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Remains Of Shiri Bibas Not Returned By Hamas; White House Stern Message For Zelenskyy; Musk Wields Chainsaw Onstage At CPAC, Touting DOGE Cuts; Three Buses Explode In Suspected Terror Attack Near Tel Aviv; Trump Approval Rating Hits 47 Percent, As Americans Name His Most Significant Move So Far; Texas 11-Year-Old Dies By Suicide After Alleged Bullying Over Family's Immigration Status. Israel: Body Handed Over by Hamas is Not Shiri Bibas; Exclusive Look at Iranian Drone in U.S. for First Time; Ex-Spanish Football Boss Rubiales Guilty of Sexual Assault; Amazon MGM Studios Takes Control of 007 Movies. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired February 21, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Agony and outrage heaped onto national heartbreak in Israel. Hello, I'm John Vause. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom,
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our hearts were always, always focused on the little toddlers of the Bibas family and their mother.
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VAUSE: Despite promises from Hamas, the body of Shiri Bibas, mother of the two youngest hostages in Gaza, was not among the four returned to Israel.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's tone down the rhetoric that you sign the economic opportunity, sign the deal.
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VAUSE: Another great day at the White House for Vladimir Putin. No let up in the false attacks on Ukraine's president while officials continue to whitewash history to benefit Russia.
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ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA MOTORS: This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: And everyone's just wild about Elon as he goes full chainsaw massacre at the annual CPAC gathering of ultra conservatives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: For many in Israel, the tragic homecoming of the bodies of the three members of the Bibas family was already painful enough. So painful that Israeli television decided not to broadcast live images of the handover ceremony in Gaza. And now comes word from Israel that one of the bodies was incorrectly identified.
Hamas says the remains of Shiri Bibas would be released along with her two little boys who were all kidnapped on October 7th. Israel says the body, thought to be Shiri, doesn't match any known hostage. As for the three others, confirmation they are in fact four year old Ariel Beavis and nine-month-old Kfir Bibas as well as 83 year old Oded Lifshitz.
For months, Hamas claimed all three died in Israeli military strikes, but Israeli officials dispute that, saying they have found evidence all three were murdered.
The two little Bibas boys with their bright red hair became some of the most recognizable hostages from the October7 terror attacks. Israel demanding now Hamas return the bodies, Bibas, as well as the all other hostages both living and dead. And Israel's ambassador to the U.N. says this misidentification by Hamas is an evil and cruelty with no parallel.
For now, plans remain in place for the release of six living male hostages scheduled for Saturday. More now from CNN's Nic Robertson reporting in from Jerusalem.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): In a convoy freighted with the pain of a nation, the bodies Hamas says are the youngest October 7th hostage victim on their final journey home. And in the fourth Red Cross vehicle, what Hamas says are the remains of one of the oldest October 7th victims, Oded Lifshitz.
The early morning handover beginning against the backdrop of Hamas propaganda, turning dignified with a short service as the four caskets handed over to the IDF. A moment of closure beginning for the families and a nation hostage to the fate of the Bibas's.
Shiri Bibas fear clutching nine-month-old Kfir and four year old Ariel etched in Israel's collective memory, the young family from Nir Oz became icons for hope over despair. Israelis riding an emotional roller coaster over their fate.
Worryingly, Shiri, Kfir and Ariel not released with 105 other hostages freed during the first pause in fighting November 2023. Shiri's husband Yarden's fate was also unknown. He too disappeared October 7, believed taken to Gaza. The first news of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel coming late 2023 when Hamas claimed they were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Releasing a propaganda video exploiting emotional sensitivities of Yarden blaming the Israeli government for their deaths, the IDF called it psychological terror.
Months later, this security camera video captured by the IDF appearing to show Shiri soon after her abduction. But until this day, the IDF unable to confirm the fate of the family, cautioning against Hamas statements.
[01:05:00]
When Yarden was finally Freed by Hamas three weeks ago, everyone in Israel understood the heartbreaking news awaiting him, his father and sister consoling him against the near certainty of his loss.
Along the convoy route Thursday, flag waving Israelis paid their respects. Hostage square somber, not celebratory as with previous releases. White vans carrying the four on the last leg of their journey to a forensic institute for final identification. The country the Bibas's and the Lifshitz's fears closer to realization. Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.
