across the southern tier is going to be the heat. Take a look at this. It's not just the temperatures but also that humidity mixed in so that feels like temperature out there.
Look at this 100 and Brownsville again on Monday. A lot of these places it's going to be multiple days. You really don't start to see that temperature coming back down until Tuesday at least. But it still feels like Laredo, Texas going to feel like 116 tomorrow.
WALKER: I need to be near pool or sometimes.
CHINCHAR: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, Allison. Well, special counsel Jack Smith asked a federal judge Friday to place a gag order on Donald Trump to limit his comments about law enforcement that searched his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump falsely claimed that a campaign email that President Biden was quote, locked and loaded and ready to take me out.
We twisted standard language from the FBI around the use of deadly force during the search of Mar-a-Lago. Trump told the supporters his life was in danger because of this policy. But the reality is the policy is just protocol for FBI searches, and limits how officers may use force in those operations. The same protocol was used in the search of President Biden's homes and offices during a separate classified documents investigation.
WALKER: Donald Trump will be hitting the campaign trail this holiday weekend before he has to return to the courtroom Tuesday. The jury is set to begin deliberations in his hush money trial. Now, Trump will be in Washington DC to speak at the Libertarian National Convention where he will try to take on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's also speaking at the convention this weekend.
Now President Biden will kick off his Memorial Day weekend giving the commencement address at West Point Military Academy this morning. CNN White House reporter Camila DeChalus is in Wilmington, Delaware where the President will start his day. Good morning, Camila. So what are we expecting to hear from Mr. Biden today?
CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN WHITE HOSUE REPORTER: Well, good morning, Amara. Biden is expected to give a commencement speech, as you mentioned at West Point, and we're told by White House officials that he's really going to spend some of his time during his speech, focusing on honoring these cadet members that are graduating, talking about how they are protecting U.S. interests and their interests abroad. And we're told that he is going to spend some time talking about the global challenges abroad and what's ahead. But he's also going to focus what his administration is doing to protect service members and their family.
Now, this is a second commencement speech he's given this month. Earlier, he gave a commencement speech at Morehouse College that was met with some protests. And at that speech, he talked about how he's faced challenges in his life and how he's overcome them and talks about his faith and even though this is expected that commencement speech he's going to give. Tomorrow is expected to be a different kind of speech, it really is going to focus on an uplifting message.
And this is coming while there's two wars and just abroad and its face at a really time where he's met with a lot of protests on college campuses. So there's a lot of things going on right now. But we are told by White House officials that the central message of his commencement speech will really be to honor and really congratulate these Cadet members that are graduating at West Point. Amara, Victor. Back to you.
WALKER: Camila DeChalus, thank you.
BLACKWELL: Well, there's more trouble legal trouble for disgraced music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs this morning inside the new civil lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and having a mob mentality. Plus, a New Mexico judge clears the way for actor Alec Baldwin to stand trial for the deadly shooting on the set of one of his movies more than two and a half years ago.
And three missionaries including an American couple ambushed and killed by a gang in Haiti. The emotional last call one of the missionaries made to his father back here in the United States.
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WALKER: Allegations are piling up against rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. April Lampros is the eighth accuser who has filed a lawsuit against the music mogul. She claims he raped her decades ago when she was a student in New York.
BLACKWELL: Well, just days ago, CNN aired a disturbing 2016 video of combs viciously assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a hotel hallway. Ventura is now settled lawsuit was the first of the eight filed against combs at the beginning of his legal troubles. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has the latest for us.
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ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The legal fallout continues for Sean "Diddy" Combs. Just a week after CNN uncovered this disturbing video of the music mogul throwing then- girlfriend Cassie Ventura to the ground, then kicking and dragging her.
On Thursday, April Lampros filed a civil lawsuit accusing combs of sexual assault when she was a fashion student in New York in the mid- 90s and shared with him her dreams of working in the fashion industry. Then, Mr. Combs love-bombed her, the suit alleges using flowers and cards like this one and inviting her to his first Father's Day celebration.
But combs as kind gestures became more aggressive. The suit alleges, leading to a total of four separate sexual assaults, the first and alleged rape in 1995 leaving Lampros nude, sore and confused. She claims Combs used his power in the industry to regain her trust.
