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Isa Soares Tonight
President Trump To Announce Liberation Day Tariffs Today; Israel Announces Major Expansion Of Military Operation In Gaza To Seize Large Areas Of Land; Gretzky's Trump Ties Stirs Canadian Loyalty Debate Amid Threats; Israel Expands Military Operation In Gaza; Food Supplies In Gaza Running Out; Republicans Wins Two Florida House Seats; Democrats Celebrate Win in Wisconsin; Eric Adams' Corruption Case Dropped. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired April 02, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ERICA HILL, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Erica Hill in for Isa Soares. Tonight, the countdown is on to Donald
Trump's big tariff announcement. Just what can we expect from what his -- from his so-called Liberation Day? Well, the world is watching, Europe and
Canada vowing retaliation.
Plus, Israel moving ahead with plans to seize large areas of Gaza in its fight against Hamas as the dire humanitarian situation reaches new levels
of crisis. Well, in just a couple of hours from now, President Donald Trump is set to unveil a new wave of tariffs. But it's impossible to ignore the
uncertainty leading up to this announcement, which has world leaders, businesses and consumers on edge.
The details of Trump's plan remain unclear at this hour. Sources do tell CNN, however, rates are expected to be capped and then can be negotiated
downward. Mr. Trump says he is trying to level the playing field with trade partners, and is also hoping to boost American manufacturing. Many
economists say those policies will actually end up costing everyday Americans more.
One of the options the President is mulling a universal or flat rate tariff of as high as 20 percent on all imports. A tariff that high would likely
cost the typical middle class American household $3,800 per year. That's according to the nonpartisan budget lab at Yale businesses and consumers
are bracing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our pastas, our olive oils, our tomatoes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Butter cheeses --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And all kinds of imported cheeses. We eat a little bit, but there's going to come a time where we can't. So, it has to be passed on
at that -- at that point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell you, you know, our costs have gone up and our cans, there's nothing I can do about it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That would put us out of the -- you know, out of the market of buying this car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: All this is an outspoken critic of the President's plans, says these proposed tariffs amount to a tax on all Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG FORD, PREMIER, ONTARIO, CANADA: President Trump calls it Liberation Day, I call it termination day because a lot of people are going to be
terminated from their jobs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Strong words there from Doug Ford. Here now to dig in a little deeper, CNN business and politics correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich and Kevin
Liptak joining us from the White House. Kevin, let's start with you. So, the countdown is on now, two hours until this big announcement. It has
become quite the spectacle as I understand it there, that it's planned at the White House. Any further details leading up to that moment?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Not really, Erica. We know the President has been in the Oval Office this morning talking with his
advisors, continuing to receive advice and ideas as he perfects, in the words of the White House, this tariff plan that he'll announce from the
Rose Garden at 4:00 p.m. today.
And I think sort of the uncertainty and the 11th hour talks about how this will unfold gives you a sense, one of how important the President views
this moment. This is obviously the culmination of what has been a life-long obsession with tariffs for this President. This will be the strongest usage
of them by President Trump so far.
And so, I guess he really just wants to get it right. But it also tells you that there are divergent views within this administration about how exactly
these tariffs proceed. And when you look at some of the options that they've laid out for the President, you do get a sense they vary quite
widely in size and in scope from that 20 percent universal tariff that you mentioned on the one extreme end to a more traditional reciprocal tariff,
essentially dollar-for-dollar tariffs on imported goods into the U.S. if those countries apply their own tariff on the other end of the spectrum.
And I think along with this variety of plans, his advisors and the President are also sort of weighing what exactly he wants to get out of
these tariffs, because he talks about a number of different objectives when he's talking about this one is to try and re-orient the global economy
towards the United States and bring manufacturing back into the United States.
The other is as a negotiating tactic to try and get other countries to improve their own trade barriers. And the third is to try and raise revenue
for potentially these tax cuts that the President wants to sign later this year. And in a lot of ways, these are competing objectives.
[14:05:00]
If he's successful with one of them, he might not be successful with the other one. And so, as he debates all of these plans, he'll also kind of
have to decide which of these outcomes is the most important for him going forward. And so, at this Rose Garden event later today, we will get some
clarity, of course, on what the President plans to do.
They have designed this as a celebration. They have invited members of the cabinet, but also workers from industries who they say will benefit,
whether it's steel workers or auto workers or pipefitters all coming here to the White House to sort of bask in the glow of the President's
announcement here.
But of course, it will be the day after and the day after and the day after that, where the ramifications will become clear and the consequences will
become clear, and certainly the hope for the President is that this will derive some political gain. But I think the problem is that, that gain is
much further down the road.
