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Senate Slated To Vote On Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill Saturday; Supreme Court Delivers Major Win To Trump Admin; Funeral For Rep. Melissa Hortman And Husband Mark. Jury to Begin Deliberations on Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial on Monday; Bezos and Sanchez Get Married in Venice Amid A-list Stars and Protesters. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired June 28, 2025 - 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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[06:00:30]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to CNN This Morning Weekend. It's Saturday, June 28th. I'm Victor Blackwell. Here's what's happening today.

The Senate could vote as soon as this weekend on President Trump's sweeping agenda bill. The lawmakers will be back on Capitol Hill in a few hours for an important procedural vote, but some key Republican senators say they are still not sold on the bill.

The Supreme Court delivered a major win for President Trump in his ongoing fight with federal judges. However, the ruling does not settle whether the president can end birthright citizenship.

And the jury in the Sean Combs trial will begin deliberating Monday after lawyers from both sides delivered the closing arguments yesterday. We've got the key takeaways, including how Combs' defense attorney tried to paint his client's relationship with Cassie Ventura as, quote, a great modern love story.

Plus, it's the wedding of the year. I'm sure Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez would say more than the year, maybe the century. They're married in this star studded ceremony in Venice despite some major protests. We will take you there live.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And we have a strong line of thunderstorms moving across portions of the Midwest. But more is expected today and even in the Northeast as well. We'll take a look coming up.

BLACKWELL: Our senators are in time crunch now for this weekend with Republicans crossing their fingers that enough members vote to advance the president's Big Beautiful Bill Act. They can only afford to lose three votes on today's expected procedural vote.

And as of last night, they were short. Senator Thom Tillis says that he will vote against proceeding to the package unless three, there are some major changes, specifically with Medicaid, which faces major cuts to pay for Trump's tax and spending cuts. Senators are trying to get this bill done by the president's July 4 deadline, but he's indicated that there's some wiggle room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: That's not the end all longer, but we'd like to get it done by that time if possible. Look, we have a lot of very committed people and they feel very strongly about a subjects, subjects that you're not even thinking about that are important to Republicans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Just before midnight, Senate Republicans released the full text of the bill, 940 pages. CNN's Marybel Gonzalez looks at the changes and the chances this bill will make it to the president's desk by Independence Day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: It's a great bill. It's a popular bill.

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Donald Trump is set to spend a rare weekend in Washington while pushing Senate Republicans to pass his so called big, beautiful bill.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: I have been doggedly determined to get this done by July 4th, as has the president.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): Yet the sweeping domestic bill is on shaky ground. On Thursday, the Senate's rules referee struck down key provisions, saying they don't meet the chamber's strict budget rules so that the bill can be approved by a simple majority vote. Now Republican leaders are scrambling to rework it.

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R) NEW YORK: I'm not as set on getting this done on July 4th as some of the others. If they try to jam it through and, you know, the House does, and they go too far in changing what the House did, it runs the risk of it failing here. That's the reality.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): Medicaid is one sticking point with some Republicans concerned about potential cuts to social safety net programs. Democratic leaders like California's Governor Gavin Newsom opposed the bill, saying if passed, it could eliminate health care coverage for millions of Golden State residents.

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D) CALIFORNIA: I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime. This is devastating.

REP. DON BACON (R) NEBRASKA: But I feel like the Senate's making our bill better. From what I'm hearing, I think they've made it better in stamp. I think they've made it better in the federal retirements. I think they've made it better with the energy.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): I'm Marybel Gonzalez reporting. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right, joining us now, congressional reporter for The Hill, Mychael Schnell. Mychael, good to have you on a Saturday. All right, so let's talk about some of the changes in this new version. What do, what do you, what do we need to know?

MYCHAEL SCHNELL, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, THE HILL: Yes. Hey, Victor, good morning. There was about three changes I think are really key and are going to dictate where Republican senators fall on this bill. At this moment, we're still waiting for some other details to emerge.

