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Israel Announces Plan to Seize "Large Areas" of Gaza; Pro- Israel Group Says It Gave U.S. List of Protesters to Deport; School Phone Bans Emerge As Bipartisan Issue; Val Kilmer, Known for "Top Gun" and Batman Forever," Dead at 65. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired April 02, 2025 - 13:30   ET

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

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Overnight, Israeli forces seem to have pushed in to Rafah, that southern city in Gaza. They have now confirmed that they have encircled the Tal as Sultan neighborhood, which is in the western part of Rafah. And the Israeli Prime Minister is now talking about seizing what he is calling the Morag Axis.

We've previously heard about the Philadelphia axis, of course, separating Gaza from Egypt. But now he is also talking about this Morag Axis, which kind of lines up with this tweet from the Israeli military, which is laying out the evacuation zone for southern Gaza for the civilian population. And right at the top of that evacuation zone is effectively where this Morag Axis sits, north of Rafah city, which suggests that the Israeli military intends to hold the entirety of Rafah and to clear it of civilians, to clear it of Hamas militants.

We have also heard the Israeli Defense Minister talking about crushing and clearing terrorists and terrorist infrastructure, suggesting that Israel will take control of that land as part of its security zone, which so far has also included every strip of land within Gaza, about a kilometer in along the Israel-Gaza border.

Now, as the Israeli military expands this ground offensive, those airstrikes are very much continuing unrelented. More than 62 people have been killed just today, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

That does indeed include a strike on a U.N. health clinic in northern Gaza, not currently being used as a health clinic, but rather where displaced Palestinians have been sheltering. Nineteen people were killed, including nine children, according to Gaza's civil defense, the Israeli military saying that they struck Hamas terrorists who were using that facility. Brianna? Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Yeah, Jeremy, thank you so much for that, Jeremy Diamond.

Back here in the U.S., a self-described Zionist advocacy group says it gave the Trump administration a list of pro-Palestinian activists to deport. And this is a revelation that comes as federal agents arrest a growing number of international college students and academics, whisking them away without criminal charges and revoking their visas. BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: One of those arrests was captured on video, and it shows plainclothes officers moving in with their faces covered, taking a Tufts University student away in handcuffs. People have been questioning exactly how the government identified who to target. CNN's Gloria Pazmino is covering this story.

Gloria, what are you learning?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, Brianna, ever since the arrest started to happen several weeks ago, first with the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, then with the Tufts University student and several others, we've been asking ourselves that question. How is the government getting this information?

And one thing that is constant throughout all of the cases is that all of the students have been telling the courts that they have been subject to harassment campaigns by outside groups who are working to, quote-unquote, "identify student protesters."

In fact, Rumeysa Ozturk, who we just saw being arrested in that video, is one of the people that was profiled by one of these groups. One of them is Betar, and the other one is Canary Mission. And they are both acknowledging the fact that they have been working to identify student protesters. The big question here is, what is being done with that information?

Now, here's what Betar said about the work that they are doing. They said, quote, "We submitted the names of hundreds of protesters and activists to the Trump administration, DHS, urging ICE to deport them under the executive orders."

Now, we went to the government agencies, and the State Department declined to explain to us whether or not they are using this specific information. However, they did say that they use all available intelligence in order to vet student visas.

Now, the White House has said that the Department of Homeland Security is relying on information. Again, what kind of information are we talking about remains an unanswered question.

But in reporting out the story and speaking to legal experts, they pointed out the fact that a lot of this information is publicly available, right? Photos, social media posting, LinkedIn profiles. And what the groups have done is put it all together in one place and creating these lists. And while that may not be illegal, per se, because the information is out there in the public sphere, what is being used with -- what is being done with it is what is the concerning question here. Is the information being used to target people?

So that's going to be a major part of this story as we continue to follow these cases and more students potentially are targeted by the administration.

KEILAR: All right. We know you'll continue to follow this. Gloria Pazmino, thank you. Still to come, from an old-school phone conversation to social media and even banking, our smartphones are a permanent fixture in our lives. And that reality is having a huge impact on the next generation.

[13:35:04]

Ahead, how high school students in Virginia are coping with a new way of banning them by actually locking them up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: This is an issue that both sides of the aisle seem to support, banning cell phones in schools. New York is reportedly moving closer to joining a handful of other states to do it. While in Georgia, a bill banning electronic devices from kindergarten through eighth grade now awaits a signature from Governor Brian Kemp.

KEILAR: Virginia has been one of the states at the forefront of the issue. Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, signed an executive order to establish phone-free education this year.

[13:40:05]

And CNN Anchor Pamela Brown visited a high school in northern Virginia to hear from teachers, students and administrators who took part in a pilot program.

Pamela is with us now to talk about this. What did they tell you? This is so interesting.

It was and administrators who took part in a pilot program. Pamela is with us now to talk about this.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: It was pretty enlightening. Well, they all sort of admitted the ban made them realize how much an addiction they did have to their cell phones, right? And they did have some withdrawal. In fact, it was really fascinating what you're going to hear from them about what that withdrawal was like.

