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One World with Zain Asher
Iranian Media Reports An Airsrike On Syria Consular Building; Protesters Call For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu To Step Down; U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson Says He Is Ready To Push Ahead With A Package On Aid For Ukraine; Chad Daybell Charged With Murder; King Charles III Makes His First Major Public Appearance Since His Cancer Diagnosis. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired April 01, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:39]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: All right, a 14-day siege is now over, and the images from inside Gaza's largest hospital are indeed shocking.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: "One World" starts right now. In Israel, protests aren't letting up. Crowds take to the streets once again,
demanding the release of the hostages and the resignation of the prime minister. We'll take you there live.
ASHER: Also ahead, Easter tirade. Donald Trump lashes out with angry posts on social media.
GOLODRYGA: And later, out and about. King Charles greets spectators in his biggest outing since his cancer diagnosis.
VOICE-OVER: This is CNN Breaking News
ASHER: All right, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching "One World".
ASHER: All right, some breaking news into us in just the past few moments. Iranian media is reporting that the country's consular building in Syria
has been destroyed in an airstrike.
GOLODRYGA: Syrian state media is blaming what it calls an Israeli act of aggression for the targeting of a building in Damascus. CNN's Nic Robertson
joins us now live from London. Nic, we are hearing that this is possibly being targeted against a top IRGC commander. What more do we know about
this attack?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, it's not clear about the IRGC commander yet. We're aware of the name that's around in
Iranian media, but the IRGC is saying that this is incorrect. This targeting, it appears, of the Iranian consulate building, which is right
next to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, is a significant target.
It also seems significant that Iranian media is also reporting that the ambassador, the Iranian ambassador to Syria and his family were not injured
in the attack. But attacks of this nature, as again they are today, are typically blamed by Syrian media on Israel. Israel typically doesn't
comment. We're not aware of any comments that Israel has made at this stage.
However, Israel does have a track record of targeting IRGC commanders and senior figures, both inside Syria and in other locations. So, it's not
impossible that Israel, as Syrian media is alleging, is responsible. But it's not clear that that's the case. However, if they were, it would be, a
senior IRGC figure would be a likely target for them that they've taken out many over the past few months.
So, this is significant in particular because it targets a building that's used for Iranian government purposes, not just a residence, not just a
building associated with the government, but right next door to the embassy. And the consular officers themselves were not aware of any other
civilian casualties. Of course, consular officers are used by civilians to go and get visas renewed, passports renewed, all these sorts of things.
GOLODRYGA: And of course, this comes days after reported strikes against Syrian soldiers last week. We'll continue to follow the story. Nic
Robertson, thank you.
Well, medical crews are trying to recover hundreds of bodies at what was once Gaza's largest hospital. Now, a scene that's being described by one
journalist as straight out of a horror movie. Israeli troops have withdrawn from the Al-Shifa complex after a two-week siege following what it
described as renewed Hamas and Islamic Jihad activity in the compound.
ASHER: All right, take a look at these images. They're brand new images from inside the hospital. As you can see, the scope and the scale of the
devastation inside the hospital is immense, to say the least. One witness is calling it a catastrophe in the truest sense of the word against
humanity. That's from one eyewitness.
Gaza's civil defense says that at least 300 bodies have been found, so far. Palestinians are now searching through the rubble, desperately trying to
find victims, desperately trying to find missing members of perhaps their family.
[12:05:00]
The IDF is calling the 14-day raid an anti-terror mission and says that more than 200 militants were killed.
GOLODRYGA: Meanwhile, pressure is building on the Israeli Prime Minister. Protesters are taking to the streets of Jerusalem for a second straight
day, demanding that Benjamin Netanyahu resign.
ASHER: CNN's Melissa Bell is in Jerusalem for us. We've got Nada Bashir joining us live now from London. Nada -- Nada, let me start with you
because just in terms of just these images -- these really shocking images coming out of Al-Shifa Hospital right now, this is the second raid on this
hospital in just a few months. People are referring to it as essentially a mass graveyard where over 300 bodies were found. Just walk us through what
you're hearing at this point in time.
NADA BASHOR, CNN REPORTER: Well, that is exactly the description that many eyewitnesses have used. And it is important to underscore that some of the
footage that we have received from our colleagues on the ground is simply too graphic to air for our viewers. And it is, of course, hugely shocking
after 14 days to see the aftermath of this siege.
We've been hearing these eyewitness testimonies over the course of the last two weeks. Though it has been difficult to get up-to-date information out
of Al-Shifa, we have been able to make contact with civilians who had been sheltering in the hospital, with medical staff who had been working in the
hospital.
And, of course, those accounts have painted a troubling picture. But what we see now, according to Gaza Civil Defense, is a devastating death. So, at
least 300 bodies have so far been recovered, according to authorities, not just in the hospital, but also around in residential buildings located in
the area surrounding the Al-Shifa medical complex.
