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CNN International: Zelenskyy Says Lasting Peace is Achievable; Trump and Zelenskyy Talks Over Phone; Turkish Police Arrests Istanbul Mayor; Israel's New Ground Operations in Gaza; Powell on the U.S. Economy; Angry American Voters Confronts Lawmakers at Town Halls; Efforts to Dismantle USAID Likely Unconstitutional Says Judge; Peruvian Farmer Sues European Energy Plant; Ohtani's First Home Run of the Season. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 19, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and here in the U.S. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Just ahead this hour Ukraine's president says a lasting peace is achievable after speaking with Donald Trump who agrees that they had a good call. The Federal Reserve expects slower growth and higher inflation amid rising uncertainty from Trump's tariffs. And baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani hits his first home run of the season as the Dodgers sweep the Cubs in Japan.

We begin with the war in Ukraine. President Trump had an hour-long phone call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy today saying much of the discussion was based on the call that happened yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs. He added that we are very much on track.

The White House press secretary then read a statement by the Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the National Security Adviser Michael Waltz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: President Zelenskyy asked for additional air defense systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems, and President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe.

The two leaders also agreed on a partial ceasefire against energy. Technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, Ukraine and Russia are blaming each other for attacks that happened just after President Vladimir Putin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure. A readout from the White House said Putin had agreed to stop attacks on energy and infrastructure. Well, the Ukrainian military official in Kharkiv says there has been a new wave of Russian attacks just moments ago, damaging critical infrastructure.

Well, joining me now as former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor. Good to have you with us, Ambassador.

WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Thank you, Lynda. Thanks. It's good to be here.

KINKADE: So, this time yesterday, the White House said that Putin would pause attacks on energy and infrastructure for 30 days. That didn't even last one day. Of course, we know that Russia has struck both energy and other infrastructure, including a hospital. Has Trump been played by Putin?

TAYLOR: Not yet, Lynda. Not yet. We'll see if there is a response by the United States to these actions. It is very clear that -- to the Ukrainians that this is not a surprise. This is what Russians do. They sign ceasefires and then they violate them. This has been the experience of the Ukrainians in Donbas since 2014, when as many as 17 ceasefires were agreed only to be violated by the Russians. So, there's not a surprise for the Ukrainians. And there has to be a strong response from the United States if we're going to be credible in making this ceasefire work.

KINKADE: And Putin also told. Donald Trump, that to prevent an escalation, there would need to be an end of military support for Ukraine. After Zelenskyy spoke with Trump today we heard from Zelenskyy saying that lasting peace can be achieved. What's it going to take?

TAYLOR: It's going to take security. It's going to take security. And that is likely going to be provided. The security force likely be provided by Europeans. And so, the British and the French and probably 18 or 19 other European nations and others are putting together a force that can provide security and be sure that the Russians cannot invade again, cannot break the ceasefire, cannot violate the ceasefire.

So, that security is going to be the key to having a good ceasefire. And the Russians don't get a say. The Russians don't get to say yes or no to any kind of a European security force.

KINKADE: Putin's call with Trump lasted two hours with translation, but Putin made Trump wait an hour for that call. What does that tell you, Ambassador, about the power play here?

TAYLOR: So, you're right, Lynda. This is this what Putin does. He does this to other nations and other national leaders. We remember very famously doing it to Angela Merkel.

[18:05:00]

President Trump will show -- will demonstrate that he's got the cards, that he's got the influence, that he's got the leverage on Putin. Putin's economy is weak, other than the military side. The military side, yes, it's going gangbusters, but the rest of the economy is fragile, and there are things that the United States with the Europeans can do to make the Russians feel that pain, and that's likely what it's going to take. As well as providing the Ukrainians with the weapons they need to defend themselves. And so, the conversation about Patriot missiles today was an encouraging sign.

KINKADE: And we know, Ambassador, that Russia is already heavily sanctioned. Talk to us about what else could happen. We know that talks will happen this weekend between the U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia. What are the next steps?

TAYLOR: On the sanctions, there are sanctions that continue to be available. There are additional sanctions on banks. There are a couple of banks that haven't yet been sanctioned. There is a -- there -- the oil industry in Russia is vulnerable. And they have been getting around the sanctions by using this shadow fleet of oil tankers to move around, and that can be cracked down.