This is a long-term proposition that the President is raising here. The pain, the political pain could be more near term if these prices go up. But
that certainly is a risk that the President seems willing to take as he takes this major new step. Erica.
HILL: So much, so much to take in. Vanessa, as we look at this, there is also, you know, as I noted off the top, and I know you've been hearing from
so many folks, there is the bracing that is happening, whether it's consumers, whether it's businesses as they wait to see what the actual plan
is and then what the fallout will be. What more are you learning about sort of the bracing for impact in this moment?
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, let's talk about what we actually do know. And we know more about actually
tomorrow than we do about today. Tomorrow, we know that those auto specific tariffs are going to go into effect. So, that's going to be a tax on any
foreign car that's imported or any foreign car part that is imported.
And according to one analyst, Dan Ives, he says that they believe that this is going to be up to $100 billion in costs annually to the auto industry,
and will essentially get passed down on to the consumer and clearly erode demand from day one of these tariffs. And we've also heard from Anderson
Economic Group just moments ago, they released new figures on what this would cost Americans.
They believe that it could add $30 billion in extra costs to car-buying for Americans. What we don't know about today is a lot. We do not know which
countries will get hit. We do not know if there will be sector specific tariffs. We do not know at what rate everything is going to be taxed at? We
have had -- we have heard obviously maybe 20 percent, but of course, we just simply don't know yet.
And I think what's interesting, Erica, is the point you bring up is, how do you prepare for this? How does a business or consumer prepare for this?
Well, behind the scenes, businesses, vendors and suppliers are having really serious conversations about who basically takes the burden of this
tariff. There's one scenario where the supplier takes the full cost of the tariff and absorbs that, just to try to keep business.
There's another scenario where a split could happen 50-50 between supplier and then business. And then there's a third scenario, which most economists
believe is what's going to happen. Maybe the supplier absorbs some, the business absorbs some, but then ultimately the consumer is now a
participant and in absorbing some of this tariff.
But businesses I spoke to, as you say, said that they've been scrambling, really trying to game out different scenarios of how to prepare for
something that is just so unknown to them right now. Erica.
HILL: Yes, and also, it will be interesting to see how long any of this may last once it goes into effect, and whether there could, in fact, be some
negotiating to revise those numbers down. We'll be watching it all, appreciate it. Thank you both Vanessa and Kevin.
Also with me this hour, Emily Kilcrease, who's a Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics and Security Program at the Center for a New
American Security. And Emily, you recently took part in a -- in a game, if you will, it was a simulation as to what the impact of a global trade war
would be following off of what we -- what we know from the Trump administration.
You actually found that the tariffs could work if -- and there's a big if here, the U.S. really focused on reaching bilateral trade agreements. Based
on what you have seen from this administration, do you believe that is in fact a focus?
EMILY KILCREASE, SENIOR FELLOW & DIRECTOR, ENERGY, ECONOMICS & SECURITY PROGRAM: Well, I think it is still an open question. Look, we know how
trade wars start. We'll get more clarity on that later today. But we don't know how the trade wars end.
So, the simulation that we ran was really trying to get a sense of, you know, after other countries get beat up a bunch by U.S. tariffs, are they
willing to come to the negotiating table? And the surprising thing that we found is they actually -- they are -- they feel like they have to come and
find off-ramps to the trade war.
And it could actually lead to an outcome where the U.S. and trading partners, under certain circumstances, actually do get to more of a win-win
outcome if the President gets back into deal-making mode.
[14:10:00]
HILL: Which is fascinating because there have also been conversations, and I've had a number of them over the last few weeks as to how the reaction is
different this time with Trump 2.0, whether we're talking about Mexico, Canada or Europe, frankly, working together as more of a bloc and pushing
back on some of the bullying.
KILCREASE: Yes, absolutely, there's no question that this is going to be a messy process politically. It's going to be painful in the short term,
particularly when you think about all of the potential retaliation. I was just at my hairdresser, we're talking about tariffs on their hair products
coming from Europe, right?
This is going to hit a lot of people and businesses in the United States. But skilled negotiators can work their way through that. And I think that's
really what came out in our game where we had a bunch of these negotiators sit down and try to work it out, and over time, they could again, if the
U.S. was willing to deal.
HILL: And that's our big "if" there. It's interesting, too, in some of CNN's new reporting that the Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent was telling
lawmakers that tariffs that will be announced are essentially a ceiling, right? This is the cap. And then they could be negotiated downward. That is
key moving into this next chapter.
KILCREASE: It's absolutely key, and if that's how it plays out, you know, I think there's a good chance that you do get to this win-win outcome that we
found in the game. Now, I don't think anyone should breathe a sigh of relief after we get through today and have a sense of what these tariffs
are and what negotiations might look like, it is very possible we still see additional sectorial tariffs, back and forth tariffs like we've seen in
North America.
