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CNN This Morning

Polarizing Military Parade In Washington, D.C., As Protests Loom; Cities Brace For Influx Of "No Kings" Protesters; 21-Year-Old Caring For Siblings After Parents Detained, Deported; Israel, Iran Trade Attacks After Israel Targets Nuclear Sites; Judge Considers Removing Juror In Diddy's Sex Trafficking Trial; The Simril(l)s: A Family In Black And White Airs Tomorrow At 6:00 P.M.; Thunder Tie-Up NBA Finals With 111-104 Win Over Pacers. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired June 14, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It's Saturday, June 14th. I'm Victor Blackwell. Here's what's happening today.

President Trump's military parade set to roll through Washington, D.C. Seven million pounds of military hardware will hit the streets this evening. The president celebrates the Army's birthday and his birthday.

Now, as that parade is happening in Washington, more than 2,000 protests are planned across the country. They're called the No Kings protests. Demonstrators say it's a direct response to the military parade and to the ICE raids across the country.

Iran launched a new wave of missiles toward Israel this morning. That continued a night of attacks between the two sides that caused destruction in both Tel Aviv and Tehran. We're live in the region with the latest.

Also, heavy rains flooded parts of Indiana Friday. In Evansville, cars were stranded, some of them trying to make it through here. The inches of rain that caused flash flooding on the roads, attracting the threat for more heavy rains and some severe storms this weekend.

Happening today, President Trump's long-awaited military parade set to take place in Washington, D.C. It's happening on the Army's 250th anniversary, and that happens to fall on Trump's 79th birthday.

The Army has been gearing up for the parade for a few days now, so have officials in charge of security. The parade comes after more than a week of anti-ice protests in downtown Los Angeles and in several cities across the country.

And the protest against the president and his parade will add to that with nearly 2,000 No Kings demonstrations planned across the country. The organizers anticipate millions will attend. CNN's correspondent, Brian Todd, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump's vision for a grand military parade, in the making for nearly a decade, is finally coming to fruition.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It's going to be an amazing day. We have tanks, we have planes, we have all sorts of things.

TODD: Dozens of Abrams tanks, Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles, and howitzers will be rolling down Constitution Avenue in Washington. About seven million pounds of hardware, nearly 7,000 soldiers will march.

There will be flyovers, horses, and the Army's Golden Knights parachute team will descend and hand the president an American flag.

The largest display of military firepower in the nation's capital, at least since 1991, when a parade of troops and weaponry marked the American victory in the first Gulf War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A generation later, we are going to see a parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army. But it comes at a time when the president has shown a deep desire to have a military parade.

TODD: CNN reports the president's team asked the Pentagon in late 2016 about using military vehicles for his first inaugural parade, but the idea never took hold.

Then, a visit to Paris for Bastille Day in 2017. Trump was enthralled when French President Emmanuel Macron treated him to the traditional display of firepower to celebrate French independence.

Trump's been pushing for similar pageantry in Washington ever since. Trump's critics say it's anti-Democratic to politicize the military.

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): He's ordering our American heroes, the United States military, and forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past.

TODD: The White House pushing back, one official telling CNN, "No one ever calls Macron a dictator for celebrating Bastille Day."

But there's another layer of tension surrounding this event. The recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles and other cities, raising concerns about potential unrest in Washington.

How specifically did L.A. play into your planning for this? Do you have it on the mind?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're monitoring what's happening there, but to say that because of L.A. we had to change something, that's not the case, because we planned for that anyway.

TODD: The Coast Guard and Secret Service showed us the massive security footprint for the parade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There'll be a double bike rack here, and they'll be on the other side, so about eight feet of double bike rack.

TODD: Eighteen miles of fencing, concrete barricades, hundreds of law enforcement officers. Drones and counter-sniper teams will be deployed. On the Potomac River, the commander of a Coast Guard response boat team told us they'll have eyes on threats from the water.

What are the biggest vulnerabilities on the water and along the shore?

CMDR. RYAN GOMEZ, U.S. COAST GUARD: Sometimes the biggest vulnerabilities are just the edges of those perimeters, so I think we've planned for this event. We've looked at what we need to cover.