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VAUSE: And Israel was rocked Thursday night by three separate bus bombings near Tel Aviv. No one was heard and officials say explosive devices detonated while the buses were not in service. Authorities suspended operation of all buses and trains across the country, with the prime minister ordering a massive security response.
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HALM ZARGAROV, DISTRICT COMMENDER, TEL AVIV POLICE (through translator): We received several reports on incidents from the terminal here at the Bat Yam station about an explosion. When we arrived at the scene, we detected explosions in two buses. At the same time, we received reports of several additional incidents with scenes both in the city of Holland and the city of Badiam.
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VAUSE: Searches were carried out on other buses in case of further threats. And after the blast, the Israeli military says additional battalions will be deployed to the West Bank in the coming hours.
Major changes to Washington's relationship with both Ukraine and Russia were widely expected after Donald Trump won a second term in office. But few could have predicted the dramatic transformation which has happened this week when it comes down to how best to deal with Russia's war in Ukraine. The divide between the U.S. and its allies is now seems to be a chasm not just in policy but also rhetoric.
Western officials say when referring to the war in Ukraine, the Trump White House does not want the term Russian aggression to be used in any official statement during an upcoming G7 summit. Earlier this week, the U.S. president falsely claimed Ukraine started the war. It did not. A blatant falsehood he and others have repeated, all implied, while others, like the national security adviser just simply would not say.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After the president's post on Truth Social yesterday, need to know who does he think is more responsible for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Putin or Zelenskyy?
MIKE WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, look, his goal, Peter, is to bring this war to an end, period. And there has been ongoing fighting on both sides. It is World War I style trench warfare. His frustration with President Zelenskyy is that you've heard is multifold.
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VAUSE: And there is new intelligence which finds no evidence the Russian president is in fact serious about any peace talks with Ukraine, at least while he believes he can still achieve all of his war objectives. The report came as French President Emmanuel Macron and the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, are preparing to head to Washington next week.
The French leader says he'll give a piece of advice to President Trump about how best to deal with Vladimir Putin.
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EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): Donald Trump creates uncertainty for others because he wants to make deals, find agreements, and so on. Donald Trump creates uncertainty for Vladimir Putin. That's a very good thing for us. What I am going to do is I'm going to tell him, basically, you cannot be weak in the face of President Putin. It's not you, it's not your trademark.
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VAUSE: And the U.S. Special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday. This comes days after Trump blamed Ukraine for the war and called Zelenskyy a dictator, and after the Ukrainian leader said he rejected Trump's offer for access to half of Ukraine's rare minerals without security guarantees. Mr. Zelenskyy said he is still encouraged, though, by Thursday's talks.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): General Kellogg our talks restore hope. We need strong agreements with America, agreements that will really work. I gave instructions to work fast and very much, even handedly. Economic interests and security interests should always go hand in hand. And the details of the agreement are important.
The better the details are drafted, the better the result. We spoke with General Kellogg about the front line, the need to free all of our prisoners of war who are held in Russia, and also the necessity of a reliable and well defined system of security guarantees so the war doesn't return and Russians are no longer able to maim life. We all need peace. Ukraine, Europe, America, everyone in the world.
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VAUSE: After a frenzied first month of his second term, Donald Trump's approval ratings are now higher than at any point during his first term in office. But it's not all good news. CNN's political director David Chalian has details.
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DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Our brand new CNN poll shows Donald Trump one month in to his second term as president, is upside down in terms of his job approval rating with the American people. 47 percent of Americans in this poll tell us they approve of the job that Donald Trump is doing. 52 a slim majority disapprove. Now that 47 percent is actually the highest number of approval we've ever had for Donald Trump throughout the entirety of his first four years in the White House.
But it is still an approval rating that is upside down and on the low end of any of his modern day predecessors at the start of the new administration.
We also went inside and looked at some of what is keeping his numbers sort of tilting to the negative. This number is probably the most important number in our poll.
62 percent of Americans in this poll say Donald Trump has not gone far enough to bring down the prices of everyday goods. That is a warning sign for the Trump White House because it was inflation and the sky high prices of everyday life that really propelled him back into the White House for second term.