But then, in a New York City parking garage forced Lampros to perform oral sex. As Ms. Lampros' eyes filled with tears, she can see the parking garage attendant witnessing this horrific assault, the suit claims. Lampros says she was caught in an abusive relationship in tried to end it after several years. But after running into Combs at an event, he pursued her and in late 2000 at her apartment, Combs violently grabbed her and forced himself onto her kissing and touching her against her will. This came the suit notes while Combs was in a public relationship with Jennifer Lopez.
Combs develop this mobster persona this suit claims at one point violently yanking her down to her knees and pulling her hair. The alleged abuse similar to this, when Combs was caught on hotel surveillance in 2016 kicking and dragging Cassie Ventura then throwing a vase at her.
SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS, RECORD EXECUTIVE AND RAPPER: I mean, I hit rock bottom.
WAGMEISTER: The latest suit filed by Lampros is the seventh civil lawsuit against Combs alleging sexual assault. Many of the cases once fell outside the statute of limitations. But in the case of that shocking video from Los Angeles, the district attorney's office says criminal charges won't be filed.
The video shows assault, not rape, but with those federal raids on Diddy's homes in March, legal analysts say the civil claims much like in the case against Harvey Weinstein could play into criminal charges in the future.
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: And so just because it's a civil lawsuit now doesn't mean that prosecutors in looking and evaluating it may not find something that they feel that they can prosecute, that makes it fair game for prosecution. And I think it's a faulty assumption to presume that he's out of the woods.
WAGMEISTER: Now I reached out to April Lampros and she says that the reason she came forward is so that no other woman has to endure what she did. She says that she does believe that justice will ultimately prevail. We also reached out to Diddy's to nowhere and back yet on this lawsuit, and also no comment from them on another suit that was also filed earlier this week. Both of those complaints coming after that surveillance video of Cassie that we released here at CNN, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you. Now if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there is help visit the hotline.org or call 800-799-SAFE.
WALKER: Still ahead this hour, CNN is learning new details about the two Americans killed in Haiti attacked by a violent gang during a mission project, importer prints.
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WALKER: Today marks four years since the murder of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year old black man was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis in 2020. His death sparked a wave of protests against racial injustice and police brutality around the world. Former police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter and Floyd's death and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison.
And later, Victor will speak to George Floyd's family about the racial reckoning in the U.S. after his death and the work that still needs to be done. That's at eight o'clock on First Of All.
BLACKWELL: A judge in New Mexico has denied Alec Baldwin's motion to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter indictment against him in the Rust shooting case. Baldwin's attorney had accused prosecutors of misconduct during the grand jury process.
In January, Baldwin pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 shooting where a gun the actor was holding discharged a live round on set. The film cinematographer Halina Hutchins was killed in the director injured.
WALKER: One of several Americans recently charged with possession of ammunition in the Turks and Caicos returned to the U.S. yesterday, after getting a suspended sentence and a fine. Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania, you can see they're being reunited with his family, had pleaded guilty to the charge according to the Turks and Caicos government.
The four other Americans have been released on bail as they await their court dates all were arrested in recent months and accused of bringing ammunition. Possession of firearms or ammunition carries a minimum of 12-year sentence in the island country though the law allows reduced sentences under exceptional circumstances.
This morning, authorities in Haiti are awaiting the arrival of a U.N. backed international police force after a young American missionary couple and their Haitian coworker were killed in the escalating violence in Port-au-Prince.
BLACKWELL: The Haitian capital is crumbling under violent gang control.
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The White House urges expedited deployment of multinational police officers CNN's David Culver reports.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An outpouring of grief for two young missionaries brutally killed in Haiti's capital. They went to heaven together because they're a state representative Ben Baker posted his daughter Natalie and her husband Davy Lloyd attacked by gangs Thursday night in Port-au-Prince, the couple in their early 20s served as part of missions in Haiti, a Christian nonprofit organization run for more than two decades by Lloyd's parents.
The organization posting Friday, they were ambushed by a gang of three trucks full of guys, Davy was taken to the house tied up and beat. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up Tthey wanted and left. At some point as the attacks unfolded, Davy Lloyd called his father.
DAVID LLOYD, DAVY LLOYD'S FATHER: He was injured so he was hurt. And he was very nervous and very scared. Because I asked him why they tied him up and he's like, because you're the only one that's got strength that we have to worry about. And so they wanted to make sure he couldn't put up a fight back. And then he was begging me to find somebody to get in there to help him. And I did all I can but couldn't locate anybody.