There's also an ice cap on oil. Right now, it's $60 a barrel, that can be lowered. So, there's about $300 billion of Russian Central Bank reserves that have been frozen that can be seized. These reserves, this money, $300 billion, European banks, some in American banks, and that can be seized as well.

So, there are economic steps that can be taken to put pressure on Putin to abide by this ceasefire. A full ceasefire, by the way, which is not what Putin has agreed to. He only agreed to this partial one, whereas President Trump and President Zelenskyy had agreed on a broad ceasefire.

KINKADE: Right. And in terms of the next steps, given that talks are meant to happen this weekend, they don't involve Ukraine, but they do involve officials from Russia and from the U.S. What needs to happen?

TAYLOR: It's not clear to me, Lynda, that the Ukrainians will not participate in these days. They may not be three-way conversations. There may be conversations with the United States and Ukraine and United States and Russia.

But yes, what needs to happen is agreement on how to enforce and how to implement this partial ceasefire. And I think Secretary Rubio's statement indicated that that was going to be a step toward discussion of a Black Sea ceasefire, the ceasefire in the Black Sea, and -- which is another step toward a full ceasefire, which again, Zelenskyy and Trump have agreed to, and Putin has not. But those are the next steps that have to happen.

KINKADE: All right. We'll see how things play out over the coming days. Ambassador William Taylor, great to have you on the program. Thanks so much.

TAYLOR: Lynda, thanks for having me.

KINKADE: Ukraine and Russia conducted one of the largest prisoner exchanges of the war so far. They each swapped 175 prisoners. Moscow released an additional 22 severely wounded Ukrainian troops. President Zelenskyy thanked the UAE for brokering that deal saying, quote, "We are grateful to all our partners, especially the United Arab Emirates for making today's exchange possible."

Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward has more on that exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're waiting now here with family members of the 175 Ukrainian prisoners of war who have just crossed over the border back into Ukraine, some of them after three years in captivity in Russia, the images that we've been seeing of that moment as they sprint through the border crossing, grabbing the Ukrainian flag, and now, on their way back to be reunited with loved ones.

Who's the cake for?

WARD (voice-over): I'm waiting for my husband, who has been in captivity for almost three years, and yesterday was his birthday, Alyona (ph) tells us. It's like splashes of fireworks and emotions. My heart is beating out of my chest.

WARD: If you take a look now, the bus doors just opening, and people rushing forward. Desperately hoping to get a glimpse of their loved ones.

People calling out the names of loved ones as they try to find their family members amid the 175 Ukrainian prisoners of war who are getting off of these buses. Some of them seem to have some injuries, others look like they're in good shape. They're clearly dazed.

[18:10:00]

You can see Alyona (ph) has found her husband, Andri (ph). She gave him a huge, huge hug and presented him with that birthday cake that she's waited for three years to give him.

It's just incredible to see how much emotion there is in this crowd. Everywhere you walk, people are hugging, they're crying, they're laughing. And just the sense of relief. Some of these men held for three years.

This man is talking to, I think, his wife for the first time. You could see just how emotional, the incredible toll of what these men have been through.

Can I ask you guys, how does it feel to be back home in Ukraine?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing.

WARD: Amazing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Beautiful, magnificent, great, super.

WARD: How long have you been dreaming about this moment? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For a year.

WARD: Can I ask, you look thin. How were the conditions in the prison where you were held?

WARD (voice-over): Look, if I tell the truth, it'll affect the guys who are still there, Yevhen (ph) tells us. But I would say, in the 21st century, people should be treated better than us.

WARD: We don't know exactly how many Ukrainian prisoners of war there are in Russia. The estimates are around 8,000 or even more.

I asked President Zelenskyy a question at a virtual press conference yesterday. I said, what could President Putin say or do that would give you more optimism about this peace process? And he said, to return all the prisoners of war.

