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Trump Says He Will Speak With Putin By Phone Monday; House Budget Committee Votes Down Bill With Trump's Agenda; Three Inmates Captured, Seven Remain At Large After New Orleans Jail Escape; At Least 21 Dead After Tornado Outbreak Pummels Central U.S.; ICE Arrest In Worcester, Massachusetts, Sparks Community Outrage; Full Audio Of Biden Interview With Special Counsel Released; Cassie Ventura Ends Days Of Testimony On Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial; New Book Tells Story Of Dog That Inspired A Rescue Organization. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired May 17, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVA LONGORIA, ACTRESS: Centuries of history. And so how the bask region, you know, held on to the language and held on to the tradition was a struggle worth storytelling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Aha. OK. Thank you, John and Eva. That's why we watch, we learn. A new episode of "EVA LONGORIA SEARCHING FOR SPAIN" airs tomorrow night, 9:00 Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

All right. Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We're following new developments in the efforts to end Russia's war on Ukraine. Just a short time ago, President Trump announced that he is planning to speak with Russian president Vladimir Putin by phone on Monday.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is at the White House for us with more -- Julia.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Donald Trump is outlining several discussions that will take place next week focused on ending the war in Ukraine. As you mentioned, he took to social media earlier today to announce that he will be speaking directly on the phone with Russian president Vladimir Putin at 10:00 a.m. on Monday. And following that conversation, he plans to have a conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and various members of NATO.

He outlined his goals for these conversations, saying, quote, "Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end."

Now, this comes as representatives from Ukraine and Russia held their first face-to-face talks at any level in Turkey on Friday, and there was a lot of confusion leading into those talks. There was speculation that we could see Zelenskyy, Putin and maybe even Trump in the same room for those conversations, but instead they happened at a lower level. Zelenskyy sent his defense minister to lead a team and criticized Russia for not sending any real deal-makers to that meeting.

Now, the two delegations were able to agree to a prisoner swap, but we did not see any major breakthroughs when it comes to a peace agreement. And the United States has said that they do not expect to see a breakthrough on a ceasefire deal until Trump and Putin have had a conversation. That conversation, now scheduled for Monday.

European leaders in the U.S. have been really trying to put pressure on Putin to accept a 30-day ceasefire for a while now, and following those direct talks, Zelenskyy reiterated that pressure on Russia must be maintained -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then also, Julia, President Trump, apparently he's turning up the pressure, right, on fellow Republican lawmakers urging hardliners to back his sweeping agenda because right now it's getting a lot of resistance on the hill?

BENBROOK: There are a lot of challenges still ahead for Trump's agenda. We saw several GOP hardliners keep this bill from getting out of a key committee on Friday. They blocked it from getting out. So now House Speaker Mike Johnson and several Republican leaders have been working through the weekend to try to turn those no votes into yes votes before they vote again.

Now, negotiations are still ongoing, but these hardliners have been calling for stricter overhauls for Medicaid and deeper cuts to a clean energy tax program. Johnson leads with such a small majority, though, that any changes could cause more problems. You could see pushback from the GOP's more moderate members.

Trump has maintained that they need to pass this one big, beautiful bill. In fact, on Friday, he said, quote, "We don't need grandstanders in the Republican Party. Stop talking and get it done." That committee is expected to meet again late on Sunday at 10:00 p.m., in hopes of getting this to advance before the workweek really starts.

WHITFIELD: All right. We shall see.

Julia Benbrook, thanks so much from the White House.

All right. Right now, a manhunt is underway in Louisiana for seven inmates who were still on the run after escaping from a New Orleans jail early Friday morning. A total of 10 inmates, some murder suspects, broke out of the jail, breaching a wall behind a toilet.

And this is new video of three of them being recaptured on Friday. They were transferred to a secure state facility with the help of Louisiana State Police and a SWAT team. Investigators believe the inmates may have gotten help in that jailbreak from inside the sheriff's office.

CNN's Rafael Romo is joining me with more on this -- Rafael.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. The escaped inmates range in age from 19 to 42 years old and face a wide array of charges. Several have been charged with murder. Authorities say they made it out of the jail around 1:00 a.m. Friday morning after breaking open a door and then breaching a wall behind the toilet. They appeared to have left graffiti messages above the hole they crawled through. The message said, quote, "We innocent" and the words "Too easy LOL."

