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Russia Tight-Lipped On Ceasefire Deal As U.S. Arms To Ukraine Resume; E.U., Canada Retaliate Against Trump's Tariffs As Trade War Escalates; Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil To ICE facility for now; Putin Visits Kursk To Cheer Russian Troops Trying to Oust Ukraine; U.S. Inflation Cooled In February, But Trump's Tariff Plans And Trade War Loom; Senate Democrats Say They Will Reject GOP's Funding Bill As Shutdown Draws Near; SpaceX Crew-10 Launch Scrubbed; IDF Investigating Alleged Use of Civilians as Human Shields; Palestinian Activist Still in Detention after Court Hearing; 27 Hostages Killed, Nearly 350 Rescued after Standoff; Humpbacks Return to South Africa in a Big Way; Pope Francis Marks 12 Years Since Election. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired March 13, 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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[01:00:23]
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, I'm Polo Sandoval joining you from New York City. Ahead on CNN Newsroom, still no word from Vladimir Putin on the proposed 30 day ceasefire with Ukraine. As you see here, the Russian president did show up in military garb.
Canada and the European Union reacting swiftly to U.S. President Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs. And a judge rules a prominent Palestinian activist will stay in immigration custody as the Trump administration revokes his green card status and tries to deport him.
G7 foreign ministers are meeting in Canada for the first time since Donald Trump returned to the White House amid global uncertainty over the U.S. president's upheavals in foreign and economic policy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Quebec Wednesday as world leaders remain focused on President Trump's tariffs as well as the changes that he's made to U.S. policy on the conflict in Ukraine. The meeting coming is Russia claims significant gains on the battlefield both along the front lines in Ukraine and in the part of Russia invaded by Ukraine just last year.
President Vladimir Putin visiting the Kursk region on Wednesday. His top general says that hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers, they've been captured in the renewed offensive there. And Ukraine's top army commander says that Moscow is using airborne troops and special ops to essentially push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk. President Putin believes victory is at hand in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): In the near future the task is to finally defeat the enemy that is still engaged in combat operations who has dug into the Kursk region as soon as possible and completely liberate the territory of the Kursk region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: What Putin did not say is whether it will agree to the U.S. proposed 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has already accepted. President Trump said Wednesday that the ball is now in Putin's court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We had a great success yesterday. We have a full cease fire when it if it kicks in. We have to see. It's up to Russia now, but we've had a good relationship with both parties actually and we'll see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Earlier Wednesday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he is expected at least he expected that the US Will take strong steps if Russia did not agree to the ceasefire proposal. CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen has the latest on the fighting in Ukraine and also reaction inside Russia to the US ceasefire proposal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A brazen attack. Russian troops sneaking through a gas pipeline to target Ukrainian position. The assault is starting, the soldier says. The Russians saying thanks to this assault, they've all but taken the town Suzha, one of Ukraine's last footholds on Russian territory.
Kremlin controlled TV in breaking news mode, hailing the gains. This is what the most important victory of the Russian spirit and weapons looks like, the host says. The Russians have been taking territory in multiple areas along the front lines in recent days, leaving some in Moscow wondering why they should even bother with the Trump administration ceasefire deal.
Now Trump, like an ultimatum, says you stop the war because Ukraine is ready for a ceasefire. This man says, but what's the point? What ultimatum? We're dominating on the battlefield.
After the Ukrainians agreed to a 30-day ceasefire and meetings with the Trump administration's negotiators, the U.S. says now it's time for Moscow to do the same.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STAT: They're probably processing the news the same as the rest of the world, so we hope to have a positive answer from them. The ball is truly in their court.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But so far the Kremlin hasn't even picked the ball up yet. Russian President Vladimir Putin silent on the issue and his spokesman saying they're waiting to hear from the US. While the foreign minister, in an interview with U.S. bloggers, merely stated what Russia isn't willing to allow, like tolerating NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIA MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Under any conditions, nobody is talking to us. They keep saying nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, but they do everything about Russia without Russia.