WARD (voice-over): Clarissa Ward, CNN, Chernihiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, protests are erupting in Turkey after police arrested one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's key rivals. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was expected to stand in the upcoming presidential election. It was part of a wave of arrests of roughly 100 people arrested, all targeting people that were connected to the mayor. Experts say it's part of Mr. Erdogan's bid to stay in power. Our Paula Hancocks has this report on the country's political future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A key rival of Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been detained. Just moments before he was taken from his home. Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, posted this video message.

Hundreds of police officers have been sent to the door of my house, he said, the house of the 16 million people of Istanbul. We are up against huge bullying, but I will not back down, he says. I love you all. I entrust myself to the people. I will be standing tall.

His detention comes just days before he was expected to be chosen as Turkey's main opposition party's presidential candidate.

Authorities said he was detained as part of corruption and terrorism investigations, along with detention orders issued for around 100 other people connected to the mayor, according to Turkish media.

The day will come, the tables will turn. Protesters chanting outside Istanbul's police headquarters as critics denounce the detentions as political. Part of an ongoing government crackdown on the opposition following Erdogan's major defeat in local and mayoral elections last year.

The head of Imamoglu's Republican People's Party called the detention a coup attempt against our next president. Imamoglu's wife called the accusations against him laughable, blaming false information on social media. Such a thing is of course impossible, she said. It cannot be. It is a huge slander. Everything will come out in the open.

Turkey's next presidential election is not scheduled until 2028, but some analysts say Erdogan could call for early elections to allow him to bypass term limits.

Imamoglu's detention comes one day after Istanbul University announced it had annulled his degree over irregularities. Without a university degree, he is disqualified from running for president.

We will of course take this illegitimate decision to court, he said, speaking alongside his family on Tuesday.

Demonstrations have been banned across Istanbul until March 23rd to maintain public order and many social media sites restricted, but some supporters still took to the streets to protest the mayor's detention.

[18:15:00]

Imamoglu has been a vocal critic of President Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for more than two decades.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, the Israeli military announced Wednesday that its ground troops re-entered Gaza for the first time since Israel's ceasefire with Hamas broke down. The IDF says troops began targeted operations in Central and Southern Gaza, and, quote, "expanded" their control to the center of the Netzarim Corridor. The strategic corridor divides Gaza.

All of this after a second day of Israeli strikes that health workers say killed dozens of people. Hamas on Wednesday said it still wanted a ceasefire. It called on mediators to, quote, "assume their responsibilities and work to stop the new attacks." Our Nic Robertson filed this report from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): International U.N. workers rushed to a Gaza hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to get you out of here today, alright? We're going to the hospital to get another treatment, and then we're going to get you out of Gaza. All right? Keep the faith, stay strong, you'll be all right, OK?

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Five injured and one killed during a strike on their residence, the U.N. says, as Israel ramps up its war against Hamas in Gaza again. According to a weapons expert consulted by CNN, fragments recovered from the U.N. building are consistent with an Israeli tank round, although Israel denies firing in the area Wednesday.

JORGE MOREIRA DA SILVA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, U.N. OFFICE FOR PROJECT SERVICES: This synopsis premises was hit at approximately 11 30 a.m. this morning. Today's incident follows strikes yesterday, but also two days ago.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Almost as if the war didn't pause, Gazans forced to flee their homes again. Scenes reminiscent of 2023 and 2024, as Israeli aircraft dropped flyers in Northern Gaza, warning residents to evacuate immediately. A massive military operation has started.

This, as Israel ratchets up its new offensive, launching limited, targeted ground activities.

ISRAEL KATZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): Residents of Gaza, this is the last warning. The airstrike against Hamas terrorists was only the first step. What is coming will be more difficult and you will pay the price.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Israeli protesters on the move too. Motivated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's return to war. Marching in their thousands toward Israel's Knesset. Frustrations running high. Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, now in opposition, feeling the crowd's high-octane anger. He'd come to lend support, instead himself incensed by the crowd's criticisms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Gantz was the white hope. We voted for him, we voted for Lapid. They are our candidates in the parliament, and they are just polite, but now they have to show that they are with us and then they have to show that they protest with us and they have to show that they resist what Netanyahu is doing to this country.

