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CNN Reporting From South Sudan; Blinken Meets Xi Jinping In Beijing; Deadly Israeli Raid In Jenin. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired June 19, 2023 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Africa's largest refugee crisis is unfolding right now in South Sudan. A depressing deja vu for part of the world that

has seen more war than calm over the last two decades. This hour CNN reports from the South Sudan border with war torn Sudan, as international

leaders gathered in Geneva to pledge financial support.

More on that coming up.

First, the other headlines this hour. America's top diplomat Anthony Blinken meets Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is the first US Secretary

of State to visit China in five years, a high stakes trip aimed at managing tensions between the world's superpowers.

Five Palestinians reported killed and 90 wounded after Israel's Military raided the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. A huge firefight

erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants resulting in scenes not witnessed in some two decades. Prominent Kremlin critic Alexey

Navalny faced a judge in a Russian court today. He is facing new charges of extremism, could extend his prison term by decades. He is already serving

sentences totally more than 11 years.

The 72-hour ceasefire is now in effect in Sudan, following intense fighting between its warring factions. Now previous ceasefires over the past few

months have not stopped the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary rapid support forces or RSF as they're known.

The fighting has forced hundreds of 1000s of people to leave the country. This video said show people fleeing the violence in the Darfur region

towards the country of Chad. The video was provided to CNN by a Darfur human rights group and CNN was not able to independently verify it.

Well, the United Nations as we speak is hosting a conference in Geneva to raise critically needed funds to support relief efforts for those who have

been displaced both inside and near Sudan. The U.N. says it needs $253 million. That's a quarter of a billion dollars with the South Sudan

response alone in need of $96 million. According to the UN international donors have only contributed 10 percent of what is needed so far to

properly fund humanitarian relief efforts. Here's more from the U.N. Secretary General at that conference.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: The people of Sudan and those of neighboring countries are shouldering the burden of this terrible

crisis. We must do everything we can to support them. It's not only our duty as members of international community, it is crucial to preventing the

situation from deteriorating even further.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And let me just explain to you just how bad things are. Almost 2.5 million people, two and a half million people have been displaced as

the fighting rages on between these two warring factions. My colleague, CNN's Nima Elbagir back shows us conditions in refugee camps in South Sudan

are frankly dire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CHIEF INT. INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: This is Africa's largest refugee crisis and you can see the conditions here for yourself.

The people here are being largely ignored by the world. Aid agencies are doing what they can but it is simply not enough.

[11:05:00]

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. They barely have enough to feed and shelter their own returnees and they're also being asked

now to absorb fleeing Sudanese and other foreign nationals with limited support from the outside world, and it is almost impossible.

With rainy season starting, what you see here, it's only going to get worse. So many of those speaking to us say that they feel a sense of

humiliation that the message that they're receiving from the world from the international community is that they are not worthy of support. Until aid

arrives here in meaningful quantities, it's hard to argue with that. Nima Elbagir, CNN Renk, South Sudan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, we have a lot more on what is Africa's largest refugee crisis online. We got testimonies, detailing the unsanitary conditions and

the stretch -- stretched resources at that Renk transit camp near the border of South Sudan, and Sudan. And you can also learn more about today's

United Nations appeal for aid. Find out more @cnn.com on your laptop or your computer or through the CNN app on your smartphone.

And you'll hear more on this from us tomorrow and after this funding round, we will endeavor to provide more support, certainly from what we can do

here at CNN for those who are most affected by what's going on.

Well, Israeli troops are now out of the West Bank city of Jeanine after a raid that erupted into an intense and deadly firefight. Palestinian health

officials report five Palestinians killed, more than 90 injured in an operation that lasted 11 hours. Israel's Military using Apache attack

helicopter as cover for its troops.

The IDF, the Israeli Defense Force, says that seven of its troops are injured. Well, the raid happening a day after Israel's far right finance

minister announced plans for more than 4500 new homes in the occupied West Bank. He is forecasting what he calls a construction boom in settlement

housing. Hadas Gold back with us this hour from Jerusalem. Let's talk about this Jenin raid first and foremost. What prompted it and -- and let's talk

about what are unprecedented scenes with the use of Israeli helicopters overhead.