I don't think any of this is going to be easy. I think it's going to remain unpredictable. But what I'm looking for really is that signal that the path
the Secretary Bessent laid out is where we're headed on this, is that this is the ceiling. This is kind of peak tariff escalation. And it's all about
finding deals from here. That would be a best-case scenario.
HILL: How much do you think this uncertainty, in some ways this posturing has hurt the bargaining power of the United States?
KILCREASE: So, there's definitely diminishing marginal utility. At a certain point, I think we're kind of hitting peak tariff escalation
benefits today, candidly, and then with the U.S. really has to grapple with is, you know, everybody knows that the threat of tariffs is credible. But
what about the credibility of the U.S. commitment?
Can the U.S. actually get to a point where it can make deals that trading partners feel confident that the U.S. will comply with? You know, we've
seen, particularly in the North America context, Canada and Mexico have raised this over-and-over-again, the tariffs that the Trump administration
has imposed violate the USMCA agreement that the Trump administration, the first time negotiated, that dynamic really matters.
And so, that's another thing to watch in the announcements today is how do those trading partners get treated, and whether we can view any future
commitments by the Trump administration as credible.
HILL: Right, and also the concerns that I've heard from a number of folks as well, whether it be in the political or the business space, which is the
overall credibility of any deal with the United States, given the ping-pong nature of the politics in this country.
KILCREASE: Absolutely, I mean, I think there's no denying the uncertainty, the unpredictability, you know, I think, but foreign governments, candidly,
a lot of them, they don't -- they simply don't have a choice, right? If you look at Canada and Mexico, so much of their trade goes to the United
States.
They have to find a way to work through this to try to get concessions from the Trump administration to guarantee some more certainty. You know, one
thing that came up in our game was trying to get rid of these sunset clauses in USMCA, for example, they're going to be looking for kind of
clever solutions to get at this.
But candidly, I think they're also going to be looking at trade diversification, other avenues where they can provide a little bit of
buffer for their economy if this happens to them again from the Trump administration.
HILL: Emily, great to have you with us, thank you. Still ahead here tonight, we'll take you to the birthplace of Canadian-American hockey
superstar Wayne Gretzky as locals take their shots against the U.S. Plus, running out of food and out of time, unable to get supplies into the
enclave, the World Food Program has been forced to close all its bakeries in Gaza. A representative from the organization will join us.
(COMMEERCIAL BREAK)
[14:15:00]
HILL: As U.S. trading partners await Donald Trump's expected tariff announcement, neighbor and long-time ally, Canada is vowing to retaliate
against the U.S. During an interview with CNN, its Foreign Minister claimed the two countries are already in a trade war. In March, the White House
imposed a 25 percent tariff on aluminum and steel imports from Canada, while Canada, of course, then placed a reciprocal tariff on more than $20
billion worth of U.S. imports.
One of Canada's biggest exports is hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky. CNN's Paula Newton went to his birthplace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We've come to a place that leans into a Canadian stereotype quite naturally, and is now on the
frontline of a trade war.
GRAEME ROUSTAN, OWNER, ROUSTAN HOCKEY: This business here has been in place for 178 years, and has been selling product and trading product with the
United States since before Canada was a country.
NEWTON: We're in Brantford, Ontario, a little more than an hour away from both Toronto and Buffalo, one of the places likely to be hardest hit by
tariffs and the birthplace of hockey's great one.
LARRY KING, FORMER TV HOST: Where did you grow up?
WAYNE GRETZKY, FORMER ICE HOCKEY PLAYER: I grew up in a town called Brantford, Ontario --
NEWTON: Wayne Gretzky.
ROUSTAN: These are all signed by Wayne Gretzky through --
NEWTON: With tariffs looming, owner Graeme Roustan says business is already down about 10 percent.
ROUSTAN: Well, for us it's a disaster day.
NEWTON: U.S. customers want their orders before tariffs hit.
ROUSTAN: All these are going to the Miracle on Ice, Team USA 45th anniversary.
NEWTON: President Trump's tariffs and taunts to make Canada a 51st state are biting here.
ROUSTAN: It's just ridiculous to insult your neighbor. And as a dual citizen, Canadian and American, I don't understand it from the American
point of view either. Why would we insult Canadians?
NEWTON: In Brantford and across Canada, buying American now seems like an act of treason.
INES KOWAL, PLANT MANAGER, UNIQPOL: Even in our store, we get asked all the time, you know, are these products local? Have they been made in Canada?