ROBERTSON: Polling by an independent Israeli research company shows a steady but growing consensus for an end to the war in Gaza. More than seven out of 10 Israelis want a complete withdrawal and more than half say that Netanyahu should resign immediately.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Inside the Knesset, however, Netanyahu seems stronger than ever. His far-right ally, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, rejoined the government, ending his boycott over the ceasefire.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Still ahead, Jay Powell's policy of patience. The U.S. fed chair says he's in no hurry to cut interest rates, even as tariff uncertainties rise. We'll have the latest on the Fed's economic outlook next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. U.S. stocks finished Wednesday's session in the green after the Fed released its latest policy statement. All the major averages posted solid gains as the Fed stayed the course and kept interest rates unchanged. Tech, the big winner, up by almost 1.5 percent.

Markets relieved that most Fed officials still see two rate cuts coming later this year. Central Bank is also warning that economic uncertainties have risen since President Trump took office. They are cutting their growth forecast and raising their inflation outlook.

Fed chair Jerome Powell says Trump's tariffs are causing much of the uncertainty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, CHAIR, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: Growth looks like it's maybe moderating a bit, consumer spending moderating a bit, but still at a solid pace. Unemployment's 4.1 percent. Job creation most recently has been at a healthy level. Inflation has started to move up now, we think partly in response to tariffs, and there may be a delay in further progress over the course of this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, Powell also saying the risk of a U.S. recession has moved up, but it's still low. Well, for more on the Fed's decision, I'm joined by Paul La Monica. He's a senior markets analysis writer for Barron's. Good to see you, Paul.

PAUL R. LA MONICA, SENIOR MARKETS ANALYSIS WRITER, BARRON'S: Thank you, Lynda.

KINKADE: So, Trump's aggressive trade wars mean that inflation could tick up, growth could slow. Certainly, the outlook looks worse than just a few months ago.

LA MONICA: Yes, I think that is safe to say, but I think why investors were heartened by the Federal Reserve actions and Jerome Powell's comments today is that while, yes, inflation pressures are likely to pick up because of tariffs and trade policies, this could be to use Jerome Powell's word, which was mocked for a few years ago, a transitory type event, namely that, yes, in 2025 inflation pressures do pick up a little bit more than expected and hoped for, but they begin to moderate again in 2026, 2027 and beyond. And with that in mind, the Fed can continue to cut interest rates.

I think this rally today on wall street was about the fact that the Fed still thinks two rate cuts could be in the cards for this year. If they had changed that outlook and suggested maybe only one rate cut because of inflation fears, that would have been a very bad news event I think for the markets and we wouldn't have seen this rally today.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Consumer sentiment, of course, Paul is down 11 percent this month, according to University of Michigan study. What else did your Jerome Powell say about the data that he's looking at?

[18:25:00] LA MONICA: Yes, Powell acknowledged that sentiment has weakened. I think that what the Fed is going to do with this kind of wait and see attitude is really analyze what consumers are doing, not just what they're saying. The most recent retail sales figures were not as bad as feared. So, I think that gives the Fed some hope that the consumer is hanging in there.

But yes, the decline in sentiment, I think, is directly due to all the talk about tariffs and the possibility of prices going up as a result of that. But consumers do tend to be pretty emotional, like investors. They often say one thing and then do another, and it may not take much to change sentiment.

KINKADE: And the chairman did mention the R word, recession, but he doesn't seem too concerned at this point in time, right?

LA MONICA: Yes, I think that for the time being, given where the job market is, unemployment rate still at 4.1 percent, expected to only rise modestly over the next year or so, that doesn't scream recession alarm bells. And I think the Fed realizes that if they cut rates too aggressively to get ahead of a possible downturn, that could make inflation even worse.

So, that's why they're going to proceed cautiously, probably lower interest rates a couple of more times this year if the inflation data remains a little bit stubbornly high, but they don't seem terribly concerned about a recession just yet. And hopefully, that remains the case for the rest of this year.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly still a lot of uncertainty. We'll see if Trump's next round of tariffs are going to affect next month. Paul La Monica, senior markets analyst for Barron's, good to have you with us. Thanks.

LA MONICA: Thanks, Lynda.