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky this was supposed to be an arrest raid to arrest two wanted suspects, but it escalated into

something much broader. And it ended up lasting about 11 hours until the final Israeli forces left Jenin in the last couple of hours or so. Now

we've been talking about Jenin for some time, it's a militant hotspot, there's often we see Israeli Military raids there.

But what was different today was the escalation use of new -- not necessarily new weaponry but weapon we haven't really seen from both the

militants and the Israeli Military over the past two years or so -- over this escalating two years of violence. Now, I'm going to start with the

IED.

Now, we did show that video earlier of an explosion as those Israeli Military vehicles were going by, it seems like it's something sort of on

the side of the road. And according to the Israeli Military, this has sent -- this roadside bomb essentially took out the underside of a panther

command vehicle. This is an armored vehicle. So, it goes to show you the intensity of this IED.

And this is something the Israeli Military says that they were essentially kind of taken aback by and they said it's going to change what they said

how they're going to operate in the West Bank, in the future because of the intensity of that IED. We also know that several other of their vehicles

were essentially rendered inoperable.

And there were soldiers who were stuck essentially in Jenin for several hours until they could be extracted and they had to essentially tow out

these military vehicles as a result. Then there's the use of that Apache helicopter. The Israeli Military brought in an Apache helicopter to provide

fire for cover while they were trying to extract some of those injured soldiers.

And this is the first time we've seen a helicopter being used in the occupied West Bank really, since the end of the Second Intifada. So, the

early 2000s. Now, the Israeli Military saying that they were firing towards open areas, and we haven't heard of any injuries specifically related to

this military helicopter. What's also interesting is other images we're seeing of the helicopter releasing, I think it's this one we're showing

right now, what seemed to be like flares coming out, which might indicate they thought they were getting incoming fire that could have hit them.

And so that just goes to show sort of the escalation of the weaponry that we're seeing both from the militants with the use of these IEDs and then

also from Israeli Military with this Apache helicopter. As you said, five Palestinians were killed, at least 90 others were injured. We have seven

Israeli forces injured.

Benjamin Netanyahu the Prime Minister of Israel visited them in the hospital. We're just getting that from the Prime Minister's office now.

[11:10:00]

At least two of the Palestinians killed have been claimed as fighters for Islamic Jihad. But among those dead are a 15-year-old boy and Becky, among

the injured is a critically injured young girl and also a freelance photojournalist who was injured while covering the clashes as they took

place. While I should know he was wearing protective vest and helmet, Becky.

ANDERSON: That's the very latest from Jenin, thank you. As we mentioned, at the top Hadas, what do we know about what happened over the weekend this,

of course, this Jenin raid coming just a day after Israel's far right Economy Minister announced the construction of 4500 new settlements in the

occupied West Bank.

The UN Mideast peace coordinator, I want our viewers to see this, tweeting, "deeply concerned by Israel's decision to alter settlement planning

procedures, expected to expedite settlement expansion. Also alarmed by anticipated advancement of 4000 settlement units. Such steps only push both

countries further apart and risk destabilizing an already highly tense situation." Hadas.

GOLD: Yes Becky, there's no indication that what happened in Jenin today is connected to the settlement. But what happened over the weekend are

essentially two issues. One is that the way the settlement units are approved for being built, was essentially transferred from the defense

minister to Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister who himself is a settler leader.

And in addition to that some 4500 new settlement units were approved for construction, that doesn't mean that they're going to be breaking ground

anytime soon. That means that just the plans were approved. And Bezalel Smotrich calling this one of the biggest construction booms in a -- in a

decade.

And this is something that we often see the U.S. especially come to loggerheads about with Israel. But you have to keep in mind that now when

you have people like Bezalel Smotrich, (inaudible) settler leaders in this new Israeli government, they -- it's not like there's not going to be

settlement construction or approvals for these things.

This is so much of what these leaders their political beliefs are based on. It's on settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank despite and in spite

of whatever the United States or other international organizations may mean.