First off, there was a change to the provider tax language in the bill. The provider tax essentially helps to generate more money for states to fund Medicaid and then therefore influencing the amount of federal funding that states get for Medicaid.

[06:05:05]

The provider tax in this bill decreases from 6 percent to 3.5 percent for some states. Now there are a number of Republican senators who are concerned about the fiscal impact in their states from that policy. So this bill actually pushes back the implementation of these changes from 2027 to 2028.

And in line with that, there's also a $25 billion a rural hospital stabilization fund. A number of Republican senators are really concerned about what that provider tax change would mean for some of those rural hospitals, raising concerns that they wouldn't have enough money to operate. This stabilization fund is meant to now offset those concerns.

Still, big questions of if that $25 billion pot of money is enough to assuage those worries about the rural hospitals and if that one year delay in implementation is enough. The other big change that we saw in the tech overnight was a change to the state and local tax deduction cap. It's this thing called salt that we've been talking about. It's really important for voters in states like New York, New Jersey and California, high tax blue states. This changed the salt cap deduction. Essentially. The House had a high Salt cap deduction, $40,000. The Senate proposed a $10,000 cap, which was the same number that's in current law.

Republican senators and along with the administration and House Republicans found a middle ground. It'll be a $40,000 cap for five years and then a $10,000 cap after that. So a number of changes overnight. But again, we haven't seen or spoken to Republican senators since these tweaks came out. So that's going to be the big question to ask folks when they trickle into the Capitol today.

BLACKWELL: Yes, and that's the question. I mean, there's been this vote called the procedural vote to open debate for noon today. But does Majority Leader Thune have 50 votes to move forward? Because we've heard from some Republicans who said they're not there yet.

SCHNELL: Yes, so that's of course the key question right now, and we truly don't have answer. Look, we know where some folks stand. Rand Paul from the start has said he's a no on this bill. He doesn't like the debt limit increase that's in it. Thom Tillis said he was also a no on this bill unless there were substantive changes. He had a lot of concerns with those Medicaid provisions. Curious to know what he thinks about those tweaks that was made overnight.

And then you have a whole host of other Republicans, about five, maybe even more, who wouldn't say where they're going to vote on this procedural vote that's likely going to happen later today because they didn't know what they were voting on.

You had someone like Lisa Murkowski, for example, who said, I can't tell you how I'm going to vote because we haven't seen texts yet. So I don't know what I would be voting on. So folks, I suspect are rummaging through that 940 page bill this morning. Also important to note the caveat that we're expecting another version to come out shortly. Well, maybe not shortly, but at some point with some final tweaks based on negotiations behind the scenes, conversations with the parliamentarian to try to nail down the final details of this bill.

But certainly that motion to proceed, that procedural vote that's likely going to happen later today is going to be crucial about seeing where support for this bill is and whether or not Republican senators can move forward in the process.

BLACKWELL: The president is staying in Washington this weekend. Usually he is at his New Jersey property or this time he has New Jersey. Sometimes he's at Mar-a-Lago. What is he doing this weekend? Should members of Congress expect to be called to the White House or is he just doing this by phone?

SCHNELL: Republicans on Capitol Hill see President Trump in these negotiations as the closer at every twist and turn of this saga involving this big, beautiful bill. There have been Republican holdouts who have voiced concerns right before that vote has began. And then suddenly it's a visit from the president, a visit to the White House or simply a phone call from the president that assuages their concerns and flips their support from no to yes.

So I suspect, given the current dynamics as they are, exactly how we would suspect, exactly how they have been at different turns and iterations of this process that they will be speaking to, hearing from President Trump. We've already seen him start that pressure campaign and that lobbying campaign publicly. We saw him speaking at the White House, which you showed just before.

We have Truth Social posts from him as well, saying he wants to get this done and he would like the House to send him a bill before July 4th. So that campaign is already underway. The president has spoken to a number of these members and has met with a number of them in the interim to get up to this period. I'm sure he will be brought in to get this thing over the finish line.

