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Thirty-Five Killed, 117 Injured After Russian Missiles Hit Ukraine Amid Peace Talks; El Salvador President Refuses To Order Return Of Wrongly Deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia; U.S. Opens Door To Tariffs On Pharma, Semiconductors; China's Xi Seeks Trade Ties In Southeast Asia Amid Tariff Pressures; Israeli Strike Puts Gaza City Hospital Out of Service; Man Accused of Setting Fire Governor's Home Denied Bail; All-Female Space Flight Crew Returns Safely to Earth. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired April 15, 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 INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: So much for ending the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. Ahead on CNN Newsroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: This is Biden's war. This is not my war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ceasefire talks are going nowhere two months after they began as Russia continues to target civilians. The U.S. and El Salvador presidents play a bizarre round of pass the buck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAYIB BUKELE, EL SALVADORAN PRESIDENT: How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? I don't have the power to return him to the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: As the fate of an innocent man hangs in the balance wrongfully deported from the U.S. to a notorious mega prison in El Salvador.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNDIENTIFIED FEMALE: One, two, three, take up space.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And Blue Origin goes all pink for the first time launching an all-woman crew for an 11 minute joyride into space.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause. VAUSE: According to the Kremlin, senior Ukrainian military commanders
were the intended target of the single deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians in almost two years. At least 35 people were killed Sunday, more than 100 wounded in the strike on the city of Sumy. Twenty buildings were also damaged, including apartments, businesses and a courthouse.
Many were at church services for Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar. U.S. President Donald Trump initially described the attack as a mistake.
He still seems confused over who is to blame for starting the war. But on Monday, at one point he did acknowledge it was Putin, but then it was later to blaming Zelenskyy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you spoken to President Zelenskyy, sir, about his offer to purchase more Patriot missile batteries?
TRUMP: He's always looking to purchase missiles, you know, he's against. Listen, when you start a war, you've got to know that you can win the war. You don't start a war against somebody that's 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ukrainian president did not start the war. The Russian president did. Just for clarification. CNN's Fred Pleitgen a closer look at the devastation in Sumy and a warning some images in his report are difficult to watch.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Soon Ukraine Palm Sunday shortly after 10:00 a.m. as folks were heading to mass, two missiles struck, killing and wounding scores.
We live in the city center, this eyewitness says. There is no military base, there are no soldiers here. It is simply a genocide. It is genocide.
After the explosions, mass carnage, first responders trying to help any survivors. Ukrainian officials said preliminary information indicates Russia used a missile with a warhead packed with cluster munitions, weapons designed to harm people in a wide area. Ukraine's president lived.
Only filthy scoundrels can act like this, he said. Today, many state leaders, diplomats, regular people with big hearts, expressed their sympathy towards Ukraine. They condemned the Russian attack. But while many world leaders denounced the attack from President Donald Trump, a muted response.
TRUMP: I think it was terrible and I was told they made a mistake, but I think it's a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): As mourners gathered in Sumy, laying flowers for the many victims, Moscow claims its army does not go after civilians and was instead targeting a high level military meeting.
There was another meeting of Ukrainian military leaders with their Western colleagues, the foreign minister says, who were either masquerading as mercenaries or I don't know who. There are NATO servicemen there and they are in direct control.
All this as the fighting on the front lines remains as brutal as ever. Russia claiming its forces continue to make steady progress while President Trump's diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire appear to have hit a roadblock.
Unclear if any progress was made when Trump envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday. The Kremlin downplaying expectations.
The whole journey consists of small steps to recreate an atmosphere of at least minimal trust, the Kremlin spokesman says, to strengthen this mutual trust.
[01:05:02]
But the Ukrainians say they are losing faith in the Trump administration.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I believe, sadly, Russian narratives are prevailing in the US. How is it possible to witness our losses and our suffering, to understand what the Russians are doing and to still believe that they are not the aggressors, that they did not start this war?