CULVER (voice-over): Three hours later, the group posted that the couple was shot and killed by the gang. Missions in Haiti says a third person, a Haitian staffer named Jude was also killed in the attack. We're told he'd been with the organization for 20 years. The violent incident started as the missionaries were leaving church
and lasted for several hours. Davy Lloyd's father says the three died barricaded in the Lloyd families living quarters on the mission's compound.
Haiti has been spiraling into gang fueled chaos which forced the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in April. The U.N. estimates some 80 percent of the capital city is under gang control. In recent months, CNN has made multiple trips to Port-au-Prince.
We've met victims of the gang's brutality, including rape, kidnappings and murder. Hundreds of thousands now refugees in their own cities, as gangs have torched their homes and forced them to flee. We've also met with a leader of one prominent gang, he and others demanding a say in Haiti's future, a future that may again be shaped by foreign forces.
President Biden hosted Kenya's President William Ruto for a state dinner in Washington Thursday, around the same time that the deadly attack on Davy and Natalie Lloyd was taking place, top of the two leaders agenda, Haiti.
WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT: We are going to take up that responsibility alongside the Haiti police.
CULVER (voice-over): Kenya plan to lead a U.N. backed multinational support mission to Haiti, with at least 1,000 Kenyan police officers set to deploy. President Biden stating Thursday, the U.S. will not send troops but is provided equipment and Intel, the White House reacting to the killings at a statement on Friday, our hearts go out to the families of those killed, as they experience unimaginable grief.
Missions in Haiti, among many others has been warning, Haiti is on the brink of collapse. The group posting last month, it seems the world has turned their backs on Haiti. And it's going to be left in complete gang control. Now three of their members just the latest victims of that unrelenting gang violence.
CULVER: These latest killings only add to the pressure facing the multinational security support mission led by Kenya. It's been delayed for months now, but could deploy at any moment now. And experts tell us that unless the gangs in Port-au-Prince feel like there's some sort of nonviolent off ramp, then those foreign forces are likely to meet a lot of resistance. And there could be a lot more bloodshed in a country that is so desperate for healing. David Culver, CNN, New York.
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BLACKWELL: All right, thank you, David. Still ahead, meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center just released their preseason hurricane outlook and it is a busy one. We'll speak live with the agency's lead forecaster.
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[06:30:00] BLACKWELL: So, two words you don't want to hear when you're talking
about a hurricane season forecast hyperactive. Was that one word?
WALKER: One word.
BLACKWELL: All right.
WALKER: One word you don't want to hear.
BLACKWELL: I wrote it down as two, but that's what the National Hurricane Center says we should expect to see this year, a season far above normal.
WALKER: I guess Dan corrected, I'm not quite sure --
BLACKWELL: OK --
WALKER: You have to Google that in a bit. Well, we could see more than a dozen, possibly even two dozen-named storms. And while that may mean tropical trouble across the eastern U.S., the Gulf Coast states are at an even higher risk to a hurricane's deadliest threat, which is flooding.
Here with us this morning is both CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar and Matthew Rosencrans known as lead seasonal hurricane forecaster. But Allison, let's first start with you. So, we haven't yet started the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season yet, but it's expected to be one for the books with as many as what? Twenty five possible named storms expected, why?
CHINCHAR: Yes, so, that's the big question. First off, you say yet, but we're only one week away from this start of hurricanes season. It begins officially one week from today. And yes, when you take a look at all of the entities that make those forecasts, look at these numbers.
Now, in an average year, we would typically see 14 named storms, seven of those would be hurricanes and three of them would be major hurricanes. But if you look at these entities, NOAA, Colorado state and the U.K. Met Office, all of them are calling for above average numbers quite significantly above what we would normally see.
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And all of them are beyond the number 21. And the reason why 21 is important is because that's the number of names on the list. Now, you may be saying, OK, but there's 26 letters in the alphabet, that doesn't make sense. We don't use all of the letters. You'll notice here that the letter Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not being used.