NEWTON: Brantford's mayor is incredulous about how the U.S.-Canada bond so frayed in the last few weeks.
MAYOR KEVIN DAVIS, BRANTFORD, ONTARIO: It's a mutually beneficial relationship.
NEWTON: Until it wasn't.
DAVIS: Until it wasn't. You know, we're nice until we're not. And yes, if you want a war, then it's a war. But it's a -- it's a totally meaningless
war from my perspective. I just -- I got -- really, frankly don't understand it.
NEWTON: Something else he doesn't understand, how Wayne Gretzky, Brantford's hometown icon, got wrapped up in all of this.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have so many great friends, one of them is the great one, Wayne Gretzky.
NEWTON: He has been called a traitor, a turncoat, a MAGA junkie, a MAGA sidekick.
DAVIS: Based on 30 years of knowing Wayne and his family -- so I'm getting a little bit emotional.
NEWTON: There are people that want to take his name off the buildings here.
DAVIS: Well, there are -- I agree with you. There are people that feel strongly about it and feel emotional, very emotional about this, because we
do feel under attack here in Canada.
NEWTON: Wayne Gretzky declined comment to CNN. At the local community center --
[14:20:00]
TERRY CORBIN, BRANTFORD RESIDENT: Oh, there's a goal.
NEWTON: The Brantford Titans are on the ice, Gretzky's name on the rink.
CORBIN: He hasn't lived here for how many years? I mean, I almost see him as, you know, kind of somebody with dual citizenship, but who has chosen,
you know, United States of America to live in.
NEWTON: You want him to speak up for Canada?
RICK MANNEN, BRANTFORD RESIDENT: I do, I do. He's kind of the voice of Canada. He has been that way in the past, and he is now if he chose to do
that. So, I really would like to see Wayne do that. But I still don't feel any ill against Wayne for just because he's a friend of Donald Trump.
NEWTON: Do you think he could put in a word?
KAREN ROBB, BRANTFORD RESIDENT: Well, love it if he would. You know, we don't want anybody to get hurt. We want businesses to flourish and both in
the U.S. and in Canada, there's got to be a way to do that without just slapping tariffs, you know, here and there and everywhere.
ROUSTAN: I think that as soon as you start talking about invading another country or taking it over, the disrespect that, that presents to people, it
wakes them up and it creates a tremendous anger.
NEWTON: How long that anger lingers here will depend on what happens with tariffs and the taunts. And while Gretzky has a solid reserve of goodwill
here after decades of donations and devotion to his hometown, Brantford, like Canada, has found its limit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And Paula joins us now live from Brantford, near the border. It's such a great story and so great to hear from so many people, Paula, as you
know, as we all are sort of just sitting here and waiting at this point with the countdown clock.
NEWTON: Yes, absolutely. And you know, in that piece, I really tried to convey the shock that this city is having, Erica, not just from what's
happened to their hometown hero and how he got caught up in all this, but obviously, the shock of the tariffs. Now, this city, top five in Canada
that will be affected by tariffs. We could be outside, Erica, but there's a major Winter storm going on right now.
Another punch to this city. If I walk just five minutes from here, Erica, there are production facilities, distribution centers, so many things so
intimately connected to their jobs, Erica, their paychecks, their livelihoods, how much they pay for groceries. A lot of rage here, I have to
say, a lot of anxiety. And I was saying it before -- people, as you heard in that story, are doing all they can to buy Canadian.
It's really the only feeling that they have that they can say, look, we have ownership over this. We can do something, because right now, as we all
wait for that announcement at 4:00 p.m. from the White House, they do feel really like they're in the crosshairs here, and really no capacity to
really do anything about it.
HILL: Yes, well, I mean, that's pretty accurate in terms of where they stand. Paula, good to see you as always, my friend, thank you. The search
in Myanmar continues amid dangerous conditions five days after that powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Rescuers are still working to try to
free survivors from the wreckage.
Authorities say the man who you see here being pulled from the rubble of a hotel, well, he'd been there for more than 100 hours after the quake hit. A
bit of good news there. As of this moment, we have -- are told that more than 2,700 people have been confirmed killed, thousands more, of course,
injured.
State media is reporting the ruling military in Myanmar has announced a temporary ceasefire in its operations against armed opponents. That should
last until April 22nd in order to let the country recover. For the second day, China is staging military exercises around Taiwan, including live fire
strikes in the East China Sea.