BLACKWELL: Yes. The president also said that there's some wiggle room if he didn't get to his desk by the fourth. He certainly probably doesn't want it to go until August because then there is that month long recess. But is the fourth even realistic now, considering it was less than a week?

SCHNELL: It is. Look, I know the dynamics don't look good right now for John Thune and Republican senators. There are a number of Republicans who are holding out with concerns, a number of folks who won't say where they stand.

[06:10:05]

But let's look back to a number of different times and twists and turns and votes that we've had to get to this moment because there's been a lot of lead up and work in progress has been done to get to this final vote.

We often see Republican senators raise concerns and be very dug in on their positions. And then they have these conversations with leadership and more -- most more importantly President Trump behind the scenes and they ultimately move from no to yes.

Look, right now with President Trump being the leader of the Republican Party and right down the street on Pennsylvania Avenue, it's a lot of pressure to risk going against the president, risk his wrath, risk being the target of him potentially primary campaigns. It could be anything. We have seen thus far that very few Republicans, really only Thomas Massie, have been willing to take on that threat and vote against the president's agenda.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

SCHNELL: I suspect would be at the same time this time around. But again, this is the last moment to inflict some change and changes on this bill. So if Republicans have true concerns, this is their last opportunity to make it known.

BLACKWELL: Mychael Schnell, congressional reporter for The Hill, thanks so much.

The Supreme Court handed down some major wins for the Trump administration in its final day of rulings on Friday. In the court's highly anticipated decision on Trump's order to end birthright citizenship, the justices sided with the Trump administration and limited the ability of lower courts to issue these nationwide injunctions on executive orders.

The 6-3 conservative led decision did not rule on whether the order itself to end birthright citizenship is constitutional. There's still a lot of questions about how such an order would even be carried out on a practical level. But that did not stop the president from taking a victory lap.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We've seen a handful of radical left judges effectively try to overrule the rightful powers of the president. I think taking power away from these absolutely crazy radical left judges is a tremendous. This is such a big day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's Paula Reid has more on the ruling and what comes next. Paula, good morning to you.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor. One of the reasons this is such a significant decision is that President Trump is quite prolific in his use of executive action. He has issued a record number of them. They all face legal challenges and some of them have been blocked by judges because before this opinion, any federal judge anywhere in the country had the power to issue what's called a nationwide injunction and block that policy for the entire country.

Now, this is something that is not exclusive to President Trump. This is something that has vaxed Presidents Obama, Biden and Bush. They've all faced nationwide injunctions. But because President Trump was issuing a record number of executive actions, he had a record number of nationwide injunctions. This became a real pet peeve for him and a cause for his Republican allies in Congress.

This is a big deal when the Supreme Court took this case up and here his administration won the case because the justices have limited the power of judges to block these policies for the entire country. So look, going forward, this is going to be messy. If he signs an executive order, yes, it can still be challenged. They can try to use class action lawsuits if that is appropriate.

It will likely go into effect for much of the country, parts of the country where it's not blocked while constitutional challenges play out. So even if something is ultimately found to be unconstitutional, if it goes into effect for a year, even two, I mean, that is something that could affect the lives of thousands, potentially even millions of Americans, depending on what the policy is.

So, this is a notable victory for the administration because I was told, look, the day he was inaugurated for his second term, his lawyers told me that they were going to pursue a lot of executive actions with a very broad view of executive power.

And they believed that even though they would lose at the lower court level, that if they could get their policies before the high court, that they would ultimately prevail. And here we are just a little over six months later and that has come to pass. Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right, Paula, thank you very much. Coming up later this morning on first of all, I'll speak with Norman Wong. He's the great grandson of the man whose case led to a landmark birthright citizenship ruling more than a century ago. That's at 8:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN on First of All.

