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Commercial Jet Engulfed In Flames As It Lands At A Moscow Airport; Exclusive Interview With Representative Sheila Jackson Lee; North Korea Launched Rocket Which Is Believed To Be A Short Range Ballistic Missile; Former Vice President Joe Biden Is Coming Out Swinging At President Trump On The Campaign Trail; Gaza Militants Have Now Fired Some 600 Rockets Into Israel; Country House Wins The Kentucky Derby; Matthew Boling, High School Record Holder, Fastest "All Conditions" 100 Meter Dash. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired May 5, 2019 - 14:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:15] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone and welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

We begin with this breaking news and stunning video of a commercial jet engulfed in flames as it lands at a Moscow airport. Russian state media report 13 people are dead. You can see the plane clearly on fire and the smoke billowing out as it makes its landing. Seventy eight people were on board when the plane came in for that fiery landing. As it hits the runway, you can also see that people are running from the plane. Some of them with their luggage in hand.

CNN's Nathan Hodge is in Moscow.

So Nathan, it appears the plane had actually taken off from the Moscow airport and then what happened?

NATHAN HODGE, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Fredericka, what happened according to Aeroflot, Russia's national carrier, was that the plane had taken off from Moscow en route to Murmansk. That's a city in Russia's far north and had to turn back after the engines caught fire and returned back to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. That's an airport north -- just northwest of the center of Moscow, landing as you have described and as we have seen in these really remarkable images, landing in flames. And then the aircraft skidding to its landing and then we have seen these very resting images of the passengers then evacuating on the emergency slides of the plane.

Again, we are just getting preliminary information about the casualties in this incident. But Russia's investigative committee, that's its top investigative body has already said that they are going to be looking into this incident. It's been taken with utmost seriousness by Russian authorities here. And, of course, the images are quite striking. It's remarkable that as many people were able to survive this emergency landing given that this plane was then engulfed in flame, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Nathan, do we know much about, you know, Aeroflot, this airline? Do we know much about, you know, its communication with, you know, control tower to let everyone know that it was in trouble, turning around?

HODGE: Fredricka, yes. Aeroflot said the plane had to make an emergency landing because of these technical issues. That was only a very general statement that we received from Aeroflot which is Russia's national carrier. It operates - but internationally and internally in Russia. It operates both Boeing and Airbus, air frames as well as domestically manufactured jets such as this super jet which was the airplane here in question.

So certainly, we are just getting this early information from Aeroflot saying that an investigation had been launched. And the information that we have had from Russia's emergency services -- emergency ministry, which is the ministry which is charged with overseeing Russia's first responders. So this has been something that's immediately been all over Russian state television.

The news in fact broke in just as a press conference was happening with Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and simultaneously, these images came in from t Sheremetyevo airport showing this very dramatic incident with the plane engulfed in flames on the ground and with the passengers evacuating down the ramps and down the emergency slides, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Nathan, what's been the experience of getting information out of Russian investigators when something on this scale happened involving, you know, its national carrier?

HODGE: Fredricka, we have found in general that Russia has been fairly responsive. Authorities in this case have been quite quick to put out information. There's been a statement that's put up at least a preliminary one from Russia's investigative committee saying that they would be undertaking a criminal probe which is a standard practice in any kind of major incident, whether it be a fire in a building or something like this emergency landing of this aircraft, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Nathan Hodge, thank you so much. We will check back with you there from Moscow.

Meantime, I want to bring in Peter Goelz. He is the former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Peter, we know the plane was already on fire as it came in for that landing. You heard Nathan's reporting that there was trouble when it took off and then it, you know, turned around and came back, and now we're seeing the video as the result. What are some of the questions you want to know about the communication, the problem conveyed, the plane, et cetera?

[14:05:06] PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, as Nathan said the investigative arm that will be looking at this in Moscow has a pretty good international reputation. They are good. They are straightforward. The information will come out. And in this case it really is eerily similar, the photographs to the crash of the Concorde, and it appears to be some sort of major fuel line must have let go, because that's a fuel fire. That there were only 13 fatalities is really quite extraordinary.

WHITFIELD: And that's what we know thus far and to see really the response of the passengers getting out of the plane, using the slides, luggage in hand in some cases and on the run.