We also tested some other actions here and a slim majority, 52 percent say using presidential power is something he's gone too far with. 51 percent say cutting federal programs is something he's gone too far with. So some of the work you're seeing with cutting the agencies and getting rid of federal workers is not resonating broadly with the American people, though it may be popular with Donald Trump's base.
On a slew of items, we asked the country, do you think it's a good thing what Donald Trump is doing on this or a bad thing? And look at this list. Nothing tops higher than 37 percent in terms of being called a good thing. In fact, if you look at the column on the right hand side here, a bad thing. A majority, 53 percent say it's a bad thing to shut down government agencies. 54 percent say it's a bad thing to give Elon Musk the role he has in the Trump government. And 58 percent, nearly 6 in 10, saying that the U.S. taking over Gaza is a bad thing that President Trump has proposed. David Chalian, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: We head to Los Angeles now and CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. Welcome back.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey John.
VAUSE: So it's hard to describe the frenzied pace of this first month of Trump's second term. Elon Musk did a pretty solid job demonstrating what it's been like during his appearance at CPAC, a get together of ultra conservatives. Here he is.
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MUSK: This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy, chainsaw.
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VAUSE: Some may argue a chainsaw massacre being driven by presidential executive orders. By CNN's count, more than 100 in one month, be they legal or not. No administration has ever done anything like this, which doesn't mean it's actually a good thing.
Is it too paranoid to suggest that all these changes gushing from a fire hose is a way of burying the bad stuff? And I think the public and journalists never find it because they're simply overwhelmed by all exhausted.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, well, they are certainly overwhelmed by, and the courts are, you know, overwhelmed by the response to what's happening. You know, it is not unusual for a president to come in and overread their mandate. Right. I mean, every president who wins, no matter how narrowly, and Trump's victory was narrow. He won a plurality, but not a majority of the popular vote, which he's failed to do now in three consecutive elections.
Every president comes in and thinks they have a mandate to do more than the public probably, you know, meant to grant. But that usually, John, that usually translates into overreaching legislatively and proposing something that Congress ultimately rejects. This time with Trump, you're getting the merger of this kind of over interpretation of the mandate with an utter disregard for the traditional boundaries of presidential power and really for existing statute.
And so what they are doing is trying to transform the federal government, transform the U.S. role in the world, for that matter, as we're seeing in Ukraine, on the basis of essentially 49 percent of the vote.
And what David Chalian showed you today is that not shockingly, voters in the middle, the kind of the persuadable voters who put him over the top and who elected him primarily because they thought gas and groceries were too expensive, don't really see a lot of progress on any of that. And they see someone talking about, you know, seizing Gaza, pardoning January 6 rioters, and a view eviscerating the National Park Service.
It's not what a lot of voters at the, you know, kind of the margin of his coalition, the people who put him over the top probably thought they were signing up for.
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VAUSE: Yes. And amid all of the controversy which has been sparked and the at times illegal executive orders, there is also the trivial, like Trump banning paper straws from government buildings. And now the U.S. president wants to know if there is gold in Fort Knox. Here he is.
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TRUMP: We're going to inspect Fort Knox. We want to make sure that we actually have, you know, 400 tons of gold or whatever the hell it is.
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VAUSE: It seems Elon Musk has been fanning the flames of an old conspiracy theory a few days ago, tweeting, who is confirming that gold wasn't stolen from Fort Knox? Maybe it's there, maybe it's not. That gold is owned by the American public. We want to know if it's still there.
You know, there is a reason why people say as safe as Fort Knox, it's described as one of, if not the safest and heavily guarded buildings in the world. This all feels very Trumpian in the sense that it's a distraction, but at the same time, there are some potentially serious consequences for global gold markets should there be a discrepancy between the amount of reserves in Fort Knox at an order and the official numbers made public by the Mint. So this isn't without potential cost.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I mean, look where Sean Connery when you need him, right, 007. Look, I think, you know, what you are seeing on Trump, as you kind of noted, is this fire hose of activity which essentially is centered on either conservative wish list items or conspiracy items or personal idiosyncrasies, and all of which have the clear political risk to Trump and Republicans more immediately in 2026, of whether voters think that he is focused on the right issues, the issues about which they elected him to deal.