[01:05:03]
PLEITGEN (voice-over): This, as the Trump administration is saying, it's eagerly waiting to hear from the Russians whose forces continue to grind down Ukraine's defenses. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: And earlier I spoke with Matthew Schmidt. He's an associate professor of national security at the University of New Haven. I asked him if there's any incentive for Putin to agree to this temporary ceasefire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ASSOC. PROF. OF NATIONAL SECURITY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN: There's incentive for Putin to agree to a ceasefire sometime this year. We often talk about Ukraine's manpower and weapons problems, but Russia has them, too. So there's -- it's not as urgent. They don't have to do it tomorrow, but they do need to wind down the major combat sometime in 2025, or they're going to find themselves in a bad position, too. So that's probably enough to bring him to the table eventually.
SANDOVAL: Matthew, you've also shared that Russia could use a cease fire to perhaps gain some leverage over the US. Can you tell us in what way and why he would do that?
SCHMIDT: Putin's number one goal right now in the process of putting together these negotiations is to use the process itself to get the United States to force Ukraine to have elections. Putin's strategic goal here is less about territory. We often get focused on that, but it's less about territory and more about political control over Ukraine. And the way that he will try to get political control over Ukraine is to force Zelenskyy out. And the way he can force Zelenskyy out is to have Zelenskyy's nominal ally, us, force him to have elections.
SANDOVAL: Matthew, as an expert on this matter, I'm curious, were you surprised that yesterday Secretary of State Marco Rubio emerged from that room and announced this potential deal, this actual deal between the U.S. and Ukraine, this agreement, if you will. Did you expect that?
SCHMIDT" No, that's been coming for some months. It's been coming for even as much as a year that we knew we would get to this point. Ukraine is getting more by moving into a ceasefire than it would continue fighting right now. But the question is how do you get Russia to the table and when.
SANDOVAL: Yes, they get more and at least some sort of repair between the relationship between the U.S. And Ukraine after that pretty disastrous Oval Office meeting that we all remember.
And finally, assuming that this will result in a positive outcome and Russia agrees to sign onto a ceasefire, I'm curious, what would it look like on the ground, on the front lines? How would troop deployments look? And who would be on the front lines?
SCHMIDT: The answer is we don't know that yet, Polo. We know what some questions are. How many troops? We don't know if it's going to be a large number or a small number in a monitoring group. We don't know where they will come from. Is, is the U.K. really going to put 7,500 troops on the ground? Is France, you know, Hegseth at one point talked about non-European troops. What does he mean by that? Would NATO accept 30,000 Chinese troops on its border?
Those details are going to be critically important, but we're just not there yet. And those are going to be the things that are going to make Ukraine feel like it has a credible security guarantee or not. And so those details are really important. But right now we're building the rules of the game. We're not playing the game yet. That's next.
SANDOVAL: We'll be watching along with you. Matthew Schmidt, thank you so much for your expertise.
SCHMIDT: My pleasure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Turning now to escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and its allies after the European Union and Canada retaliated against President Trump's tariff on all steel and aluminum coming into the US. Europe was the first to strike back on Wednesday with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. Goods, including boats, motorbikes, yes, even bourbon. The E.U. chief called the U.S. tariffs unjustified.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business and worse for consumers. The countermeasures we take today are strong but proportionate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Canada, for its part, it is also hitting back, announcing more than $20 billion in retaliatory measures on U.S. goods, including steel and computers. Mark Carney, who is set to be sworn in on Friday as Canada's next prime minister, says that he is ready to talk to his U,S, counterpart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE: I'm ready to sit down with President Trump at the appropriate time under a position where there's respect for Canadian sovereignty and we're working for a common approach, a much more comprehensive approach for trade.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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SANDOVAL: Trump, in the meantime, is threatening to take further action after the retaliation by Canada and by Europe. Sitting alongside Ireland's Tisha Michael Martin in the Oval Office on Wednesday, he accused the E.U. of treating the U.S. quote, very badly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're going to be doing reciprocal tariffs. So whatever they charge us, what we're charging them, nobody can complain about that. Whatever it is, it doesn't even matter what it is. If they charge us, if they charge us 25 or 20 percent or 10 percent or 2 percent or 200 percent, then that's what we're charging them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Well, the trade tensions heated up. Inflation seemed to cool at least more than expected last month. But that progress could be short lived as President Trump wraps ramps up his trade war. Here, CNN's Karin Caifa with those details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARIN CAIFA, CNN REPORTER: Some good news for consumers. Grocery prices were fairly flat in February and gas prices actually fell. The not so good news. Some economists described Wednesday' inflation report as the calm before the storm.