TODD: Security officials tell us there are no credible threats to this parade. But Secret Service Special Agent Matt McCool says the lone wolf attacker is always the wild card. They'll be extra vigilant looking for threats like that.

And he points out this city, with its multiple law enforcement agencies all in close coordination, is uniquely capable of handling an event this size. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:05:06]

BLACKWELL: Dr. Kori Schake joins me now, she's the director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at American Enterprise Institute. Dr. Schake, good to have you this morning. Let's start here with your piece published in The Atlantic.

The title, "Sometimes a Parade is Just a Parade: Not Everything Trump Does is a Threat to Democracy." You wrote this, "In today's climate, a military parade could offer an opportunity to counter misperceptions about the armed forces. It could bring Americans closer to service members and juice military recruitment, all of which is sorely needed."

Well, the climate has changed since then. The president has mobilized, federalized the National Guard against the wishes of the California governor. Marines are now running security at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles. A week later, do you still believe that?

DR. KORI SCHAKE, DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN AND DEFENSE POLICY STUDIES AT AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: I do still believe it, but I take your point that the president's other choices have created an ominous atmosphere that's justifiably making people nervous. But what I think you will see, it's not the president's army, it's America's army.

And I think you will see in the comportment of the soldiers involved in this celebration that Americans like our military because we don't have to fear our military. And I think that will be on display today. BLACKWELL: OK, you mentioned ominous. Let me read for you what you

said to the New York Times: "The unfortunate coincidence of the parade and federalizing the California National Guard, it will feel ominous."

You characterize the timing as unfortunate, but let me challenge it this way, are these not the intentional reinforcements of a message that the president has attempted to sell since coming back into office?

The threats against elected officials, even this new menacing official portrait that sometimes the ominousness is the point.

SCHAKE: Yes, I think that's right. I also think it's right to expect the president to behave badly today. You know, as he behaved badly at the West Point commencement at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, as he behaved badly in front of troops at Fort Bragg earlier this week.

The president is politicizing his relationship with the military in a way that has the potential to be dangerous. But the American military resists that. They're sturdy professionals. And I think you will see, no matter what the president does, a military that's committed to subordination, to political control, to not being a threat to the American society that it serves.

BLACKWELL: You wrote in The Atlantic piece about the shrinking U.S. military. Fewer people are eligible because of fitness. Fewer young people exposed to active duty service members. Some young people just not interested.

To what degree do you believe the purge of photos and books and stories about people of color, the LGBTQ community, women, plays into potentially, as you characterized it, the shrinking American military?

SCHAKE: I think that is a great question. And what they are doing with this supposed anti-DEI program is terrible, right? You can't meet recruiting goals without women enthusiastically joining the American military. And to literally whitewash the contributions of Americans of Asian descent, of Black Americans, of women, is a way of narrowing the aperture of who we celebrate.

I was on the commission that renamed military bases that had been named for Confederates. And it was such a joy to celebrate Americans whose service to our country had been overlooked. And I think it's a really disappointing jihad that Secretary Hegseth and the administration are on to take people out of the picture.

I think our country is most vibrant and strongest when we are most inclusive.

BLACKWELL: Dr. Kori Schake, thank you for your time this morning.

Anti-Trump protests are set to happen across the country today. Organizers say that more than 1,800 events and demonstrations are planned. And they say they expect millions of protesters to attend to oppose the president's policies. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:10:05]

ERIC ADAMS (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: All week we have seen the professionalism of the NYPD and our partners in law enforcement. And we expect large number of New Yorkers to be out on our streets. And the 34,000 members of New York City Police Department, led by our team, will be protecting everyone. We want to keep all New Yorkers safe, whether you are protesting or going about your everyday life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Joining us now from Atlanta, CNN national correspondent, Rafael Romo. Rafael, what's expected in Atlanta today?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Victor. Good morning. We're standing across the street from the Georgia State Capitol here in downtown Atlanta.

The space behind me, to my left, is Liberty Plaza. And this is where a protest is scheduled to be held later this morning. This will be Atlanta's No King's Protest.

That's what organizers are calling these demonstrations around the country, which are a direct response to President Trump's military parade and immigration raids.

The local organizers say they are protesting what they call authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy, while at the same time, criticizing President Trump's parade, which they call self-aggrandizing.