Now, immigration was one of those. And I think the polling that has been out in the last few days shows that voters think that he is, you know, making progress, solidifying security at the border. But the biggest single issue that got him elected was inflation and the cost of daily life.
And, you know, I'm just struck at how little of Trump's messaging and activity in this first month has been focused on the central concern of voters. And, you know, that is just always a recipe for trouble for political leaders when voters think that you are not focused on their own concerns.
I mean, there's a lot of indications that inflation could prove stubborn. You saw the result, you know, the forecast from the Federal Reserve Board that, you know, what's happening with the price literally with the price of eggs. And Trump is kind of putting his focus and a lot of other areas, all
of -- some of -- many of which may kind of energize and animate his base, but his base is not enough to win, especially in a midterm when many of those voters, those kind of low propensity voters are less likely to turn out.
I just think there's a risk of losing focus. In fact, they have lost focus on what elect them and what voters expected them to do.
VAUSE: Right now, though, as David Chalian reported, Trump's personal approval is that it's sort of a personal best, if you like. Still more disapproved than approved.
BROWNSTEIN: Still low.
VAUSE: Yes, exactly.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes.
VAUSE: But it was good enough for Donald Trump to, you know, had this joke twice in one day. Here he is.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.
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TRUMP: Should I run again? You tell me. There's your controversy right there. And they tell me I'm not allowed to run. I'm not sure. Is that true? I'm not sure.
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VAUSE: This is the part that normally you'd say the U.S. constitution has a two term presidential limit. These days, though, the Constitution seems more of a guide document of intent as opposed to the legal basis for American democracy. Seems almost anything can happen.
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BROWNSTEIN: Yes, look, he has said this often enough that he's not joking. I don't think he's joking. You know, this comes up every couple days. And he, you know, Trump is often careful to couch things as a joke, you know, quote, joke. But it's something that's on his mind and it's on the mind of others. Steve Bannon talked about it today.
First of all, Trump would be, you know, 82 at the end of this term, which is, you know, and we'll see how he ages over his four years. You can argue that, you know, during the campaign he showed many questions about whether he was still, you know, up to the job. And, you know, he's got four years before he has to worry about that.
But I do think you have to take this kind of thing seriously because he would not be saying it this often if it was not something that he was at least -- it's sort of like a rock in his shoe. You know, he just keeps coming back to it.
VAUSE: Yes.
BROWNSTEIN: And, you know, as you said, you know, it would seem to be clear in the Constitution. Well, the Constitution is whatever at least two of the Republican appointed justices on the Supreme Court is, whatever limits they are willing to impose on Trump, and we don't know what those limits will be, especially after the decision last year on, President immunity from criminal prosecution.
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VAUSE: It's a brave new world. I don't know if it's that brave, actually. Ron, thanks for being with us.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: In a moment, alleged bullying and taunts of family deportation at a Texas school days before an 11-year-old girl died from suicide. Her mother and one of her friends speaks to CNN in a moment.
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VAUSE: Mexico's president wants changes to the country's constitution for greater protection of national sovereignty, including a stated ban on foreign intervention without permission from the Mexican government. And she has warned the White House, Mexico will defend its sovereignty.
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That's after the State Department designated some of the biggest cartels, drug cartels in Mexico, as terrorist organizations. Legally, that paves the way for possible direct U.S. military strikes on Mexican territory. President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government was not consulted in the process of making that decision.
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CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): What we want to make clear in the face of this designation is that we do not negotiate sovereignty. As I said yesterday, this cannot be an opportunity for the United States to invade our sovereignty. So they can name them however they want to. But with Mexico, it is a collaboration and coordination, never subordination, noninterference, and even less invasion.
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VAUSE: The U.S. has already been covertly flying MQ9 Reaper drones inside Mexican airspace, spying on drug cartels, part of President Trump's overhaul of security at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In the days before 11 year old Jocelynn Carranza died by suicide, students at her school in Texas was spreading rumors that immigration authorities would deport families of some students. The girl's mother says she was told her daughter was being bullied because her parents are immigrants. CNN's Ed Lavandera has the story.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are the videos Jocelynn Carranza's mother can't stop watching a young girl playing and laughing. These were the days before Marbella Carranza got the call that her 11-year-old daughter was being rushed to the hospital.
