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One World with Zain Asher
Navalny's Mother Sees Her Son's Corpse; President Biden Calls Putin "Crazy SOB" In An Off-Camera Fundraiser; Massive AT&T Outage Paralyzed Many Parts Of U.S.; Negotiators Race To Secure A Pause In The Fighting And The Release Of Hostages Held In Gaza; China Sends New Pandas To The United States; Sources Telling CNN That President Biden Is Considering Taking Executive Action To Slow Down The Flow Of Migrants Across The Southern Border; Head Of Boeing 737 MAX Division Replaced Effective Immediately; Fallout Intensifies In Alabama After The State Supreme Court Ruled That Frozen Embryos Are Children; U.S. Spacecraft Attempts To Land On The Moon's South Pole. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired February 22, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. My colleague, Bianna Golodryga, is off today. You are indeed
watching ONE WORLD.
I want to begin with a new twist in the mystery surrounding the death of Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic, Alexei Navalny's mother, says she
has now seen her son's body and she claims that investigators are blackmailing her.
Lyudmila Navalnaya says that Russian investigators are threatening her into agreeing to a secret funeral. Otherwise, they are vowing to do something
with his body.
According to Navalnaya, one investigator actually told her, quote, "Time is working against you. The corpse is decomposing." CNN's Arlette Saenz joins
us live now from the White House.
But first, I do want to bring in Fred Pleitgen for us in Berlin. I mean, Fred, the fact that, first and foremost, it took so long for her to see her
son's body and we're talking about almost a week.
And then the fact that the Kremlin is sort of trying to lay restrictions and parameters in terms of how and when Alexei Navalny can be buried. Just
walk us through what you're hearing.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's quite interesting because Lyudmila Navalnaya, she came out, I'd say a
couple of minutes ago in a video message on YouTube where she said that she had now been invited into the morgue in Salahard, which, of course, is that
town above the Arctic Circle with a polar wolf prison colony that Alexei Navalny was in when he died, where that is located, and that she was then
able to see Alexei Navalny's body. She also said that she signed some documents, as well.
But she also claims that the authorities there are trying to meddle in where, when and how Alexei Navalny will be buried. Now, she claims that the
Kremlin is involved in all of that. Of course, it's impossible to verify any of that.
There isn't any evidence for that at this point in time. But she also said that significant pressure is being put on her, and she wants to go public
with it. I want to listen in to some of what Alexei Navalny's mother had to say. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYUDMILA NAVALNAYA, ALEXEI NAVALNY'S MOTHER (through translator): Yesterday evening, they secretly took me to the morgue where they showed me
Alexei. The investigators claim that they know the cause of the death, that they have all the medical and legal documents ready, which I saw. And I
signed the medical death certificate.
According to the law, they should have given me Alexei's body right away, but they haven't done it yet. Instead, they blackmailed me and set
conditions for where, when and how Alexei should be buried. It is illegal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: So, there you have the mother of Alexei Navalny. I think one of the things that's really significant in all that is that she said that
those investigators that she spoke to, the authorities that she spoke to said that they claim that they know how Alexei Navalny and why Alexei
Navalny died, and that they have all the toxicology for that.
Because, of course, one of the things that we had been hearing from the Russian authorities is that they had said a couple of days ago that it
would take two weeks for some of these tests to take place, and only then would the body be handed over.
So, now, Alexei Navalny's mother is claiming that that is not the case, that apparently the Russian authorities are saying that a burial could
happen very quickly, but they're also saying that it needs to happen, as his mother claims, on their terms.
Now, she obviously believes that they want to sideline this burial, that they want to bury him somewhere up there, she says, at the edge of a
cemetery in the Salavat area, and that is certainly something that she says she's not going to be willing to agree to.
It was quite interesting, because in that message, she also addressed directly the supporters of Alexei Navalny. She said some of those for whom
the death of Alexei Navalny is a personal tragedy that she wants them to also be able to pay their respects and possibly see the body, as well, and
she believes that the Russian authorities are denying that.
Now, of course, as you can imagine, we're trying to get in touch with the Russian authorities to see what they have to say to all that so far. There
hasn't been any comment yet forthcoming on all of that.
But you're absolutely right, Zain, as you said at the beginning, this is yet another twist in all of this tragedy that we've been seeing unfold
there in the very north of Russia, Zain.
ASHER: All right, Fred, stand by. Arlette, I want to bring you in, because a lot of people will look at this and say nothing, nothing really happens
in Russia without the approval of Vladimir Putin. We know that President Biden has continued to speak out about the death of Alexei Navalny. He's
also criticizing Donald Trump for his refusal to condemn Vladimir Putin.