CAIFA (voice-over): President Donald Trump pleased with the government inflation report that showed consumer price hikes easing for the first time in five months.
TRUMP: Very good news.
CAIFA (voice-over): The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the consumer price index was 2.8 percent year over year in February. That's a slowdown from 3 percent year over year in January, but still higher than where the Federal Reserve would like it.
NATASHA SARIN, PROF. OF LAW AND FINANCE, YALE UNIVERSITY: We're talking about a 2.8 percent increase in prices. So that's significant. And it's significantly away from where the Federal Reserve would like to be, which is closer to a 2 percent inflation target.
CAIFA (voice-over): The data also too early to show the impact of President Trump's tariff policies. Many Democrats argue American consumers will be squeezed by moves like the 25 percent toll on all U.S. imported steel and aluminum that took effect Wednesday. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: Houses and cars are bundles of steel and aluminum and lumber and semiconductors, all of which this president is taxing. He is imposing an onerous tax upon the middle class right now.
CAIFA (voice-over): Wednesday's tariffs were met with swift retaliation from Canada and Europe, fueling trade war fears among businesses and consumers and prompting some economists to warn recession odds are rising.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know the economy is strong, came into the air doing very well, but it can't digest the kind of tariffs that we're talking about here.
CAIFA (voice-over): Walmart, Target, Delta and American Airlines are among major companies that say they've seen pullbacks in U.S. consumer spending this year.
CAIFA: In focus with Wednesday's inflation report, the price of eggs. Egg prices increased again in February, though at a slower pace than they did in January. Still, the price of eggs is up about 60 percent year over year. The entire inflation report as well as the government's jobs report that released last Friday. Food for thought for the Federal Reserve as they make their next decision on interest rates next week. In Washington, I'm Karin Caifa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: Joining us now is Tracy Beavers. She's the CEO of Tolt Technologies, a women owned business that designs I directed controls for powered wheelchairs. Tracy, thank you for taking time for us.
TRACY BEAVERS, CEO, TOLT TECHNOLOGIES: Thank you for having me here.
SANDOVAL: I'm wondering if you could tell me and some of our viewers here, how did you start up your business?
BEAVERS: The opportunity presented itself. And I have seven children and one of them required medical device and so I know how important and liberating a medical device can be. And so because our product has a very small market, which is a good thing, the number of people who need it is very small. Nobody wanted to take it on.
And so my husband and I decided that we would start Tolt Technologies and we took a second mortgage on our house and have kind of ran with it.
SANDOVAL: You've clearly made a massive investment into this. More than a business really a cause to help so many people.
BEAVERS: Yes.
SANDOVAL: And just so I understand you correctly, so basically it's just break it down. It's the technology needed to be able to move a wheelchair merely with the control of someone's eyes.
BEAVERS: Correct.
SANDOVAL: So your company distributes not just in the U.S. but also in Canada and also in Europe. How have you prepared for a potential Trump trade war and the cost of tariffs on small businesses such as yours?
BEAVERS: So right before the election I ordered a two-year supply of the cables we use because they're absolutely necessary component. I would have liked to order the eye tracker which is the thing that tracks the eyes. But that part is very expensive and so I couldn't realistically stock up on that.