Marbella says in that moment she felt the world crashing down on her. Her death, she says, has left her broken and searching for why this happened to Jocelyn. Medical teams tried to save her life, but she died five days later. Marbella says several days after her daughter's death, a school official told her that Jocelyn was bullied by a classmate at the Gainesville, Texas Intermediate School.
LAVANDERA: Marbella says that another student was traumatizing her daughter, saying that because her parents were immigrants that they were going to be deported and that she was going to be left alone. And the question she has is whether she took her life because she was afraid of being alone or if someone had told her to do that.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Marbella says Jocelyn was born in the United States. Multiple parents have told CNN that in the days after President Donald Trump's inauguration, as news of ICE raids spread across the country, the immigration chatter and taunting spread through the school. Jessi Noble says her daughter came home distraught. Days before Jocelynn took her life.
JESSI NOBLE, PARENT OF GAINESVILLE ELEMENTARY STUDENT: People had been telling her friends that were Hispanic that they were getting deported, ICE was coming for them and she was just terrified.
LAVANDERA: Were you surprised to hear this kind of talk among 10, 11 year olds?
NOBLE: 11-year olds. Yes, absolutely. It breaks my heart and it scares me that our kids are being bullied and our kids are afraid of being deported, of their friends and their families being deported.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Parents say the chatter intensified. The school district sent a letter the week before Jocelyn's incident explaining the protocols immigration officers must follow to access students. The letter said the school was committed to supporting you through this uncertain time. Jocelyn was one of Genessis Arnal's favorite friends.
GENESSIS ARNAL, JOCELYNN's FRIEND: When I heard that she was, I don't know, it just shattered my heart. It hurt me really bad.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Hundreds of people turned out for Jocelynn Carranza's funeral service on Wednesday.
ARNAL: It makes me feel sad because she didn't know how much people actually loved her before she passed away. LAVANDERA: We reached out to the Gainesville school district for
comment they said that because of privacy laws, they're not able to comment on specific cases, but that they take allegations of bullying seriously. Jocelynn Carranza's mother also tells us that her daughter had been meeting with counselors at the school because of the bullying, but she says she was not told about that until after her daughter had died. Ed Lavender, CNN, Dallas.
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VAUSE: We'll pause here and take a short break. You're watching CNN. We'll be back in a moment.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone.
I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
An update now on our lead story.
Many in Israel left outraged after one of the four bodies released by Hamas was not as promised. Israel says they did not receive the remains of hostage Shiri Bibas, and the body they were given does not match any other Israeli hostage in Gaza.
The identity of the three others has also been confirmed. Four-year- old Ariel Bibas, nine-month-old Kfir Bibas and 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz.
There is also Israeli anger over how the bodies were returned. The International Red Cross collected the remains in the city of Khan Younis after a macabre ceremony which was filled with anti-Israeli propaganda.
The release of six living male hostages is set to go ahead as planned this Saturday.
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VAUSE: Israeli President Isaac Herzog says hearts across the country are now in tatters. He asked for forgiveness for the government for failing to protect the hostages.
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ISAAC HERZOG, ISRAELI PRESIDENT: It is a very, very painful day, an agonizing day in Israel. It's a national mourning day, in a way. We -- our hearts were always, always focused on the little toddlers of the Bibas family and their mother and Oded Lifshitz.
I felt a sense of duty to tell my people and tell these families that we are sorry. We are agonized. It's a terrible, terrible tragedy, which was launched at us by a barbaric terrorist organization which is celebrating their death.
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VAUSE: Rock star reception for Elon Musk at a gathering of ultra conservatives. On stage for about 30 minutes, at one point wildly waving a running chainsaw over his head, there he is, saying it was the chainsaw for bureaucracy.
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ELON MUSK, DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY: This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(CROSSTALKING)
VAUSE: I didn't think it was running, but it looked like it was. Musk bragged about shrinking the federal workforce, defended steep cuts that have been roundly criticized by Democrats and some Republicans, and overshadowed Vice President J.D. Vance who was there as well, defending the Trump administration's engagement with Russia as it tries to end the war in Ukraine.
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J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Why are you talking to Russia? Well, how are you going to end the war Unless you're talking to Russia.