GOELZ: That's right. This will be looked at very carefully in terms of the evacuations because aircraft are supposed to be evacuated, to be able to be evacuated in 90 seconds with half of their doorways access points closed, and this clearly met the challenge. It will be important to see exactly how the passengers were able to get off the plane and whether there was any problems because there's been a question about that, even in U.S. planes in the past few years.

WHITFIELD: So because of that what appears to be based on the video pretty rapid evacuation, it appears as though, and this from a novice point of view, that when there was trouble on this plane, passengers had enough time to really calculate what kind of trouble they may be in so that they could, and same with the staff on board, they could immediately get the, you know, doors open, get those chutes going and people in, you know, whatever kind of fashion that they were able to manage, get out.

GOELZ: Right. The flight attendants are really safety professionals. I mean, and they perform really extraordinarily well under pressure, and it was their job to get those front doors open. Get the slides out and to guide the people through the door. And you pointed out some of the people had bags with them.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GOELZ: Let me reiterate. That is the dumbest thing in the world. If you're evacuating your aircraft, leave everything behind except your loved ones and get out of the plane as fast as possible.

WHITFIELD: So Peter, you said this looks like a fuel line fire. What tells you that?

GOELZ: Well, color of the smoke, that it was so intense. That it engulfed so much of the plane indicates that a fuel source is probably to blame, and then the question is what caused that? In the case of the Concorde, you know, it was a piece of an aircraft on the runway that was kicked back up into the -- into the Concorde, so we'll have to look carefully. The Russians will have to look carefully at what instigated this event.

WHITFIELD: Peter Goelz, thank you so much.

GOELZ: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Also. Still ahead, will we hear from special counsel Robert Mueller? Democrats say they have offered him a date to testify before the house this month. Will Mueller take them up on that invitation? I will speak to a member of the house Judiciary Committee next.

Plus, exclusive Pyongyang carries out its first missile test since 2017. What does this mean for the already fragile relationship between the U.S. and North Korea?

And a stunning end to the Kentucky derby after the winning horse is disqualified. The story behind the historic reversal coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:12:31] WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. New developments today on whether Robert Mueller will testify before the house Judiciary Committee. This morning, Congressman David Cicilline made the surprise announcement that there was a tentative agreement to make it happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAVID CICILLINE (D-RI), HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: A tentative date has been set of May 15th. And we hope the special counsel will appear. We think the American people have a right to hear directly from him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me just interrupt because we are out of time. When you say a tentative date has been set. Has the special counsel agreed to that date?

CICILLINE: Well, his -- I think counsel or the representative of the special counsel has, but obviously until the date comes we never have an absolute guarantee. The White House has so far indicated they would not interfere with Mr. Mueller's attempt to testify. We hope that hasn't changed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. He has since, Cicilline has since walked that back, tweeting this. I'm quoting now "just to clarify, we are aiming to bring Mueller in on the 15th but nothing has been agreed to yet. That's the date the committee has proposed. And we hope the special counsel will agree to it. Sorry for the confusion."

Let's talk further on all this. With me now is Democratic congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas. She is a member of the house Judiciary Committee.

Congresswoman, good to see you.

REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Pleasure to be with you and your viewers this afternoon.

WHITFIELD: All right. So can help clarify where a negotiation stand with getting Mueller to testify?

JACKSON LEE: Well, Fredricka first, let me make it very clear to the American people that the House Judiciary Committee has a constitutional and oversight and investigatory authority under house rule 10 to do our job and to investigate inappropriate behavior and misconduct of the President and his associates and all those who may be able to bring information, bring insight and more understanding of what the President did wrong or right are important witnesses. So we are intending and aiming toward having Mr. Mueller. But as has been reaffirmed there's no final answer or final date at this time, but we are continuing our work. And as you well know, we still have a request into attorney general Barr for him to do his job and to provide to the Congress and to the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee the un-redacted materials from the Mueller report.

[14:15:05] WHITFIELD: And for Barr to come before the House Judiciary Committee, he didn't like the idea of being questioned by lawyers that would be representing some of your inquiries. Is there a willingness to let that go instead of attorneys questioning Barr, it would indeed be lawmakers thereby creating an atmosphere where Mr. Barr would be willing to appear before the House judiciary?