The military practiced blockade operations near crucial shipping lanes on the west and east ends of Taiwan. The People's Liberation Army also
launched exercises in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait. In recent years, China has ramped up the frequency of military drills
around Taiwan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launching one of Russia's largest conscription drives in years, drafting up to 160,000 men at a crucial
moment for the war in Ukraine. And it comes as senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev is set to visit Washington for talks with top U.S.
officials Steve Witkoff. That visit is Moscow's first high-level meeting in D.C. since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
It aims to improve U.S.-Russia relations and also to discuss a potential settlement to end the war in Ukraine. It has become all too familiar in
Gaza. Palestinians running for their lives as more bombs fall. Why Israel says it is now expanding its operations there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
HILL: Fleeing under gunfire. The U.N.'s Humanitarian Affairs Office says thousands are running for their lives in Rafah. And that aid entry has been
blocked for nearly a month. This as Israel announces a major expansion of its military operations in Gaza. Their plan involves taking more territory
and forcing Palestinians out in an effort to crush what is left of Hamas.
Meantime, an Israeli military official tells CNN, IDF forces buried the bodies of more than a dozen aid workers in a mass grave. The workers were
killed last week in an Israeli attack in southern Gaza, which has since sparked outrage among aid organizations and at the U.N.
The Israeli military says it will investigate the attack. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is tracking all these developments for us and joins us now live
from Jerusalem. So, as this intensifies, what more do we know about those operations, Jeremy?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, indeed, over the course of the last two weeks, we've been watching a steady increase in the Israeli
military's ground operation, steadily expanding as the Israeli military looks to squeeze not only Hamas, but Gaza's civilian population basically
into the center of the Gaza Strip.
We have seen them start to carry out operations in northern Gaza, recapturing that Netzarim Corridor, for example, which separates the
northern part of the Strip from the rest of it. And overnight, the Israeli military going into Rafah, that southernmost city in Gaza, they have
confirmed now that they have encircled the area of Tal as-Sultan, which is in the western part of Rafah.
But the Israeli Prime Minister is also making clear that they will go even further north than that. Talking about the IDF taking over a new axis that
sits basically right above the city of Rafah and parts of Khan Younis, indicating that the Israeli military will take over a very wide swath of
land in southern Gaza.
[14:30:06]
It also seems to match a map that the IDF published in the last couple of days directing civilians in that area to evacuate north. The Israeli
defense minister, Israel Katz, also indicating that the military will take this land and make it part of Israel's security zone. It's not clear how
long Israel would hold onto that territory, but it's also conceivable that this would be used as another bargaining chip for Israel as it engages in
these, you know, negotiations that really seem to be going nowhere so far with Hamas over another potential ceasefire.
As the ground operations expand, we're also seeing those airstrikes very much continuing very, very deadly in Gaza. In particular, today, we have
seen more than 62 people who've been killed, according to the Palestinian ministry of health. That included 19 people who were killed at a U.N.
clinic in Northern Gaza, which was being used as a shelter for displaced people. Of those 19 who were killed, Gaza Civil Defense says that nine of
those were children. The Israeli military insisting that it was striking Hamas operatives who were operating from within that shelter. Erica.
HILL: There are also these questions, Jeremy, about humanitarian aid concerns, about the fact that no aid can get in right now and what is left
in terms of food supplies. Is that being addressed at all by the government in Israel?
DIAMOND: Make no mistake, we are going to approach another crisis point in Gaza that could come really in the next week or two as supplies are rapidly
dwindling. We saw, of course, an upsurge of the humanitarian aid that got into Gaza during the first six weeks of that ceasefire, about 600 trucks of
aid per day.
But then, the Israeli military, over four weeks ago now, announced a total blockade of anything getting into Gaza. That includes food, that includes
electricity, that includes medicine and medical supplies. Absolutely nothing has been able to get in because of an intentional policy set by the
government of Israel. Israel says that this is intended to pressure Hamas to release the hostages, but of course we know that the people who will be
most impacted by this will be the civilians of 2 million people who live in the Gaza Strip and who are reliant on that aid.
We've already started to see the prices of basic necessities like bread, beginning to surge in Gaza and the World Food Programme now warning that
the bakeries that it supports will shut down in the next week and a half if no additional aid gets in. We are watching a slow-moving train wreck that
is going to get much, much worse in the coming week or two weeks if nothing changes. Erica.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Jeremy, really appreciate it. Thank you. That sets us up well for my next guest who's the representative and country director
of the World Food Programme for the Palestinian territories. Antoine Renard joining us now from Jerusalem.
So, Antoine, we just heard a little bit there from Jeremy. I know the warnings that I have seen from the World Food Programme, all 25 of the
bakeries actually now closed. There is only enough food to last, as I understand it, maybe two weeks currently in Gaza. What happens at that
point?