You've got to talk to everybody involved in the fighting If you actually want to bring the conflict to a close. And I know the president does.
He wants the killing to stop. He wants to bring lasting peace to Europe. He doesn't just want to stop it now and have the war restart a month from now. He wants to bring lasting peace to Europe because the president believes this and he's absolutely right.
Peace is in the interest of Russia. It's in the interest of Ukraine. It's in the interest of Europe. But most importantly, peace is in the interest of the American people, and he's going to fight for it for the remainder of his administration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Also at CPAC, an Iranian-made drone, a Shahed drone was put on display apparently for the first time in the United States. They've been used by Iran against Israel with deadly effect, also by Russia to strike Ukrainian cities.
CNN's Oren Liebermann reports now from Washington.
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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One of Iran's most prolific weapons coming together on American soil, a complete Shahed-136.
This is the warhead that's the warhead capable of carrying a 100-pound warhead more than 1,000 miles. The one-way attack drone came to the U.S. by Poland from the Ukrainian battlefield.
MARK WALLACE, CEO, UNITED AGAINST NUCLEAR IRAN: They're indiscriminate terror weapon. Innocent women, children, infrastructure that's hit.
LIEBERMANN: The Shahed-136 and the smaller Shahed-131 are perhaps Iran's most ubiquitous weapon. They have proliferated in Ukraine, where Russia has terrorized the population with these drones repeatedly striking civilian infrastructure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, contact.
LIEBERMANN: Many are intercepted, but not all. Iran has used their Shahed drones to attack shipping in the Middle East, oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, and a direct attack on Israel back in April.
Do you have this here to advocate for a direct attack on Iran?
WALLACE: No -- look, we have always been the sanctions people. We have been really the architects really of maximum pressure before maximum pressure was even fashionable.
LIEBERMANN: What's the red line? Will you advocate -- go from advocating sanctions and maximum pressure to advocating strikes?
WALLACE: I think you have to keep all options on the table. And when they attack and they harm or threaten to harm Americans and our allies, I think we have to be prepared to strike those IRGC targets.
LIEBERMANN: We've seen these before, but not in the United States. The organization United Against Nuclear Iran brought this one to CPAC, a right-wing political conference where a hawkish message on Tehran will find a friendly target.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Here's a piece of that Iranian drone.
LIEBERMANN: This spectacle reminiscent of the one from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2018.
NETANYAHU: Mr. Zarif, do you recognize this? You should. It's yours.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Announcing today --
LIEBERMANN: Months later, President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in his first term. Now, Netanyahu is openly pushing for more.
NETANYAHU: Israel has dealt a mighty blow to Iran's terror axis. Under the strong leadership of President Trump. I have no doubt that we can and will finish the job.
LIEBERMANN: U.S. intelligence agencies warn the Trump administration that Israel will likely attempt to strike Iran's nuclear facilities this year, according to sources familiar with the assessments. But Trump has openly signaled a desire to end wars, not start them.
TRUMP: You can't allow them to have a nuclear weapon, but there's two ways of stopping them -- with bombs or with a written piece of paper. And I'd much rather do a deal that's a deal that's not going to hurt them.
[01:39:51]
LIEBERMANN: These are not just deadly weapons. They are also relatively cheap, especially when it comes to weapons that are proliferating. It's about $100,000 to make one of these Shahed-136 drones, and they have been shot down with interceptor missiles that can cost $1 million or more.
So it's not just a problem of a lethal weapon that Iran is spreading to many other countries. It is also a question of how to handle a very cheap weapon without having to use very expensive interceptor systems.
Oren Liebermann, CNN -- in D.C.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The U.S. Senate has confirmed a new director of the FBI, a ten- year-long posting. But Senate Republicans were not all in for Kash Patel. The vote 51 to 49. Two Republican senators joining Democrats in opposition to his confirmation.
Democrats have warned that Patel is poised to seek retribution against Trump's perceived political enemies. During his confirmation hearing though, Patel said there will be no acts of retribution at the FBI.
Former head of Spain's soccer federation avoids prison but does not escape punishment altogether for kissing a player without her consent. Details on the conviction of Luis Rubiales.