SANDOVAL: Some of this equipment that you front loaded with, where does that equipment come from these wires?
BEAVERS: Typically China.
[01:15:02]
SANDOVAL: Got it. So clearly the tariffs against multiple countries impacting where you are in the state of Washington. Tracy, I'd like to play for you some comments from Larry Fink. He's the chief executive of the investment company BlackRock. It's interesting what he said recently. He basically offers that the tariff impact on U.S. businesses may be lessened over time. So let's listen in and then we'll discuss.
BEAVERS: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY FINK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BLACKROCK: I believe some of the long term policies of President Trump can be very productive for the United States. I do believe some of the policies in the short run are going to create this uncertainty. And this is what the market is looking at.
Right now the President is focusing on tariffs, but when he talks about reciprocal tariffs, actually that may bring down tariffs over the long run.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: So it's an interesting take here, essentially trying to calm some of the concerns among businesses throughout the country here amid this sort of swirling uncertainty. So I'm curious, do you agree with that assessment and can your business hold on for the long haul like he describes?
BEAVERS: So unfortunately I don't agree with that. Primarily because if we as a small business with a limited market, I don't have a long runway. So if our prices go up or if we can't sell our product, my business won't exist.
SANDOVAL: And I think for many of your customers or the people who are so dependent on this technology, in some cases, I assume that any potential rise in costs may make that kind of technology unattainable. BEAVERS: Yes, very much. It's already a fairly expensive technology
because it's very, very high tech for a very, very of people. And we have to fight through Medicare, Medicaid and private insurances to get it funded. And rises in costs there are very difficult to manage.
SANDOVAL: Oh my. As if navigating the insurance world wasn't difficult enough, now you have a potential trade war that's already shaking markets. I can only imagine what it's like. Tracy Beavers, the CEO of Tolt Technologies, thank you so much for taking some time to tell us a little bit about your business. And we certainly wish you and everybody else at that company the best.
BEAVERS: Thank you.
SANDOVAL: A SpaceX mission to the International Space Station had to be pushed back just a few days. Just ahead. What that means for two astronauts who've been waiting months now to come back down towards Earth.
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[01:22:17]
SANDOVAL: With the Friday deadline looming to pass a government funding bill, U.S. lawmakers are facing the very real possibility of a shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats have enough votes to block the measure passed by House Republicans on Tuesday. Their bill, which contains no Democratic concessions, would fund the government through September.
Schumer, though wants a shorter term measure, one that gives Congress time to work on a bipartisan agreement instead. But some Senate Democrats like John Fetterman from Pennsylvania say their one job, it's to keep the government open and not to tempt fate with a plan that he says may not even work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN FETTERMAN, U.S. SENATZ DEMOCRAT: I was hoping we could at least have the vote tomorrow because, I mean, aren't we all sick of each, all of us, like, can't we just leave? If we have to bring this out to like, you know, 11:59 on Friday night, then that's really -- that would be really -- remember what you are voting for. You are voting to shut the government down. And that will absolute punish millions, millions of Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: A SpaceX rocket launched to the International Space Station was scrubbed on Wednesday due to problems with ground systems in Florida. A NASA spokesperson said that the rocket is fine, though, its mission includes bringing home astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. They have been stuck in space since last June when their Boeing starter liner capsule developed serious problems and could not be used for their return to Earth. Meanwhile, four new international astronauts, they are getting ready.
They're going to be sent to the space station. SpaceX says that it will try to launch the Dragon capsule no earlier than late Friday.
Still ahead here on CNI newsroom, the Palestinian activist and U.S. resident, I should say detained by the Trump administration. He is still in immigration detention. A look at why this case is raising questions about free speech in the US.
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[01:29:29]
SANDOVAL: Welcome back to the CNN Newsroom. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Let's check in now on today's top stories. Russia is claiming significant gains on the battlefield in the Kursk region, which was invaded by Ukraine last August.