And that is why we're hearing from the U.S. State Department saying that they are deeply troubled by the plan and reminding that actually Israel had

agreed to no settlement expansions when they had all of those meetings in places like Sharm el Sheikh and Aqaba over the last few months asking --

the U.S. asking Israel to essentially adhere to those commitments saying that these sorts of settlement expansions are (inaudible) on our actions

that make a two state solution more difficult to achieve and are an obstacle to peace.

And Becky also very awkward timing, because actually today is when Assistant Secretary Barbara Lee, who's in charge of the Middle East is

landing. She may have already landed to meet with both Israeli and Palestinian officials. So, I'm sure there will be some interesting

conversations there today, Becky?

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. And to your point from the U.S. State Department, we call on the Government of Israel to fulfill the commitments

it made Aqaba, Jordan, Sharm El Sheikh, these meetings that you are just alluding to in Egypt and returned to dialogue aimed at de-escalation. Well,

you can follow all the big stories out of the region. Thank you Hadas.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East newsletter that drops three times a week, a story coming out today about the prospects of Israel and Saudi Arabia

normalizing relations. Any closer to that happening? Well, that we address in the article, what are the obstacles, you can access that newsletter by

scanning the QR code on the bottom of your screen?

Well, just there the world's two biggest economies are trying to find a way to patch up their differences. We've got a team covering today's crucial

meeting between the U.S. and China and to see what they came up with. And we've got some interesting reporting coming out of that. And later Russian

opposition leader Alexey Navalny is on trial. The new faces or the new charges that he now faces. More on that coming up.

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[11:15:00]

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ANDERSON: Trying to reassure each other and the world, America's top diplomat and China's leader, were sitting down for talks earlier today,

potentially crucial step towards mending these U.S.-China relations, the two global powers have been at odds and that's to put it mildly over a host

of issues that have sent relations frankly plunging to a new low.

Anthony Blinken, the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Beijing in five years, have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Here in Beijing, I had an important conversation with President Xi Jinping. And I had candid,

substantive and constructive discussions with my counterparts, Director Wang Yi, and State Councilor Qin Gong. I appreciate the hospitality

extended by our hosts.

In every meeting, I stress that direct engagement and sustained communication at senior levels is the best way to responsibly manage our

differences and ensure that competition does not veer into conflict. And I heard the same for my Chinese counterparts. We both agree on the need to

stabilize our relationship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, for his part, President Xi says there are reasons to be hopeful. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (through translator): The Chinese side has made our position clear, and the two sides have agreed to follow through

the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali. The two sides have also made progress and reached agreement on some specific

issues. This is very good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, key points of contention between the two global superpowers are Taiwan spying and the war in Ukraine. And don't forget U.S.

restrictions on the sale of semiconductor chips. CNN U.S. Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood has been reporting from Beijing. And here's what

she told my colleagues a little bit earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: One of the things that the Secretary of State Set out here in Beijing to accomplish was reestablishing

setting up Military to Military channels of communication, essentially, lines of communication that could be used in the case of a crisis between

the two countries.

That's given the fact that there have been two recent Military incidents between the U.S. and China just in recent weeks in the South China Sea, in

the air and by -- and by the sea as well. But that is not an area where he's headed back to Washington with a victory. He said the Chinese didn't

agree to set up those channels. Listen to what he told me earlier today at the press conference.

BLINKEN: This is also something that I raised repeatedly during this trip. I think it's absolutely vital that we have these kinds of communications,

Military and Military. That imperative, I think, was only underscored by recent incidents that we saw in the air and on the seas. And at this

moment, China has not agreed to move forward with that. I think that's an issue that we have to keep working on, it is very important that we restore

those channels.

[11:20:00]

ATWOOD: Now, we also know one of the issues that you mentioned out of the gates, there was Taiwan. One of the readouts from a meeting that the

Secretary had here made clear that Chinese officials made demands when it comes to Taiwan. They said that is the area that presents the most

pronounced risk to U.S.- China relations.

The Secretary of State said at the press conference, that he made clear that the U.S. has concerns about China's provocative actions when it comes

to Taiwan. And the United States doesn't right now support Taiwan's independence, but they don't support either side taking unilateral actions

that could upend the status quo currently.