More than 50 million people are under severe storm threats this morning. Storms are expected to hit in parts of the Midwest and the Northeast, bringing risks of high wind and hail, possible tornadoes. CNN's Allison Chinchar is here with us. Another weekend, another risk of really rough weather. CHINCHAR: Yes. And it's going to be in two separate areas today. So

that's going to be the key thing. You've got one area in the Northeast and another area in the Midwest. And the one in the Midwest is already starting to ramp up even into these very early morning hours.

[06:15:00]

So here's a look at both of those locations. Again, you've got the one in the Northeast and then the separate area here. That's going to bring the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms across areas of the Midwest.

When you look at the current radar, again, we've got some activity up in Maine. Very heavy rain coming down there. But the stronger thunderstorms are located right now over portions of the Midwest. So states like Minnesota, Iowa and even into the Dakotas. You have some of those areas that are looking at the strong thunderstorms as we go through the afternoon, more of them are expected to develop. So it's just going to continue as that line makes its way east.

As for the Northeast, again, you've got this round of showers starting to wrap up across New England. But we're going to start to see more showers and thunderstorms, especially of the severe variety, begin to develop once we get into the afternoon and into the evening hours.

And you can see that here by about four or five o' clock we start to see things fire up into the Northeast. It takes a little bit longer out to the Midwest, maybe closer to that 6 to 8:00 p.m. time frame before we finally start to see those storms begin to take shape.

BLACKWELL: All right, Allison, thank you. Another New Orleans inmate is back in custody where he was found, how he slipped up and why the manhunt is far from over.

Plus, a somber farewell at the state capitol. A Minnesota is honoring a lawmaker, her husband and their beloved dog.

And, the Sean Diddy Combs trial. You got to hear some of the highlights from these closing arguments. A blistering final argument from the prosecution in that case, we have it for you.

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[06:21:05]

BLACKWELL: This morning, Antoine Massey, one of the 10 inmates who escaped the New Orleans justice center in mid-May, is back in custody. U.S. Marshals say a tip led them to a rental home in the Holly Grove neighborhood yesterday, a few miles from the jail he escaped.

Now officials say Massey surrendered peacefully. One inmate, convicted killer Derrick Groves, is still on the run.

University of Virginia President James Ryan is stepping down after facing intense pressure from the Trump administration to get rid of the school's diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Ryan announced his resignation yesterday. He said he didn't want to risk UVA losing federal funding over its diversity programs. The Justice Department warned the school to dismantle DEI efforts or face consequences.

The university cut the Office of DEI and Community Partnership, but that was not enough to satisfy the Justice Department and some conservative groups. Protesters and lawmakers are pushing back, calling Ryan's resignation political and a blow to academic freedom. Here's Ryan addressing his supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES RYAN, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: I will tell you all are the people who make this place great and it has been a total honor to be a part of this place. I love the University of Virginia deeply and it's because of all of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So no word yet on when his resignation will officially take effect. Sources say GOP Congressman Don Bacon will not run for reelection. That opens up the key battleground seat in Nebraska. Three sources familiar with his plan say that he'll make it official next week. He's a centrist Republican, first elected in 2016. He's been hinting at stepping down and has voiced frustration with Washington.

His departure will be a blow to House Republicans fighting to hold their narrow majority. Bacon outperformed Trump in his Omaha area district last fall, and some believe he may eye a 2028 presidential run.

The funeral for the Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, who were shot and killed in what authorities have called a politically motivated assassination, will happen today. President Biden and Vice President Harris are expected to attend.

Crowds lined up outside the state Capitol Friday to say goodbye to Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their dog, Gilbert. Also on Friday, the suspected gunman appeared in court. CNN correspondent Julia Vargas Jones has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beneath the Capitol dome in Minnesota, a rare and somber moment of tribute. State flags lowered, uniformed guards standing watch and at the center of the rotunda, two wooden caskets.

Speaker emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were honored as they lay in state, the first woman in Minnesota history to receive that distinction. But they were not alone. Laid to rest beside them their golden retriever, Gilbert.