The Kremlin spokesperson says that Russia's operation to eject Ukrainian forces from the western front of Kursk is the final stage. That's according to state media.
A Ukrainian commander says Russian airborne troops and special ops are being used to push Ukrainian forces out of the area.
[01:30:05]
Vladimir Putin says that his goal is to push Ukrainians out of Kursk as soon as possible. While visiting there on Wednesday, the Russian president suggested that his country needs a buffer zone along its border with Ukraine. He spoke as the U.S. waits for Moscow's response to a ceasefire plan that Ukraine has already agreed to.
The Ukrainian -- the European Union, I should say, as well as Canada, they are hitting back against tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on all steel and aluminum coming into the U.S.
Both have announced retaliatory tariffs and billions of dollars' worth of U.S. goods -- at least those tariffs on those goods. Mr. Trump is now threatening to take further action in response.
Israel's military says that it is investigating whether its troops used Palestinian civilians as human shields in Gaza. The IDF says that there is now reasonable suspicion that some of its troops may have been involved in the practice during military operations in the enclave.
It was reportedly so common in the Israeli military that it had its own name. Mosquito Protocol, it is called.
CNN has spoken to Palestinian civilians and an Israeli soldier describing the practice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We told them to enter the building before us. If there are any booby traps, they will explode and not us. When we went to the attack before they enter a building, we took the cloth up so they could see.
In my company, one of the soldiers knew Arabic. He just shouted in Arabic, "Open the door, walk to this building or the other".
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: The IDF has had -- has previously told CNN that its protocol strongly prohibit the use of detained Gaza civilians for military purposes.
Well, a prominent Palestinian activist will remain in U.S. detention for now as his case plays out in court. But a New York judge says that Mahmoud Khalil must be allowed more access to his attorneys as the Trump administration seeks to deport him.
We'll have some legal analysis for you in just a few moments.
But first, CNN's Gloria Pazmino with the latest on his case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we expected the judge to stick to strictly procedural parameters on Wednesday, and that's exactly what happened. He directed the parties to file motions by the end of the week.
And we learned from the government that they plan to argue that there is a jurisdictional issue and that New York should not have jurisdiction over this case.
As you remember, Mahmoud Khalil was detained here in New York City, but he was transferred to a detention facility in New Jersey and then transferred again to another facility in Louisiana, where he is currently in custody. So they have to resolve that jurisdiction issue before the case can proceed.
Now, the judge did agree with Khalil's attorneys that they need more access to their client. They complained during the hearing on Wednesday that they have not been able to have privileged conversations with him since he has been in detention. So the judge directed the government to make sure that Khalil can have that access.
In the meantime, lawyers for Khalil continue to argue that this is not a question of public safety or alleged support to a terrorist organization, but rather a question of the right to free speech and political activism in the United States.
Take a listen lawyers after the hearing on Wednesday.
BAHER AZMY, MAHMOUD KAHLIL'S ATTORNEY: Mr. Khalil's detention has nothing to do with security. It is only about repression.
United States government has taken the position that it can arrest, detain and seek to deport a lawful permanent resident exclusively because of his peaceful, constitutionally-protected activism.
PAZMINO: During Wednesday's hearing, the government did not mention any evidence about alleged crimes against Khalil or provide any justification so far as to why he is being detained. More motions are expected to be filed by the end of the week.
Gloria Pazmino, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: To Washington, D.C. now and David Cole. He's a law professor at Georgetown University and former national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. David, thank you for taking some time.
DAVID COLE, LAW PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Thanks for having me.
SANDOVAL: David, clearly, this is a very highly-watched deportation fight for many reasons, partially because its seen by advocates as a -- as a fight for free speech. The Trump administration, of course, has knocked that notion.
But ultimately, this case really setting the stage for targeting foreign students at pro-Palestinian demonstrations the last few months.
[01:34:47]
SANDOVAL: So if you could, David, tell me about free speech protections. Do they extend to green card-holding students like Khalil?