ANTOINE RENARD, WFP REPRESENTATIVE AND COUNTRY DIRECTOR, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES AND WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: I mean, that's a biggest challenge
that we are currently facing from the World Food Programme. During the ceasefire we manage with UNRWA, the World Food Programme and all the
different NGOs on the ground to really serve the population for the first time. Now, it's been 17 months into this war, we really practically
(INAUDIBLE) food ration.
Since the closure (ph) on the 2nd of March, we are gradually facing some of our main program, we are not able to operate anymore. The biggest challenge
that we have is that some of our food parcels tomorrow will be the last time that we can provide some box of ready to eat food. Like you were
saying, the bakeries, we were forced -- 25 bakeries that have been up and running sometime 22 hours out of 24. We were forced to stop because we
don't have cooking gas anymore and we don't have enough wheat flour.
And now, what is left is half a million of people that are relying on hot meals. And even on the hot meals, we are actually running short of cooking
energy. We are actually trying to find anywhere where we can to have woods to continue to our programs.
HILL: You have been very clear in your pleas, in your warnings. Do you have any sense that those concerns are being heard, whether it's in Israel or
whether it's in Washington, frankly?
RENARD: I think that the point is that 17 months into this war, there has been different shocks, there has been different negotiation ongoing. That's
why to the mediators, to the different -- belligerent to this conflict, and that's why we continue to do our plea. The most important for us are the
civilian population that are trapped into this conflict.
Just before the restart of the active conflict on the 18th of March, I was with population. They were afraid of the closure. But what was most
important for them was actually not to be bombarded. And that's the biggest fear that we have now, is the safety of the population out there and the
safety of the humanitarian actors that are still operating on the ground.
[14:35:00]
HILL: Do you believe humanitarian aid is a priority at this point?
RENARD: I believe that the population that is out there, all the different actors that are still negotiating to make sure that we can pursue our
assistance to population that really are dire related to the fact that humanitarian, being NGOs or U.N. can still operate. And I think that for us
is the most important is the end of the closure, reaching population.
Most of them now that are forced to be displaced, this being around practically 280,000 people that have been forcely displaced since the 18th
of March, many of them, while they're forced to move, they lose their assets. They lose whatever they had in terms of stocks. So, I'm thinking
mostly of this population out there that just wants to look at, let's say, a better future.
HILL: In terms of that better future, I know you've spoken about the difference that was seen during that ceasefire and the difference that it
made for people in Gaza. Just walk us through, you know, what is essentially happening now versus what you saw in February, for example.
RENARD: So, in course of February, we managed actually to provide practically a food ration. We were actually reaching population like we've
never ever been, and that's really thanks to all the mediators, all the belligerent that allowed the humanitarian to do their job.
To give you a concrete example, 75 percent of the population in course of February had the proper food access. They were less than 4 percent in
December where we were prevented to do our work. I really fear that currently we will go back to such statistics. And behind that, there's
always a human being, a family that actually is advocating for basic services, basic access to food.
I was with Ahmad (ph) in the Gaza Strip just a week ago, and what he was telling me was actually fleeing from Jabalia, and that's in the north of
the Gaza Strip, and he was telling me, this is the fifth time that I'm forced to move and all I do now is with my children queue for water, queue
for hot meal, and queue for a food parcels. I fear that as the closure is going to continue, we will not be able to provide some of the basics.
HILL: I know you are ready to go if and when you are allowed to start bringing more in. Antoine, we appreciate you taking the time to join us in
all of the work that you were doing with the World Food Progamme. Thank you.
And stay with us. You're watching CNN. We'll have much more on the other side of this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
HILL: A pro-Israel activist group making deportation recommendations to the U.S. government. That is the new CNN reporting, raising a number of
questions. Betar USA is a self-described Zionist advocacy group. Its motto is Jews fight back.
In the days after the October 7th Hamas terror attacks, a member of that group, Ross Glick, began compiling information and tips sent to Betar,
including photos and videos on students and faculty participating in pro- Palestinian protests across U.S. college campuses. Glick says he used that data to create reports of protestors he believed would say violence and
hatred toward Jews. Reports the group has now shared with the Trump administration urging those individuals be deported.
CNN Correspondent Gloria Pazmino joining me now live from New York with more of these details. So, this is a group too that the ADL actually listed
on its list of groups saying it could promote extremism. I know Betar denies that claim. Is there any evidence at this point, Gloria, that the
U.S. government is actually using these recommendations in making any of their decisions about deportations?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erica, I think, you know, as we reported out the story, that was the central question that we kept coming
back to, right, is the government admitting or acknowledging that they are using the information gathered like -- by groups like Betar?
Now, the government told us that they would not discuss the specifics of the type of intelligence that they use, and immigration authorities told us
that they have not received any tips directly from Betar. But it left sort of the unanswered question if they were not relying on this information
specifically.