So, there's only 21 names for this year's Atlantic Hurricane Season. But based off those forecasts, we could have more than 21. So, what do we do then, because the World Numerological Organization in 2021 decided we are no longer going to use the Greek alphabet as a backup list. So, we now have this supplemental list of names that we will go
through if we do run out. Now, one thing the hurricane center is already watching is this particular area of index right here, just off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Now, it's moving into very unfavorable conditions.
So, this is not likely to become a named storm, but it's not out of the question for storms to get named even before the season actually starts. In fact, take a look at this, from 2015 all the way through 2021, we had a named storm prior to June 1st.
And looking back at 2022 and 2023, we had one just those first couple of days, June 1st and June 2nd. Keep in mind though, that the average first date for a named storm is not actually until June 20th. So, the last nine years in a row, we had had a named storm well before when we normally would see one.
The second named storm doesn't happen until mid July and then we don't usually get our first hurricane until we get to August. But all things this particular season, .2, maybe a little bit of a different story in one key component, Victor and Amara, could end up being some of those incredibly warm sea surface temperatures.
BLACKWELL: All right, Allison Chinchar, thank you very much, and hyperactive confirmed, one word. Matthew --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right --
BLACKWELL: With us now, Matthew, good to see you. So, let's start here 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes, 4 to 7 major category three or stronger. Explain more the conditions that are creating this environment for potentially this hyperactive season.
MATTHEW ROSENCRANS, LEAD SEASONAL HURRICANE FORECASTER, NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION: Yes, so, we're looking at record warm sea surface temperatures Atlantic, and are developing La Nina in the Pacific. And that can explain a ton of the variance and why we have such a strong signal this year.
BLACKWELL: You know, let's put up some of the rainfall totals for parts of the Gulf Coast, because they've already had a really wet Spring. What does this mean for those areas that are already saturated?
ROSENCRANS: It means they need to be prepared for flooding coming up, and be ready to evacuate if called to by the local authorities.
BLACKWELL: How concerned should people be for this season?
ROSENCRANS: They should be ready, ready.gov/hurricanes has their information, where they can go to, go through checklists, repair. We can get through a busy hurricane season, we've done it before.
BLACKWELL: What's ready look like now? We've got a week out, and as Allison said, you know, typically, the height over the busiest part of hurricane season is mid to late September. What should people be doing now, considering those storms could come far sooner than that?
ROSENCRANS: They should go ready.gov again. They have a great checklist, but includes things now like reviewing your insurance plan, updating your supplies. So, getting some extra batteries and some shelf-stable foods, those are things you can really do now rather than at the height of the storm, there's a big brush for materials.
BLACKWELL: All right, Matthew Rosencrans, thank you so much.
WALKER: New research suggests the world's widest glacier could be more vulnerable to melting than previously thought. Now, scientists used radar data from space to X-ray Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier. Now, it's about the size of Florida, and it is the continent's most unstable river of ice. They found that ocean water flowing kilometers beneath it is causing vigorous melting.
That could mean global sea level rise projections are being underestimated. Scientists say the complete collapse of the so-called doomsday glacier could lead to a catastrophic global sea level rise of around 3 meters. That is frightening to think about.
Well, Congress is quiet next week, but when lawmakers return, they have a long to-do list included getting a bipartisan border bill across the finish line. We are going in-depth straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING.
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WALKER: Congress will be out of session for the next week. But as lawmakers leave D.C. for their home states, they are leaving behind a long to-do list for when they return. One major issue that has yet to be resolved, border security.
Senate Democrats failed to advance a bipartisan border security bill for a second time on Thursday, nearly every Republican voted against the bill due to Donald Trump's plan to use the border chaos as a centerpiece of his campaign against Joe Biden, even though they got pretty much a lot, what they asked for in that bill when it was a bipartisan bill.
Joining me now is Mychael Schnell, a congressional reporter for "The Hill". Mychael, good morning, good to see you. OK, so, what --
MYCHAEL SCHNELL, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, THE HILL: Hey --
WALKER: Was Chuck Schumer's intent behind putting this bill to a vote when he knew that the Democrats were not exactly united over this. And also, there was no Ukraine aid tied to it like the last time.
[06:45:00]
And this is why they supported the bill. I mean, was this purely a political move? SCHNELL: Yes, this was essentially seen as a political gambit. Look,
Amara, we're at the point of the year where there's no more must-pass legislation on the to-do list until about the Fall, and the election is right around the corner. So, leaders in both chambers of Congress are using the floor time to their advantage, to put these messaging bills on the floor to give their members ammunition to go home and campaign and tell their voters why they think they deserve a few more years here in Washington.