[15:05:07]

Another video released by officials shows the inmates running across Interstate-10 into a neighborhood where authorities say they found clothing. The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office announced three of those inmates who escaped Friday morning have been recaptured, including 21- year-old Robert Moody, 24-year-old Kenan Dennis and Kendell Myles, who is 20 years old.

The sheriff's office said Moody was caught thanks to a tip and are still asking the public to provide information to help them capture the rest of them. As you can imagine, people in New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana are both concerned and outraged about the massive jailbreak, something that became evident last night during a press conference that turned confrontational. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So no one was watching live video all night at the jail?

MAJOR SILAS PHIPPS JR., ORLEANS PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE: I won't say no one was watching live video. But --

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And how did nobody see them --

PHIPPS: There are over 900 cameras.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How did nobody see them leaving the jail?

PHIPPS: There are over 900 cameras in this facility.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: I know. And so how did no one see a massive jailbreak? But it's your job. It's your job to monitor every single person in this facility every day.

Do you want to say you're sorry to the people of New Orleans for having this happen?

PHIPPS: We are underfunded, understaffed, underpaid. So we do our best to hire staff and retain them. But like everyone else, we're short.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And Fred, some Louisiana officials are not mincing words about what happened, especially after Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson acknowledged that she believed the inmates received assistance in their escape from individuals inside their department. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams calls the escape of the 10 inmates a, quote, "complete failure of the most basic responsibilities entrusted to a sheriff or jail administrator."

Officials say all the inmates should be considered armed and dangerous. New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick said her officers have leads of the escapees still at large, and 200 agents and officers are currently looking for them.

Fred, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Rafael Romo, keep us posted. Thanks so much.

All right. Joining me right now is bounty hunter Zeke Unger.

Zeke, great to see you. So from your experience how difficult will it be to capture these inmates?

ZEKE UNGER, BOUNTY HUNTER: Well, as you know, usually 1 percent of people that escape remain free. When you look at a task like this, you're going to have federal agencies working with local law enforcement. You're also going to have the general public looking out for these people. The investigators on the ground will be tapping into informants. They'll be doing physical and electronic surveillance. I believe that these individuals will be probably brought back within a month.

WHITFIELD: Well, a month is a long time. Already three have been captured. So the other seven, do you think that they have dispersed or might they be staying together?

UNGER: It's really hard to tell. You can't assume. You have to investigate. And I believe that some of them may be together, but everybody has their own resources on the outside. As you can see, this was an inside job. There was clothing waiting for them. So they have resources on the outside helping them, which is going to make it a little bit more difficult for law enforcement to find them.

They will eventually find them, but I believe it's going to be a little bit more difficult. The ones that were caught probably didn't have the network necessary to stay hidden.

WHITFIELD: So expound on why you think this is an inside job because there's clothing on the outside for them. I mean, when you say inside job, it sounds like those who are, you know, helping to, you know, maintain this jail assisted on their escape and as well would have assisted outside. Is that what you think happened here?

UNGER: Well, it's very common. I think it's a systemic problem between the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons. What happens is most of these employees are contracted. They're not sworn law enforcement. So it starts with smuggling contraband into the jails for the inmates for profit. We see alcohol, tobacco, cellular phones and other items coming into the jail through this network.

Then what happens is the inmates extort the help to plan these type of events. And as you can see, when there's someone on the inside helping, it's very easy to escape. So I believe 100 percent that this is an inside job.

WHITFIELD: OK. And so some of these suspects are, you know, there because they're suspected or in some way related to murders.

[15:10:00]

Is there a prioritization of who to look for and the methods of which investigators will go about looking for these suspects?

UNGER: Well, usually the U.S. Marshal Service and local detectives will definitely attempt to get the most dangerous, although it doesn't always go that way. You have to take what you get when you can get it, although there is price priorities there due to public safety.

WHITFIELD: OK, and is there some methodology, you know, or patterns that go with people who recently escape? Is it, you know, a presumption that many will automatically go to, you know, family members or friends that they know? And so that might be where investigators would look first?

UNGER: You have to take into consideration the human factor, especially if an inmate has been incarcerated for a long period of time. Sure, they want to see their loved ones, their children, their spouses. And this is primarily where we start our surveillance work, both electronic and physical, in order to see if the inmates do show up at these locations. Usually there's a lot of aiding and abetting going on.

Unfortunately in our country, there's not a lot of penalty, both on the guard side and the family side for aiding and abetting. Even if they're caught, usually they're not prosecuted., or it's a probationary sentencing. So there's really not a lot of, I want to say --

WHITFIELD: Like a de-incentivizing or cooperation, what is it?