PLEITGEN (voice-over): And there are few signs the war could end soon. Just hours after the attack in Sumy, drones struck the port town Odesa, wounding several people and causing major damage to scores of buildings. Fred Pleitgen, CNN Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Joining us now global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation. Welcome back. And that's a great Zelenskyy was asking at the end of that 60 Minutes interview.
Given the details we're now learning about this Russian strike as well as others, is it really need for any further proof that Putin has no interest whatsoever in a negotiated ceasefire?
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, FORMER SPOKESPERSON, ORG. FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE: Oh, it's good to be with you. No, there's no further proof needed. And I think for Mr. Trump to, you know, say that the Russians maybe didn't mean this and that, you know, it was Mr. Zelenskyy who started the war is absurd. And it just reflects what we've been seeing day after day out of this White House amateur hour, whether it comes to foreign affairs files like the Ukrainian one or tariffs.
So look, if anyone has any doubt, I can tell you that in 2014, as part of the OSC mission, I was there on the ground in Donetsk when so called Russian backed rebels or separatists walked in and took over government institutions. There was no doubt what was happening. And I was also there in 2022, in February when Russians started their second full scale invasion. So these are illegal acts by Russia.
And also to claim that attack on Sumy was either a mistake or they were targeting military meetings and things like that is absolutely, you know, you can't even find the words to describe these types of lies that the Russian is propagating.
VAUSE: And as you mentioned, we have a U.S. President sort of excusing what happened with the Russian strike here, calling it a mistake or whatever, sort of. He said the actual attack itself was heinous, but refused to call out the Kremlin for doing it.
Over the weekend, the E.U., the head of the E.U. said it was basically a barbaric attack made even more vile as people gathered peacefully to celebrate Palm Sunday. That's what really to say. Ursula von de Leyer also repeated that Russia was the aggressor, called for urgent action to enforce a ceasefire. And on that, it's been two months as of Monday, since those U.S. broker talks began. And so now here's the U.S. President speaking Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This is Biden's war. This is not my war. I've been here for a very short period of time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It's all Biden's problem. He's saying, you know, so we have Russia continuing to target civilians as well as civilian infrastructure. The U.S. President actually pleading for Russia to stop doing that. So where does Donald Trump's credibility stand here? This is also not exactly what he promised during the, you know, the campaign.
BOCIURKIW: That's correct. He promised to solve this war within one day. He also promised to solve Gaza. Both theaters of war are getting actually worse. Look, you know, let me remind the Trump team that it was they who provided Ukrainians with Javelin missiles, the same ones that his predecessor didn't want to give. And, you know, of course, this was after that quid pro quo scandal that put Mr. Zelenskyy in a very tough spot.
So for him to say, you know, this is somebody else's war is complete foolishness. And, you know, I also should point out that interview clip with Mr. Zelenskyy, he said what the way things are going right now, because negotiations initiated by Trump are not working, that we could be headed towards World War III. This is not only Mr. Zelenskyy saying this, I'm here in Asia Pacific.
And Lawrence Wong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, said the other day that the way things are going with these tariff wars also are creating the conditions for another world war. We are in a very bad place right now.
VAUSE: Yes. And it's not getting better. As I said before, that interview that Zelenskyy did was 60 Minutes. It was emotional. You could see that this is a man who is struggling with what's going on. And during that interview, he made a direct appeal to Donald Trump. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNDIENTIFIED MALE: Would you invite President Trump to Ukraine?
ZELENSKYY: With pleasure. Please. Come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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VAUSE: What are the odds on ever seeing Donald Trump visit Ukraine? I guess one possibility could be after signing a ceasefire deal at this point, what chances of either happening are pretty long.
BOCIURKIW: Yes. I don't see Mr. Trump going to Ukraine either because of fear or because he could get humiliated by what he sees with the cameras capture there. And at the same time, I don't think Mr. Zelenskyy should fall into a second trap and go back to the White House for another humiliating session.