And President Biden also had some very choice words for President Putin that I can't actually repeat.
[12:05:00]
Just what more can you tell us?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, you know, President Biden, really, over the course of the past week has leaned into trying to
drive this contrast, not with just with former President Donald Trump, but also with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
We have seen him, the President, really speak out quite forcefully against Putin in the wake of Alexei Navalny's death, the President casting specific
blame on Putin for the fact that Navalny died.
And last night in an off-camera fundraiser with donors in San Francisco, the President really laid into Putin, calling him a, quote, "Crazy SOB".
Now, this is not language. He did use the abbreviation, but this isn't a language or descriptor that you often hear from President Biden to describe
another world leader.
But I think it really highlights the rift between the two leaders in the wake of Alexei Navalny's death, but also over the past two years as Russia
has waged its campaign against Ukraine.
But the President is also using this as a moment to draw a contrast with the former President Trump at a time when Trump has made these comments
suggesting he's a bit cozy with Putin.
You'll think back to Trump saying that Putin should do whatever the hell he wants to NATO countries who are not meeting their obligations. We have not
heard Trump condemn Putin for the death of Alexei Navalny, instead using statements that have somehow made the death of Alexei Navalny about
President Trump himself.
And Biden called that out in a fundraiser last night, saying, quote, "He's comparing himself to Navalny and saying that because our country has become
a communist country, he was persecuted just like Navalny was persecuted. Where the hell does this come from?" Biden said, "If I stood here 10 to 15
years ago and said all this, you'd all think I should be committed."
It's astounding. But it really comes as Biden's trying to drive home for voters that there is an existing contrast between him and Trump, not just
on foreign policy views, but also when it comes to temperament.
And so he's trying to use this as an opportunity to further tie Trump to Putin, which the President has been out there consistently criticizing and
most recently really taking aim at Putin and Trump after the death of Alexei Navalny.
ASHER: All right, Arlette, thank you, Fred. Let me bring you back. So, this idea of calling Vladimir Putin a "crazy S.O.B" behind closed doors at
a fundraiser is not exactly the kind of language you'd expect to hear one world leader using to refer to another world leader, as Arlette was just
saying there. What has been the Kremlin's response to that?
PLEITGEN: Well, I think pretty relaxed so far. One of the things that we've had heard from is the Kremlin earlier today, the Kremlin Spokesman,
Dmitry Peskov, he came out and called the remarks by President Biden rude and said that obviously, said this is no way to speak to world leaders. He
also kind of tried to brush them off.
It was interesting. Vladimir Putin himself, actually, he also came out and also said the comments were rude, as well. However, Vladimir Putin also
came out and said that he still would prefer Joe Biden to be the next President of the United States or to have another term as President of the
United States over Donald Trump.
Now, it's unclear whether or not that is some sort of bantering or something like that. But that's certainly what Vladimir Putin appeared to
say in a short interview on Russian state TV.
So I think the Russians right now, they have criticized the remarks of President Biden. They do seem pretty relaxed by them. I think one of the
things that we've seen this entire week, Zain, is a Russian President who feels that right now he is very much in the driver's seat because right
now, his main critic has been eliminated.
He also is making big gains on the battlefield in Ukraine. And obviously, he's set up to cruise to another election victory in Russia. So I think
right now, Vladimir Putin seems pretty bold, seems pretty confident, seems pretty self-assured as well. And so, therefore, the comments made by
President Biden don't seem to be something that the Kremlin is particularly offended by.
ASHER: Yeah, and all the while, U.S. aid to Ukraine is being held up. At the moment, Fred Pleitgen, live for us there. Arlette Saenz, thank you so
much, as well.
All right, we are now just days away from the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And we've seen during the past two
years, the trajectory of this war has shifted several times.
But right now, the momentum seems to be on Moscow's side, as Fred was just saying there, following a series of coordinated Russian assaults just days
after seizing the key eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka. Russia says it has captured a village in the Donetsk region, as well.
The Kremlin also claims to have retaken a Ukrainian bridgehead on the banks of the Dnipro River. But Kyiv says its troops are still holding on despite
coming under fierce attack. A local official, meanwhile, says that nine Ukrainian workers were injured in a Russian attack on a thermal power plant
near the front -- near the eastern front line.