Now, I spoke to the former executive director, Ross Glick, who you mentioned, and he talked about this effort, which began shortly after
October 7th, and he sees this as an effort to expose people who have joined the protest.
Now, one thing that's important to highlight is that many of the people who have been profiled by these websites have in fact been arrested. Mahmoud
Khalil was arrested, Rumeysa Ozturk, also profiled by the website, was arrested. And I've spoken to some students who have been profiled by the
website but have not been detained, and they told me that they are extremely concerned for their safety, not just because they might be
deported, but because the fact that there is information about them out there on a website, which purports to display them as supposed supporters
of Hamas really has created a lot of issues for them, like when they apply for jobs, for example.
So, the government basically acknowledging that, yes, they use intelligence but declining to say whether or not they are relying on these lists
specifically. When I was speaking to the legal experts about why this is a problem to begin, they all came back to the same thing. You know, right now
we are living in an age where so much information about us is out in the public. Our photos, our social media profiles, information about where we
work, where we live, and that information is out there for the public to grab.
Once a group takes it, puts it all together, what is done with that information is what's important here. And if it's being used to target
people over something that they are doing, if that thing happens to be a constitutionally protected right, like the right to free speech, that's
where you run into a problem.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. An important question is to continue asking. I know you will, Gloria. Appreciate it, as always. Thank you.
Voters in two states have decided in elections that were largely viewed as being a referenda on Trump's first couple of months back in office.
Republican candidates in Florida winning a pair of special elections. As expected, those elections were being held to replace GOP lawmakers who had
resigned. The House of Representatives, therefore, holds on to its majority with the wins.
Trump adviser, Elon Musk, though suffering a major setback in another race. Liberal Judge Susan Crawford winning a seat on the Wisconsin State Supreme
Court. Now, Musk had personally injected millions into that race to back her conservative opponent. Crawford's win means the Wisconsin Court will
hold a liberal majority, as it likely decides a number of important cases involving abortion and perhaps even congressional redistricting.
U.S. Senate Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey now holds the record for the longest floor speech in modern Senate history after speaking for 25 hours
and five minutes. Now, notably, his new record breaks the record of the late Senator Strom Thurmond. That record was 24 hours, 18 minutes in 1957.
The New Jersey Democrat says he hopes that his speech will show other Democrats the need to protest the Trump administration.
[14:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): There's a lot of people out there asking Democrats to do more and to take risks and do things differently. It seemed like the
right thing to do. And from what my staff is telling me, a lot of people watched. And so, we'll see what it is. I just think a lot of us have to do
a lot more, including myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: A federal judge has dismissed the corruption case against New York City's mayor. The judge also ruled that those charges against Eric Adams
cannot be refiled. The U.S. Justice Department, however, had requested that the case remain open. So, the judge ruled that keeping it open could be
used as political leverage.
Adams, who is of for re-election this fall, was indicted last year on bribery and fraud charges. He has denied any wrongdoing. His attorney says
the case should never have been brought.
CNN's Kara Scannell is covering all of this. Has been covering this case from the beginning. So, it's an interesting -- interesting what we heard
from the judge. There is this a bit of a blow for the Trump Justice Department?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, it's a strongly worded 78-page opinion where the judge says essentially that his hands are tied. There's
really little power that he has other than to give the Justice Department what they're asking for here in part. So, he's saying that he will dismiss
the case. He can't force them to prosecute any defendant, but he's not going along with what the Justice Department wanted, which was to use this
as potential leverage going forward.
And the judge there rejecting the Trump administration's reasoning for this. They had said that the case against Adams should not be continue
because, not of based on the evidence, but because they said that earlier prosecutors under the Biden administration were politically motivated in
bringing this case and that this indictment and potential criminal trial was hanging over Adams, making it difficult for him to carry out Trump's
immigration agenda.
And the judge now, in his order, saying that there was no evidence of political motivation. And as to that potential carrying out of the
immigration agenda, the judge actually wrote that, everything here smacks of a bargain, a dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration
policy considerations.
So, the judge saying that he really had little that he could do other than to dismiss the charges, but meaning they can never be brought again. And he
said one other thing he could do was providing transparency to the public so that members of the public could understand the Trump administration's
rationale for why they wanted to get rid of this case, and that they could then potentially use it in the future when they're making democratic
decisions, a potential nod to how they could vote. Erica.
HILL: Yes, it is really fascinating. Kara, thank you. Still ahead here from Iceman to Batman, Hollywood and fans are remembering the life and work of
actor Val Kilmer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
HILL: Baseball season is well underway. The New York Yankees already crushing records, racking up home runs and sparking a lot of talk around
the team's Torpedo bats. So, the bats are called Torpedo bats because they're customized to resemble a torpedo. The barrels on the bats are
tailored for each hitter's so-called sweet spot.