You know, in the background, all of us as well, we have to remind people is that rare earth minerals deal that the Trump administration being the transactional folks that they are very, very keen to conclude. And that doesn't seem to be going anywhere either because according to reputable media organizations, it's very much in favor of the U.S. side and not the Ukrainians. This would be turning Ukraine into an economic colony of the United States for a long time to come.
Everyone I talked to in Ukraine is not for it. They are very opposed to this particular deal.
VAUSE: Especially after the blood and treasure they've sacrificed over the last three years. For that to happen would be a tragedy for many in Ukraine, I imagine. Michael, as always, thank you for being with us. We appreciate your time.
BOCIURKIW: My pleasure. Thank you.
VAUSE: Three rights guaranteed by the U.S. constitution were thrown under the bus Monday during a White House meeting between the U.S. and El Salvador presidents. Both leaders argued neither had the authority to order the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father of three swept up in Trump's immigration crackdown and despite having no criminal history, flown from the U.S. to a maximum security prison in El Salvador. Even though the White House has admitted his forced deportation was a
mistake, even though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week the administration must facilitate his return. Donald Trump warmly greeted President Nayib Bukele, who describes himself as a cool dictator. When asked by reporters about returning Abrego Garcia, he said it was preposterous to, quote, smuggle a terrorist into the United States. To be clear, Abrego Garcia has not been tried or committed of any crime.
His constitutional right to due process was denied, and the White House has provided no evidence of his membership in a violent gang. He doesn't even have tattoos. Fourteen years ago, Garcia illegally entered the United States, but in 2019 was granted protected status when a court ruled he faced credible threats of being killed by a local gang in El Salvador. That alone should have prevented his deportation.
And while the Trump administration has admitted they got it wrong, for some unknown reason is refusing to make it right. Not only that, the U.S. President has again raised the prospect of another potential violation of the constitution by sending U.S. citizens to prisons in El Salvador.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The laws are we always have to obey the laws, but we also have homegrown criminals that push people into subways, that hit elderly ladies on the back of the head with a baseball bat when they're not looking, that are absolute monsters. I'd like to include them in the group of people to get them out of the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: CNN's David Culver recently visited the cop prison in El Salvador. He filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He's not going anywhere. Those were the words from one Salvadoran government official who I met with last week with regards to Kilmar Abrego Garcia. That's the Maryland man who was mistakenly deported last month by the Trump administration and deported to El Salvador notorious Secot Prison. That's the terrorism confinement center.
Now, those words seem to be reiterated by President Donald Trump and President Nayib Bukele as they met Monday in the Oval Office saying essentially they were powerless in the case of Abrego Garcia. Now, why might they be pointing that direction?
Well, it was interesting being on the ground in El Salvador last week and speaking with officials, including the public security and justice minister, that's Gustavo Villatoro, who also happened to be in the Oval Office on Monday.
Villatoro tells me that while not speaking specifically to Abrego Garcia's case, but in general that they are very focused on deportees that are coming from the U.S. and going to El Salvador, particularly those who have a history in El Salvador.
He went as far as to say that they are actively requesting certain deportees be sent back to El Salvador based on criminal records. Villatoro is somebody who has compiled years of records and data that he has put even into a book that he shares with law enforcement, including here in the U.S. and that includes everything from decoding gang language to tattoos to graffiti. And it's something he says is a tool in fighting against the gangs.
Now, with regards to Abrego Garcia, again, Villatoro doesn't go specific into his case, but two government officials in El Salvador go on to say that they have further evidence that incriminates him. When I asked to see that evidence or for any other proof, they declined to provide it.
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And Abrego Garcia's attorneys have said that is a fabrication. It is a lie that is coming from not only the Salvadorian government as they see it, but also the U.S. government. But I think one thing that stands out is the coordination and cooperation between the U.S. and El Salvador when it comes to the sharing and the active back and forth of criminal records between the two nations. It seems to be not only deliberate and intentional, but also incredibly strategic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thanks to David Culver for that report. Still to come, Donald Trump has his sights set on his next target for tariffs. All of this as confusion continues to grow over what's exempt, what's not exempt, what's on hold, what isn't whole lots of questions not being answered.