[12:10:00]
All right, I want to turn to the war between Israel and Hamas. An Israeli man was killed and six people injured when gunmen opened fire on a highway
in the occupied West Bank. Israeli police identified the shooters as three Bethlehem area residents who targeted vehicles that were trapped during a
traffic jam.
Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have praised the shootings, but neither one of them have actually claimed responsibility at this point in time. It comes
as tensions are soaring in the West Bank. The West Bank has seen an increasing number of raids by Israeli forces over the past few weeks. CNN's
Nic Robertson has details from the scene of the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: This is the vehicle the police say the attackers arrived in. There were three of them. The
traffic was all stopped in a traffic jam as people were coming up this main highway here into Jerusalem early in the morning.
Three people, three attackers got out of this vehicle, according to the police. They dispersed into the traffic and started shooting. And if we
come up here, you can just see one of the vehicles that was shot at loaded up here being ready to be taken away. The rear windscreen shot out. There
are bullet casings on the floor over here.
From where I'm standing, you can see blood on the ground where some of the victims were injured. This main highway would have been really busy in the
early hours of the day when the attack took place. At least one person killed so far, according to medical authorities.
Another woman seriously injured, as far as we know, in the early part of the day. Five people total shot, according to medical officials. And they
say other people in a state of shock. Somebody else got heavy bruising as they were trying to escape the scene.
But what makes this particular attack different from some of the recent shootings we've seen is that there were three attackers arriving together
and then assaulting people as they were stuck stationary in their vehicles, trying to get to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv beyond to go to work. Nic Robertson,
CNN, in the occupied West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Amid the bloodshed, negotiators are racing to secure a pause in the fighting and the release of hostages who have been held in Gaza. The U.S.
President's Middle East Coordinator is in Jerusalem, while sources say the CIA Chief, Bill Burns, will travel to Paris on Friday. He's expected to
meet with officials from Israel, from Egypt, from Qatar, as well.
Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz says there is potential t here is potential at this point in time for a deal to move forward, but looming
over the discussions is Israel's threat to push ahead with the ground operation in Rafah in southern Gaza by the start of Ramadan next month if
the hostages are not released.
In Gaza, though, food prices are skyrocketing and there are reports of starvation in the besieged Palestinian enclave. Palestine Red Cross, Red
Crescent Society says that children and the elderly are dying because simply right now there is no food. There is a lot of food scarcity.
The group says that some families just get one meal -- one meal for an entire day. The World Food Programme says it's cutting aid delivery to
northern Gaza because of looting. Take a look at this video here. You see people scrambling just to get drinking water. I want you to listen to one
doctor in Khan Younis. I want you to listen to him describe the dire situation there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HELEN BASSAM, NASSER MEDICAL COMPLEX (through translator): Sadly, we are besieged with no water or electricity. The basic necessities for a livable
life are not here. There are a lot of patients here that we cannot treat.
There is a lack of necessary tools. The things we need, like dressings, they are not available. We are trying as much as we can to deal with this
situation, but it's a bad one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The U.K. and Jordan airdropped four tons of life-saving aid to a hospital in northern Gaza. The packages of food, of medicine and fuel were
sent with trackers to ensure that it did actually get to the hospitals and that it reached hospitals safely.
I want to bring in Shaina Low to talk about the dire conditions that people in Gaza are facing. She is a Communication Adviser with the Norwegian
Refugee Council. She is in Jerusalem for us.
Shaina, thank you so much for being with us. As I just explained to our audience, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is growing worse by the day.
Aside from the fact that you've got 30,000 people dead at this point in time, you've got also the fact that not much aid is being allowed in, the
little aid that does get through into Gaza.
You know, we're hearing of aid trucks, food aid trucks being looted, of course, being shot at, as well. You've also got the looming ground assault,
potential ground assault by the ADF into Rafah. What is your biggest concern at this point in time?
SHAINA LOW, COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: It's hard to say that there's one big concern because, frankly, there's so many
concerns about what is happening in Gaza.
[12:15:00]
Of course, the on-going death, destruction and devastation that people are facing on a daily basis. But for us as an aid agency, we've seen over the
last few weeks that even the number of trucks that we're getting in the last four months has started to decrease.
This is because of lack of safety for humanitarians trying to access different parts of Gaza. Some of it is in southern Gaza, where we're just
struggling because of the kind of deterioration of civil order in Gaza.
People are getting increasingly desperate. And as you can imagine, when people are desperate, they will take desperate measures to get the food and
other items that they and their families need.
On top of that, aid agencies are facing perilous journeys up to reach and access areas of Gaza north of Rafah, including Khan Younis and also the
Middle Area and, of course, Gaza City and northern Gaza.