[01:41:02]
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VAUSE: An overtime thriller in hockey's first ever Four Nations Cup. Canada beat the U.S. 3 to 2 with this overtime goal by Connor McDavid to win the tournament. Fans in Boston booed the Canadian national anthem ahead of the game. When the U.S. played rounds in Canada, fans there booed the U.S. national anthem.
This bad blood all began when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Canadian imports.
The former head of Spanish soccer has been heavily fined but will avoid prison after being found guilty of sexual assault. Luis Rubiales sparked outrage when he forcibly kissed World Cup winner Jennifer Hermoso after Spain's 2023 victory.
CNN Espanol's Pau Mosquera has the details. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: Spain's national court has found Luis Rubiales guilty of sexually assaulting Jennifer Hermoso by kissing her on the lips during the celebrations that took place after Spain's Women's National Team won the World Cup in August 2023.
The court has ordered Rubiales to pay a fine of more than $11,000 to not to go within 200 meters of Hermoso during a year, and to refrain from contacting her during the next 12 months.
The judge has justified his decision by saying that Rubiales consummated the sexual assault after surprisingly carrying out an act that violated Hermoso's sexual freedom.
It is important to remember that during the trial, both the prosecutor and the complainant's lawyers asked for one year in prison for Rubiales for this count of sexual assault.
But the judge has decided just to order him to pay a fine as the sexual assault was of a lesser intensity than what is stated in the Spanish criminal code.
Also the court has decided to acquit Rubiales and the other three former members of the federation of the count of coercion, as there was not enough evidence.
CNN now is trying to gather the views and reactions from the different lawyers present in that case, and also to know if they will appeal as they now have the right to.
Pau Mosquera, CNN -- Madrid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The long running Bond franchise now under the creative control of Amazon. When we come back, that will mean pretty much what you think it does. Endless spin offs, prequels and sequels, maybe a musical. Who knows?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Well, some big changes are coming to everyone's super spy, 007.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I admire your luck, Mr. --
SEAN CONNERY, ACTOR: Bond -- James Bond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Amazon MGM Studios is now taking creative control of the Bond franchise in a new deal, which comes after 27 movies over more than 60 years.
[01:49:50]
VAUSE: Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli will remain co-owners of the movies based on the books by Ian Fleming.
Amazon and Jeff Bezos bought MGM in 2022 for $8.2 billion. And the James Bond series is their most lucrative franchise of all.
A new lead spy may soon be announced with Daniel Craig stepping down. Jeff Bezos has already asked his social media followers who they would pick as the next James Bond.
And I know who that would be. It would be Segun Oduolowu. And there he is. It's been so long.
Joining us now from Boston. He's an entertainment journalist, host of "Boston Globe Today". Welcome back.
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Vause -- John Vause.
VAUSE: I've been doing that all night.
ODUOLOWU: It has been too long, my brother. How are you?
VAUSE: I'm good mate. Let's talk Bond.
ODUOLOWU: Well --
VAUSE: Let's talk Bond. Ok.
ODUOLOWU: Absolutely, John --
VAUSE: So 27 movies -- go on.
ODUOLOWU: Yes. 27 movies over 60 years. This has been in the Broccoli family. Barbara Broccoli has been attached to this for several decades.
Like I said, it's been in the family for over 60 years. And what I'm hearing and what I'm feeling is a lot of fear from people that Amazon is going to turn this into the MCU.
And you're going to see all types of spin offs and TV shows, and they're going to make Bond a cottage industry and kind of dilute this franchise that has meant a lot to a lot of people.
VAUSE: And this is the thing, you know, they've had such tight control over how these movies were made, and they were just movies. There was no streaming, there was no DVD, there was no cartoons, no musicals, nothing.
And now it's in the hands of Amazon. So I guess, here's a couple of suggestions for Bond spin offs and add your own if you like. "Baby Bond" 007 months with a license to poop. "Old Bond", still licensed to poop, "Q's Magical Workshop" saves Santa and Christmas, "Jane Bond in Doctor No More Misogyny", and "From Bezos with Love", also OctoPrime. I guess the question here is, I made all of those up along with my
producer. Is it possible to keep the uniqueness of the franchise while at the same time diluting the brand, which is inevitable?