Also ahead, China's president looks to capitalize on the tariff turmoil, visiting with key trading partners in Southeast Asia with a message hey, we're dependable.
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VAUSE: The Trump administration will begin the first stage of formally imposing tariffs on imports of semiconductors and pharmaceuticals this week, making the case that too much reliance on foreign production of both is a risk to national security.
Right now they're exempt from the 10 percent across the board tariff which began 10 days ago. Semiconductors are a crucial component for the auto industry, which President Trump is trying to support. Monday, he said additional short term relief from tariffs for the car industry could be coming.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: In something to help some of the car companies with it switching to parts that were made in Canada, Mexico and other places. And they need a little bit of time because they're going to make them here, but they need a little bit of time. So I'm talking about things like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: U.S. stocks got a boost from the Trump administration's tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronics. There they are, all the close up. In positive territory, however, is still uncertainty over how this will reprieve, will how long will last and how trade war, the trade war with China will actually end if it ever does.
With us now live is William Lee, chief economist at the Milken Institute, former managing director of Citigroup. Welcome back, Bill. Good to see you.
WILLIAM LEE, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MILKEN INSTITUTE: Thanks, John.
VAUSE: The last time we spoke, you seem to be to have a fairly positive view about tariffs as part of a bigger, broader agenda that Donald Trump is trying to put in place. That's in theory, I guess, but here is the Donald Trump reality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: All I have to do is impose a tariff. The more the faster they move in, the higher the tariff is very safe. It's inversely proportional. The higher the tariff, the faster they come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Is this where the president's belief or his governing style sort of clashes with how the world really works? Because I thought as a general rule, slowly phasing in tariffs is a better way of doing it, less disruptive or destructive way of implementation as opposed to announcing 145 percent tariffs on a country overnight.
LEE: Well, John, let's remember that President Trump is trying to restructure the U.S. economy in a way that brings back more manufacturing and more production into United States high value manufacturing. In particular, he's also trying to restructure the global trade system in a way that is better for the 21st century trade needs than better than what we have, which is a post-World War II institution.
And in doing so, what, by saying that I need to get this done quickly. He is also a political realist. He recognizes that by the time the midterm elections come, attention will be focused on other things. He will lose whatever momentum he has in getting these very important changes through. So he's in a hurry to do this.
And as he said, the higher the tariff rates he imposes on our trading partners, the more serious they're going to be in the discussions to try to reshape the trading routes, to reshape the trade agreements, and to have these bilateral deals forged sooner rather than later.
VAUSE: I wonder if the target here is the problem because, you know, I don't look at Vietnam as having ripped off America for the last 20 years or, you know, an island of penguins actually getting a free lunch. The real problem here seems to be China, and that seems to be what the target should be. This is a communist market planned economy which is distorting the free market economy globally.
And maybe that is where these tariffs should be looked at and should be imposed gradually. And if there's no reform, if there's no changes implemented by China, then the tariffs should progress. Would that be a better way of doing this?
LEE: That's amazing, John. We absolutely agree. The real issue is China. And the issue is China has changed the trade system in a way that no longer serves the needs of the U.S., the Europeans and the non -- not China, Asia. So, so China really is the problem.
So I think what you're asking about in terms of Vietnam and Cambodia and some of these other Asian countries, they become proxy Chinas, they become transshipment centers where they take Chinese goods, relabel them and then ship them out.
What we're asking really is that they become full value added producers and then we'll treat them more seriously as a bilateral trading partner. And I think that's -- those are the kind of things that have to be negotiated.
And having these high reciprocal tariff rates forces these countries to get serious about being honest as to what they're doing in their country and whether or not they're just becoming transshipment points for China.