Just this week, the WFP announced that they would be suspending operations to northern Gaza because of safety concerns. These are just simply
conditions that humanitarians cannot operate in when we have a duty of care to our staff to make sure that they are safe and when coordination with the
Israeli authorities and other parties to this conflict seems to be failing.
ASHER: And yes, you're right, you know, there are so many different concerns. I mean, aside from the fact that, you know, you've got 30,000
people who have been killed so far, aside from the bullets and the bombs, you've got hunger, you've got the potential for disease, you've got the
lack of water.
And as you point out, you've got the World Food Program simply saying, listen, we're not going to deliver aid into northern Gaza anymore. It is
simply too dangerous. Obviously, we've seen aid trucks being fired upon by the IDF.
Just explain to us what is your biggest concern when it comes specifically to hunger and disease, given the lay of the land when it comes to food
shortages right now?
LOW: Well, already we learned this week that in northern Gaza, children under the age of two and under are -- over 15 percent of them are facing
acute malnutrition. This is a massive increase from prior to October 7th.
Children and the elderly are, of course, the most vulnerable. If they aren't getting enough food, then they can't fight off the diseases that are
quickly spreading in shelters hosting hundreds, if not thousands of people.
There's lack of water to maintain sanitary conditions. There's lack of medicine to treat -- to treat illnesses. And now we're really concerned
that people are going to be increasingly dying from starvation and other preventable diseases that just simply cannot be treated because of lack of
medicine or because people are so weak, their bodies simply cannot fight off those illnesses.
ASHER: Assuming that there isn't any kind of hostage deal in the coming weeks, we heard from Benny Gantz that there will be some kind of ground
assault in Rafah. But we know that the Israelis have said, listen, we do plan on trying, at least trying to sort of evacuate as many civilians as we
can to get them out safely.
But what does that even look like? How do you get -- I mean, Rafah right now has over a million people. How do you get hundreds of thousands of
people, potentially a million people, but the very least hundreds of thousands of people out of Rafah safely? And of course, the big question
that everyone has been asking, Shaina, is where do they go?
LOW: That's a very good question, because there simply is no space in Gaza. First of all, since October 7th, there has been no safe space
anywhere in Gaza. It's important to remember that on October 13th, a week - - less than a week into this escalation, Palestinians in northern Gaza were told to move south -- south of Wadi, Gaza to the middle area and further
south.
And yet people who moved and were displaced were killed in the places that they went seeking safety. And so we're concerned that people trying to
flee, trying to seek safety could continue to be targeted.
On top of that, there just really is no space in the middle area to host people in the north, which Israel has already made clear they aren't
interested in allowing people to return to the north. There's unexploded ordinances and other explosive materials that could prove dangerous for
people.
We're increasingly concerned that what could happen is not only the forcible transfer, which we've seen throughout Gaza since October 7th, a
violation of International Humanitarian Law, but we could potentially see mass deportation -- mass expulsion across the border into Egypt.
And we've seen that reports from Egypt are that the Egyptian government seems to be preparing for the influx of hundreds, if not millions, of
Palestinians fleeing Gaza.
[12:20:00]
ASHER: Yeah, and that is certainly something that a lot of people do not want to see. And a lot of people around the world have spoken out about
that possibility, about that potential. But just very, very quickly, I mean, if this ground assault does go ahead in Rafah, what happens to Rafah?
LOW: You know, I think we're going to see even more casualties, even more death, destruction than we've already seen. And of course, aid operations
are now headquartered in Rafah. That's where the aid is coming in.
And so, I think we could see a further deterioration, if not complete cessation, of humanitarian operations, which at this point are the only
lifeline trying to keep Palestinians surviving.
ASHER: All right, Shaina Low, live for us there. Appreciate you being with us. Thank you so much for all the work that you're doing. All right, still
to come here on ONE WORLD, Joe Biden considers taking executive action to slow the flow of migrants across the southern border. We'll have much more
on that after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, many cell phone users across the U.S. are experiencing a lot of frustration today because of a massive AT&T outage that pretty much
paralyzed a lot of the country for hours this morning. Tens of thousands of customers were unable to make calls, place texts or access the Internet.
AT&T says it's working as quickly as possible and that three quarters of the network is now restored. CNN's John Miller joins us live now. I
experienced this firsthand, John, because I was actually on a call with my team this morning and it was like, hello, hello. What's going on?