Nearly 2,000 protests across all 50 states are scheduled to take place the same day as President Trump has organized a military parade in Washington, D.C., making both the 250th anniversary of the Army as well as the President's 79th birthday.

Officials are saying that while they respect freedom of speech and First Amendment rights, they will not tolerate violence or vandalism. This is the warning made by Brevard County, Florida, Sheriff Wayne Ivey had to make.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF WAYNE IVEY, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA: If you throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains at, because we will kill you graveyard dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Meanwhile, Victor in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said he has deployed over 5,000 Texas National Guard soldiers and over 2,000 DPS troopers across the state to maintain order. President Trump also warned violent protests will not be tolerated. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And we're going to be celebrating big on Saturday. We're going to have a lot of, and if there's any protester wants to come out, they will be met with very big force. By the way, for those people that want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force, and I haven't even heard about a protest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And finally, Victor, organizations of the No King's Protest say they are expecting large turnouts in many other cities, including Phoenix, Houston, Chicago, and of course here in Atlanta. Now back to you.

BLACKWELL: Rafael Romo for us in Atlanta. Rafael, thank you.

Now, as the immigration enforcement raids are carried out across the country, families are being split up. I need for you for just the next maybe 90 seconds to set aside the specific concerns about a pathway to citizenship or how these parents got into the country and think about 21-year-old, Beverly Juarez.

Her father was recently deported back to Guatemala. Her mother could be deported today, and she'll now have to care for her three younger siblings. She is a single parent of three that has to run a household and a business in a moment. I spoke to her about how she's feeling and how her life is changing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEVERLY JUAREZ, IMMIGRANT PARENTS DETAINED: I feel very overwhelmed because, you know, I have to put a pause on a lot of things that are personal. And I have to, you know, all of a sudden I have the responsibility of three younger lives in my hands, and I have to stop.

I have to start thinking like a parent and do things with them at the top of my head. And I'm very sad because there's many times where I'm making decisions for myself, where I think, well, what would my dad do or what would my mom do? And so, in this scenario, it's like, yes, I have to. I'm sorry.

I have to. I can't think like that anymore. I have to be that responsible over three kids. And, you know, I love them. I do love them. It's just a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: She's sitting in a car because we did this interview right after her mother was detained. You can watch the full interview with Beverly Juarez. That's next hour, 8:00 a.m. Eastern on "FIRST OF ALL."

[07:15:00]

Still to come, the fears of a wider conflict as Israel and Iran trade attacks. We're live in Tel Aviv with the very latest. Plus, Kilmar Brigo-Garcia pleads not guilty to federal human

trafficking charges.

And Kanye West shows up at the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial. We have the latest developments inside and outside the courtroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:04]

BLACKWELL: Israel says it has killed nine scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program during its strikes against the country. Meanwhile Iranian state media is reporting a new round of Israeli strikes hit several provinces in Iran.

This is after a night of mutual missile and drone attacks between the two countries, both sides claimed to have intercepted incoming drones as the exchange of fire intensified overnight.

The casualties are mounting Israeli officials report three people killed, dozens more injured. Iran is reporting more than 100 people killed and hundreds more wounded from Israeli's strikes, most of them civilians.

In Israel, search-and-rescue crews are out right now, searching south of Tel Aviv where an Iranian missile struck a residential area. And on Friday, Iran's supreme leader issued a warning for Israel's leadership while the Israeli prime minister addressed the Iranian people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN (through translation): Then the evil life will become bitter for them without a doubt they should not think they struck and it's over. No, they started this and triggered a war. We will not allow them to walk away unscathed from the great crime they have committed.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: Tonight, I wish to speak to you, the proud people of Iran, the time has come for you to unite around your flag and your historic legacy by standing up for your freedom from an evil and oppressive regime. It has never been weaker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, is live in Tel Aviv. Nic, the back-and-forth continued Overnight, where does things stand this this morning afternoon where you are?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think because we're now getting a few more details from the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces, about the nature of some of these operations. It gives you a sort of a sense of a pause at the moment, even though Israel has been striking inside of Iran targets.