VAUSE: We also had this sort of on again, off again announcements. There's a pause. There's not a pause. Things are exempt, things are out. Listen to the Commerce Secretary one exemption. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD LUTNICK, U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY: These are included in the semiconductor tariffs that are coming and the pharmaceuticals are coming. Those two areas are coming in the next month or two. So this is not like a permanent sort of exemption.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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VAUSE: Some things are permanent, some are just on delay, some are on hold. You know, this tariff policy keeps changing. What's the incentive for a long term investment to rebuild or factories in the United States to make stuff in the U.S. because you know, is the White House undermining the policy here with such a chaotic and unpredictable rollout?
LEE: Not at all, John, the White House is very consistently said the objective of the agenda that President Trump was elected to put in place was to shrink the size of government to free resources for the private sector, lower income tax rates, lower regulations, and to enable investors in this country to have a marketplace that is free from unfair competition, which is partly what the tariffs are designed to do.
And so what you're seeing in the semiconductor industry and pharmaceuticals is a full scale review as to their strategic nature and importance in the U.S. economy, a recognition that our supply chains have been completely devastated for pharmaceuticals and are highly dependent on Asia for semiconductors.
So that review is going to be one where that, where the tariff exemptions are put in place now until we get the full scale review and then the appropriate level of protections put in for those particular products.
VAUSE: We also have statements like this coming from President Trump. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We had the largest gain in the stock market in history on every single category last week. That was a nice game because we get a little hit because people didn't understand the power of our economic, our country economically.
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VAUSE: I'm not an economist, but one look at my 401k tells me we are a long way off making back all the market losses since Liberation Day. This sort of adds to the feeling of almost being gaslighting happening. Like when the White House insists the 90-day pause was just part of their cutting plan all along.
LEE: John, my 401k is close, closing in on being a 201k. So I feel for you and I think what President Trump is trying to say is that during this adjustment period we're going to see quite a bit of volatility. If you have some cash, I think he told you, go buy some bargains of companies that you know are very good.
But meanwhile, when the policies are in place and the full make America great agenda is put in place of smaller government, lower taxes, your regulations, and a protective barrier for our industries that will enable the U.S. economy to really grow in a way that it hasn't been able to grow before because it will enable the fair competition globally to occur.
So while both of our 401Ks are closing in on being 201Ks, I think looking forward, you have nothing but high expectations that the gains will be coming back.
VAUSE: See the paradise, Armageddon nowhere between. Bill Lee, thank you with this. We appreciate your time. Good to see you again. Thank you.
LEE: Thanks.
VAUSE: OK. Meanwhile, China's president continuing with a state visit to Southeast Asia, hoping to capitalize on the chaos caused by Donald Trump's tariff whiplash. Xi Jinping heads to Malaysia in the coming hours. That's after visiting Vietnam Monday where he aimed to cast China as a much more stable and reliable economic partner than the United States. CNN Steven Jiang is live in Beijing for us this hour. Is he making friends and influencing people?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, John, you know Xi Jinping's message to Vietnam and other countries, indeed, that is they should join hands to resist Trump's unilateral bullying and work together to maintain the current global trade system and supply chains. That is going to be repeated and amplified throughout his three nation trip in Southeast Asia.
Now, the goals of his trip very much twofold economically. China obviously tries to continue to diversify its footprint. It's no coincidence he started out this trip in Hanoi because Southeast Asian nations as a bloc have become China's biggest trading partner, replacing the U.S. and E.U. and Vietnam actually has the biggest share of all the Southeast Asian countries. That's why Xi Jinping has signed 45 different deals and agreements.
They're not only trying to sell things that are now shut out of the U.S. to Vietnam, but also trying to, they're helping Vietnam build more infrastructure projects, for example. And that is happening at a time despite the two countries actually having this long running territorial dispute in the South China Sea. That really speaks to the second goal of this trip, more strategic, more foreign policy related. That is China telling the rest of the world, even those countries that may have long running dispute with Beijing, that at a time when Trump has really upended the whole international order, they are the upholder of international order and norms.
[01:29:49]
And instead of pressure and fear, as Trump has shown other countries, including allies and partners, China is showing them love.