KINKADE: Well, still to come, feeling the heat, angry American voters confront lawmakers at town halls across the country. We'll have that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom, I'm Lynda Kinkade, good to have you with us. Here are more international headlines we're watching today. President Trump spoke on the phone earlier with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The U.S. president said the call lasted about an hour and that efforts towards negotiating a ceasefire are, quote, "very much on track." This as Ukraine accuses Russia of launching an overnight attack on its energy facilities. Moscow claims Kyiv attacked Russian territory just hours after Mr. Putin agreed to temporarily halting attacks on energy infrastructure.

A federal judge has ordered the deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil to be moved from New York to New Jersey. The legal permanent resident, who's married to a U.S. citizen, is a Palestinian activist and a graduate of Columbia University. The judge sided with the Trump administration, which argued that New York lacked jurisdiction because Khalil was in New Jersey when his attorneys filed a motion challenging his arrest.

The Trump administration has released thousands of records on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Many files had already been made public, but the White House says those released Tuesday were previously classified and redacted. While researchers combed through the documents, sources tell CNN there's no indication anything will change the current conclusion that a lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, was responsible for JFK's death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE FLOOD (R-NE): I will continue to do town halls. I will continue to show up in person. To those of you that are obviously agitated, I would say this. This is a big country. Kids, democracy is in fact messy, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're making it messy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: That is Republican lawmaker Mike Flood, the latest member of Congress to feel the heat at a raucous town hall this week. Voters expressed deep anger over massive cuts to the government, also the tariffs, and President Trump's foreign policy. They're not just frustrated with Republicans, voters have also been sounding off for Democrats on issues including anger at the party's leadership. CNN's Brian Todd went to one of those town halls to hear the frustration firsthand.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to see hell now.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democratic Congressman Glenn Ivey got a bracing reminder that these days, in a town hall, even a friendly crowd can turn on you, quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not interested in hearing that you are in the minority. We know that. We want you to show some of the backbone and strategic brilliance that Mitch McConnell would have in the minority.

REP. GLENN IVEY (D-MD): Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want you to show fight. And you are not fighting.

TODD (voice-over): I asked Ivey about the accusation that he and other Democrats aren't fighting hard enough.

IVEY: We got to fight to win. And, you know, I don't know that expressing anger necessarily is the way to do that, per se, especially if you're trying to win over persuadable voters.

TODD (voice-over): That angry brushback in Forestville, Maryland, one of many similar scenes playing out in town halls across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They can go F themselves is how I feel about it.

TODD (voice-over): In New York State, where Democratic Congressman Paul Tonko got an earful over President Trump's deportations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you call being transferred to El Salvadorian gulags without due process of law. Have we reached the red line, sir? Have we reached the red line?

HANS NICHOLS, CO-AUTHOR, AXIOS HILL LEADERS: There's a lot of anger, there's a lot of stray voltage, and some of that stray voltage is getting released at these town halls.

TODD (voice-over): And not just with Democrats. At a Republican town hall in Nebraska, some pent-up outrage pops.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you standing up for?

TODD (voice-over): In North Carolina, Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards hears it over President Trump's global ambitions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you support the annexation of Canada and/or Greenland? And this is a yes or no question. I don't want you to wander off into the woods. I don't want to hear about your latest week in your office.

TODD (voice-over): In Arizona, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego is berated by a constituent about his party's leadership.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to go back and talk with Senate Democrats and get a new leader.

TODD (voice-over): That's a common complaint. A sentiment that Democrats were sold out by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who recently voted in favor of the Republican led spending bill. Schumer himself hasn't held any recent town halls, and says he has rescheduled some book tour events over security concerns. So, voters simply vent.

TODD: Hasn't he become a lightning rod for the idea that the Democrats aren't fighting hard enough?

NICHOLS: Oh, sure. He's absolutely a lightning rod for that. That's like he feels that every day. But Chuck Schumer is in power, at least he's in charge of his caucus right now.

TODD (voice-over): Still, Glenn Ivey felt significant pressure regarding Schumer.

IVEY: He's done a lot of great things, but I'm afraid that it may be time for the Senate Democrats to pick new leadership as we move forward. TODD: What might it take to tamp down some of this anger among voters at town halls? Analyst Hans Nichols says he doesn't really see it tamping down anytime soon.