JACKSON LEE: Well, on Friday our chairman sent a letter extending a hand of reconsideration and opportunity for accommodation on some aspects, and that is to ask the general Barr to reconsider holding back our documents and not letting the entire body of members of the House Judiciary Committee see those documents. We offered an opportunity to look at what we call grand jury materials, to go into court and decide how that could be done. And we wanted to also say that we would ask for specific evidence and give a priority to certain kinds of evidence.

As it relates to the format inside the hearing room, we cannot have the attorney general tell the Congress and in this instance the Judiciary Committee how to do its investigatory work. This process has been utilized before. It was utilized in the justice Kavanaugh hearing with no complaint by the United States Senate. And so it is not an extraordinary use of resources. These are not contract lawyers. These are staff lawyers, and we give equal time to Republicans and Democrats.

We frankly believe that the President of the United States has set a tone and said to the American people I am above the law. I do not have to adhere to any law, and I certainly do not have to recognize the co-equal status of the United States congress.

We as the holders of the constitution have served on this committee with great pride for a number of years realize the House Judiciary Committee that it is our task to protect democracy and the rule of law and certainly adherence to the constitution. We ask the attorney general who is the chief law enforcement officer for the United States and not the defense counsel for President Trump to show the American people that the department of justice will follow the law. And they have sent a letter of accommodation to try to work with him.

WHITFIELD: OK. And you have not heard from him yet, a response from that letter?

JACKSON LEE: We expect and hope that we will hear from him by 9:00 tomorrow morning.

WHITFIELD: OK.

JACKSON LEE: And if not, it is likely that we will move to mark up a contempt proceeding in this coming week.

WHITFIELD: And on Mueller's testimony we did hear Barr, the attorney general say this about the special counsel's availability.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about Bob Mueller? Should he be allowed to testify before this --?

WILLIAM BARR. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I've already said publically. I have no objection.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Don McGahn, should he be allowed to testify?

BARR: Well, that's a call for the President to make.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So as it pertains to Mueller we also heard from the President just moments ago via twitter and he said he does not believe that Mueller should testify. So who will have the final say about Mueller's testimony? Will it be the attorney general or will it be the President of the United States?

LEE: Well, Fredericka, here lies the complete mystery of this administration. The attorney general who has been doubtful tom throughout his testimony over the last couple of weeks. Everything was he couldn't remember. He didn't understand the question. Would you repeat the question, said without qualifications that he sees no reason or he would not interfere with director Mueller testifying.

We remember just about two weeks ago the great compliments that were coming from the President on Mr. Mueller and his report and he was exonerated and he was celebrating Mr. Mueller this, former marine. Now all of a sudden on the eve of potential interaction on this point of Mr. Mueller coming, dialogue about that happening, now the President is all of a sudden, saying he thinks he should not. Mr. Mueller is soon to be I would expect a private citizen.

WHITFIELD: Except right now he's still in the department of justice employee, so.

JACKSON LEE: He is. He is.

WHITFIELD: So who would have the final say?

JACKSON LEE: Well, I would say more importantly his letter indicates he might have the final say. As you remember, he sent a letter on March 27th saying I don't know why you are holding up these document, my summarization of it. I gave it to you in the framework which you can give to Congress and the public. I think that Mr. Mueller is a straight shooter. I would hope that he

would make that decision because the President has in the overall perspective waived his executive privilege to a certain extent, and he should not have any rights over Mr. McGahn or Mr. Mueller.

[14:20:18] WHITFIELD: And you are saying because he -- that the President did give the green light for them to be questioned by the Mueller team.

JACKSON LEE: He was a happy camper. He said they could talk all day long. And they did talk all day long and the reports were based upon that.

I want to remind the American people that Mr. Mueller, a former marine, a straight arrow, former FBI director, made it very clear. If I could have exonerated the President, I would have so stated. I could not. Now he did not make a conclusion of guilt or innocence, and he made it very clear that he did not move forward because of the direct policy of the DOJ that you cannot indict a sitting President. But he did understand the constitution and the responsibilities of Congress, i.e., the house Judiciary Committee, to do its job and to investigate what he has put forward in a more thorough and expansive manner for the American people to see. I think we should hold hearings that are primetime for the American people to see. We are not targeting anyone, Fredericka. We are just trying to find out the truth.