So China's really telling everybody, come hang out with us. And that message, in a way, is perhaps more resonant to a lot of countries compared to just a few weeks ago. And -- but these countries, of course, have to tread carefully because they don't want to be perceived to be too close to China and risk further provoke Trump at a time when they still have to negotiate Washington on those pending tariffs.
And Trump, of course, John, as you know, has noted this meeting in Hanoi and characterizing this as, in his words, "China and Vietnam trying to figure out how to screw the U.S.A.", John.
VAUSE: Love in the shadows. Steven Jiang in Beijing, thank you.
An Israeli strike has damaged the last fully functioning hospital in northern Gaza. In a moment, why was it hit and the impact on an already failing health care system in the territory.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Another Gaza ceasefire is on the table and is currently being considered by Hamas, which has promised a response as soon as possible. Specific details are not known, but Hamas officials say any deal must include a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Across the territory, a humanitarian crisis continues to go from bad to worse, especially after a major Israeli airstrike over the weekend.
More details now from CNN's Jeremy Diamond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, what was the last remaining fully functioning hospital in northern Gaza has now been put out of service by that Israeli airstrike on Sunday at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City.
This is a hospital that once served about a thousand patients a day, with a bustling emergency room that has only become busier as Israeli attacks have ramped up in Gaza.
But now only a few dozen patients are still being treated in that hospital, and the hospital isn't able to provide any emergency services whatsoever.
The Israeli military carried out an airstrike on this hospital on Sunday after giving about a 20-minute warning to that hospital. A boy with a head injury who was evacuated in those 20 minutes actually died in that rushed evacuation process. We know of no other casualties as a result of that strike.
The Israeli military said it carried out this strike because there was a command-and-control center, a Hamas command-and-control center at this hospital. But they've provided no evidence to back up that claim.
And what they certainly haven't provided evidence of is the, you know, military necessity and value -- added value of carrying out this strike when compared to the impact that this is going to have on Palestinian civilians and their access to health care in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military, in just the last 24 hours or so, has struck about 35 targets inside the Gaza Strip. And what we are also witnessing, of course, is these continued evacuation orders that are pushing Palestinian civilians into an ever-shrinking portion of the Gaza Strip, where they simply are not finding the resources that they need.
And a lot of that stems from another layer of pressure that is being brought to bear on Gaza. And that is the fact that Israel has not allowed anything into the Gaza strip since March 2nd. No food, no water, no medical supplies. And humanitarian officials are warning that we are rapidly approaching
crisis levels inside of Gaza.
Now, as all of this is happening, as we are seeing this noose being tightened around the people of Gaza, we are witnessing, some reports of progress in these negotiations between Israel and Hamas to try and revive that cease fire and to get more hostages out of the Gaza Strip.
We know, of course, that there are 59 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza. About two dozen of them are still believed to be alive, according to Israeli authorities.
This deal that Hamas and Israel are now negotiating would be for the release of fewer than 11 Israeli hostages. 11 is the number that the Israeli government has been demanding in exchange for a month-and-a- half long ceasefire. Hamas has been willing to offer far fewer than that.
The latest we learned was that an Egyptian proposal was on the table last week that would see the release of eight Israeli hostages from Hamas custody.
We understand that there is now perhaps a proposal for ten hostages to be released, but it's not clear whether that is something Hamas will go for.
We know that there has been a Hamas delegation in Cairo since Saturday. An Israeli delegation has not yet traveled there.
[01:39:50]
DIAMOND: And so while we certainly are seeing signs of optimism and momentum building once again, until we actually see those more concrete signals of true, meaningful progress, it's hard to tell right now if that momentum will actually lead to a deal.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN -- Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Joining me now on the line is Zahed Rahman, an emergency care nurse with Gilliard Project. He's been in Gaza since March. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us.
Can you describe what's left in Gaza now in terms of any medical care, especially after the Al-Ahli Hospital was hit by the Israelis and is no longer fully functioning?