[18:35:00]

In his words, it's not like you can take voters and put them on a naughty step and have them take a timeout. The only thing he thinks might calm things down is some other national crisis that might distract voters.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, Town Hall tempers are boiling just as Elon Musk faces one of the first legal roadblocks in his mission to shrink the U.S. government. A federal judge has ruled that the dismantling of USAID, which provides humanitarian aid to some of the world's poorest people, likely violated the Constitution in multiple ways, but the judge's ruling appears to center on whether Musk and DOGE overstepped their authority as opposed to the actual cuts themselves. President Trump is vowing to appeal that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: And we have a judge from a very liberal state who ruled like that. So, bad for our country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, I guess they closed the department. They're going to have to reopen the department.

TRUMP: Well, we'll be appealing it, I guess -- not I guess. I guarantee you. We will be appealing it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Well, CNN political analyst Jackie Kucinich joins me now live. Good to have you with us, Jackie.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST AND WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE BOSTON GLOBE: Thank you.

KINKADE: So, from here in Georgia to Wisconsin. Oregon and as we just saw earlier in Nebraska, we're seeing Republican politicians facing a lot of hostility over budget cuts and layoffs, foreign policy, and the Democrats want to see more of it. They're actually putting up billboards in some red states, encouraging people to demand more town halls with their Republican lawmakers. Just how deep is this backlash?

KUCINICH: Well, we should not forget that the chair of the Republican Campaign Committee actually recommended that House Republican members not have in-person town halls and rather have telephone town halls, which are a lot -- it's a lot easier to control who has access and who speaks at those. But these members who have decided to do it are certainly, as we saw there, facing quite a bit of anger and questions from their constituents. Now, to what end? We'll have to see. It's a long way until, you know, November or even a primary challenge in 2026. But certainly, it's a good thing to remember that the federal workforce is all over the country. It's not just in Washington or Virginia or Maryland. It's all over.

And so, I think you're seeing that some folks, even some folks who voted for President Trump are surprised at how deep and how vast these cuts have been.

KINKADE: And of course, Trump and administration officials have been attacking the judiciary. I just want to play some sound from the press secretary earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEAVITT: The judges in this country are acting erroneously. We have judges who are acting as partisan activists from the bench. They are trying to dictate policy from the president of the United States. They are trying to clearly slow walk this administration's agenda, and it's unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: So, as you know, Jackie, Trump called the judge who tried to stop the deportation planes a leftist lunatic and called for his impeachment. A judge has given Trump officials another day to provide information on when those planes took off, but it sounds like the Trump team are going to double down. I mean, they haven't provided any of that detail so far. How could this play out?

KUCINICH: So, this ends up potentially at the Supreme Court. So, I think that that's one of the reasons why when John Roberts issued that very rare statement yesterday calling -- saying that impeachment was not an appropriate response to these challenges. Really kind of tamped down some of the things that was coming from President Trump. Sure. He's still attacking the judge, but you're not seeing him go as far, today anyway, to talk about impeachment.

He has a long history of attacking judges going, you know, all the way back to 2016, 2015. And we're just seeing it ramp up even further as this administration really tries to test the boundaries of executive power. And that's what all of these cases have in common.

KINKADE: And just quickly, Democrats -- certainly some voters have called for Chuck Schumer to stand down from his leadership role. Should he make way for a new leader?

KUCINICH: I think the most interesting thing, you heard some of the House members saying, people from House districts and House members saying that when you listen to Senate Democrats though, they are not saying that. They are not calling -- there's no one standing up to challenge Schumer. No one has called for him to step down. Sure, there is some use subtlety about talking about other ways of doing things and other ways to lead, but even your most liberal members like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, people who really opposed the CR are not calling for Chuck Schumer to go anywhere. And there's -- and you know, that is notable because that's where it's going to come from, not from outside.

[18:40:00]

KINKADE: All right. Jackie Kucinich, good to have you on the program. Thanks for your time.

KUCINICH: Thank you.