Now, there was progress forward movement on another topic, and that's an issue of synthetic opioids, which of course is a major killer of Americans

back home, fentanyl, the precursor chemicals and fentanyl largely come from China. Secretary of State said that the two sides agreed to stand up a

working level meeting on this, a group that can actually address this issue to stem that flow of those chemicals into the United States and on Ukraine.

They also addressed the war in Ukraine. The Secretary said that Chinese officials once again said that they are not going to be sending lethal aid

to Russia to be used in that war, but they're still watching Chinese companies incredibly closely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: That was CNN's Kylie Atwood reporting from Beijing. I want to bring in my colleague Anna Coren live from Hong Kong. And Anna, I think

what we are hearing out of Beijing today is absolutely fascinating. Just pick apart what we know, at this point and why it is potentially so

significant.

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly on the issue of trade, I mean, these are two countries, Becky, that, you know, the largest economies

in the world, the top two trading partners. Almost $700 billion worth of trade goes between the United States and China and we know that China, you

know, it needs the United States, its post COVID recovery has not been as strong as it had hoped.

We know that youth unemployment is soaring there, the property market is incredibly sluggish. And China needs its U.S. export market to flourish,

you know, the US makes up 16 percent of Chinese exports. So that is why this is so important. It is hoped that from this visit this two-day visit,

which we didn't know if Blinken was going to meet with Xi.

You know, that came at the very last minute obviously off the back of 10- hours' worth of accumulative meetings with a foreign ministry and then China's top diplomat today. But -- but, you know, because of that, Blinken

met with Xi.

Now, Becky a short time ago, we heard from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they held a briefing with reporters in Beijing after Blinken departed for

London. It was Yang Tao. He is the Director General of the Ministries, North America Oceania and Oceanian Affairs department and he said that this

visit by Blinken marks new beginnings in bilateral relations, which obviously is very conciliatory, it's very hopeful, it's very positive

language coming out of Beijing.

He did however, say Becky, that he rejects Washington's strategy of derisking from China and that is something that we heard from Antony

Blinken. He went on to say to the few if U.S. simply repackaging decoupling as derisking from China, the policy is turning away from stability and

opportunity, it won't solve us problems, it will cause more problems globally.

Now, obviously, Becky, the hope is that, you know, communication lines have been reestablished. That was always the aim. And that from this, the

Treasury Secretary from the United States, the Commerce Secretary for the United States will now come to visit Beijing in in the coming weeks. Becky.

ANDERSON: Let's just be quite clear about the definition of derisking Thank you, Anna, because I think it's important to hear and you -- you will hear

a lot of countries talking about derisking at the moment what it means is the and here's a strict definition of this.

The phenomenon of financial institutions, country terminating or restricting business relationships with clients or categories of clients to

avoid rather than manage risking. It tends to be used within the court context of financial institutions that's where you would hear it and if

you're across your business news, you'd have heard the term derisking in the past.

[11:25:00]

It's so interesting to see global leaders using the term. We heard it used at G7 of late. We've heard it used once again by the Americans here in

Beijing. It is a term that you should become more familiar with all. So, as we've mentioned, China's friendship with Russia has been a sore spot. And

that's an understatement with Washington.

Mr. Blinken said that Beijing has assured Washington that it won't give Moscow lethal aid to use in Ukraine, but it looks like Russia may have a

new battlefield tactic. The Kremlin saying its forces destroyed a Ukrainian stronghold by blowing up a tank packed with explosives using the vehicle as

a kind of bomb. Now it is unclear if that is actually what happened here in this video, or if Ukrainian forces themselves destroyed that tank.

CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Zaporizhzhia. Ben, what do you make of what we've seen? And also, for context here, what do you make of what we're seeing on

the ground in the -- in these battlefields and on the frontlines at this point?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR International CORRESPONDENT: Well, first to speak to this tank, it's a T54 Soviet era tank, which dates back to the years

just after World War II. Now according to the telegram channel of the Russian Defense Ministry, it was packed with perhaps more than five tonnes

of high explosives. And it looks like some member of the crew of the tank just got in, perhaps put a brick on the accelerator and aimed it at the

Ukrainian Front Lines. At a distance of about 300 meters, you see a small explosion, it's believed perhaps it hit a mind shortly afterwards. There's

another small explosion, perhaps an RPG round hitting the tank and then afterwards this massive explosion.