Took me a minute before I realized it was obviously not just my cell phone, but some kind of outage had taken place. Just walk us through what we know
so far in terms of what actually happened and what AT&T is saying.
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, AT&T now has a banner on its website saying that they're experiencing
technical difficulties.
That comes basically four and a half hours into this problem, which is giving their customers news that already millions of their customers had
already found out the hard way. One of those being me --
ASHER: And me.
MILLER: And you. Right. Good thing we weren't trying to call each other.
[12:25:00]
The -- it was interesting trying to report on this because you're trying to call people for four updates on it and you're on a phone that you can
actually only text them with. But that actually was a backup. Some people could make calls with their AT&T phone if they were on the Wi-Fi system and
they had, you known, a Wi-Fi calling in their device.
But AT&T, as you reported, tells our Brian Fung from CNN that they have restored three quarters of the network. You know, when you look at some of
the social media sites like Down Detector, you're seeing a little bit less good news from their customers who say, you know, they're getting a third
less complaints, but they're working through this.
ASHER: And then in terms of the cause, you know, because it's quite rare. I mean, yes, we're talking about AT&T and you and I obviously are both AT&T
customers, but T-Mobile and Verizon were also affected slightly, as well.
Not as bad as AT&T, of course, but three major networks in the U.S. were affected by this outage to some degree. That is extremely rare. Walk us
through what we know about the cause.
MILLER: Well, they're still backing through that to determine did those networks also have problems or is it what the technical people would call a
peering issue, meaning peer networks often support each other as people are traveling from one place to another.
Their T-Mobile phone or one of the smaller carriers may switch from a Verizon network to an AT&T network. And in this case, where people who are
doing peering with AT&T switched over, they would have fallen off.
So, it may not have actually been the other phone companies' networks. It may have been some of the shared technology that they have to make sure
that people don't drop calls.
ASHER: So, we don't know the specific cause just yet. That is, of course, still being investigated. But I think the biggest concern, you know, that a
lot of people had, especially when it first happened this morning, would have been was this potentially a cyberattack? How concerned should we be
about that overall?
MILLER: Well, that's a real concern. And one of the reasons it was so front of mind today, you know, with people saying, well, you know, you have
to consider a cyberattack is, just two weeks ago, I think on February 7th.
You know, the FBI Director, Chris Wray, General Nakasami, the Head of the National Security Agency, and a number of intelligence officials talked
about Volt Typhoon, a codename for a Chinese program that's been in place, according to intelligence officials, since 2021 with the specific purpose
of trying to covertly enter U.S. critical infrastructure, including the transportation systems, communication sector, energy, and to be able to
basically as electronic or digital sleeper cells be able to break in, lay tools in various places so that they could get some control over the
system, and then sneak back out undetected.
So, when you see a sudden, massive, unexplained technical glitch like this that happens at 4:30 in the morning, as an intelligence officer, you have
to ask yourself, is this a normal technical glitch, which is unusual on the scale, or is this a bad actor from a foreign hostile power doing a test to
see if they're able to disrupt networks like this, which is something they might want to come back to at a vulnerable time or a time of conflict. So,
all of this is still up in the air, but most of the experts are leaning towards technical until they find otherwise.
ASHER: Right. It's important that we still don't know the answers. We don't still know the cause specifically, but hopefully we will get an
answer in the coming hours. John Miller, live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right, for the first time in more than two decades, China is sending new pandas to the United States. The San Diego Zoo tells CNN that it has
reached a deal with Beijing to get two brand new giant pandas.
It's unclear when exactly they're going to be sent in November. The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington sent its pandas back to China,
leaving the Atlanta Zoo as the only one in the U.S. with the popular animals. China has long used what it's called panda diplomacy as a way of
showing friendship with foreign countries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAO NING, CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESWOMAN: Giant pandas are China's national treasure and are loved by people all over the world.
Joint efforts have effectively improved capabilities in giant panda conservation research, promoted international cooperation in the protection
of rare and endangered wild animals, and enhanced friendships between the people of different countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, still to come here on ONE WORLD, a mission to do something the U.S. has not done in more than half a century. We'll have
details on the Moon mission just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. Joe Biden is taking a closer look at tough new border measures as the issue threatens to
hurt his re-election chances come November.
Sources are telling CNN that President Biden is considering taking executive action to slow down the flow of migrants across the southern
border. The move, under consideration, would actually restrict migrants' ability to apply for asylum if they cross into the United States illegally.
To talk about this more, here's our Priscilla Alvarez.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Zain, the White House is reviewing an authority that already exists in immigration law that
essentially gives the President the power to decide who is eligible to enter the country. In this context, that would mean limiting access to
asylum to migrants who cross the border unlawfully.