So, essentially this gambit by Chuck Schumer was his thought to say that, hey, this could potentially give Democrats an opportunity to flip the switch on Republicans, give them something to message on, saying, hey, to their constituents, hey, we tried to do something on the southern -- on the situation on the southern border.
But Republicans once again stopped us, that was one thing. And then B, it also gave him an opportunity to let his vulnerable Senate Democrats, people like Jon Tester, cast a vote on the record very publicly in favor of cracking down on the situation at the southern border.
So, look from the beginning, Chuck Schumer was very well aware that this was not going to get over the finish line. James Lankford, the Republican negotiator, who worked tirelessly on this bipartisan border deal said early on that he was not going to be supportive of it this time around. This was doomed to fail.
But again, as you mentioned at the top, this was just really a political gambit, Chuck Schumer trying to give his members something to campaign on as they go home.
WALKER: OK, so, then what happens next? Because clearly, in the Summer, there is as expected surge of immigrants trying to come to the country, you know, between the Mexico-U.S. border. Is -- will there be another attempt to pass a bill or will they turn to executive action from Biden?
SCHNELL: Well, it's sort of two-pronged, because the White House has been sort of floating that there could be some executive action on the border in the near future. So, that's one part of it. But B, just expect to hear more campaigning and more talk about the situation at the southern border.
We could see some legislation, we'll definitely see that particularly in the House where Speaker Mike Johnson and top House Republicans have made the border a key priority of their conference. But also just generally speaking, in terms of messaging, especially on the Senate side, expect to hear a lot about this second border vote.
Look, even though it came up very quickly and it failed very quickly, it still gave -- though Senate Democrats as I mentioned, that messaging ammunition to go home to their districts --
WALKER: Right --
SCHNELL: And tell their constituents, we tried to do something on the border, we were stopped by it. But look, here's my vote, I tried to do it, so expect a lot of more talk about that second vote, even though it was failed, Democrats think it could be potent on the campaign trail.
WALKER: OK, and speaking of playing politics, as you know, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be addressing a joint session of Congress, obviously, this has been facing some backlash from many Democrats.
And as we know, Chuck Schumer, I mean, he was out there in March, I believe, just harshly criticizing Netanyahu, calling for early elections. How is this going to play out? Because it's an interesting time politically to invite Netanyahu.
SCHNELL: Yes, to put it lightly, it's an interesting time for a lot of different folks. I will note though, the invitation for Netanyahu hasn't even left Washington yet, right? Speaker Mike Johnson weeks ago, drafted an invite letter to Netanyahu, having him come to Congress to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress.
That hasn't even gotten to Netanyahu yet, because Chuck Schumer has not yet signed that letter. That's sort of what the waiting game is right now. Chuck Schumer has said that he plans to sign the letter, his office has said that he intends to sign the letter. Just this week, he said that he is supportive of having Netanyahu come to Congress.
He's just talking to Speaker Johnson about timing here, but of course, it could put him in a precarious position, because you will remember just a few weeks ago, Chuck Schumer had this high profile speech on the Senate floor where he called for new elections in Israel, argued that Netanyahu who had, quote, "lost his way".
So, he has said that, you know, the U.S.-Israel relationship is ironclad and it will last past any leader or any government. So, he is expected to sign it, but again, already some progressives raising -- you know, raising, hey, with the idea of Netanyahu coming here, some of them actually threatened to boycott.
WALKER: All right, Mychael Schnell, good to have you, thanks so much.
BLACKWELL: Russian state TV's newest star is a familiar face here in the U.S., how the Kremlin is showing love for former "Fox News" host, Tucker Carlson.
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[06:50:00]
BLACKWELL: Russia's President is hell bent on removing western influence in Russia. But one American is getting a lot of airtime on Russian state television. Tucker Carlson --
WALKER: You know his name and his face has become a familiar fixture on political programs. And while Tucker Carlson says he has nothing to do with Russian TV airing his program, well, chances are, it might have something to do with his political views. Here's CNN's Matthew Chance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russia --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russia --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russia --
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Russian state TV, Tucker Carson's face is hard to escape. That loud American journalist, they call him, his conservative Republican views clearly struck a chord with the Kremlin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russia --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twenty four --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
CHANCE: For months now, Carlson's online show has been airing on local Russian media, a sure sign the Kremlin which has silenced critical voices sees propaganda value and what he has to say.