By the size of the explosion clearly there's more than the ordinary quantity of ordinance in the tank. Now is this perhaps some new Russian

tactic? It's not altogether clear. We understand that several months ago, they used the similar tactic but not with a tank. But beyond that, what

we're seeing is that the Ukrainians are making slow but steady progress.

This counter offensive is now about a week and a half old. Today we heard from the Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine that the Ukrainians had managed

to retake about 113 square kilometers.

Now the latest town Piatykhatky, which is about an hour's drive from here. There are conflicting reports as to who seems to be in control. But the

Ukrainians insist that they are in control of that town. It had a pre-war population of about 10,000. And if, as the Ukrainians claim they are now in

control of that town, it certainly is the most significant settlement that they have gained control of since this offensive began.

But just to keep all of this in perspective, as I said the -- the offensive is about a week and a half old. They say they've taken 113 square

kilometers, but compared to the Kharkiv offensive last September, when the Ukrainians in the same amount of time, took about 12,000 square kilometers,

certainly the progress so far, probably isn't up to the high expectations that some people had before it started. Becky.

ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman's on the ground, Ben, thank you. The jailed Russian opposition Alexey Navalny has appeared in a courtroom to face new charges

of extremism. This trial taking place at the same Correctional Facility where of course he's already serving an 11-and-a-half-year sentence.

Extremism charges could extend his prison term by decades. Navalny maintains his imprisonment is to silence his criticism of the Russian

President Vladimir Putin. Well, you're watching Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Still to come, Pakistan mourning hundreds of its citizens

presumed dead in what has been a terrible migrant boat tragedy.

And later this hour the investigation into a fanatical starvation cult in eastern Kenya. More on that after this.

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[11:30:00]

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ANDERSON: Half past seven in Abu Dhabi. You're watching Connect the World with me Becky Anderson from our Middle East programming hub here in the

UAE. And if you're just joining us, you are more than welcome. These are your headlines this hour.

Pakistan's government says more than 300 of its citizens died when a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Greece late last week. Nine Egyptian

nationals have now been arrested for that boat disaster and are accused of people smuggling. Pakistan's Prime Minister declaring today a day of

mourning.

Well, in the Philippines all 120 people aboard this burning ship were brought to safety. The Coast Guard says the ferry caught fire on Sunday off

the coast of Bohol and has been since put out. Rescue ships will remain in the waters to monitor the situation.

Days after a brutal massacre at a Ugandan school the victim's families and are laying their loved ones to rest. Officials said at least 41 people were

killed in Friday's attack, most of the students. Ugandan officials blamed the attack on Rebels linked to ISIS.

Well, investigators are learning more about a fanatical starvation cult in eastern Kenya. More than 300 bodies have been discovered already. And there

could be hundreds more in what could turn out to be one of the worst mass suicides in recent memory. CNN's David McKenzie traveled to these burial

sites and spoke to many of those who've been affected by what has been this very strange and very tragic event.

He's back in the home bureau of Johannesburg at this point. Tell us David, what more do we know about this? What did you learn on your trip there?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, certainly the facts and the facts are very horrific, still unfolding. This

emerged in recent months, this cult in Kenya with a charismatic pastor who is alleged to have inspired people to starve to their deaths for their

salvation and the impact on Kenya has been enormous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: He called it the wilderness, luring his flock to a remote corner of Kenya. We've come to try and understand how over many months so many

could die. In the Shakahola forest, the dead are still being found. Forensic teams carefully remove the remains of members of a Christian death

cult from shallow graves.

They have already unearthed more than 300 people, many of them children, many showing signs of starvation.

FRANCIS WANJE, FATHER OF CULT MEMBER: It's painful. It's so painful. It was so painful. This is my daughter.

[11:35:00]

MCKENZIE: Francis Wanje says his daughter and son-in-law, both abandoned good jobs and took their children to the forest cult. What happened next is

hard to comprehend.

WANJE: (Inaudible) will surely die and to meet to Jesus and they have to start with the children.

MCKENZIE: The members of the cult, including your own family, they were starving the children.