Now, an administration official tells me that there are multiple options that are being evaluated and no final decision has been made. But if the
White House were to move forward with this, it would be an extraordinary move that is reminiscent of the Trump era and would also get fierce
pushback from Democrats and immigrant advocates.
Now, in a statement, the White House telling me the following, quote, "No executive action, no matter how aggressive, can deliver the significant
policy reforms and additional resources Congress can provide and that Republicans rejected. We continue to call on Speaker Johnson and House
Republicans to pass the bipartisan deal to secure the border."
[12:35:00]
Now, of course, what the White House is referring to there is that Senate Border Bill that included some of the toughest border security measures in
recent memory, including a power to shut down the border if certain triggers were met.
Now, over the course of those negotiations, President Joe Biden embraced that measure, saying that he would shut down the border if given the
authority. This possible executive action appears to be an extension of that, though, again, unclear if the White House decides to move forward
with it.
But of course, it comes at a time where there is the presidential election and former President Donald Trump is putting immigration front and center.
President trying to flip the script here on Republicans and show that he, too, can be tough on the border. Zain.
ASHER: All right, Priscilla Alvarez there. Thank you so much to Priscilla. Time now for The Exchange. Joining me live now is CNN Contributor and "New
York Times" Journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro.
Lulu, thank you so much for joining us. This would be an extraordinary move, right, by the Biden administration if it was to move forward with
this. What would be the reaction from progressive Democrats, do you think?
LULU GARCIA NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you're already seeing the reaction from progressive Democrats. You've had Representative Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC colloquially, basically saying on X or Twitter, as it used to be known, that doing Trump impressions is not how we beat
Trump, quote, unquote.
And you've heard that from other progressives, too. I mean, the bind that the Biden administration finds itself in is that at the moment, you know,
this is a politically toxic issue for President Biden. We've seen poll after poll show that at the moment, even Democrats, even his base thinks
that the situation on the southern border is out of control and they rate him very poorly for his handling on that.
And so while we want -- while Republicans want to use this all the way to the ballot box, the Biden administration is really trying to make this a
non-issue by the time people vote in November.
ASHER: What's interesting, though, is you saw the strategy that Tom Suozzi used in New York's third congressional district, whereby he ran in terms of
being tough on immigration and he actually won. Is there a way that President Biden can sort of use that as a model or a blueprint in terms of
how to handle this issue nationally? And is that what he's trying to do?
GARCIA NAVARRO: Yes, I mean, I think it's clear that they are trying to flip the script, as you know, we've mentioned over and over again, the
Biden administration did sit down with Republicans and tried to hammer out a deal after they said that the only way that they were going to pass
financing for Israel and Ukraine was if they put in some border stipulations.
The Biden administration called their bluff and then Republicans backed out because Donald Trump wants to run on immigration. And so, they're really
hammering this home every opportunity that they can.
But this is the problem, Zain. The border is still a problem. And so, you can talk about it any way that you want. You can try and point fingers. But
politics is going to get in the way of policy. And until this situation does get sorted out, I think it's going to continue to be a problem for
Democrats.
ASHER: Okay, but Republicans, as you point out, want to use this as a wedge issue come November. If President Biden moves forward here with this
executive action, just in terms of limiting the number of migrants who can sort of seek asylum in the U.S., how do Republicans still use that as a
wedge issue come November, given that President Biden is at least trying here?
GARCIA NAVARRO: So, this is the problem that the Biden administration faces. And you pointed out to this at the very beginning, which is part of
the Democratic base does see this as a problem. The majority of Americans sees this as a problem.
But there is a very important part of the base of Democrats, which includes progressives, which includes Latinos. And they consider this to be an
absolute violation of the compact that the Biden administration made with them.
I mean, I interviewed President -- then candidate Biden when he was going for the presidency and he promised no new border wall. They have put up
border walls. They promised that they would never take some of the actions of the Trump administration. Now, we're seeing them take Trump
administration tactics.
And so, you know, they are caught in a rock, in a hard place where, yes, immigration is a hugely toxic issue. But on the other hand, a very
important part of their base, which they're going to need come November, does not see this in the same way.
ASHER: Yeah, I mean, it's clear that there really is. I mean, obviously, this is a political issue, ultimately. It's policy but it is largely
political. And there really is no way to handle this that is ever going to be palatable for both sides. Lulu, we have to leave it there.