COLE: They do. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution does not limit its protections to citizens, and has been held to apply its protections to all people within the United States. And even to non-people, corporations receive First Amendment protection, the Supreme Court has said, because the First Amendment protects speech regardless of its source.
And so if a corporation's speech rights are protected, several courts have held, surely foreign nationals rights within the United States to speak out are also protected.
SANDOVAL: I remember being on the Columbia campus last year, David, on multiple occasions covering those demonstrations. And I even had the opportunity to speak to Khalil one on one on multiple occasions.
And I specifically remember that he chose not to participate directly in that encampment in the heart of the campus. It was really my impression that he didn't want to jeopardize that status that allows him to study here in the U.S.
So instead, he filled that role -- one of the roles of negotiators. But nonetheless, clearly it made him a target here of the Trump administration. So I'm wondering from your perspective, what do you think is the main
motivation behind the Trump administration's efforts to target Khalil, specifically?
COLE: Well, you know, they've made no secret about it. Donald Trump has issued tweets announcing basically that if you protest, and by protest, he means you protest Israel, we'll come after you.
He's threatened to prosecute U.S. citizens. He's threatened to deport foreign nationals. But he actually does not have authority under our Constitution to do either.
You have -- in the United States, you have the right to speak out against your government. You have the right to criticize Israel, even if your government is supporting Israel. And the government can't punish you for expressing a view that is different. And that's all that they're alleging Mr. Khalil did.
And yet they are seeking to deport him from a country in which he has a green card, permanent residence status, a wife pregnant -- really just an outrageous act to silence speech.
SANDOVAL: Yes. He, as you argue, he may not have the authority. Nonetheless, his administration is attempting and they're using a provision of immigration law that has been deployed here by the administration, this Immigration and Nationality Act.
I'm wondering if you can bring me and our viewers around the world up to speed on, on just the basic mechanics of that provision.
COLE: So this is a very, rarely-invoked provision that gives the Secretary of State the power to exclude, to keep out of the country and in some instances to expel, to kick out of the country people whose presence here is contrary to our foreign policy -- would be contrary to our foreign policy.
It was designed for things like, you know, keeping out Yasser Arafat at a time when there was, you know, we were seeking to put diplomatic pressure on him -- that sort of thing.
It was not designed to give the president the power to punish college students for protesting on a college campus. And if the Secretary of State can say that anyone who speaks out against the government's policy with respect to Israel poses a threat to our foreign policy and can be deported, there is no such thing as free speech for foreign nationals in this country.
SANDOVAL: And David, finally, just in a few seconds here to punctuate an earlier point that you -- that you made. Essentially what does the government need to show in court in order to secure a win?
So far, the White House has pointed to fliers with a Hamas logo that we're distributed on campus. But it's important to point out there that so far, just how those may be remotely tied to Khalil is something that neither the White House nor the government have even discussed in court yet, so no evidence yet. Ultimately, what will they have to prove in court?
COLE: Well, that's the -- that's the strange thing with this provision. The provision says if the secretary of state determines that your presence here is contrary to foreign policy, he can exclude you.
And so it's not that the court decides that your presence is contrary to foreign policy. It's just the secretary of state.
But Mr. Khalil will have a very strong First Amendment defense. You cannot give government officials the power to single out people and say you're contrary to our foreign policy, because you disagree with the government and therefore you're going to be deported.
That clearly violates the First Amendment protections of noncitizens here in the United States and of all of us. To hear their point of view.
[01:39:49]
SANDOVAL: Yes. And while all this process plays out, Mr. Khalil there left in limbo.
David Cole, thank you so much for offering this really critical and important legal perspective.
COLE: Thanks for having me.
SANDOVAL: Elsewhere, nearly 350 hostages have been rescued after a deadly train hijacking in southwest Pakistan on Tuesday. That's according to sources speaking to CNN.
