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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Chris Brown Charged Over Alleged London Nightclub Assault; Cassie Ventura Getting Grilled By The Defense; Judge Orders Probe In Information Leak On NBC Dateline Episode About Bryan Kohberger; Supreme Court Hears Historic Arguments On Birthright Citizenship. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired May 16, 2025 - 04:30   ET

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

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[04:32:45]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. I'm Erica Hill. Here's a look at some of the stories we're watching today. Russia and Ukraine accusing one another of launching dozens of drone attacks overnight just before their first face to face talks in three years. Negotiators set to meet in Istanbul in about an hour. There is, though, little hope of making much headway.

U.S. President Donald Trump is wrapping up his tour of the Middle East, his first major overseas trip of his second term. He's met with business leaders a short time ago. He'll be heading back to Washington later today with billions of dollars in deals for investments in the U.S. economy and potentially reshaping American foreign policy in the region.

Prices are going up at Walmart, the world's largest retailer says it has to raise prices on some electronics, toys and food because of President Trump's tariffs. Those changes expected by the end of the month.

Authorities in the U.K. have charged American rapper Chris Brown in relation to an alleged attack in 2023. Brown is accused of beating a music producer in a London nightclub in February of that year. The 36- year-old is in police custody facing one count of causing grievous bodily harm and is set to appear at a court in Manchester on Friday morning.

Defense attorneys for Sean "Diddy" Combs will continue their cross examination of his former girlfriend on Friday, trying to prove she was a willing participant in his now infamous sex parties known as freak offs. Cassie Ventura faced a tough interrogation on Thursday. Sketch artist Christine Cornell spoke with CNN about Combs' reaction to some of her testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE CORNELL, COURTROOM SKETCH ARTIST: Diddy was thrumming his fingers against his thigh. I think he's very determined to present this as a, you know, he said she said, you know, she was really into it. I kind of buy her argument that, you know, that she was placating him to a super large degree.

But I think her enthusiasm for him was absolutely genuine. And, you know, maybe he can score some points in that regard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:35:02]

HILL: CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more details now on day four of Diddy's Racketeering and Sex trafficking trial here in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASSIE VENTURA, SINGER AND ACTRESS: Each character and each actor that came into the project brought their own thing to the table.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 21-year-old Cassie Ventura in 2008 promoting the film "Step Up 2."

VENTURA: Oh my gosh. It was an overwhelming experience but exciting all at the same time.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): During day one of cross examination, she was asked about her budding relationship in emails with Sean Combs from that same year. When Combs said, I love you, I miss you, can't wait to hold you. Ventura responded, I'm a very lucky woman, I miss you so much. I'd fly wherever you needed me.

The defense building its case that Ventura was a willing participant and enjoyed the so called freak offs or long drug fueled sex sessions involving male escort she says were orchestrated by Combs.

In 2009 when Combs messaged asking if she wanted to freak off, Ventura replied, I'm always ready to freak off. Lol. I just want it to be uncontrollable. Ventura said, referring to sex with the escort. I can't wait. That's why I want to see. Combs responded. Later that year when Combs emailed, I want to be nasty for you. Ventura replied, in order for me to be more open with the things we do in bed, I need to feel safe like home. This is my husband and this is the only man that will ever have this aggressive sexual side of me.

When asked by the defense if this showed open communication between the two, Ventura said, I would say. But the prosecution says this video from 2016 showing Combs assaulting Ventura as she says she tried to flee a freak off proves the relationship devolved into abuse and control.

Still, a year after that assault, the defense noted Ventura sent this to Combs in 2017. I love our freak offs when we both want it. Ventura sang on the stand that the text was just words at that point, echoing her previous testimony of feeling trapped and afraid of Combs rages.

The defense also argued that jealousy played a role in the volatile relationship with Ventura, writing, I nervous that I'm just becoming the girlfriend that you get your fantasies off of and that's it.

SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS, MUSIC MOGUL: I just miss Kim y' all. You know what I'm saying?

WAGMEISTER: Combs time with the late Kim Porter, the mother of four of his children and other women also came up. Ventura testifying she has some jealousy of Ms. Porter because Combs would spend holidays with her even though they had split up. Their fights over infidelity were a little scary, she said.

In 2011, she dated rapper Kid Cudi while on a break from Combs. I thought it would be way too dangerous to tell him about that, she said. But Combs lunged at her, she says, after finding Kid Cudi's name in her phone during a freak off, which still went on during breaks in their relationship because it was a job, Ventura said.

WAGMEISTER: Now there was actually a heated moment in court when the judge reprimanded the defense essentially for taking too long with their cross-examination. The judge said that there was a prearrangement of sorts that Cassie Ventura would be done with her testimony by end of the this week. The reason? Well, she's pregnant and she's very pregnant.

Cassie Ventura can literally go into labor any day now. So the judge said that by end of day Friday, cross examination and redirect from the prosecution has to be wrapped up.

Now, Combs defense said she is the most critical witness and this is a very important case. Their client, of course, is facing life in prison if convicted. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: And our thanks to Elizabeth Wagmeister for that report. The judge overseeing the pretrial hearings and the Idaho student killings is ordering the prosecution and defense to retain records after information was apparently leaked and revealed in a Dateline NBC episode last week. That information included phone call records, Internet searches and more from Bryan Kohberger.

He is the former criminology grad student who is now facing multiple counts of first degree murder for the deaths of four University of Idaho students in November of 2022. If convicted, Kohberger faces the death penalty.

The fate of President Trump's controversial citizenship, a controversial bid to change the U.S. Constitutional policy of citizenship now in the hands of a Supreme Court.

Just ahead, what we learned from the oral arguments on Thursday and what it could mean for the future of that executive order from the president.

Plus, a heavily Republican community fighting to prevent a teenage girl from being deported. We'll hear from residents on edge over President Trump's immigration crackdown. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:44:34]

HILL: The U.S. Supreme Court is considering lifting a series of nationwide judicial orders which are currently blocking President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. The order, signed on his first day in office, would deny citizenship to anybody born in the U.S. whose parents were either here unlawfully or temporarily.

Well, that move immediately triggered protests and legal challenges, federal judges blocking enforcement almost immediately, ruling that the order itself was unsafe, unconstitutional.

[04:45:05]

On Thursday, the nine justices of the Supreme Court heard oral arguments weighing into and questioning whether the courts had overstepped their authority with these nationwide bans. The judges wrestling with the practical implications of allowing the policy because the policy itself would appear to conflict with the constitution, specifically the 14th amendment, which states, all persons born, are naturalized in the United States, are subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.

Now, it's important to note here the case that they are looking at the justices. It didn't deal directly with the 14th Amendment itself, but the process in enforcing this order and also the process of these rulings from the lower courts, from these federal judges.

We could potentially hear from the court likely next month, late June or early July, when they release their decisions.

A northwestern Georgia community voting overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump. Well, now that community is desperately trying to save some of its residents from being deported. It's a move that comes after a mistaken traffic stop landed a teenage girl in immigration custody. CNN's Dianne Gallagher has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: We will look the other way.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): United and divided.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bunch of Democrats over there.

GALLAGHER: In Dalton, Georgia, after a Traffic stop on May 5, 19-year- old Ximena Arias-Cristobal was pulled over for allegedly making an illegal right turn. She was then arrested for driving without a U.S. license.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you ever been to jail? XIMENA ARIAS-CRISTOBAL, DALTON, GEORGIA RESIDENT: No, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you're going.

ARIAS-CRISTOBAL: I cannot go to jail. I have my finals next weekend.