UNGER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: OK.

UNGER: I was trying to get the words. Yes, de-incentivizing. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

UNGER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Well, thank you so much, Zeke Unger. We'll leave it there. Appreciate it.

UNGER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here in a tornado, man. We're in the tornado. Oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Frightening moments. A violent and deadly tornado outbreak touches down in several central states overnight. We'll speak with someone whose home was hit by the storms next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:17:06]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here in a tornado, man. We're in the tornado. Oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Is that not incredible? Incredible. A violent storm system killing at least 21 people and obliterating some communities on Friday with large tornadoes reported in Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana. At least 14 were killed in Kentucky and seven in Missouri. But the severe storms, they leveled homes and uprooted trees as well, and they brought down power lines from Michigan to Alabama.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear asked for prayers over the families affected in his state. Officials in Missouri asked residents to stay inside so emergency officials can continue the cleanup there and assess. A curfew will be imposed in Saint Louis tonight, beginning at 9:00 p.m. local time.

And even in Chicago, take a look at this incredible time lapse footage showing a rare dust storm covering Chicago. The National Weather Service says winds of up to 70 miles an hour blew over from dry farmlands, blowing into the windy city.

All right. Saint Louis, Missouri. Take a look at this right here. What would you feel like just seeing your home, which an entire side of the home just swept away, collapsing as a result of these storms. It does look like a dollhouse, doesn't it? Well, it is the home of Joan Miller. And you can see right up at the top there, this house was hit and devastated by the storms ravaged. Joan Miller is with us now.

You were in your home, Judge. Tell us about your entire experience. A, did you know this, you know, storm was coming? Were you, you know, bracing for it? Just take me back.

JOAN MILLER HITT, TORNADO VICTIM: OK, Fredricka. I was at the office, which is in suburban Saint Louis and Olivet, and working in the afternoon. And I saw that the clouds were forming. And earlier in the day they said the weather was going to be violently terrible. So I decided to go home and finish working from home. And I got home, I got my laptop going, and I turned on the TV and there was nothing but just weather alerts.

And after a few minutes, the electricity went out. And so my husband and I were just sitting there and there's a big sweet gum tree in front of my house that started swaying violently. And that happens a lot when there's storms. But this was something highly unusual. So I stood up and I started backing away from the windows, and I told David, get up, get up, you know, get up.

[15:20:05]

And he was just transfixed, looking outside. And so I just backed away and he finally got up. We were in the hallway, and as soon as we got in the hallway, all the other doors, this is on the second floor, shut just like in the movie "Carrie," when all the doors shut in the gym. And there was a bathroom door open, we went in there, shut the door, and just seconds later, maybe 10 seconds later, the -- we opened the bathroom door and the whole house, the whole back of the house was gone.

Now my house was built in 1912. They're triple bricks of good old Saint Louis red bricks. And I never had any fear of anything happening to that house with a storm because of where I live and the sound structure of the house. But the entire back of the house, first floor and second floor, are gone. There was a back porch that's also gone.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HITT: And the front of the house, all the windows were blown out. But like I said, the entire back of the house was gone.

WHITFIELD: I mean, that is incredible. And I mean, thank goodness for you and your husband's instinct, though, you know, once all these doors were shutting, you know, just that pressure that happens, you know, just preceding a tornado sweeping into an area that you had the instinct then to go into a bathroom because that usually is the instruction, right, to go into a smaller, tight kind of space, like a bathroom. And thank goodness you did that.

HITT: Well, really, it was the only room where the door hadn't shut and we didn't have time to run down to the basement. That would have been, you know, going down two stories. It was just, hey, this door is open. Let's jump in it. And I mean, I guess we could have a closet, but it was just one of those things, and very scary. And the weird thing was, there was no rain, no hail, just wind.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And we see the -- I mean, just that pile of those bricks there, but that wind obviously very damaging. So how shaken up are you and your husband? I mean, you seem so poised and at ease right now, especially given, you know, what you've been through. And yes, your lives were spared and saved there, but how are you feeling?

HITT: I'm feeling overwhelmed. I feel -- I go between being overwhelmed, shocked, teary. I'm still thinking about, you know, my plans for this week. My Smith College reunion is next weekend. I was planning on going on Thursday and then spending some theater tickets in New York after that, and then an ABA meeting in Washington. I don't think I'll be doing any of those things.