It seems in northwestern Iran right in the west of Iran as well. So sort of on the border and that part of Iranian territory that's if you will closest to Israel and it's included targeting, it appears, a couple of nuclear facilities of reprocessing facility.

The Iranians are saying that damage there is insignificant, but the details that you were just mentioning there about the Israel saying that they have killed nine Iranian top nuclear scientists.

The additional details that we have here, you know paint the picture of how Israel was able to do that. They say over the past more than a year they'd intensified intelligence gathering efforts and that's why they were able to take out these leading scientists that they're sort of leaders in the field of physics of mechanics.

These key areas in the nuclear industry they were able to take those people out, if you will. But we're also getting fresh details from the IDF and just in the last hour or so about casualties to Israeli Defense Forces. Seven service members they say were lightly injured in central Israel taken to hospital, but released home after that.

But notwithstanding, civilian casualties here in the southern suburbs of Tel Aviv, two people killed early in the morning, dozens others injured. Another person another civilian killed overnight. Strikes in the center of the city here, in the southern suburbs, and intercepts going on across the country.

I was talking with you earlier about coming across an intercept missile and watching one of those intercepts play out way out in the desert in Israel. And the intercept missile, if that's what it was, was still smoldering and smoking in the road. And I think that you get a sense of is an indication even if you're not involved in a direct hit, you are still in danger.

The streets here are much more empty than they would be at a weekend. People are concerned about where this goes to next because it is in this sort of tit-for-tat stage, if you will. However, there is still a strong sense of this is something that was waiting to happen.

There's a, there's a feeling that this is the right thing to do -- support for the Prime Minister on this account at this moment. But the the defense minister has has warned Iran if they continue their strikes, the pain will be felt in Tehran, the pain will be felt by the citizens in Tehran.

So, I think this is a long way from over. And if you will, in this tit-for-tat, Israel just had the last round of strikes and I think everyone here will be waiting and watching for Iran's move. It's those ballistic missiles, not their drones. It's the ballistic missiles smashing into the city here, smashing into the suburbs last night.

Those are the missiles that cause the biggest Danger to Israelis at the moment.

BLACKWELL: All right, there's back and forth a long way from over. Nic Robertson, thank you, and I'll pick it up right there and take it to Aaron David Miller, a former State Department negotiator for the Middle East, and Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

[07:25:08]

Aaron good morning to you. And so, let's pick it up there, because where this ends depends upon the goal. And so, the initial attack from Israel was to, they say, stop Iran from developing the final stages of a nuclear weapon. There are now three Israelis dead, dozens injured. What is the strategic goal this morning? Is it different?

AARON DAVID MILLER, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: I don't think so, Victor. You know, you could look at Gaza as a sort of prologue here. I mean, 18 months on, what is the Israeli definition of victory?

Prime Minister has defined it as total victory, which would mean not only destroying Hamas as a military organization, but eliminating, eradicating its influence in Gaza, which is going to be very difficult to achieve.

Here, it seems to me, the Israelis want to destroy, cripple. I don't know exactly the words they're using in the Iranian nuclear program. That's going to be extremely difficult to do. It's redundant. It's varied. It's decentralized.

We know after a day or so of strikes that they've damaged one of the major enrichment facilities, but they've left the stockpiles of pylon- enriched uranium and, of course, the source of producing that uranium in Fordow, which is buried a half mile in and below a mountain.

So, a total victory here is going to be very difficult. And, you know, the prime minister has called for an uprising of the Iranian people against brutal, authoritarian, oppressive regime of this supreme leader. If regime change is an objective victory, you and I are going to be having this conversation probably next year at this time as well.

So, there is no off-ramp right now. I think the issue here is, will it escalate? Will it regionalize? Will the U.S. get involved? Will the Iranians strike American assets in the Middle East and Saudi oil- producing facilities if they don't? I suspect in several weeks this could probably devolve into just a longer slog between Israel and Iran with diminishing efforts by both sides to strike each other's territory directly.

BLACKWELL: Well, let's talk more about U.S. involvement. This is a question I put to Errol Louis in the last hour. The influence that the U.S. has over what happens next and how will or will at all this president use that leverage to stop what's happening? What do you think?