GALLAGHER: A week later, Dalton police said they determined that the officer pulled over the wrong truck. Her traffic charges were dropped, but Arias is undocumented. Her parents brought here from Mexico at age 4 in 2010. She was taken to Stuart Detention center in Georgia, one of the country's largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, where her father was also detained.

He'd been there for weeks after being stopped for speeding last month. The Dalton State College student situation has shaken many in this northwest Georgia community, like Hannah Jones, who has raised thousands of dollars to cover the legal fees for her children's longtime babysitter.

HANNAH JONES, FAMILY FRIEND: She's a Daltonian through and through. She has so many connections in the community. She's just an American teenager.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Arias mother also undocumented, and her younger daughters, who are American citizens, are devastated and traumatized.

NDAHITHA ARIAS, SISTER: I'm scared that they could, like just come to my house and just take my mom away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's fear in our community.

GALLAGHER: Now, many in Dalton's Latino community are feeling on edge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm afraid and I'm a citizen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's some uncertainty in our community. You know, as a concerned father, as a School Board of Education member, what's going to happen to a lot of our students that drive to school.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Dubbed the carpet capital of the world, Dalton is a manufacturing town that has long relied on immigrant workers. Today, roughly half the city's population has Hispanic heritage. It's also very Republican. Marjorie Taylor Greene represents the area in Congress. More than 70 percent of voters in this county picked Trump in November. But some of those supporters say this is not what they were voting for.

KASEY CARPENTER, GEORGIA HOUSE REPUBLICAN: Let's focus on the bad people, the people that are here, malicious intent. And not the people that aren't. The people that are just looking for a better life because that's the American dream, right?

GALLAGHER (voice-over): State Representative Kasey Carpenter wrote a character letter to the judge for Arias. He says during the election, he assured his community that Trump's hardline immigration talk was not about people like her.

GALLAGHER: Do you feel regret? Do you feel guilt?

CARPENTER: I mean, I still think the election, Trump winning the election was important for the country. But on this particular issue, yes, 100 percent regret. I mean, these are people.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Carpenter acknowledges his position is not shared by all his fellow Republicans here, many of whom agree with Trump's Department of Homeland Security, which says, quote, both father and daughter were in this country illegally and they have to face the consequences. Still, many in this ruby red community remain hopeful that she will return.

JONES: This is the only home she's ever known. She wants to lay down roots here. She wants to stay here. She wants to build a life here. She just needs the opportunity to do so.

GALLAGHER: Ximena Arias remains in custody at the Stuart Detention Center, but her family and her attorneys say that she does have a bond hearing date set for May 20. Her father had a hearing on Wednesday. He was granted bond and headed home on Thursday evening, where he will spend the time with his family as his case plays out.

The Department of Homeland Security in a statement suggested that both father and daughter self deport. Dianne Gallagher, CNN, back to you.

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[04:50:07]

HILL: Thanks Dianne for that. And stay with us. We'll be right back. You're watching Early Start.

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HILL: The Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in history. Regarded as the earliest declaration of human rights, it dates back to the 1300s, which is why a recent discovery made by a British historian is such a surprise.

King's College professor David Carpenter was searching for a copy of the document in the archives of Harvard University's Law School when he realized he hadn't just found a copy, he'd actually stumbled upon one of just seven known originals.

[04:55:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CARPENTER, PROFESSOR, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON: I work through the Harvard text word for word. Backbreaking, eyebreaking work comparing it to the authorized version. Jolly nerve wracking actually, because I kept thinking, oh God, it's going to fail.

But actually, no, it didn't. Flying colors and its text is virtually identical to that found in these six other originals. And that persuaded me more than anything else that this was absolutely genuine and authentic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The Magna Carta or the Great Charter, of course, enshrined the principle that the king was not above the law. Among other things, Harvard bought this original, which didn't realize when it was original at the time, for just $27, 80 years ago.

Thanks so much for joining me this hour on Early Start. I'm Erica Hill. We'll have more of the day's top stories after this quick break.

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