Gilbert was trained as a service dog before the Hortman's adopted him, but he too was shot and later euthanized due to his injuries. On Friday, mourners paid their respects, including former President Joe Biden. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobucharp met with the Hortman's two children, saying Sophie and Colin were strong and determined to make sure everyone carries on their parents' legacy of public service and goodness.

Just a few miles away in federal court, the man accused of killing the Hortmans appear before a judge. Vance Boelter wore a green padded smock typically used for inmate safety. His attorney told the court Boelter has been sleep deprived due to jail conditions and communication has been difficult. The judge granted a delay and his next hearing is now set for July 3rd.

[06:25:00]

Boelter faces state and federal charges, including murder, firearm offenses and stalking. Authorities say the June 14 shooting was a politically motivated assassination and that Boelter could face the death penalty if convicted. He allegedly went to the Hortman's home dressed as a police officer and opened fire when police showed up, then fled, triggering the largest manhunt in the state's history.

Before the Hortman's, authorities say Boelter went to the homes of three other Minnesota state politicians. At one of them, police say he shot state Senator John Hoffman and his wife multiple times. Both are making a recovery but say they are, quote, lucky to be alive.

According to court documents, authorities later searched Boelter's vehicle and found at least three AK47 assault rifles, a 9 millimeter handgun and as well as a list of names and addresses of other public officials, most of them Democrats or figures with ties to the abortion rights movement.

There have been questions about what Boelter's wife, Jenny, knew and when. Investigators say she was initially not forthcoming with information but later became cooperative. On Thursday, Jenny Boelter spoke out for the first time, saying she and her children are absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided.

She called the attack a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith, adding that from the start her family has fully cooperated with investigators and they're grateful to law enforcement for apprehending her husband and preventing further harm.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Julia Vargas Jones, thank you for that report. The jury in the Sean Combs trials expected to begin deliberating on Monday. Closing arguments from both attorneys and what the jury will have to consider. That's next.

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BLACKWELL: Deliberations in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial that's expected to start on Monday, attorneys for both sides, they handed the case to the jury after two days of closing arguments. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo suggested Combs was targeted by the government.

He claimed that they failed to present evidence of his alleged crimes, and in a fiery rebuttal, prosecutors say Combs' legal team was focusing on victim-blaming, told the jury, this, "it is time to hold him accountable, find him guilty." CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more for us.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The case is almost in the jury's hands, in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial. Closing arguments coming to an end on Friday, with the defense saying this is a tale of two trials. The trial of the evidence, and the trial that the prosecution is presenting.

They say that the trial of the prosecution is one, that is quote, "badly exaggerated". But they say that the evidence -- well, what he shows is a lifestyle of choosing, and that lifestyle includes being swingers or having threesomes. But even though, that may be a peculiar choice, it is not criminal.

Now, Combs' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo really taking in like Cassie Ventura, the star witness of this trial, she of course, is Sean Combs ex-girlfriend of 11 years, who she claims that she endured a decade-plus of abuse by Sean Combs. Well, she said that she's no victim, that she is not naive. She is a strong woman, and that is actually why Combs fell in love with her.

He actually said that Cassie Ventura is the winner of this trial. Why? Because of money. The federal investigation into Combs all began with Cassie Ventura's civil lawsuit that she filed back in November of 2023. Well, that bombshell lawsuit was settled in 24 hours between Cassie and Combs. So, today, during closing arguments, here is what his attorney had to say to the jury.

He said, quote, "Cassie is nobody's fool. Cassie is sitting somewhere in the world with $30 million. Combs is in jail. Cassie won." Now, the prosecutors got the final word, of course, with their rebuttal. And they said that the defense's closing argument to call these women liars was nothing but victim-blaming.