So that's what happens in life. I've got a headache right now. We could use some sleep. I think we could use some lunch. My husband only has a scratch on his knee. And so a band-aid has been good enough for that. I'm not hurt at all. We've cleaned up so much broken glass from the upstairs. The house is being boarded up now. And we're staying in a hotel.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. Well, I am so happy, and I know you all -- your entire family is so grateful that you and your husband are fine. I mean, what a frightening experience. And I'm sure you'll be hearing from your Smith colleagues, your fellow alums, very soon. Maybe you can still get there. But, you know, I understand, you got a lot, a lot going on right now.

Joan Miller Hitt, thank you so much. And I'm so sorry that this happened to you, but I really, I mean it. I'm so happy that you all are OK. I know it's tough to lose your home.

HITT: OK. Still blessed. Yes, thank you very much. So, yes, we'll be house hunting, I guess.

WHITFIELD: I know you will. Oh, and early happy anniversary because you and your husband have just barely been together a year now. But you'll be all right. All the best to you.

HITT: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: All right.

HITT: Good talking to you. OK.

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:29:02]

WHITFIELD: Newly released police body cam video of an ICE arrest in Worcester, Massachusetts, last week shows the chaotic scene as neighbors try to stop ICE agents from arresting a woman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop, stop, stop, stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Following the incident, Worcester officials say they are now exploring how their employees, including police, should interact with federal immigration agents.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is following all of this for us.

Gloria, bring us up to date on this.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred. And we're seeing more and more cities sort of have to grapple with policy and directives, especially to local police departments, as we see an increased immigration enforcement by federal authorities.

This happened in Worcester, Massachusetts, last week. And here's what happened. There was a group of ICE agents who showed up to the home where there was a woman taking care of an infant and a 16-year-old. They were there to arrest the mother of the 16-year-old.

[16:30:00]

She was called, arrived to the scene. The ICE officers tried to move in to arrest her. But as you're seeing in that video there, people started to surround them to try and prevent the arrest. And this is where the situation began to escalate. And as a result, the local police in Worcester had to be called to respond to the scene.

Now, as you can see there, it is extremely chaotic. Now, things really took a turn when the 16-year-old, who was holding the infant parked herself in front of a law enforcement vehicle with her body trying to block this vehicle from moving in an attempt to stop her mother's arrest by ICE officers. That's when things really took a turn because she was blocking the vehicle.

She was holding a child in her arms, and police were trying to get her to move away from the vehicle because she was endangering this child. That woman was eventually arrested, along with another woman who was also trying to prevent the arrest. That woman was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, among other charges.

Now, this video and this incident has caused a lot of consternation and concern among the community in Worcester who is concerned that immigration officers are coming into communities to arrest people. And in this instance, as they said, taking away a mother from a family.

Now, the Department of Homeland Security tells us that the woman that they were there to arrest had been previously arrested. She was charged by local police for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a pregnant person.

Now, we've heard from the city manager there in Worcester. Her name is -- their name is Eric Batista. And they said that part of the reason that they released this video was to bring additional transparency to the incident. Here's what they said, quote, "I want to reassure our community that the municipality will never target individuals based on their immigration status, and reaffirmed that the city of Worcester and Worcester Police Department does not assist ICE with civil detainment according to Massachusetts state law, but may not interfere with it."

So also there an acknowledgment from the police force that while they do not engage in immigration enforcement, they are also not able to interfere when officers are trying to make an arrest -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much for that.

All right. Axios has now released the full audio of then president Joe Biden's 2023 interview with former special counsel Robert Hur. The tapes, lasting more than five hours, were part of the now closed probe over Biden's handling of classified documents. The interview led Hur to describe Biden as an elderly man with a poor memory.

Transcripts of those discussions were released last year, but these are the first audio recordings of the interview to be made public. In one portion of the interview, Biden has trouble recalling dates including when President Trump was elected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: As Trump gets elected in November of 2017?

ROBERT HUR, SPECIAL COUNSEL: It was '16.

BIDEN: Sixteen. 2016. All right. So I'd have 2017.

HUR: That's when you left office. Around January of 2017.

BIDEN: Yes. OK. But that's Trump gets sworn in then.

HUR: Right. Correct. Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN anchor Jake Tapper has more on what's included with these new tapes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: What we hear from these excerpts of the Hur report interview in October 8th and October 9th, 2023 is a President Biden who is not functioning the way one would want and expect a president of the United States to be able to function. He's having difficulty with dates. He loses his train of thought quite a bit.