MILLER: Well, if you look at other negotiations, the president's involved in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Hamas, and now U.S. and Iran, the reality is that there are a lot of words and rhetoric, but the deployment of leverage on both sides, whether it's the Russians and the Ukrainians, the Israelis, and Hamas, and Iran, and Israel, the leverage really has not been effectively deployed.

I think the president is now riding the tiger. I think he prides himself in at least enabling or not saying no to the prime minister's efforts to destroy, completely understandable, the Iranian nuclear program, given how close the Iranians would be within six, eight, ten months to actually weaponizing.

But I don't think he's in a position right now to bring the kind of leverage on both of these combatants that would negotiate or have this change into a ceasefire. The Israelis are going to continue to do what they're doing. And Iran, the Supreme Leader, is going to try to survive and also to demonstrate that Iran has some capacity to strike Israel.

But so far, those efforts on the Iranian side have been far from impressive. The Israelis have been able to manage these barrages of ballistic missiles, at least so far.

BLACKWELL: The U.S. is hoping that Iranian leaders will show up in Muscat tomorrow for the next round of nuclear talks. The president initially said that an attack from Israel might derail those talks. Now he's saying that maybe this will encourage the Iranians to seriously negotiate.

You think it's realistic that they show and that this will be any initiative, any encouragement to negotiate more seriously, as the president says? Any incentive?

MILLER: I really don't, Victor. I think if the Iranians show, even if they show, this is the key to an empty room right now. The Iranians have invested, what, $5 trillion in this nuclear program. It's become a source of national pride, prestige.

[07:29:55]

And ultimately the Iranians may make a decision, assuming this regime survives as suspect they will, to actually pursue a nuclear weapon.

So, I mean, even if the Iranians showed for some reason, to demonstrate something other than weakness, there is absolutely no chance that you are looking at a diplomatic off ramp and negotiations on the nuclear issue, which the Israelis are in the prospects of continuing to undermine and to cripple, and those efforts are going to continue.

I think, even if they show, it would -- it would largely perform it. But I see very little chance of anything meaningful emerging from that meeting.

BLACKWELL: Aaron David Miller, always good to have your expertise. Thank you.

And still, to come, a Palestinian activist will remain in detention while he fights his deportation. But a judge says that one of the reasons he's being held may be unconstitutional.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:16] BLACKWELL: A federal judge says Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil can remain in detention as he fights deportation. But the judge said it was unconstitutional for the Trump administration to hold Khalil on foreign policy grounds.

He did agree with them that he could be held for failing to give required information on his application to be a permanent resident. Khalil has not been charged with a crime. His attorney called the move a cruel delay tactic by the government.

The man mistakenly deported to a South American prison, then, returned to the U.S., pleaded not guilty to federal charges of human smuggling at a hearing on Friday. Allegations against Kilmar Abrego Garcia relate to a Tennessee traffic stop. This was in 2022, where Garcia was cited while driving a Chevy Suburban, carrying nine Hispanic males. The judge has not yet made a decision on whether Garcia must remain in federal custody while his case moves forward.

A major storm dumped as much as five inches of rain across Evansville, Indiana, on Friday. Several roads were flooded. Our affiliate WFIE, reports that first responders carried out several water rescues. One man says he had to swim away from his car.

More rain is expected today, and that wet weather is moving east. The rain is forecast for the East Coast today, including Washington, D.C., where the president's Trump -- President Trump's military parade is happening this afternoon.

Allison Chinchar is with us. So, we talking just rain, or we getting the whole package.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. And that's the thing. Like, first off, nobody wants rain at a parade, period.

BLACKWELL: Do not.

CHINCHAR: But what you really don't want are gusty winds, lightning and thunder, a lot of the other stuff that can also sometimes come with some of the showers and thunderstorms in the summertime.

Here is a live look at D.C., not necessarily rainy. Doesn't really look beautiful either at this point in time, but you will likely get some bouts of sunshine as we go through the day today. You'll get some periods of blue sky, but you're also going to get some periods of rain. Right now, you can see we have some rain nearby in the vicinity, not necessarily right in downtown.

But again, this is going to continue as we go, not only through the morning. But then, by the afternoon, you're going to start to see more showers and thunderstorms fire up. And that's why you have these flood watches in effect, and that does include Washington, D.C., and also a good portion of eastern Virginia as well, because we anticipate seeing some of those showers and thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening.