ODUOLOWU: Well, John, I think that the -- that the brand is going to suffer, at least at the outset, because you have to find your footing, something that has been you know, a part of the Broccoli family at for so long and has had clear, direct vision.
Now Amazon sells. That is what they are the best in the world at. They sell you product and if they want to start selling this Bond, I expect to see 007 on everything. And I'm not sure that's what people want.
Personally, I would love to see maybe Idris Elba. I know he said he doesn't want to play Bond, but maybe (INAUDIBLE) Idris, someone with Idris in their name should be playing Bond.
But again, if you're -- if we're looking for the Roger Moore or the Sean Connery -- look and even Daniel Craig, it's like, I don't like my Bond blond but there was some continuity. What's going to come now? Nobody knows. And there's fear on both sides of the pond.
VAUSE: You know, I'm actually quite old. And I remember back in the olden days, a "Star Wars" movie would be born.
(CROSSTALKING)
VAUSE: I do, every couple of years. And to go and see it, we would have to actually line up at a ticket booth, at a cinema, sometimes camping out overnight to buy a ticket.
And then Disney bought the rights. And now there's another Star Wars prequel or sequel or saga or story streaming 24/7. And it really sucks.
I mean, they did lose so much in the brand by just pimping it out to get as much cash as they could out of the franchise.
ODUOLOWU: John, this is why I love talking to you, because late at night we can say Disney pimped out "Star Wars" and you are 100 percent correct.
I'm not as old as you, thankfully, but I remember "Return of the Jedi". I remember "Empire Strikes Back" and now I couldn't tell you Jar Binks from Rylo Ken. I have no idea what they're doing at "Star Wars".
And if that same type of thing happens with 007, look, do you remember how important it was to be a Bond Girl, or for someone to actually be called a Bond Villain? I do. And I don't want to see this brand get diluted and turned into something that no one wants to watch anymore.
I know people don't go to the movie theaters like they used to, and I know Amazon is great at streaming, but this is an entity, a franchise. This is something that around the world, everyone knows 007, Licensed to Kill. I hope that this new Amazon license isn't a license to screw up.
VAUSE: You know, my favorite memory of James Bond is Sean Connery. But do you remember "Tomorrow Never Dies"? If you don't, here's a clip.
[01:54:52]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAME JUDI DENCH, ACTRESS: How much do you know about Elliot Carver.
PIERCE BROSNAN, ACTOR: Worldwide media baron, newspapers, radio, satellite TV.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes, the plot here is a bad guy who's a media baron manipulating world disasters, which these outlets then report ahead of everybody else. You know, in the real world though, it seems corporations may now have won and Bond has lost. So we're not going back to the way things used to be.
ODUOLOWU: No, there is no going back. And, you know, you mentioned Sean Connery. My favorite Bond is Roger Moore. I remember "Live and Let Die". I -- Scaramanga, Yaphet Kotto playing the bad guy. He had voodoo and drug lords and all.
I remember the Bond villains and the Bond women as being this ubiquitous thing. You aspire -- like you used to go and want to watch it or sit down anywhere you were. You could name off movies, "Goldfinger", "Octopussy", "Live and Let Die" -- you could go on and on and on.
And now if Amazon starts doing TV shows and they turn it into, like Jack Reacher or one of these other kind of spy hodgepodge, Jason Bourne identity kind of nonsense, I'm not here for it. Like, I'll be with you, John upset about it.
VAUSE: Two things. Roger Moore was a terrible 007, and I actually quite like Reacher. But Segun --
ODUOLOWU: Wow.
VAUSE: -- good to see you. Talk again soon.
ODUOLOWU: Always a pleasure, John.
VAUSE: Thanks, mate.
ODUOLOWU: Very soon.
VAUSE: Well, police in Italy seized dozens of fake paintings attributed to famous artists, including Picasso and Rembrandt. Police say they uncovered a clandestine painting laboratory in a Rome workshop. Officers from Italy's art and culture police say they found 71 fake
paintings. Investigators say the suspected forger has likely sold hundreds of counterfeit works. So far, no arrests.
Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause.
Please stay with us. CNN NEWSROOM continues after a very short break with Kim Brunhuber.
Have a great weekend. Hope to see you right back here next week.
And there you are.
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