WHITFIELD: All right. And we will leave it there.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, thank you very much.

JACKSON LEE: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Still ahead, the U.S. responds after North Korea carries out its first missile test since 2017. An exclusive look at the test and where the U.S./North Korea relationship goes from here next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:22] Welcome. CNN has obtained exclusive images showing the North Korea launches, and you can see the smoke trail following the rocket which is believed to be a short range ballistic missile.

We are also learning Kim Jong-un gave the order of firing for this weekend's rocket launch drill. And this morning state media confirmed that North Korea tested multiple rocket launchers, and Kim Jong-un observed and guided the drills in person. Despite this, U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo still believes there's a path forward for U.S./North Korea negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: So we know a couple of things. One, at no point was there ever any international boundary crossed. They landed in the water east of North Korea and didn't present a threat to the United States or to South Korea or Japan. We know that they were relatively short range. And beyond that we know they weren't intercontinental ballistic missiles either. And beyond that, I will leave to the department of defense to characterize this when the further information arrives. But we still believe there's an opportunity to get a negotiated outcome where we get fully verified denuclearization. Chairman Kim has repeated. He had repeated that quite recently, in fact. And so we hope that this act that he took over the weekend won't get in the way. We want to get back to the table and continue to have these conversations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Joining me now director of the center of Korean history and public policy at the Wilson center Jean H. Lee.

Good to see you, Jean. So first, what is your reaction to Pompeo saying there remains a path forward even now that there is this kind of evidence of a missile test?

JEAN H. LEE, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR KOREAN HISTORY AND PUBLIC POLICY AT WILSON CENTER: Well, I have to say what this shows is that Kim Jong- un is getting impatient. Remember, that by all accounts it was President Trump who walked away from his talks with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi in late February, and he's been using the time since then to plot out a strategy for how he is going to get President Trump back to the negotiations.

And, you know, he has turned to a tactic that has worked so well for North Korea, and that is this type of provocation, but he's been pretty strategic about it, I have to say, and we hear that reflected in what Secretary Pompeo has said. Because what Kim Jong-un has tested here, what he has launched are not long range ballistic missiles. Those were the tests in 2017 that got President Trump so ride up, so he knows that if he were to do that, that these talks could can be scuttled. So he has been strategic in launching what may or may not have been short range missiles. And he knows that that will get Pompeo's attention, that will get President Trump's attention without completely scuttling the talks. So he has gotten what he has wanted. And he has also gotten this assurance from President Trump and from secretary Pompeo that the talk -- that there's still some room for negotiations.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I mean, the President tweeted yesterday, you know, I'm still with you, you know. I mean, he essentially, you know, sent a message of there remains hope. But then just listening to your explanation of how you see it, Kim Jong-un really knows he has the upper hand here and this was perhaps a warning shot, almost, you know, nudging of I real want to get my way and you know what my potential is?

LEE: He is trying to get the upper hand. Let's be clear, the United States has the upper hand here. What North Korea has is the ability to raise tensions, and this serves as a reminder he is reminding President Trump. He is reminding the world that while you sit there and debate the definition of denuclearization, I'm still refining, perfecting my program. And can I go back to it at any time. But this is his way of trying to get the upper hand or get some

advantage when they do get back to that negotiation. Remember, there's still a huge gulf in how Washington and Pyongyang define how they will get to this nuclear deal so he's really trying to figure out how can I get the upper hand when I sit down at that table again.

WHITFIELD: Jean H. Lee, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

LEE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And we will be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:32:02] WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Former vice President Joe Biden is coming out swinging at President Trump on the campaign trail. He is in South Carolina this weekend where black voters will play a key role in determining who will get the 2020 nomination, and while he's telling his voters he won't get into a quote "mud wrestling match" with Trump, Biden did say that he has a few nicknames of his own for the President starting with clown.

Meantime, some of the other 21 candidates are out in Iowa where we're now nine months away from the February caucuses.