So, here is a look at the timeline, especially, from like that 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. timeline, when most of those folks are going to be out near D.C. for the parade, you do have those rain chances, especially maybe, say, the 7:00 and 8:00 hour.

Again, it's not going to be a washout. I want to emphasize that. These are good -- the showers and thunderstorms are going to come and go throughout the afternoon and evening hours. But there is the chance for a torrential downpour, there is the chance for some lightning and thunder, especially during the early evening timeline, which, again, is not what you want to have at a parade.

BLACKWELL: Yes, that's dangerous, and could potentially postpone it if you have all those hundreds of thousands of people out there and you've got severe weather.

Allison, thank you.

Still to come a possible shake up in the Sean Diddy Combs trial, while the judge could dismiss a juror.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:42:56]

BLACKWELL: Prosecutors say they could wrap up their case against Sean Diddy Combs sometime next week. Now Combs is charged with federal crimes including sex trafficking and racketeering. Combs's team would begin its defense soon after.

Now, Kanye West showed up at the courthouse on Friday to show his support for Diddy.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has been following the trial and has more on a juror who could potentially be dismissed as soon as Monday. Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: A very busy Friday to end week five in the Sean Diddy Combs trial. The week ending with some surprises. The judge said that he will take the weekend to review some materials to determine whether to dismiss a juror at this stage in the case. And none other than Kanye West showed up at the courthouse, right behind me, he entered to support Sean Combs.

Let's start with Kanye. Now, the day before, Kanye West did show up here at court, again, to support his friend, Sean Combs. I had reported that a source told me that Kanye was planning to come to court. In fact, the source told me that he had been in touch with Christian Combs, who is one of Sean Combs's sons, who is been in court most days. He also goes by King Combs.

While King Combs and Kanye, they are actually working on music together. So, they have been in constant touch.

But what happened when Kanye showed up here is he was not on the list to enter the actual courtroom where the trial is occurring.

Of course, that's where the judge is, where Diddy is, where testimony is happening. Instead, Kanye West was taken to an overflow room. He stayed there for a short amount of time. King Combs, again, Sean Combs's son, did join him. They sat next to each other. But after a few minutes, Kanye West then exited the courthouse.

All right. Now, on to this issue regarding a juror possibly being dismissed. This has been an issue that has come up all week, very contentious between the prosecution and the defense. The defense wants this juror to stay on the jury, but the prosecution is asking for this person to be dismissed.

[07:45:01]

Now, even though this has come up all week throughout the trial, we had no details what the issue was regarding juror number six. But at the very end of the day on Friday, after the jury had been dismissed for the day, the judge said that some pieces of information were not truthful. That came up with this juror during jury selection, including where he lives and with whom.

Now, here is a direct quote from the judge. She said, "The changing answers and inconsistency give the court worry about deception and lying."

Now, Sean Combs's defense, again, they are fighting very hard to keep this juror on the jury, and they said that if this person is cut from the jury, that the jury will not be as diverse. This is what one of Combs's attorneys had to say, that it will, "result in the diversity of this jury being shortened". Another one of Combs' defense attorneys said, "I don't play the race card unless I have it in my hand. And I'm not saying I'm playing it now, but the facts are, what the facts are." The judge did not seem to agree with that, and said that he will review it over the weekend.

So, on Monday, we could be getting information whether or not this juror will be thrown off the jury. And the judge said it is his intention to do just that. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: All right. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you for that report.

Next week, we mark Juneteenth. It's an important date in our shared history as Americans, regardless of race. Recently, two men in South Carolina, one black, one white, decided to dive into their own family history. It includes slavery, an old, formally segregated church that still exists today.

CNN's Sarah Sidner visited that church for a special airing this weekend. "THE SIMRIL(L)S: A FAMILY IN BLACK AND WHITE".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, the name of this church is?

Allison Creek Presbyterian Church, it's founded in 1854, right before the Civil War.

SIDNER: Wow.

Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Simril family were somewhere among the founders. Allison Creek was the home church for black and white Simrils during slavery in the early days of reconstruction.