But at the same time, these students admitted that having their phones taken away during the day gave them a new kind of freedom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Raise your hand if you're a fan of this new phone-free policy at the school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's complicated.

BROWN (voice-over): This Virginia high school looks like any other during passing periods. But notice one thing's missing.

ALEX HEATON, JUNIOR, WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL: I remember the first day I was sitting in physics. My phone was locked up in my bag and I kept reaching for it, but I couldn't. And the only thing I can do is sit on my computer and listen.

BROWN: Wakefield High is a guinea pig of sorts. Students are expected to store their phones in this magnetic locking pouch throughout the day. At first, there was resistance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People were putting dents and holes in the wall. Like there are tables we had to like get fixed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right after we got them, when I walked in the cafeteria, all you hear is like the bang.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like it sounded like gunshots.

BROWN (voice-over): Greg Cabana, a government teacher at Wakefield, noticed it too.

GREG CABANA, GOVERNMENT TEACHER, WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL: The fact that they're banging pouches around the cafeteria trying to unlock their phone, this is proving our point right here of how meaningful and how powerful that phone is.

BROWN (voice-over): It may be too soon to fully understand the impact of phones on academic performance, especially talking to this group of high-performing students.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it depends on who you were before the phone policy.

BROWN (voice-over): But other benefits inside the classroom are clear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even just picking it up for a small time can take away from like your learning experience.

BROWN (voice-over): The 2023 Surgeon General's report says up to 95% of kids 13 to 17 use social media. Former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy even called for tobacco-style warning labels on social media platforms, saying they're associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.

DR. VIVEK MURTHY, FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: The data also shows when kids are spending more than three hours on average that they face nearly double the risk, increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms.

BROWN: But a recent CDC study found about 50% of teenagers between ages 12 and 17 had four or more hours of daily screen time.

JAM'HARIE PRICE (Junior, Wakefield High School): Every day I go straight to my phone when I get home, don't even think about the homework.

BROWN: But when he's in the walls of Wakefield, he's opening up in other ways.

PRICE: It's definitely helped with like social issues for sure, like without the phone, because like I feel like I connect with more people and like have better conversations than I could have had with the phone.

BROWN: Student Karen Mines says it's led to a new kind of engagement.

KAREN MINES, STUDENT: Even just like at lunch, you like talk to each other, you know, like people bring games to class.

BROWN (on camera): You never experienced that kind of engagement?

MINES: Well, it was just like, and maybe not since kindergarten, maybe not since preschool.

BROWN (voice-over): And the students and teachers here say less isolation has meant less interpersonal conflict.

MINES: There were a lot less fights. I haven't seen any this year.

BROWN: The movement to restrict cell phones in classrooms is growing, with nine states having already passed a ban or restricted cell phone use in schools. And 15 states plus the District of Columbia have introduced legislation to do the same. But not every educator is on board, including Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, a former public-school principal in New York.

BRANDON CARDET-HERNANDEZ, PRESIDENT, MRS WORDSMITH: We have to teach digital literacy skills. Like kids need to know how to use social media. And by an outright ban of smartphones in schools, we are not getting any closer to teaching those skills. Kids who are ready, the most vulnerable and the most under-resourced schools who are ready experiencing skill gaps, those are the kids who are going to be the most harmed.

BROWN: There's also a very real concern about what happens during an emergency.

HEATON: I know one of the biggest things that people are worried about was if there's like a lockdown and like there's someone in the school and you need to text your parents, and then all the parents would be going crazy because they can't text their kids. They don't know if they're OK.

BROWN: Cabana points out that he thinks phones can do more harm than good in those situations.

CABANA: Misinformation could be put out on phones, incorrect rumors, perhaps panicking when there shouldn't be. That would just be a hindrance to keeping students safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Now we should note that the students can still have their laptops and their iPads, but they told me that they mainly use those for educational purposes. It's not the same being on social media on those devices like it is on their cell phones. And also they admitted to me about, you know, the workarounds they figured out around the pouch. Burner phone, you know, maybe pretending like you're putting in the pouch, but not. But still, phones just aren't part of the culture anymore at the school. And you heard the teacher there said he's seen a huge difference. And the students admitted maybe begrudgingly that it's made a big difference too.

[13:45:09]

KEILAR: Of course it makes a difference. I actually had -- we had our kids go screen free, meaning, no, you can't borrow mom or dad's phone. I don't even know where their tablets are. In December, I saw a huge difference. Their engagement was up. They sort of, any sort of times where they might be a little withdrawn, that sort of like evaporated. They were way more adaptable. The fights went from like, you know what, if it was an 11, then it was like to a 6. It would just kind of Peter out.

But there was one thing I did learn, which was then I had to get off my phone.

BROWN: Exactly. That's true.

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: I was the big part of the problem.

BROWN: Yeah.