ZAHED RAHMAN, EMERGENCY CARE NURSE, GILLIARD PROJECT (via telephone): I'm so sorry. I can't really -- I couldn't understand the question. Let's hear it one more time.
VAUSE: No worries. Yes.
So what's the situation with healthcare facilities now that the last fully functioning hospital in the northern Gaza region was hit by the Israelis over the weekend? What's left?
RAHMAN: So to be very honest, the entire situation here is extremely devastating. Al-Ahli Hospital was located in the north. They were serving a lot of patients, a thousand patients, and it was pretty much the only fully functioning -- well, partially fully functioning hospital.
And with that being gone, it actually puts a strain on the already crippling health care system within the Gaza Strip.
The hospital that I'm at right now at Deir Al-Balah is seeing an increase in patients obviously, since the attack with the people being forcefully evacuated and further displaced again. They're showing up into the local area here. The staff here is extremely exhausted.
We had an attack last week where, you know, I've never witnessed this in my entire life. I saw a decapitated baby. And the family -- there was a family traveling in the nearby streets earlier yesterday. And two days ago -- and, you know, they blew the whole car up. This one -- this one man lost six of his children.
You know, and especially with the staff being exhausted, the people being further displaced, there is no food, no medication, no water coming in, and it just hinders the entire healthcare process.
VAUSE: Zahed, explain this to me. So you're a nurse, you're working there at that hospital in Deir Al-Balah. So, when there is an Israeli military strike, when people are hurt and wounded, and when patients do come to you and other medical workers at your hospital, we know that the humanitarian supplies haven't been entering Gaza for quite some time.
What do you do when you don't have basic medical supplies and equipment to treat them? How do you deal with that? What do you do?
RAHMAN: To be very honest, very difficult decisions have to be made. You do the best you can. This is -- this is just, you know, one example of how unfair and unjust this current health care system is. This would not be tolerated anywhere else.
It's quite, you know, it doesn't make any sense of why it's acceptable here in Gaza to see the suffering of the children, the women, the elderly, you know, who are already living in very compromised situations with their -- with the rise in communicable diseases and no access to clean water.
It just -- it makes no sense. It just you do the best you can as a healthcare provider and often you have to make difficult decisions. And sometimes you have to see or watch people just suffer and die because you can't do anything. You can't provide medical care.
VAUSE: I can't imagine what that's like with kids, especially children. How do you deal with that?
RAHMAN: Watching children suffer is the worst. Watching children suffer is the absolute worst. We had a child that was suffering a shrapnel injury when they did an explosion -- explosion two nights ago and nearby.
And this poor child, he had shrapnel injuries all throughout his body. And just to assess him, we couldn't really give him anything for the pain because we didn't have anything. And just to assess him for the pain, this poor child, who's probably two years old, still in diapers and he was shivering in pain. He was crying in pain.
And we couldn't do anything. But we needed to assess to make sure that, you know, the injuries were not life threatening.
VAUSE: Wow. That is horrendous.
Zahed Rahman, thank you. Thank you for your time. We appreciate you speaking to us. Stay safe.
RAHMAN: Thank you very much.
VAUSE: Well, no bail for the man accused of setting fire to the Pennsylvania governor's mansion. In a moment the very latest on his first court appearance.
You're watching CNN.
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VAUSE: The suspect accused of setting fire to the Pennsylvania governor's residence has been denied bail over safety concerns. 38- year-old Cody Balmer did not enter a plea during his arraignment and will remain in jail for now.
CNN's Danny Freeman has the very latest on the arson investigation.
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DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The pictures are haunting. Part of the Pennsylvania governor's residence burned in an attack by an alleged arsonist.
[01:49:51]
FREEMAN: Light fixtures, plates, a piano, couches. The fire damaging part of a dining room where Governor Josh Shapiro and his family had only hours before celebrated the first night of Passover with a Seder.
Among the charred items, pages of a Haggadah, the Passover prayer book used by Shapiro's family.
GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D) PENNSYLVANIA: This type of violence is not ok. This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. And I don't give a damn if it's coming from one particular side or the other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reporting a large fire in the dining room on the first floor. They can see fire out the windows. They're currently working on getting everybody evacuated. There's about 25 people inside.
FREEMAN: Police say just before 2:00 a.m. Sunday, as the governor and his family slept, this man, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, hopped a fence at the mansion armed with a hammer and beer bottles filled with gasoline.
LT. COL. GEORGE BIVENS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: I will tell you that he clearly had a plan. He was very methodical in his approach and moved through it without a lot of hurry.
FREEMAN: State police said that Balmer evaded security as he made his way over the fence from this part of the grounds of the residence to this particular building.
There he broke a window and threw a makeshift Molotov cocktail inside. Then he broke another window, climbed inside himself and threw another Molotov cocktail.
BIVENS: That was all playing out over a period of several minutes. It was a very quick event that occurred and again, troopers were actively searching for him at the time.
FREEMAN: Yet despite public praise for law enforcement's quick response, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN that the incident is seen by many in the Pennsylvania State Police as a security failure.
Balmer escaped, but ultimately turned himself in to police on Sunday and admitted to the attack, according to court documents. He told investigators he'd harbored hatred towards Shapiro.
According to an affidavit obtained by CNN, when asked what he would have done had he found the governor inside, Balmer said he, quote, "would have beaten him with his hammer".
SHAPIRO: If this individual was trying to deter me from doing my job as your governor, rest assured I will find a way to work even harder than I was just yesterday for the good people of Pennsylvania.
FREEMAN: While Balmer hadn't posted much on social media in recent years, CNN found posts that he 2021 criticizing then President Joe Biden. And though police have not released any more information as to why Balmer may have carried out this attack, Shapiro said his family would not be terrorized for their Jewish faith.
SHAPIRO: No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly.
FREEMAN: Now, at an arraignment Monday evening, a judge denied bail to Balmer. The judge said while she appreciated that he turned himself in, she still recommended he be imprisoned for the safety of himself and the community.
Balmer currently faces charges of attempted homicide, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault. His next court date is expected on April 23rd.
Danny Freeman, CNN -- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: They're back on earth now after an historic joyride into space. In a moment, a look on board the first all-female crewed space flight ever.
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VAUSE: It was a long 11 minutes. Welcome home, honey. Billionaire Jeff Bezos greeting his fiancee after an historic space flight. Lauren Sanchez was one of an all-female crew launched into space Monday by Blue Origin, a company owned by Bezos.
Among the other space tourists were singer Katy Perry and TV host Gayle King. They were up for an entire 11 minutes to the edge of space. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gayle King, you are officially an astronaut. How do you feel?
GAYLE KING, TV HOST: I still can't accept that word.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good luck and Godspeed, ladies.
Let's launch this rocket.
Two, one -- liftoff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We lifted off everybody. You could just feel the energy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those ladies right now are having an incredible view on their way to space.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They all just looked at each other. There was a very special moment between all of us, and it was just beautiful. It's so beautiful.
KERIANNE FLYNN, FILM PRODUCER: I have almost no words. It was the most incredible experience of my life to be up there and see like the such vast darkness in space and look down on our planet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You look at it and you're like. We're all in this together. Like, that's all I could think about is like we're so connected, more connected than you realize.
It's such a reminder about how we need to do better, be better.
Touch down. Congratulations and welcome back to earth.
KING: We are forever bonded. It really is a true sisterhood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Just 11 minutes.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are celebrating their college football championship with a visit to the White House. There they presented President Donald Trump with a jersey and a helmet.
But then came a very bad fumble from Vice President J.D. Vance. As he was lifting the championship trophy, he dropped the base. Oops.
Later on social media, Vance wrote he didn't want anyone else to get the trophy after Ohio State, so he decided to break it. Ha, ha, ha. Yes. Good one.
Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.
Please stay with us. The news continues here on CNN after a short break with my friend and colleague, Rosemary Church.
See you back here tomorrow.
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