SIDNER: So, both slaves and slave owners would come together to church. Now, they didn't actually come together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

SIDNER: And the reason why I am where I am, which is up here on a balcony, is because this is where the slaves had to be, right? It makes me really sad, like it's heavy being up here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Watch Sarah's report on an all-new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER". It's tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. only on CNN.

All right. Still to come, the Thunder pulled even in the NBA Finals thanks to their superstar. Andy Scholes has the highlights from Game Four in sports.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[07:52:44]

EVA LONGORIA, AMERICAN ACTRESS (voice over): Cider to the Asturians, is like wine to the French or tequila to the Mexicans. It's been their favorite drink of choice for over 2,000 years, and they even have their own word for the way you pour it, escanciar.

The bottle served with just one glass, traditionally, all that families could afford.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can we do it?

LONGORIA: Oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). We'll see.

LONGORIA: So, everyone gets a turn at pouring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You put your arm as high as possible.

LONGORIA: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK? Then, you put back the glass.

LONGORIA: Why like that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you want the liquid to crash over here. LONGORIA: You want it to crash?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LONGORIA: Got it.

LONGORIA (voice over): As the cider crashes down, carbon dioxide is released, producing a momentary fizz.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Higher, higher, higher, higher.

LONGORIA: I'm short, that's as high as it goes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

LONGORIA (voice over): Even with my arm to glass ratio.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then you need to drink. Do you like it?

LONGORIA: Yes, but it's a lot. I have to drink at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LONGORIA: It tastes like kombucha, like something fermented.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes.

LONGORIA: But you can taste the apple. That would be dangerous. We drink too much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: There is not much that gets into the glass, though.

A new episode of "EVA LONGORIA: SEARCHING FOR SPAIN", airs tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CNN.

All right, the NBA Finals are tied to 2-2, after a late win by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Andy Scholes is here.

SCHOLES: Yes. Victor, the Pacers, they were close to taking a three one lead in this series. Their fans were really hoping it was going to happen. But, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showing why he's the MVP of the league. Late in the fourth quarter of Game Four. The Pacers were up by four under three to go. SGA hits a huge three here.

The Thunder only made 3-3s all game long. It was the fewest in the finals win since 2010. And moments later, SGA pushes off Aaron Nesmith hit the step back jumper to give OKC the lead. Pacers' fans wanted an offensive foul and to travel on this one, they got neither. SGA finished with 35 points, and the Thunder defense would do the rest.

As OKC closed the game on a 12-1 run. They win 111, to 104, to even the series at two games apiece.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER, GUARD, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: We knew when we woke up this morning. 3-1 is a lot different than 2-2 going back home. We played with desperation to end the game, and that's why we won. We got to try to maintain the same desperation going into Game Five, Game Six, whatever it may be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, Game Five of The Finals is going to be Monday in OKC.

[07:55:03]

Meanwhile, today, it's round three at the U.S. Open in Oakmont so far. Live up to the billing is one of the toughest courses in the country. Not many low scores out there. Only three guys under par.

But Victor Perez had the moment of the day in round two on the par-3 sixth. Perez, the perfect shot here. And watch it when it gets on the green. Nice two bounces and it rolls right in for the hole in one. Perez, all pumped up the chest bump with the caddy. This was the 54th hole in one in U.S. Open history, only the second ever in open play at Oakmont.

Perez, one over in the tournament thus far, which is four shots back of your leader, Sam Burns.

And Victor, I really enjoy this U.S. Some people are not liking it, because the course is so hard. I love it. I love it when the guys hit the ball and it goes two feet, and they are like --

BLACKWELL: Oh, well, there is that.

SCHOLES: Makes us normal people feel better.

BLACKWELL: Andy Scholes, thank you.

SCHOLES: All right.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, first of all is coming up at the top of the hour. We're taking a look at the protests set to happen across the country today as D.C. prepares for a massive military parade. We'll talk about those protests with the leader of D.C. government.

Plus, I'll speak to a black Marine veteran who thinks young Americans of color should not be enlisting in the armed forces in this moment. And you'll hear from a 21-year-old American whose undocumented mom is set to be deported this morning. Her dad was deported just last week, and now, she's left to care for her three younger siblings.

She'll share her story and a plea addressed to President Trump. It's all coming up on "FIRST OF ALL", after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END