KINKADE: Well, still to come, one man's fight to protect his home and a lawsuit that raises questions about who's responsible for climate change.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. A Peruvian fisherman lost for months at sea has finally been found and rescued. Maximo Napa Castro disappeared after setting off in December aboard his fishing boat. Bad weather caused him to stray off course and lose direction. Isabel Rosales has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thank you, God, this man says, for giving me another chance. Tears flowing as he embraces his brother. A long-sought moment for this fisherman turned cast away.

MAXIMO NAPA CASTRO, FISHERMAN (through translator): I stick my head out like this. When I saw the helicopter, it was something sensational. I said, OK. OK.

ROSALES (voice-over): For 95 grueling days, Maximo Napa Castro, or Gaton, was stranded at sea. It was supposed to be a month-long trip, that is, until the boat's motor failed. As his food rations dwindled, so did his hope. Then came a choice to survive by any means necessary.

CASTRO (through translator): I was eating roaches, which also ran out. There was nothing. Then came the birds, they started to rest on my boat around 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. they fell asleep there, and at that hour I had to hunt them. Didn't want to do it, but I didn't have a choice. It was my life.

ROSALES (voice-over): Eventually, Napa Castro even resorted to hunting a turtle, not for its meat, but to drink its blood. Now, a week after his rescue, he tells CNN's Jimena De La Quintana he lived each day just hoping for nightfall again. Sleep, his only peace, as living became unbearable.

CASTRO (through translator): I even got a knife three times. Three times I got the knife because I couldn't take it anymore. But I told myself, calm down, Gaton. You can do it. You can do it.

[18:45:00] ROSALES (voice-over): One night as Napa Castro waited for sleep to take him away, a loud voice screamed his name. A rescue worker in a helicopter, then an hour or so later, the lights of a boat, a light at the end of the tunnel cast away. Now, a survivor.

CASTRO (through translator): What motivated me, what saved me was my faith. First of all, I believe it was my faith in God because for several days I spoke to him because I let him know how important my family was. My mother, my children.

ROSALES (voice-over): The first video call, a moment the fishermen once feared may never come. A teary reunion for a man who says he has a newfound appreciation for life.

Isabel Rosales, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, now, from Peru's coastline to high up in the Andes Mountain range, a Peruvian farmer there is suing German energy giant RWE. He's accusing the company of fueling the climate crisis and accelerating glacial melt, threatening his home. RWE is one of Europe's top polluters, though it has no footprint in Peru.

It's raising questions, though, about who bears responsibility for climate change, especially when pollution on one continent might impact another. CNN's Nick Valencia reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The World Bank says Peru is home to almost 70 percent of the world's tropical glaciers. Glaciers that are in freezing high altitude mountain ranges, despite also being in the tropics. But climate change is causing those glaciers to melt.

In the high Andes of Northern Peru, glacier meltwater has caused Lake Palcacocha's volume to swell more than 30 times in recent decades, according to various studies. Down the hill from the lake is the town of Huaraz. Farmers like Saul Luciano Lliuya worry about flooding in the town, which has more than 65,000 people.

Lliuya is also the center of a landmark global case that will determine if companies can be legally held accountable for past emissions contributing to climate change.

SAUL LUCIANO LLIUYA, PERUVIAN FARMER AND PLAINTIFF (through translator): I am here to attend the court. Hamm Court. Because of the climate crisis in Huaraz. The mountains, the glaciers are melting, and that has caused risks. Risks to life. And I am here to ask for climate justice.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Lliuya is suing the German energy firm RWE, which his lawyers say is responsible for 0.5 percent of global emissions. His lawyers are therefore demanding that RWE pay 0.5 percent of the cost of flood mitigation for the city. RWE, which has never operated in Peru, says that a single emitter cannot be held responsible for global warming.

In a statement, RWE said, quote, "If such a claim were to exist under German law, it would also be possible to hold every motorist liable. The decade long case is based on a section of the German civil law code about property interference. It was dismissed by a lower court, but is now being appealed to a higher court in Hamm, Germany.

The hearing started Monday and will at first determine whether the melting glaciers are raising the lake's water level. And whether this will pose a flood risk to Lliuya's home in the next 30 years.

LLIUYA (through translator): We didn't start out with a lot of hope, but now it's caused a lot of attention. And yes, it is a precedent. We have high hopes for this next hearing.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Nick Valencia, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, still to come, baseball sensation. Shohei Ohtani hitting his first home run of the season in his home nation of Japan. We'll have the highlights of the MLB Tokyo Series.