CNN's Sophia Saifi with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: A train hostage crisis that had gripped Pakistan for the past 24 hours has finally come to an end on late Wednesday.
On Tuesday morning, a train that was traveling from Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta on the way to the northwestern city of Peshawar, carrying many military personnel was apprehended, attacked and then kept hostage for many, many hours by the Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist movement, a separatist group that's been operating in the province of Balochistan for many, many years. It's a dramatic escalation to that insurgency.
We've seen the BLA amp up their attacks in that province on military installation over the past couple of months. It's finally come to an end after a slow trickling of information that had been coming in from security sources since Tuesday morning.
We've also been told by security sources that the people, that the militants who were responsible for this attack, the BLA, were constantly in touch with their handlers in neighboring Afghanistan, according to the security sources.
Now, at the moment, there are coffins that have been sent to the location of where the attack and the hostage crisis took place. We've been waiting for those coffins to return with the dead bodies.
And at the moment, it is a very tragic day in Pakistan. A lot of questions are going to be asked about what caused such a massive failure of security to happen in this country.
We're going to have to wait and see what the connotations of this attack are going to be to Pakistan's future security policies. But at the moment, it is a country that is in mourning.
Sophia Saifi, CNN -- Islamabad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: At least 46 people have been injured in clashes between protesters and police in Argentina.
You can hear and see the scenes there outside of the congress building in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. Protesters, including pensioners, football fans and also political groups had gathered to speak out against the government and the state of the economy.
You see there, cars were set on fire during the clashes. The security ministry says at least 124 people have been arrested.
So coming up, CNN joins a renowned wildlife photographer off the coast of South Africa to photograph supergroups of humpback whales. Some pretty amazing stuff on the way.
[01:42:52]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANDOVAL: In the 19th and early 20th century, commercial whaling practices devastated whale populations all around the world. A number of humpback whales, for instance, were reduced by an estimated 95 percent at their height.
Well, an international ban on whaling back in 1985 has since helped the humpback population rebound, now numbering more than 80,000 worldwide. Today on "Call to Earth", we visit cape town for a firsthand look at the measures that have been taken to help the species recover.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A light fog hangs over South Africa's scenic cape peninsula on an early morning in December.
For renowned photographer Chris Fallows and his wife and co-captain Monique, it's a picture-perfect start to the day.
CHRIS FALLOWS, PHOTOGRAPHER AND CONSERVATIONIST: So we're trying to create exceptional images and this morning we're very lucky. Weve got a beautiful scene developing with tablecloth rolling over table mountain.
First rays of light are just starting to kiss that iconic landmark, and its looking pretty good. Just need to find the whales now.
ASHER: They're searching specifically for the playful and acrobatic humpback. That's a young humpback whale. That's the species we're looking for.
ASHER: But its more than one or two they're hoping to find.
FALLOWS: So early in the morning we usually find ones and twos that then lead us to either a feeding area or are part of a structure that actually comes together and forms a super group.
ASHER: A so-called super group is when at least 20 individuals, often many more, are feeding close to each other.
FALLOWS: So these super groups of whales have really only been around for probably the last ten years or so. Before that, they were extremely difficult to find.
And in recent times, as their population has started to recover, so we've ever increasingly started seeing big, big groups of these whales, which has been truly incredible. It's one of the great positive news stories on the ocean.
Listen to those sounds. It's such an incredible sensory experience.
[01:49:51]
ASHER: Though the population has rebounded from the days of commercial whaling, new dangers have emerged.
Climate change, entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes are now some of their biggest threats.
FALLOWS: Come on, whale, flip. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.
South Africa has laws in place that prohibit people and vessels getting any closer than 300 meters to a whale without the proper permits.
MONIQUE FALLOWS, NATURALIST: Here comes a flip.
ASHER: But Chris and Monique have both the permits and decades of experience that allows them to get this close.