You might remember, also that President Biden asserted executive privilege to block these audiotapes from coming out, even after the transcripts have been released. The transcripts released right before Robert Hur testified before Congress were buried in a lot of the coverage of Hur's testimony, where he was attacked by Democrats for his apparently offensive characterization of President Biden as somebody who he was not going to prosecute for mishandling documents because Robert Hur said he would come across to a jury as a well- meaning elderly man with a poor memory, when, of course, that is, if anything, a charitable version of how Biden comes across in these tapes.

We also have to remember that this is the period of time when his close aides and family members start really sequestering him off from even members of his own cabinet administration, Democratic officials, donors because of these moments of nonfunctioning Biden that are happening with increased frequency.

[15:35:13]

I want to throw to another clip. This one is a clip of when Robert Hur, who is investigating mishandling of documents by President Biden, then former Vice President Biden in 2017 and 2018, wants to ask him about this period where he moves from the vice president's residence to a house on Chainbridge Road in Virginia. And that is where the conversation begins. Let's roll that clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I -- I don't know. This is what. 2017, '18, that area?

HUR: Yes, sir.

BIDEN: Remember, in this time frame, my son has either been deployed or is dying. And so it was -- and by the way, there are still a lot of people at the time when I got out of the Senate, that were encouraging me to run in this period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So what you heard there is Robert Hur just trying to talk about the investigative matter at hand, which is when Joe Biden shared these classified documents with others. But then Vice President Biden is unable to figure out when this time period is, 2017 to 2018, he says you have to remember that's when my son Beau was either deployed or dying.

Now, Beau's death is obviously tragic, but that happened in 2015, not 2017, 2018. And Beau deployed in 2008, 2009. So he really doesn't have a grasp on dates, even dates surrounding one of the most important, significant and traumatizing events of his life the death of his son Beau in May 2015. And you might remember later on when the Hur report comes out and Robert Hur explains to the world that while he thinks President Biden mishandled classified information, he isn't going to prosecute him because he would come across as a well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.

President Biden blames Robert Hur for bringing up Beau's death. Robert Hur, as you heard, did not bring up Beau's death. And yet the Democratic establishment led by President Biden, also Vice President Kamala Harris and others, went after Robert Hur for that false assertion, but also for characterizing President Biden in a way that frankly seems rather charitable.

Anyway, we have a lot more about this. My co-author, Alex Thompson, Alex Thompson, who broke this, release of this tape with Axios, and his colleague Marc Caputo at Axios, Alex Thompson and I have a book coming out on this topic, "Original Sin." It drops Tuesday and you'll find out much more about how bad it really was behind the scenes.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Thanks, Jake. All right. Still to come, the star witness in the Sean Combs sex

trafficking trial finished nearly 20 hours of emotional testimony on Friday. What to expect when court resumes next week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:03]

WHITFIELD: Cassie Ventura, the ex-girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" Combs finished four days of graphic testimony describing years of repeated physical and sexual abuse by the music mogul. After Ventura wrapped up nearly 20 hours testifying a former member of a musical group founded by Combs took the stand. Dawn Richard testified that she saw him attack his former girlfriend in 2009. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, conspiracy and sex trafficking.

CNN's Kara Scannell has more on the first week of explosive testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cassie Ventura, the government star witness in Combs' sex trafficking trial, capped a week of testimony with hours of grueling cross-examination. Combs' attorneys tried to find inconsistencies in her statements and one thing that they focused on was her potential financial incentive. They asked her if the $20 million she received from Combs to settle her civil lawsuit was why she canceled a tour. She said that it wasn't.

And this was something that the prosecution brought back up again to give Ventura the final word on this. And in an emotional moment on the witness stand, Ventura was asked if she would give back that $20 million if she didn't have to endure any of the freak-offs, she testified, I'd give that money back if I never had to have a freak- off. If I never had to have freak-offs, I would have had agency and autonomy.

That is when Ventura broke down crying. She added, and I wouldn't have had to work so hard to get it back, referring to her agency and autonomy. Now after court, her attorney, Doug Wigdor, spoke to reporters and he read part of Ventura's statement. Here's what he said.

DOUG WIGDOR, CASSIE VENTURA'S ATTORNEY: This week has been extremely challenging but also remarkably empowering and healing for me. I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear.

[15:45:02]

For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember. And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget.

SCANNELL: Prosecutors also called Dawn Richard, a singer who testified she saw Combs attempt to hit Ventura over the head with a skillet of eggs. She said that then Ventura was then dragged upstairs by Combs. She said that she heard screaming and glass breaking. Her testimony is expected to continue on Monday.

Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Kara, thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:50:13]

WHITFIELD: All right. A new book takes a bite at telling a remarkable story of redemption and how a single dog rescue helped one man overcome years of addiction and inspired a dog rescue organization that has helped thousands of animals.

Nial Harbison left his native Dublin for a fresh start in Thailand and instead, his existing addiction grew worse and he came close to death as a result. Well, in his new book, "Tina: The Dog Who Changed the World," Niall Harbison tells the story of his redemption and hers, a unique labrador retriever in Thailand, no less. He joins us right now.

Niall, great to see you. In your book, you get, you know, right to it, being led to a golden dog tied up, emaciated, sickly, but with beautiful brown eyes that spoke to you. So how were you led to her and how did she win your heart so fast?

NIALL HARBISON, AUTHOR, "TINA: THE DOG WHO CHANGED THE WORLD": She was a lovely dog, and she was tied up and she'd been used for breeding. And somebody had actually sent me a photo on WhatsApp. And if you saw the state of her, she was about a week from death, I think. And we managed to rescue her, bring her back to life. And it was a start of a miraculous journey.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And stray dogs in Thailand, I mean, you write about, you know, how it really is a problem, but it kind of consumed you, shall we say? So how did it evolve into your rescue business of, you know, Happy Doggo? Is that how it's pronounced? Happy Doggo, which now helps thousands of dogs.

HARBISON: Yes. So I mean, I started by feeding the street dogs and we still produce fresh food for 1,250 dogs every day. But I very quickly realized that there's 10 million street dogs in Thailand. So our biggest focus is on sterilization, which is like spaying or neutering. And I got that from Tina just looking at her stomach after she had all those puppies. And we're really trying to control the population. So we fund the sterilization of about 7,000 dogs every month at the moment. So we're trying to really, really get on top of the problem.

WHITFIELD: And then ultimately, how did it end up I guess helping or healing you?

HARBISON: Yes, I was broken, as you mentioned. I was in hospital. I nearly drunk myself to death, really. And as I was laying there dying, I just said to myself, there has to be something more meaning to life. So I started feeding the dogs in it. I think the dogs saved me just as much as I helped them, so they're a good reminder when I see their wagging tails, when I bring them the food every morning that, you know, there's more to life.

WHITFIELD: I mean, you write so beautifully in your book about Tina and the start and, you know, all that she exhibited, even though she had been through, you know, just painfully so much. Congratulations now that you're also getting ready to open Tina's Hospital, which is a facility dedicated to helping Thailand's most vulnerable street dogs. Tell us a little bit more about that.

HARBISON: Yes. I mean, when we were obviously on a tropical island in Thailand and we often have to send dogs like 800 miles to the nearest hospital. We can do small things locally in the place where we are. But I wanted to create something in her legacy. We only had her for six months, Tina, and she was just a dog who lived in the moment. And I wanted to really create, you know, A, the hospital, B, the sterilization. And then C, I wanted to write her story, so that she'd never be forgotten and her legacy is what drives me on every day.

WHITFIELD: Wow, those pictures are so cute. I mean, you clearly gave her the best six months, you know, of her life. But it sounds, too, like it was reciprocal because that is what it is to have a relationship with the dog. So how can people get involved? I mean, I'm sure they'll be inspired when they read your book, you know, seeing this video be inspired by you. What can folks do?

HARBISON: I mean, what I always say is just follow along on social media. We don't -- we're just try and put some good out into the world with dog content and on a broader scale, like not even our organization, I would just love if people across the world adopted more dogs. I think there's, you know, an overpopulation of dogs in the world. So not even our charity, charities all over the world, just support them and be kind to dogs would be my message.

WHITFIELD: Oh, very sweet message. And she really is a darling, that Tina.

Well, Niall Harbison, thank you so much for being with us and developing such a beautiful read.

HARBISON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead, what's in a name for this couple? They're newlyweds, by the way. Their last name meant one very cool chilly wedding party.

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[15:59:34]

WHITFIELD: A fun and frosty wedding reception took place in North Texas made even cooler by a very unique last name and a tasty treat. You're looking at Mr. And Mrs. Blizzard, Bradley and Olivia Blizzard. Yes, they're real names now, and those are real Dairy Queen Blizzards served in place of a wedding cake free of charge by DQ, of course.

When they got engaged, the bride-to-be went to TikTok to ask the company if they wanted to be part of this very special day.