CNN's senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's good to be back in Hawkeye country. I'll tell you what, man. It's been a while.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Iowa.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are far and away the front-runners in the democratic Presidential race or are they.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, West Des Moines.

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You want to win campaign you've got to campaign the Iowa way.

ZELENY: The Iowa way means one thing for certain, front-runners can be fleeting. One voter after another sharing a similar sentiment. The 2020 race is as wide open as a country highway.

Do you think at this point there is a front-runner in the race nine months before the Iowa caucuses?

JANE CRANSTON, IOWA DEMOCRAT: No. I don't think there is. I think right now it is still wide open.

ZELENY: Jane and Ed Cranston are following the Democratic primary far closer than most. Often the race comes right into their living room, like when they hosted a visit from Julian Castro.

J. CRANSTON: Thank you all for coming, and for this amazing turnout.

ZELENY: They intend to meet and take a measure of all candidates. After President Trump won in 2016, they formed a group with their democratic friends to get ready.

J. CRANSTON: We called our group the pot luck insurgency. Because it is an Iowa pot luck and we wanted to be edgy, too.

ZELENY: There are no hurry to pick a favorite saying they want to watch the candidates grow and be tested.

[14:35:01] J. CRANSTON: Well I think you hit the nail on the head. It's who can win, and that's a hard thing to judge, especially so early. But that's what everybody is looking for.

ED CRANSTON, IOWA DEMOCRAT: Beside me is critical. I mean, Bernie got a lot of people excited. And so - and we will need that same excitement this next round.

ZELENY: When Biden visited Iowa this week Ed was there listening closely and going in for a brief handshake.

E. CRANSTON: It is always good to touch the flesh. I'm impressed. I think -- he didn't disappoint.

ZELENY: Nine months before the Iowa caucuses open the Democratic nominating contest, the field of candidates now stands at 21 with the mix old faces and new ones. That's speaks to a critical question facing voters. What do you say to some Democrats who are like, you know, time for some new blood?

SARA RILEY, IOWA DEMOCRAT: Well, new blood that would lose would really be horrible, wouldn't it? Think put Pete Buttigieg is wonderful, but Biden has so much experience and I want a president who would be ready from day one.

ZELENY: Yes not everyone sees a golden lining in experience. Jan Kerrigan says she loves Joe Biden but doesn't believe she can vote for him.

JAN KERRIGAN, IOWA VOTER: This is a terrible thing to say, but it's his age. .And I know that's wrong. That's not politically correct to say that.

ZELENY: She actually likes Cory Booker but is keeping an open mind and attended an organizing session this week for Elizabeth Warren.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: So Fredericka you can see that Iowa, of course, is filled with Democratic presidential candidates, at least half a dozen or so this weekend.

I'm in Spencer, Iowa in the northern part of the state where Bernie Sanders is going to be here shortly. You can see a crowd of people filling in. There's going to be a town hall meeting here, so he will be taking questions. And Bernie Sanders has been, of course, in Iowa for much of the last four years. He ran four years ago as the only alternative to Hillary Clinton. This time, of course, there are at least 21 candidates in the race.

So Fredricka, organization is the key to it all this time. Bernie Sanders now is organizing well ahead of many of the other candidates. The question is electability. Who is the best and strongest Democratic candidate to take on Donald Trump? Of course, that's often different from voter to voter. But that's why these candidates are here, here early nine months before the Iowa caucuses - Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And it's so great to hear that cross-section of voters and just, you know, a diversified view of this race, a very crowded race thus far.

Jeff Zeleny, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

We have got an update on the breaking news out of Moscow now. We are now learning that Russia is launching a criminal probe of that fiery passenger jet emergency landing in Moscow. Russian state media report 13 people are dead, and you can see the plane clearly on fire. Smoke billowing out.

A statement posted on the agency's Web site said investigating authorities had initiating a criminal probe under an article of Russian law concerning violation of the rules of traffic safety and operation of air transport that results in the death of two or more persons by negligence.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:42:15] WHITFIELD: All right. We have got breaking news out of the Middle East where Gaza militants have now fired some 600 rockets into Israel. Israeli officials say they have responded with 260 airstrikes on targets across Gaza. Four Israelis were killed and four militants have been killed according to health officials.