[12:40:00]
Thank you so much. Appreciate it. All right, patients in the state of Alabama are worried about IVF treatments after the state Supreme Court
ruled frozen embryos are people and that those who destroy embryos can be held liable for wrongful death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GABRIELLE GOIDEL, UNDERGOING IVF IN ALABAMA: All we want is to just have the American dream and have a family. And I never thought that this would
be something that would be conceived as immoral.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, ahead on CNN, we'll have much more on the fallout surrounding this controversial court ruling. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, women in Alabama who want to start or who want to grow their families are seeing their options rapidly shrink as I speak. That's
because a second fertility clinic has now paused some of its IVF treatments after last week's state Supreme Court ruling that found that frozen embryos
are indeed people and that those who destroy the embryos can actually be held liable for wrongful death.
One Alabama woman who is currently undergoing IVF treatment spoke to CNN's Isabel Rosales about her fears.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fallout intensifies in Alabama after the state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are
children. One of the fertility clinics in the state pausing IVF treatments while it evaluates the high court's decision.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham writes, we are saddened that this will impact our patients attempt to have a baby through IVF, but we must
evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard
of care for IVF treatments.
SEAN TIPTON, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE: It is already leading to fewer babies and fewer grandbabies that are desperately wanted
for their parents and grandparents in Alabama. So, I think this is the first UAB is the first system to stop. I don't think it's going to be the
last.
ROSALES (voice-over): This decision leaves Alabamians struggling with infertility scared.
GOIDEL: I've been waiting over two years to be pregnant. So, I -- there is no world where I could see me stopping this process right now. All we want
is to just have the American dream and have a family. And I never thought that this would be something that would be conceived as immoral.
ROSALES (voice-over): Gabrielle Goidel just started the shots necessary with IVF one day before Alabama Supreme Court ruling and is worried her
clinic could also pause treatments.
[12:45:00]
GOIDEL: Right now, I've -- probably 15 shots in and my body is bruised and hurt and it's -- it's not been great physically. I don't feel the greatest.
Financially, we've invested over $20,000 into this process. We paid that again on Thursday, the day before the ruling came out.
ROSALES (voice-over): Gabrielle and her husband have been trying for two years to get pregnant and suffered three miscarriages. They're returning to
IVF to secure a genetically viable embryo.
GOIDEL: It just feels like it's been months long. And then to be told that there is a possibility that we would have to stop this in the middle of one
of the most important parts of it is -- is really terrifying.
ROSALES (voice-over): Gabrielle stays away from her egg retrieval and is worried what she will do with her non-viable embryos.
GOIDEL: Do I have to keep those on frozen forever? Do I get to let the ones that are genetically abnormal pass naturally? Is my doctor going to be
in any sort of danger by doing this procedure to me? It just -- there's so many questions in the air right now.
We love it here but it definitely has made us think about whether or not we'll stay here long-term. And it wanted, for sure, we were going to try to
transfer our embryos out of Alabama as soon as possible.
ROSALES (voice-over): Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Extremely powerful story there. All right, right. Still to come, a nail biting situation for space enthusiasts in the U.S. is a spacecraft
that is roughly the size of a phone booth will actually attempt to land on the moon. We'll have details for you just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. The head of Boeing 737 MAX division has been replaced effective immediately. This is according to an internal memo that's been
obtained from the company.
It comes, of course, amid a lot of scrutiny of the plane's productions after a series of accidents. The most recent accident, of course, happened
in January when a door plug blew out. Do you remember this video?
A door plug blew out after an Alaska Airlines flight took off, leaving a massive gaping hole on the side of the plane. Boeing also shuffled other
executives as well. They've created a brand new position overseeing quality of commercial airplanes.
All right. So, much excitement right now brewing in the U.S. as the lunar lander Odysseus moves closer to touching down on the moon's surface.
[12:50:00]
This is historic, by the way.
If the mission is successful, it will be the first time in more than 50 years, right? In more than half a century that a spacecraft launched from
the states lands on the moon.
The uncrewed spacecraft is scheduled to touch down near the moon's south pole in just a few hours from now. Kristen Fisher is going to break down
all of this for us. I mean, Kristin, this is extraordinary, right? It is the first time.
It's impossible to understate just how significant this is. It is the first time we've seen this in about 50 years.
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. You know, Zain, other countries have done it, most recently, Japan and then India. But it
is hard to believe that it's been more than half a century since the United States has put an American made spacecraft on the surface of the moon.