KEILAR: So it was sort of like a family-wide problem. And it's now we do so much more fun things.

BROWN: Yeah.

KEILAR: We play games.

BROWN: You're more present together.

KEILAR: Yeah.

BROWN: Like she said, yeah.

SANCHEZ: Genuine human connection.

BROWN: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: Who would have thought that it was still possible? I do wonder, though, that the counter-argument that that expert was presenting is interesting. There's a lot of students that don't have ready access to technology. And it may put them at a disadvantage in the long term if they're not able to use the kind of tools that other students are using at a normal pace, the way that others do. Is that a real concern?

BROWN: And I think that makes me concerned. And even that, you know, it is interesting. I mean, his perspective is important. But it's also against, really, the tide that we're seeing across the country. But his point is, look, vulnerable populations could be suffering from this. And that, you know, kids need to learn digital literacy. That you can't just wipe that off the map.

That they need to learn how to use social media in a responsible way. And so by having a full-blown band, they're not getting that experience. Now, you know, the counter argument is that, well, listen, the kids can still be on their phones after school and so forth and learn it in other ways.

You know, there are definitely many sides to this issue. But overall, I think the takeaway from talking to the students at this school and the educators at this school is that, it's been a real positive. And that they've just learned how to connect in new ways and engage. And you've seen it in your own household, Brianna. We haven't given our kids tablets yet or phones. They're too young for cell phones.

But, you know, this has made me want to even delay that even longer after talking to these students.

KEILAR: Yeah, it's the antidote to so much, I think, getting them away from the screens and then just being judicious about what they're watching or experiencing and obviously that changes with different ages.

BROWN: Because it's the dopamine dump they get, right, from being on the phone. And when there's nothing else that's as fun or exciting, right, when you get that on the phone. And so --

KEILAR: We know it too. We know that feeling is.

BROWN: We all guilty of this, right? I mean, when I get --

SANCHEZ: I'm going to go like this story right now.

BROWN: I get automatic alerts on my phone of like screen time and I'm like, oh gosh, that's bad.

KEILAR: That's just embarrassing.

BROWN: But I like what you did, setting the example in your own household of being on your phone less. You could be more present.

KEILAR: I was forced to.

Well, Pamela, thank you so much. What a great report. Really appreciate it.

BROWN: Fun talking to you guys.

KEILAR: From Iceman to Batman. We will look back at the life and legacy of Val Kilmer, who just passed away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:52:41] KEILAR: Today, film fans are mourning the loss of a true Hollywood icon. Actor Val Kilmer, best known for his roles in Top Gun, The Doors, and Batman Forever, has died at the age of 65.

SANCHEZ: His daughter says that he passed away yesterday, surrounded by friends and family after battling pneumonia. CNN's Stephanie Elam takes a look at his incredible career.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From a quirky spy in the 1984 cult classic Top Secret --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys really are cowboys.

ELAM: -- to the intense fighter pilot in Top Gun.

ICEMAN: You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe.

ELAM: Val Kilmer's film career took flight in the big 80s, but the slick performer trained at Juilliard honed his acting chops on the stage and saw his craft as a serious means of exploration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you ever turned down something you regretted?

VAL KILMER, ACTOR: No, I don't really think that way. I just look forward. And also, what -- you know, in a personal way, what I gained from acting are the opportunity to experience things that certainly you'd never do in your own life.

ELAM: In the 1990s, Kilmer explored the mind of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's, "The Doors." Critics praised him for nailing both the look and the sound of the late singer.

DOC HOLLIDAY: I'm your huckleberry.

ELAM: Two years later, he played the pasty yet poised gunslinger Doc Holliday in Tombstone. And later, a desperate construction engineer hunting lions in The Ghost and the Darkness. Along the way, Kilmer co- starred with some of Hollywood's heavyweights, like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the bank robbery movie, "Heat," and played the superhero.

BATMAN: It's the car, right? Chicks love the car.

ELAM: As Batman in 1995. But it was an earlier collaboration on the set of the 1988 movie, Willow, where Kilmer met co-star Joanne Whalley. They were married almost eight years and had two children.

Later in his career, Kilmer returned to the stage, playing Moses in The Ten Commandments, the musical. He also wrote and performed the one-man show, Citizen Twain, taking on the persona of the great American storyteller.

But under the makeup, the actor was dealing with grave health concerns. Kilmer downplayed cancer rumors, but then later said he had beaten the disease, which required a tracheotomy, and left him with a raspy voice.

[13:55:06]

In 2022, he reprised his role as Iceman in the Top Gun sequel, Maverick.

ADM. TOM 'ICEMAN' KAZANSKY: Who's the better pilot, you or me?

MAVERICK: This is a nice moment, let's not ruin it.

(LAUGHTER)

ELAM: Like the actor himself, his once boisterous flyboy character, subdued by illness, still commanded respect, and even awe, on the silver screen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Our thanks to Stephanie Elam for that. Kilmer is survived by his two adult children, Jack and Mercedes. And we'll be right back.

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