WANJE: Yes.

MCKENZIE: And then when the children didn't die quickly enough.

WANJE: They suffocate them.

MCKENZIE: They suffocate them.

WANJE: They suffocate them. Yes.

MCKENZIE: And this is your own blood.

WANJE: And I wonder where my children or my child, my daughter. Could change to be such an animal. A wild animal, to kill her own children.

MCKENZIE: Pastor Paul Mackenzie began his cult in Malindi. This is the church where Pastor Mackenzie had a huge following in his sermons. He

amplified his message online. He preached a doomsday prophecy for at least a decade, calling on the faithful to reject modern society.

Pull children from school, avoid hospitals. He demanded total devotion. You must deny yourself, you must reject yourself. You must reach a point of

ending your life, he says, for the sake of Jesus. His anti-government stance got him arrested and detained but never prosecuted.

In 2019, the church was closed down. Later the pastor started his forest community. We found a former cult member in Malindi. We agreed to hide her

identity for her own safety. She escaped the forest last year. Why did you move your whole home and all your children and move into the forest?

The pastor used to call me, she says he was calling me telling me, my daughter you are being left behind. And when the Ark is closed, it will be

too late. So I decided to go. When the COVID pandemic hit, she says many saw it as evidence that the prophecies were real. Mackenzie charged her

family $80 for a piece of land in Galilee. There were seven other biblically named settlements in Shakahola.

With more than 1000 followers, she says. Still cult members made regular trips to a nearby village for food and water. In December, those trips

suddenly stopped, says the (inaudible). The starvation had begun. He says they alerted authorities but they did nothing.

Even after hungry children started escaping to the village. It's been called the Shakahola massacre, has shocked this nation. Pastor Mackenzie

and his closest followers are being held under terror laws.

MCKENZIE: What happened in the forest with your followers?

PAUL NTHENGE MACKENZIE, CULT LEADER: I can tell nothing about that because I've been in custody for two months. So I don't know what is going outside

there. Have you been there?

MCKENZIE: Francis Wanje says there needs to be justice. He mounted a rescue mission to get his grandchildren out. When they found his grandson Ephrem,

he was close to starvation. His two brothers were already dead.

WANJE: He went through hell. He went through hell, I'm telling in fact, when he was rescued, he told him that if you come maybe lit a bit late

already find me, had already gone to see Jesus because that grave is there.

MCKENZIE: The very highest levels of the Kenyan government have apologized for their inaction and the pain it has caused. The scale of what happened

in the forest is still being understood. Hundreds are still missing. And many more mass graves need to be exhumed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: The Shakahola massacre has prompted a lot of soul searching in Kenya, I have to say just being there and listening to religious leaders

who say there needs to be a concerted effort to stop or at least to regulate some of these pastors that are taking advantage of their flock. Of

course, they aren't doing what this man was alleged to do, which was inspire many people to starve to death. But there is certainly a reckoning

going on in that country. The impact of some of these televangelists and others who they say taking advantage of people. Becky.

ANDERSON: Important reporting David, thank you very much indeed. David McKenzie on the story for you. Well, the United States marks the end of

slavery. Still ahead the Juneteenth celebrations and more on what is behind this U.S. holiday. Stay with us.

[11:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, today is the observance of Juneteenth as it's known in the United States. This is the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the

country. On June, the 19th. In 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger informed slaves in Texas that they had been liberated. Well, this came more

than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. President Joe Biden made the day a federal holiday in 2021.

The historic slave trading port in South Carolina is about to become a Museum and Research Center. It offers resources that will allow people to

trace back their ancestry. My colleague, CNN's Victor Blackwell followed his lineage back to slavery and what he found, brought him to tears.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very few moments in my career have ever brought me to this.

This is, oh man.

It happened at the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, which opens this month. Six centuries of history packed

into 150,000 square feet at the historic Gadsden's Wharf.

DR. TONYA MATTHEWS, INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM, PRESIDENT & CEO: Above 40 percent of all enslaved Africans would have come in through

Gadsden's Wharf. We've been referred to as the ground zero of importation of enslaved people into the United States.