They said it was ridiculous. It is nonsensical. It is preposterous. They said that Sean Combs has committed crimes and gotten away with it because of his inner circle, that enterprise for 20 years. They ended it by saying that Sean Combs believed that he was a god among men, but he's not a god in this courtroom, there are no gods. There are only people and they implored the jury to find him guilty.

Now, on Monday, the jury will return. They will get their instructions and then deliberations will begin. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: Elizabeth, thank you. With me now to talk about all of this is Julia Jenae, attorney and anchor for "Court TV". Good to have you.

JULIA JENAE, ATTORNEY: Good to be here, Victor --

BLACKWELL: OK, so, let's start here with the racketeering charge, because Agnifilo says if this is being dramatically overcharged, and he points out that there were no witnesses from the upper echelon, the inner circle to say we committed crimes. Here is how I participated, and he ordered me to do it. Is that problematic for the racketeering charge?

JENAE: You know, I think it's interesting that he said it that way. I don't know many defendants who come into a courtroom and say, yes, I committed XYZ crime.

[06:35:00]

They talk about the things that they did, and then you have the prosecution telling the jury this equals racketeering. And racketeering is such an uncommon word for anyone to use. It's not likely that anyone would come in and say it, but I think the defense used that opportunity to tell these jurors where are the other people? Why --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

JENAE: Is no one else saying that, yes, I was involved in this criminal enterprise? Why do people say that they didn't know that they were actually committing crimes. But prosecution says everyone doesn't have to know about the criminal part of it. They don't even have to understand the statute that they're breaking. They just have to have broken that law and done it at "Diddy" Combs' behest.

BLACKWELL: I think people are used to, in these rico cases, kind of the mafia organization where you've got maybe a deputy who comes in and says with immunity, they come in and say, here's what we did. Agnifilo pointed out that even the ex-chief of staff that the prosecutors name-checked several times. They never called her as a witness.

JENAE: No, they didn't --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

JENAE: Call KK, but of course, everyone knew who they were talking about. And the defense used that if she's missing, then what does the prosecution have to hide? And that was really the theme throughout Marc Agnifilo's closing argument. He wanted these jurors to be thinking about why the prosecution chose to go after Sean "Diddy" Combs.

He compared what he was doing to making home-made pornography. Just said this was a love story. These were complicated --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

JENAE: Relationships.

BLACKWELL: Let me read some of this to you, because I want to know your thoughts on just kind of the characterization of -- and let's start with the videos of the freak-offs, which Combs threatened to release --

JENAE: Right --

BLACKWELL: These drug-infused events, hotel nights, as they were called as well. This is what Agnifilo said. "The music is nice, the mood seems friendly and easygoing, everybody is smiling, they're laughing. Forget the sex part. There's a real, genuine intimacy and just nice quality to these evenings." First of all, how are you supposed to forget the sex part?

JENAE: Right --

BLACKWELL: That didn't make sense.

JENAE: You know, these jurors saw that video, right? The members of the public, the media didn't see those videos. But ideally, based on the way that they were described, this was something that was not necessarily enjoyable for the women, despite what the defense says was happening there. So, I don't know if the jurors can get over that part of it, but that was the defense's goal, is to show this as something that was normal.

Compare it even to the pornography industry, saying those are paid actors. They come to have sex.

BLACKWELL: Right --

JENAE: Is that a crime? Why are we targeting Sean "Diddy" Combs, which the judge told these jurors they couldn't -- they had to disregard that. They couldn't say that this was a selective prosecution because that was dealt with at pre-trial.

BLACKWELL: The defense also characterized "Diddy's" relationship with Cassie as, quote, "a great modern love story". They watched the domestic abuse video at the intercontinental hotel. Is there a risk of completely alienating a jury when you have that type of description? And it's a -- that's the commentary of this video they watched.

JENAE: I think that terminology is something that could turn off a jury, especially a juror who may have even in jury selection -- heard many of these jurors talk about the difficulty of seeing some of these videos, seeing some of the allegations that were going to be coming out. So, then to hear it described, sure.