C. FALLOWS: Slowly on this side next to us slow down a whisker. Go neutral.
M. FALLOWS: I would say maybe 70 percent of my attention is making sure that I'm not going to impact an animal in any way in terms of where the boat is. So I'm extremely aware that is the number one focus when we are out there.
C. FALLOWS: Magic man. Oh, what a magic one.
Obviously one of my key objectives is to create works of art that are amongst the best in the world. But equally, I think my primary objective is to inspire people. And I think that is a way to connect people with the ocean and hopefully create more ambassadors to make sure that they, like me, love these animals and realize the importance of conserving them.
Oh, there that's it. Oh, that was a good one. That was a really good one.
ASHER: Their days on the water are also dedicated to collecting data to share with environmental authorities, like the Department of Forest, Fisheries and the Environment.
C. FALLOWS: South 33 degrees.
ASHER: And capturing photo IDs of individual whales for a conservation project called Happy Whale that helps track their movements non- invasively.
M. FALLOWS: I'll go on the left side, you go on the right side, ok.
ASHER: Chris has spent the better part of three decades photographing some of the planet's most legendary and imperiled wildlife. But the comeback of the humpbacks paints a different picture.
C. FALLOWS: They are incredibly important animals, and for me, the humpback is really the phoenix that gives all species that have turned to ashes hope that they too, could rise again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: Absolutely stunning and rare images there.
Let us know what you're doing to answer the call by using the #CallToEarth.
We're going to be right back.
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SANDOVAL: Pope Francis' medical condition is improving, according to the Vatican. The Pontiff underwent a chest x-ray on Tuesday as he battles respiratory illness. The news coming as the Holy Father marks the 12th anniversary of his election on Thursday.
CNN's Christopher Lamb looks back on the career of this pioneering pope.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: 12 years ago, I stood in Saint Peters Square and heard that Bergoglio had been elected as the next Pope. And then Pope Francis appeared on the balcony.
People have been asking, who is he? Since then, Francis has been a pope full of surprises.
Now, of course, this year, Francis is marking his anniversary of his election from hospital. So it's a moment to look at how much of a huge impact the Pope has had on the papacy and the Catholic Church.
Francis has embraced simplicity, wearing simple black shoes rather than the red papal slippers, using a modest car and living in a Vatican guesthouse rather than the papal palace.
[01:54:54]
LAMB: He's been an advocate for migrants, bringing refugee families to Rome on his papal plane. And before his hospitalization, sending a strong rebuke to the Trump administration over its immigration deportation policy.
Francis has appointed the first female leaders of Vatican departments, appointed the first women voting members of a global Vatican assembly, and washed the feet of female prisoners.
The Pope has made repeated efforts for peace, working with other religious leaders and making bold appeals to end conflicts in Africa, Ukraine and the Middle East.
Finally, the Pope has insisted that the church is open to everyone, including LGBTQ Plus Catholics.
POPE FRANCIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): If a person is gay and accepts the Lord and has goodwill, well, who am I to judge?
LAMB: He's authorized blessings for same-sex couples and called for the decriminalization of homosexuality.
But it has not all been plain sailing. Francis has faced criticism for his handling of the sexual abuse crisis, a scandal which continues to be a stain on the Catholic Church.
Now, I've been speaking to those who know Francis very well, and they tell me that Francis is a determined character, driven by a deep sense of mission.
Now, despite this really serious health crisis, Francis is determined to continue.
Christopher Lamb, CNN -- Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: This is absolutely fascinating. A global effort to identify new marine life has discovered more than 800 undocumented species.
They include a new type of so-called guitar shark. It's coming from the shape of the species. It was discovered off the coast of Mozambique and Tanzania. Now it is the 38th known guitar shark species worldwide. They are mostly considered threatened.
It was found as part of an ocean census by Nippon and Next On Foundations. 800 scientists from around the world are taking part in the research to document newly-discovered species.
We want to thank you for watching. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York.
CNN continues with Rosemary Church after the break. Stick around for that.
[01:56:59]
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