[06:55:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
CHANCE: Most recently, a segment on the dangers of U.S. biological weapons development with an American science and technology writer was aired in full. Carlson tells CNN, he was unaware the clips were being shown.
(CROSSTALK)
CHANCE: But for months now, the Kremlin has been casting Tucker Carlson who lost his job on "Fox News" last year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Tucker --
CHANCE: As a truth-speaking American media star. It granted him a rare norm interview with Vladimir Putin, screened at cinemas across the country to dutiful Russians. "I watched this movie out of big respect to our president", said Dystate Gamor(ph).
"I've seen it twice", says another, "it's great to hear the opinion of our great leader", she adds. Tucker Carlson isn't the only outspoken American celebrated by Moscow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
CHANCE: He's also praised on Kremlin TV.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOEIGN LANGUAGE) --
CHANCE: As is Republican Senator Mike Lee, both staunchly opposed to U.S. military aid to Ukraine. A position of course, shared by the Kremlin. As the war in Ukraine drags on, there are concerns Kremlin propaganda, anti-Ukraine, pro Russia is increasingly finding its way into the U.S. political debate.
We will be rattled(ph), one Republican congressman told CNN recently on the House floor. And Moscow's interest lies in bolstering those who it feels share at least in part its skeptical, sometimes distorted world view. Matthew Chance, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Any major hurricane that hits the U.S. is usually compared to Katrina. The devastating storm that hit Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005, Katrina became synonymous with catastrophe and trauma, but also survival and resilience.
BLACKWELL: CNN's Stephanie Elam reports now on two thriving young survivors who reunited with the military leader who helped saved them years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From hurricane evacuees --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations class of 2024 --
ELAM: To high school graduates. For twins J'Mari and A'Mari Reynolds, this is a moment that seemed improbable at the beginning of their lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, Hurricane Katrina --
ELAM: In the Summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, defeating many of the levees surrounding the city, flooding its streets and killing nearly 1,400 people. Survivors fought challenging circumstances to stay alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We hadn't eaten in maybe six days.
ELAM: Alexandria Wheeler(ph), knowing she needed to find help for her six-and-a-half month old sons, waded through the water. Her feet encountering unspeakable horrors in the turbid waters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was two bodies collided like this.
ELAM: When the trio finally made it to the Convention Center-turned makeshift shelter in the muggy heat, they were starving and dehydrated. The infants nearly limped. That's when Lieutenant General Russel Honore, the decorated commander who led the military response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, came to their aid.
RUSSEL HONORE, RETIRED U.S. LIEUTENANT GENERAL: Folks in Washington, they were looking at calendars and we were looking at a clock.
ELAM: It was a moment CNN caught on camera. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was like, God's angel. If it wasn't for him,
we wouldn't be here today.
ELAM: For years, Wheeler says she tried to get in contact with Honore to thank him for his kindness, but it would take another storm, Hurricane Harvey threatening their new home in Houston in 2017 to bring them together again.
HONORE: I understand there's some -- who? That boys over here. Who that?
ELAM: Wheeler sent Honore a message on social media and he responded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't even have words to put inside my house to thank you enough or to repay you back for what you did.
ELAM: Now, nearly 19 years after their life-altering encounter, Honore took time to celebrate the boys achievement.
HONORE: We affectionately referred to you as the Katrina twins because the world got to meet you that day.
ELAM: But J'Mari and A'Mari, after a life-time made possible by the man in uniform are honoring Honore each in his own way. First, A'Mari --
A'MARI REYNOLDS, KATRINA TWIN: And thanks to you, I'll be a future addition to the United States Marine Corps.
HONORE: All right! You've got to learn how to say that word, all right!
A. REYNOLDS: I chose to be in the Marines because I watched over the video and I kept watching, and it inspired me to want to help people a lot more.
ELAM: Then J'Mari.
J'MARI REYNOLDS, KATRINA TWIN: I would like to thank you so much for your bravery and your help that we were able to survive. I'm going to college to do Automotive Engineering.
ELAM: How do you feel hearing that these two young men are pursuing these careers that have been inspired in part by you?