If it's something that's outside the bounds of what may be mainstream, but for him to call it a great modern love story, I'm sure some of these jurors are thinking it's no love story I've seen, that goes through what Cassie went through. And they have that video, and that's the story that's likely why we're here, and that's what the defense said.

We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that video, and prosecutors going forward with this racketeering case without a complaint. Nobody came to the government to say I was sex-trafficked.

BLACKWELL: Yes, the prosecutors, in their rebuttal, said that it's time to stop the victim, blaming that he is responsible. He ran this enterprise. Who do you think had the more effective closing of the two sides?

JENAE: Oh, I think the prosecutions was very effective, especially because of a fear factor that they honed in on. You know, when Kid Cudi was on the stand, he described Sean "Diddy" Combs as a Marvel super villain when he was watching him. And the prosecution repeated that in their closing. I think they want these jurors to have this notion that this is a super villain who couldn't be stopped, who was uncontrollable, who was -- to reference Marvel, a Thanos of sorts.

And no one else, the local police, local government, local prosecutors couldn't stop him. And now it's our job. The federal government, these avengers who are coming in armed with rico to stop him in this way, even if it's not a traditional way of stopping someone, that this is all that we can do, and you are part of this to the jury. So, I think that's effective.

BLACKWELL: All right, Julia Jenae, thank you so much for being in. Still ahead, the Venetian extravaganza everybody is talking about Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, they are married. CNN's Melissa Bell is in Venice for the wedding of -- I'm going to say the century when you think about the price tag and the pictures. How about it, Melissa?

[06:40:00]

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Honestly, Victor, I think you're not far off. It's been quite a spectacular extravaganza. Two days of it already, this is the third day the newlyweds will be partying here at the Arsenale behind me, with no less entertainment than Lady Gaga and Elton John in a little while, Victor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:00]

BLACKWELL: One more day of partying in Venice after billionaire Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos married former journalist Lauren Sanchez. It comes after a two-year engagement and in the middle of a three-day celebration, estimated to cost more than $50 million. "The Vogue" put Sanchez on the digital cover of the publication, featuring the Dolce & Gabbana gown that Sanchez wore as she tied the knot in Venice.

A-list guests included Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady. CNN's international correspondent Melissa Bell is with us to share the highlights. Listen, the last day, everybody's got to get their two- step in before it's over. What's on tap for the finale?

BELL: That's right. It's going to be spectacular just like the rest of it has been, Victor. You mentioned a moment ago that eye-popping figure, we'd arrived here thinking this would be a $10 million-plus wedding. In fact, what we've heard from Italian officials, Venetian officials, is that we're looking at more than $50 million.

So, it's been extravagant. Nothing about it has been low key, including, of course, you mentioned the wedding dress. We finally got a side of it. We've seen Domenico Dolce of Dolce & Gabbana around town, understood, he was part of the guest list. Now, we know Dolce & Gabbana made that pretty spectacular dress.

Again, nothing low key about this wedding, and that's going to continue tonight, from the early celebrations on a Thursday night through to the days, yesterday, Saturday, to what's going to happen here. Now, this was not the initial location for the final bash where the guests are expected to dance the night away, it was planned elsewhere, but protesters got in the way of that.

This is what is called the Arsenal. It's a medieval sort of shipyard where Venetians have been building their ships forever. It's also where they hold their regular art festivals. It's a huge complex, much easier to secure at less glamorous and obvious in the Medieval church, it had been planned for to the north of Venice, but the protesters feel this is something of a win, at least, events have been moved here still.

They promised to be as spectacular as the rest. Elton John will play, Lady Gaga will play, and the very many A-list celebrities that have descended on Venice for this three-day extravaganza, will be making their way here later today. I think one of the most interesting things, Victor, is that we know that these people were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.