Now, important distinction. This is not a U.S. government spacecraft. NASA is a customer. It has payloads flying on this lunar lander, but it is
designed, built and controlled by a company based in Houston, Texas, called Intuitive Machines. They are now in the final minutes, final hours before
they find out if this mission is a success or a failure.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FISHER (voice-over): And just days after lifting off from Florida, Odysseus is now barreling towards the moon, sending back spectacular
pictures of Earth along the way and is now hours away from the most perilous test yet for the robotic lunar lander, a softer, controlled
landing on the surface of the moon.
Intuitive Machines is trying to pull off something no private company has done, and if successful, it will be the first time an American made
spacecraft has done it since the last Apollo mission in 1972.
STEVE ALTEMUS, CEO INTUITIVE MACHINES: And we are steely-eyed rocket scientists, but deep down, this is quite an emotional feeling to be here at
this position.
FISHER (voice-over): Just last month, the Pennsylvania company, Astrobotic Technology, had its first lunar landing mission end in failure. And last
year, the Japanese company, I-Space and the government of Russia both crash landers into the moon.
So, why is it so tough to repeat a feat that was first accomplished more than half a century ago?
UNKNOWN: That's one small step for man.
FISHER (voice-over): The biggest reason is also the most frustratingly terrestrial one -- money. NASA's budget at the peak of the Apollo program
was more than four percent of all U.S. government spending.
Today, NASA's budget is one tenth the size, just 0.4 percent, even as NASA attempts to return astronauts to the moon under the Artemis program. In an
effort to save money, NASA is outsourcing robotic lunar landings to companies like Intuitive Machines for a fraction of what it cost in the
1960s and 70s.
ALTEMUS: Do it for a hundred million dollars, when in the past it's been billions of dollars.
FISHER (voice-over): Then there's the purely technical challenge of landing a spacecraft in a specific spot roughly a quarter of a million
miles away.
SCOTT PACE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SPACE POLICY INSTITUTE: Some people have likened it to, you know, hitting a golf ball in New York and
having it go into a particular hole in one in L.A.
FISHER (voice-over): The distance means there's also a time delay, roughly three seconds for signals from mission control rooms on Earth to get to the
moon and back.
PACE: A lot can go wrong in that time. So, when the vehicle is actually landing, it pretty much is on its own.
FISHER (voice-over): Finally, there's the experience factor, the loss of the Apollo era expertise that no amount of new technology can make up for.
PACE: Simply because somebody else did it in an earlier age doesn't mean that this generation or this organization can do it. These are people doing
it for the first time. And there's no there's no substitute for that experience.
ALTEMUS: We all collectively have to be resilient to failures and we all have to be helping each other lift up and break down these barriers so that
we can begin a lunar economy. That's what this is, a beginning of an emerging economy around the moon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FISHER (on-camera): So, it all comes down to this. The landing time was actually just moved up an hour. So, it will now land at 5:20, excuse me,
4:24 P.M. Eastern time. And Zain, we should know shortly after if it was a success or a failure. Zain.
ASHER: Yes. Fingers crossed that everything goes perfectly. So just in terms of, you know, what we hope to learn, I mean, this is going to be
landing on the lunar south pole. What exactly are scientists hoping to get from this? What is the takeaway here? What do they hope to get the takeaway
rather?
FISHER: So, this is the -- the first time that any spacecraft has ever attempted to land on the south pole of the moon. It's a much more
treacherous and tricky terrain for a spacecraft to try to navigate. And it's a really critical spot because scientists believe that is where ice
is, water and that water could, of course, be used to sustain a lunar base for people on the moon.
[12:55:00]
It could also be used to make rocket fuel, to propel spacecrafts to places even further in space like Mars. So, there's some really critical resources
in that spot. It is where NASA wants to land the first Artemis astronauts to go back to the moon since the end of the Apollo program.
So, this is sort of a scouting mission of sorts for Artemis. This robotic lunar lander landing in just a few hours. But Zain, the south pole of the
moon is also a very competitive spot because China also wants to land there and also wants to build a base on the South Pole of the moon. Zain.
ASHER: And just quickly, we've only got 30 seconds left. Just quickly, how is the mission gone so far? We're landing in a couple of hours. How has it
gone so far?
FISHER: So far, it's been perfect. Right now, the spacecraft Odysseus is orbiting, circling the moon about 60 miles up. And then right around 4
o'clock or shortly before, that's when the spacecraft will begin its descent towards the surface.
ASHER: All right, Kristin Fisher, we'll all be watching. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. That does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Zain
Asher. Appreciate you watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