Now, it's important to note it's not just the Yankees that use these, plenty of players on other teams use them too. So, why then now is there a
discussion about whether they should be allowed?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. All the teams are going to use it. Should it be legal? No. Is it cheating? Yes, it is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone's now focusing on it because it was the New York Yankees. If the Twins did it, I don't think it would be that big of a
story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, they'll be --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll mess it up. They'll mess it. It makes too much sense for baseball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to legalize these batts that clearly help the batters, that are going to juice the offensive stats. Then Barry Bond
should be put in the Hall of Fame tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard you say --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Interesting comparison there. I would recommend all of you take a look at Phil Mattingly's social media. He has an expert explainer on what
exactly a Torpedo bat is and just how widespread the usage is. It's all about the science.
Meantime, an experiment, speaking of science, onboard the International Space Station produced what is believed to be the first food fermented
beyond Earth. Five years ago, scientists from MIT sent a small container of cooked soybean paste to space where it fermented for 30 days. Wel, it
returned to earth as miso, the popular Japanese staple. Researchers say the space miso was a little darker than the miso fermented down here on terra
firmer -- terra firma rather, and had a stronger roasted and nutty flavor. These kinds of studies, though could shed some light on the potential for
life to exist in outer space.
And from space to the deep sea, check out these never-before-seen views of the ocean floor. In January, an iceberg the size of Chicago broke off
Antarctica and revealed a new thriving ecosystem. A deep-sea octopus resting thousands of feet below the surface, a giant phantom jelly and a
massive sponge, which could have been growing for centuries.
Researchers say it could take years to study these stunning creatures and investigate how they managed to survive for hundreds of years under the
ice.
Finally, today, we're remembering actor Val Kilmer who has died at the age of 65. His daughter releasing a statement saying he died of pneumonia.
Kilmer was best known for his roles in films like "Top Gun, "Tombstone" and "The Doors." Here's CNN's Stephanie Elam with a look at his career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From a quirky spy in the 1984 cult classic, "Top Secret" --
VAL KILMER, ACTOR: You guys really are cowboys.
ELAM (VOICE-OVER): -- to the intense fighter pilot in "Top Gun" --
KILMER: You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe.
ELAM (VOICE-OVER): -- Val Kilmer's film career took flight in the big 80s. But the slick performer trained at Julliard honed his acting chops on the
stage and saw his craft as a serious means of exploration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you ever turned down something you regretted?
KILMER: No, I don't. I don't really think that way. I just look forward. And also, what, you know, in a personal way, what it gained from acting
with the opportunity to experience things that certainly you'd never do in your own life.
ELAM (VOICE-OVER): In the 1990s, Kilmer explored the mind of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors. Critics praised him for nailing both the look
and the sound of the late singer,
KILMER: I'm your Huckleberry.
ELAM (VOICE-OVER): Two years later, he played the pasty yet poised gun slinger, Doc Holiday, in Tombstone, and later a desperate construction
engineer hunting lion in The Ghost and The Darkness.
Along the way, Kilmer co-starred with some of Hollywood's heavyweights, like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, in the bank robbery movie, Heat, and
played the superhero --
KILMER: It's the car, right? Chicks love the car.
ELAM (VOICE-OVER): -- as Batman in 1995. But it was an earlier collaboration on the set of the 1988 movie Willow, where Kilmer met co-star
Joanne Whalley. They were married almost eight years and had two children.
Later in his career, Kilmer returned to the stage playing Moses in the "10 Commandments: The Musical." He also wrote and performed the one man show,
"Citizen Twain," taking on the persona of the great American storyteller.
But under the makeup, the actor was dealing with grave health concerns. Kilmer downplayed cancer rumors, but then later said he had beaten the
disease, which required a tracheotomy and left him with a raspy voice.
[14:50:00]
In 2022, he reprised his role as Iceman in the "Top Gun" sequel, "Maverick."
KILMER: Who's the better pilot? You or me?
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: This is a nice moment. Let's not ruin it.
ELAM (VOICE-OVER): Like the actor himself, his once boisterous flyboy character subdued by illness still commanded respect and even awe on the
silver screen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And the tributes continuing to pour in. His friend and fellow actor Josh Brolin, posting online writing in part, you were a smart, challenging,
brave, uber creative firecracker. I hope to see you up there in the heavens.
Thanks so much for joining me tonight. I'm Erica Hill in for Isa Soares. Be sure to stay with CNN. Quest Means Business is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