And so, we the journalists covering this, have just had to dart around the city on our little boat, trying to catch a glimpse of what we could. And when you look at social media, you'll see some posts of the boats filled with water. The first night when there was a huge thunderstorm, very little has transpired of what goes on inside the parties or inside the event.

So, they've clearly respected the requests of the bride and groom, and little by little, has filtered out this image of an extraordinary series of parties, really, for I think, you are right, to call what you are right to call, the wedding of the century. I'm not sure what else we're going to call it at this stage, as Lauren Sanchez becomes Lauren Sanchez Bezos. Victor.

BLACKWELL: I mean, it looks like a great time. The only -- the only setback here is that, every event you've got to climb into the boat, out of the boat, into the boat, out of the boat to get to every event for three days.

BELL: And in the heat, Victor, I have no words for the heat out here in these last few days.

BLACKWELL: Well, you look great, I'm sure everybody is having a great time, Melissa Bell, thanks so much. All right, it is the Summer and people are getting out on the roads heading across this beautiful country to see some new towns. What we are revealing, our takes on America's best towns this morning, Northampton, Massachusetts, to start the list.

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[06:50:00]

BLACKWELL: For a second year in a row, CNN asked you to weigh in on your favorite towns in America. And we heard from so many people, we took those responses and narrowed them down to the top ten. Among them Northampton, Massachusetts. And I went to see for myself what makes this lively and very diverse place, one of America's best towns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): At first glance, there's a lot to love about Northampton, Massachusetts. Their Smith Colleges art museum and botanic garden, both open to the public.

EMMA BASILE, OWNER, SIP 413: If you want outdoorsy, we have that. One of my favorite things is going and checking out all the different little stores in our downtown area.

BLACKWELL: But there's something about Northampton that people here are most proud of.

BASILE: Northampton is very gay, very queer.

BLACKWELL: Very gay and very queer?

(LAUGHTER)

BASILE: Very gay, very queer.

BLACKWELL: It's true. Northampton's county has the largest share of female-female couple households in the nation. Emma Basile grew up here, but it took her moving away to see her hometown in a new light.

BASILE: And there's like a deep level of caring.

BLACKWELL: Yes --

BASILE: I almost didn't realize, I -- you know, didn't have that where I was. But then coming back, I said, wow, yes, I feel really lucky.

BLACKWELL: She's now the owner of Sip 413 coffee shop, where I indulged in a delicious London fog latte and browsed the shop's retail collection featuring local artists.

(on camera): I love a good greeting card some days, right? You know, there's a difference between being accommodated and being welcomed. And so, do you feel that welcomeness -- if that's a word here --

[06:55:00]

BASILE: Yes --

BLACKWELL (voice-over): And what better way to celebrate that welcomeness than with pride?

CLAY PEARSON, HEAD OF HAMPSHIRE PRIDE: Pride Month for the U.S. is in June, however, Pride Month in Northampton is in May. Because we are older than Pride Month. We actually started our pride in 1982. The first year that it ran, they actually had a lesbian that had a paper bag over her head because she wanted to make sure that she could keep her job.

BLACKWELL (on camera): What's pride today?

PEARSON: It's just queer joy. Everybody being themselves, everybody just being authentic and having a great time.

BLACKWELL (voice-over): In Northampton, a great time can be had at any month of the year, whether with a delicious slice of pie at Florence pie bar or a creative cocktail at the green room. But there's one thing you won't find much of in Northampton. In this city, one would imagine that there would be gay bars lining main street, but there aren't.

PEARSON: That's just out in the open. It's not cooped up in a queer bar or one event once a month. You don't have to worry about a safe space when you're in Northampton. You can just be whatever you want to be.

BLACKWELL (on camera): To Northampton --

PEARSON: To Northampton.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: You can see the full list of America's best towns, go to cnn.com to visit our 2025 list. There's much more ahead on the next hour of CNN THIS MORNING WEEKEND, just a few hours away, possibly from this pivotal vote. Will President Trump's sweeping agenda push through or will it crumble under bipartisan opposition?

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