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[18:50:00]

KINKADE: Welcome back. Major League Baseball's Tokyo Series has ended with superstar Shohei Ohtani and the L.A. Dodgers sweeping two games against the Chicago Cubs. Ohtani hit a solo home run on Wednesday, electrifying the sold-out Tokyo Dome as the Dodgers beat the Cubs 6-3.

Our Don Riddell is covering this and joins us now live. Good to see you, Don. So, huge cheers in Ohtani's hometown. He's home nation.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, and not just for Ohtani. You know, Major League Baseball's regular season, Lynda, is the longest in team sports. It's a marathon 162 games between March and September. Obviously, the most important games come at the end, but for Japanese fans of the Dodgers, those games might already have been played.

For the last two nights at the Tokyo Dome, they have been cheering for their iconic star, Shohei Ohtani, and also the Dodgers; Japanese rookie, Roki Sasaki, who made his major league debut against the Cubs on Wednesday. Sasaki found himself in trouble in the third inning with the bases loaded and one out for the Cubs. The 23-year-old got out of the jam though by striking out two batters. Ohtani was absolutely loving it.

And then, it was showtime in the fifth inning. Ohtani going deep for his first home run of the season. Dodgers, as you say, winning by 6-3 to sweep the Cubs, kicking off their season with back-to-back wins.

KINKADE: And it's pretty unique, right, that there are three Japanese players that just played in this Tokyo series. Just how popular is baseball in Japan, Don? RIDDELL: Well, massively popular. And it wasn't just three playing for the Dodgers. The Cubs have got two Japanese players as well. I mean, it's pretty much the national sport in Japan. I think a lot of people would consider it to be that way. The game was introduced to the Japanese back in 1872 and it's only grown more and more.

And when you think now that they've got players like Ohtani, who are widely regarded as the best in the world, some might even say the best baseball player ever. So, it's just getting more and more popular. And I can tell you that, you know, this was a huge deal for the Dodgers going to play these games in Tokyo. Japanese fans, of course, welcoming the chance to see their players and Ohtani in particular in -- on Japanese soil.

But the Dodgers, they have really embraced their connection with Japan. They're arguably the closest Major League Baseball team to Japan. And they really are embracing the Japanese players and the Japanese culture in so many ways. So, there's now this kind of like really interesting exchange between Japan and the Dodgers in particular, and the fans going back and forth. And so, it really is kind of developing into quite an exciting kind of situation for everybody.

KINKADE: Yes, I heard one commentator in Tokyo saying, forget Babe Ruth and all the others, this is the GOAT. Ohtani is the greatest of all time. Good to see you, Don.

RIDDELL: All right.

KINKADE: Thanks so much.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And splashdown. Crew 9 back on Earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Getting reacquainted with gravity after 286 days in space. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return to Earth Tuesday after a planned eight-day stay aboard the International Space Station ended up lasting nine months. The astronauts were also welcomed by a pod of dolphins who came by to check things out. Just beautiful scenes there.

Well, Suni Williams' hometown, they couldn't be more proud. People in Needham, Massachusetts held a watch party and said they have been both excited and anxious for her return to Earth. And residents of Suni's ancestral village also celebrated. The small village of Jhulasan, India marked her return with dancing, fireworks, and prayers.

Well, the world of long-distance running will soon see a new contestant. A Chinese robot is set to run a half marathon in Beijing. The humanoid robot has been training and undergoing testing for next month's competition, which is open to companies around the world.

[18:55:00] Both robots and humans will race, but on different tracks for safety. Upgrades to the robot's older version have helped increase its speed and stability.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEI JIAXING, BEIJING HUMANOID ROBOT INNOVATION CENTER (through translator): Its highest speed is 12 kilometers per hour. Considering the stability and endurance of the robot when running outdoors, we may slightly reduce the speed, but we are still very confident that it can complete the half marathon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, so, far, nearly two dozen robotic firms have signed up to run in the half marathon. Incredible. Maybe we can outsource our exercising soon.

Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Do stay with CNN. Much more news to come.

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