BLACKWELL: Dr. Tonya Matthews, is the museum's president and CEO. Space of solemnity, or celebration?

MATTHEWS: Yes, I refuse to choose.

BLACKWELL: Tribal art and contemporary fashion, relics of protests and reports of resistance.

MATTHEWS: It's this infusion of trauma and joy constantly, that we'd like to talk about here, you get the full story, but you're going to get all the

context in it.

BLACKWELL: What arguably is the best illustration of full context is the museum's Center for Family history. It's a team of researchers with access

to millions of records that can trace African American lineage sometimes back to a slave ship that came into this very port. The expert genealogist

here spent months tracing my lineage and this was the day of the long- awaited reveal.

DR. SHELLEY MURPHY, HEAD GENEALOGIST, AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM: Make sure you got a box of Kleenex by you, and sit there and enjoy.

BLACKWELL: That's the museum's top genealogist, Dr. Shelley Murphy on the laptop. She's joining us from the University of Virginia.

MURPHY: This is a tree, just a snapshot of your tree and I'm following your maternal line.

BLACKWELL: Wow. That's a lot to see in the tree. You see that box? Well, that represents David Veney, my great grandfather's great grandfather. He

lived in coastal Richmond County, Virginia on a farm with his wife Judy and their 18 children. And in 187, he filed this claim to be reimbursed for

livestock and supplies requisitioned by union troops during the Civil War.

[11:45:00]

MURPHY: Another thing that is significant is that he owned the land that he's on and it was 23 acres.

BLACKWELL: Where did a man in the 1870s so soon after the end of slavery, get the money to buy 23 acres.

MURPHY: Absolutely. And -- and the thing of it is I would even question he said he was freeborn.

BLACKWELL: Well, for some answers, we have to go back more than 300 years to my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great

grandmother, Mary. She arrived on a ship in Northumberland County, Virginia in 1712. before America was America, her granddaughter, my eight times

great grandmother Bess was with her. That's according to this centuries old deposition that Dr. Murphy's team uncovered.

Why a deposition? We'll learn that a little later.

MURPHY: And Bess at the time was about 13 years old. Witnesses apparently said they looked like they were Indians.

BLACKWELL: Researchers believe that Mary and Bess were actually Mattaponi like these people of that region of Virginia called the Northern Neck.

MURPHY: We're not sure where they came from. But Thomas Smith of Richmond County did enslave one of Bess' children. And that was Sarah.

BLACKWELL: And Sarah, my seven times great grandmother who changes the trajectory of her children and all her descendants who follow.

MURPHY: There was a law back in 1705, that declared that all children that are enslaved or free, their condition would be based on whatever their

mother wants.

BLACKWELL: Remember, Sarah and Bess arrived free people.

MURPHY: So Sarah has a lawsuit that's filed saying we're free.

BLACKWELL: This is the actual lawsuit filed by Sarah suing for her freedom and for the freedom of her descendants. And that deposition, it was from a

witness who saw Mary and Bess arrive, decades earlier.

MURPHY: So in 1791, the court agreed with Sarah and her children and grandchildren and all of those relatives, who were descendants of Mary and

Bess, are going to be free.

BLACKWELL: That my ancestors filed and sued for their freedom, it is remarkable.

MURPHY: We're not done.

BLACKWELL: We're not done. We're not done. OK. We're not done. Let me get it. Let me get a Kleenex doctor.

MURPHY: I told you, have a box there.

BLACKWELL: But not all of Sarah's family was free. Before the court's decision, Sarah's enslavers illegally sold her daughter Rachel. And then

Rachel was sold again. And for the next 20 years unaware of the court's ruling, Rachel and her children remained in bondage.

When she learned of the decision in 1807, more than a quarter century after her mother's groundbreaking lawsuit for freedom, Rachel filed this lawsuit

against her and slaver claiming that she was the daughter of a free woman, and therefore she and her children should also be free.

MURPHY: And guess what? The witnesses and things all came through, and they were awarded their freedom. So, what do you think?

BLACKWELL: This is -- oh man -- to be an enslaved woman suing a slave master to do it twice in one bloodline is remarkable.

MURPHY: Your line, started out enslaved and became free to up into where you're at right now.