CNN's Oren Liebermann is neither Israeli border with Gaza.

Oren, is this conflict expected to continue, to intensify?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From everything we see right now this is certainly continuing, whether it intensifies, we will certainly know in the next couple of hours.

As we are standing here the shore of (INAUDIBLE), a town just north of Gaza, we have seen and heard Israeli fighter jets above our head and heard the sounds of what sound like massive air strikes carried out inside of Gaza, an indication that this isn't over yet as we enter the second night.

So far according to the Israeli military, more than 600 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel, some along the Gaza periphery. Shorter range rockets that might get as far as where we are standing and some almost powerful medium range and long range rockets that are part of an escalation that we have seen over the last 36 hours. According to Israeli officials four people have been killed by rocket fire.

Meanwhile, Israel, as you pointed out, has carried out a wave of airstrikes including artillery fire and tank fire across Gaza, they say targeting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic jihad and military targets. According to the latest numbers from the Palestinian ministry of health, 20 people have been killed because of those airstrikes. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicating that this isn't over yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This morning I instructed the IDF to continue with massive attacks against terrorist elements in the Gaza Strip, and I also instruct that had forces around the Gaza Strip be stepped up with tank artillery and infantry forces. Hamas bears responsibility for not only its own attacks and actions but also for the actions of Islamic jihad, and it is paying a very high price for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIEBERMANN: In addition to military pressure Israel is also trying to put economic pressure on Gaza. They have already close the fishing zone as well as the border crossing into Gaza. Now they have announced that they will freeze the supply of fuel into Gaza, all as an attempt to put economic pressure on Hamas and Palestinian-Islamic jihad to stop the rocket fire.

Fredricka, we have seen this develop in stages on the Palestinian side from short range rockets and medium range rockets and anti-tank missiles and on the Israeli side from smaller military targets near the border to larger buildings as well as a targeted killing of one of the main Hamas operatives that brings in money. Because this has developed from stages, it gives an opportunity to step away from the next stage but we're not there yet as the fighting continues.

WHITFIELD: Oren Liebermann in Israel, thank you so much. We will check back with you.

And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:30] WHITFIELD: An unbelievable and controversial ending to the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They disqualified him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did. So for the first time in the history of the Kentucky Derby, the horse that crossed the line first has been disqualified. After the objection, Country House wins the Kentucky Derby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. What a roller coaster ride of emotions there moments after the apparent winner maximum security crossed the finish line at Churchill downs in Kentucky. The jockey for that horse that came in second filed an objection and then fans and jockeys held their breath for some 20 minutes until it was decided that maximum security interfered with the other horses.

Let's bring in host of CNN's "WINNING POST" Aly Vance. You were there to see it all in in person. So Allie, explain, you know, this, you know, really this roller coaster ride of emotions, the moment. What it was like from euphoria for a win to confusion over the delay and then the crowning of a new winner?

ALY VANCE, CNN HOST, WINNING POST: Well, yes, but everyone watching, in all sense of purposes, thought that maximum security was a fantastic winner of the 145th Kentucky Derby. He crossed the line 1 3/4 lengths clear. And then quite quickly, the objection sign came up, and it was very strange because we were standing on the track, and the rain was coming down. And the horses were circling. And no one really knew what was happening and what they were looking at. But the big screens showed the stewards looking up. What happened there was an interference on the final turn into the home straight where the leader maximum security veered to his right, and he did obstruct some other horses, and they were looking at that. And under the rules of racing in America, any obstruction, if there's an objection, means that the horse causing the obstruction gets placed below those that impeded and he moved down to the bottom of the field and Country House was declared the winner. And I have to say it was an unsatisfactory end to the Kentucky Derby. But it was not a very popular decision with the crowd and there were boos were ringing around Churchill downs.

[14:50:41] WHITFIELD: Right. And so, Aly, you know, I'm not a race horse rider, but you know, I think one would think almost everyone would think there would be some bumping, you know. I mean, these are 1,500-pound animals. They are going the fastest, you know, that they can, you know, in a very, you know, short -- for a very short distance. How is this unavoidable for horses to bump into each other, you know, and not break these rules?