BLACKWELL: It became free because those women fought for it.

MURPHY: I'm going to tell you what, Victor, the women in your family, it's unbelievable.

BLACKWELL: It fills in a lot of gray, a lot of blank space. There was nothing there. There was an assumption. Now there are names, relatives, and

places and stories. It certainly fills in more of the story of my family's place in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Victor Blackwell. CNN will be honoring Black Culture on Monday, with Juneteenth, A global celebration for freedom with special appearance

by Vice President Kamala Harris, Sarah Sidner host this live event from the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles with performances by Nellie, DeVito

Miguel and many others.

[11:50:00]

Our special coverage starts Monday 7pm, New York Time. 4pm in Los Angeles. Tuesday 7am in Hong Kong. You'll work out the times wherever you are,

watching in the world well worth a watch only, of course on CNN.

Well, ahead of that and coming up on our show forget youngsters doing other things to get attention. The latest craze on social media is older people

cutting loose. We'll meet some of the emerging stars who are proving that age is no obstacle to being cool.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, of course social media adults who are far beyond their youth are starting to be major influences. Forget the youngsters showing

off their dance moves, these older adults are showing off their lifestyle and they are blowing away stereotypes of the elderly. CNN's Vanessa

Yurkevich introduces us to some of these influencers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Six strangers pick to live in a house and have their lives taped for social media. This isn't exactly the real

world house. These six strangers are well into retirement age, but their TikTok, the Retirement House is anything but. These seniors who are doing a

bit of acting are pumping out curated content, rivaling influencers more than half their age, while amassing more than 5 million followers.

They're called granfluencers and are pulling in huge brand deals. The Creator economy is worth $250 billion and could double to $480 billion by

2027.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was good for me.

YURKEVICH: The retirement house promoting CeraVe. Four friends from Palm Springs known as the Old Gaze on Tik Tok and have 11 million followers

partnered with Hyundai. And Chobani took notice of 74-year-old Lynn Davis's cooking videos and her 15 point 7 million followers.

62-year-old Helen Polise see is approaching 1 million followers on TikTok.

HELEN POLISE, INFLUENCER, THE MUTHERSHIP: It's daunting to think about that many people because it's like populations of cities.

YURKEVICH: Polise found Tik Tok over the pandemic, a distraction and a way to have fun. Was there a point that this turned into more of a business?

POLISE: Some people would ask me oh, how did you do that transition? How did you figure that out? So I said I'll make a tutorial for you. And that

was the turning point in the social media for me.

YURKEVICH: Instead of brand deals. She's teaching her followers how to TikTok through paid tutorials. It started with mostly older people, but now

it's younger people too.

POLISE: I'm really good at technology, probably a better than a lot of young people. So I want to highlight that it's, it's OK to get older, I

feel more authentic, not afraid to be myself. And I think that's really helpful on social media especially.

YURKEVICH: And it's for older influencers, success comes in the form of connection to millions of people often a quarter of their age.

[11:55:00]

DEBRA RAPOPORT, ARTIST AND INFLUENCER: It also opens up a lot of community. I have more friends than I can count and I have more friends who are like

25 and 30 than 75-80 year-olds.

YURKEVICH: At 78, Deborah Rapoport has found a new audience for her sustainable wearable art on Instagram. She's able to promote her upcoming

shows workshops and sell what she's made.

RAPOPORT: And I've modeled this naked.

YURKEVICH: To her nearly 60,000 Instagram followers. Why do you think they're attracted to?

RAPOPORT: I think young people are craving authenticity. And that's what I try to encourage.

YURKEVICH: Is being older actually an asset on social media?

RAPOPORT: Totally, totally. Not only on social media, but in life -- life itself. I'm not afraid at 78 to put myself out there and say, this is who I

am. This is what I do. I've been doing it a very long time. I don't intend to stop.

YURKEVICH: For many granfluencers, this is fun and doesn't feel like work. Even while we filmed with Polise, she was capturing her very next TikTok.

Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Thanks for joining us. CNN continues after this short break with my colleague, Zain Asher in New York. For those working with me here in Abu

Dhabi and those working with us around the world, it is a very good evening.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:00]

END