VANCE: Well, it is a very good question. So the rules in America if there's an obstruction, if a horse interferes with another horse, as I said, they are disqualified below those that it's interfered with. Rules elsewhere around the rest of the world, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, how the stewards go on and ask the question whether that interference caused the race results to be different, and in this case it didn't. Maximum security won very easily, as I said. There was no way that the horses that he interfered would have beaten him. So if this had taken place anywhere else in the rest of the world the horse wouldn't have been disqualified. So that's the kind of question whether the rules in America under those rules, the horse had to be disqualified but whether the rules all need to come under one umbrella.

WHITFIELD: So period. It's over. There's no other contesting. Maximum security can't come back and say we still dispute it even though there's been crowned a new winner.

VANCE: I think there can be an appeals process. And I think the connections to maximum security will be looking at that and weighing their options of whether they can appeal, but it is quite clear there was an obstruction, so it is going to be quite hard for them to prove anything different. You look and could the jockey have done something differently because in the heat of the moment the horse did veer right. It looks like he was looking at a puddle on the inside.

WHITFIELD: There was a lot of water on the track.

VANCE: Yes. A lot of water and huge atmosphere in the Kentucky Derby. So could the jockey have done anything about it? But, you know, in a way that -- it's slightly hard. The rules are tough. You can't do much about it.

WHITFIELD: Wow, painful stuff.

All right. Aly Vance, good to talk to you.

We are back right after this.

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[14:56:40] WHITFIELD: All right. Matthew Boling, he hasn't even graduated high school yet, and already he has become a household name because he is now one of the fastest men in the world. Last weekend the Texas teen set the high school record for the fastest 100, look at him right there, 100-meter run regardless of conditions, 9.98 seconds. And if he were in the 2016 Olympics and he had that kind of time, he would have beaten two runners.

I'm joined now by this very fast teenager, Matthew Boling.

Congratulations. Wow, for setting new heights, record-setting run. How do you feel one week after that?

MATTHEW BOLING, HIGH SCHOOL RECORD HOLDER, FASTEST "ALL CONDITIONS" 100 METER DASH: Thank you. It feels really good. I have a lot of support from friends and people texting me good job and stuff. We have our state meet next weekend. So I'm just trying to use that moment to go into states and do well again.

WHITFIELD: Unbelievable. So tell me what your season has been like. I mean, this isn't just, you know, a fluke, you know, people expected you, you know, to win or stay out front because that has been the trend for you?

BOLING: Yes. So at the beginning of the season I started out at a 400-meter runner and then one meet during spring break I begged my coach to let me run the 100 (INAUDIBLE) for the 400. And then I ended up running the fastest time in the nation at that meet. And then from think just kept working on the 100 and it's been kind of like an unexpected season but it's gone really well.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So you have been a 400-meter runner but there was something in you where you felt pretty confident you could be a 100- meter runner and you convinced your coach, you know, to let you enter as a 100-meter runner.

BOLING: Yes. Because I have been running the 4x100 meter relay so I knew I had the potential to run the 100. And - so I practice like the week before. I was just like could I run the open 100, coach. He was like, yes, I think you can, because it's spring break so it's just like a for fun meet.

WHITFIELD: That's awesome. So this became a real - a great I told you so.

So now what? What are your aspirations? What do you do with this incredible, you know, record breaking talent?

BOLING: Well, my goal is to go to the Olympics. I'll go to the University of Georgia next year. And I have already talked with the coaches there. And they are on board for helping me to reach my goals. And hopefully I'll make the trials for the upcoming Olympics. And then that's just my dream. That's been my dream since I started in sixth grade.

WHITFIELD: Incredible. Well, all the best to you at UGA as a bulldog and then to hopefully Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Matthew Boling, you are amazing.

BOLING: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Congratulations.

Thanks for being with us, too.

All right. The next hour of the NEWSROOM starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WHITFIELD: Hello again and thank you so much for being with me this Sunday. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

We begin with breaking news and stung video of a commercial jet engulfed in flames as it lands at a Moscow airport. Russian state media reports 13 people are dead and several others injured, and you can you see the plane clearly on fire. Smoke billowing, 78 people on board when the plane --.

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