And we've been hearing from those who had been living in those residential buildings describing the bombardment and shooting as near constant. We've
heard from one man who was unable to return to the area because of the siege, only to return this morning to find his entire family had been
killed.
Now, the Israeli military has described the siege as a precise and targeted operation. They say they were targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants
they believe to have been operating at the hospital. We heard yesterday from Prime Minister Netanyahu saying some 200 Hamas militants had been
killed as part of this siege.
CNN cannot independently verify those figures. And, of course, the Israeli military has also said it located weapons and intelligence documents inside
the complex. And while the military says it continues to distinguish between militants and civilians, that really stands in stark contrast to
what we are seeing and hearing from eyewitnesses on the ground.
Earlier in the week, we did also hear, of course, from some who had managed to escape the hospital complex, including teenagers who were told CNN they
had been stripped and interrogated in the cold by Israeli soldiers around the hospital complex before being able to flee and move southwards.
But this is a troubling situation. Medical officials have said that many of those who had been trapped inside the hospital had quickly run out of food,
water and essential medical supplies. Doctors were too afraid to move between hospital buildings or prevented from moving between hospital
buildings for fear of being targeted by Israeli snipers.
We certainly heard those warnings just a little over a week ago from soldiers telling doctors not to attempt to leave the hospital complex. But
this is a devastating situation, and we are only now really getting a clearer picture of what the situation is like on the ground.
ASHER: All right, Nada Bashir, live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: We turn now to the growing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as protesters call for him to step down. Melissa Bell is
in Jerusalem with the latest. Melissa, second straight day of mass protests. We've covered them before, not in this number, with such a large
turnout that we've seen over the weekend since October 7th. What are you hearing from those behind you?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I think what's significant, Bianna, is that these big protests have now returned to the streets of
Jerusalem. This is day two, and I'm just going to show you what's happening around me.
You can see perhaps over there, they've got a tank set up. They've got tents set up all the way down towards the Knesset. And the plan for these
protesters is to stay here for the long term. They plan to be here for the next four days and it began yesterday.
And I think, what is interesting about these protests is the very different types of people that they've gathered. We've spoken to people, more from
the left, who are concerned about the fate of the hostages. They say that nearly six months into the hostage taking that provoked this war, more of
them should have been brought home.
There are those who were in favor of the military intervention when it began, former reservists, but also we've just been speaking to the former
deputy head of the chief of the general staff, who said, look, I was all for this. I put on my uniform the minute October 7th happened.
[12:10:00]
He'd gone in to the Nova Music Festival to help rescue whom he could. Now, he says six months on, the way this war has been prosecuted is disastrous,
not just for the Palestinian people, but for Israel. A lot of the people that you see out here were also some of the people, Zain and Bianna, who
were protesting before the war began.
People who are deeply unhappy about Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Now, they've come out in force to say, look, the unity that you managed to
achieve around the military intervention in the days after October 7th was all well and good. Six months on, it is unacceptable to them that in their
name the war is being waged as it is.
So, what you see are signs, no more war, signs about the hostages, time to bring them home, the more than 130 people who are there, signs that are
very decidedly aimed at Benjamin Netanyahu himself, and a great deal of anger. I think the common cry that we saw last night and we're seeing again
tonight as the crowds begin to gather for the evening protest is that it is time to hold elections and for this government to go.
GOLODRYGA: Melissa, what's interesting is that you're hearing multiple priorities from those that have turned out. Among them, obviously, is the
release and the return of the hostages. We've seen a large number of family members of hostages continue to come out week after week after week. What
are you hearing from those there as we approach the six-month mark now since the attacks of October 7th?
BELL: Of course, as you'd expect, Bianna, a lot of this is focused on the more than 130 hostages. In fact, we've been hearing here today from some of
those family members. We've been hearing from witnesses of the October 7th accounts, so people who've been very closely touched by what is going on.
I think what is interesting now is the political element to this, that Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself under pressure from the left, those who
feel that the way this war has been prosecuted is wrong, who are angry about the failed hostages and believe there would have been another way to
bring them home quicker.
Those on the right who are very concerned about changes currently being made to the law that will allow ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews to be enlisted,
as well. And, of course, there is all that pressure from the outside world. This happens -- these protests happen at a critical time, not only as
Benjamin Netanyahu and his Israeli officials in talks with the United States about how a ground operation in Rafah might be avoided, but the
hostage troops have also picked up again, not just in Qatar but also in Cairo.
So, this comes at a critical time. All lies very much on what happens in Rafah next, and yet that political unity that he's been able to count on,
the unity of the Israeli people, suddenly a lot more fragile than it has been so far. Zain and Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Well, Isabel, thank you. Let's take a closer look at the increasing internal pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister. Gideon Levy is
a columnist for "Haaretz" newspaper and joins us live from Tel Aviv.
Gideon, thank you so much for joining us. So, we've seen these protests build up since October 7th, but never in the numbers that we've seen over
the weekend, specifically related to this war. It would be foolish to rule Prime Minister Netanyahu out at this point. He is Israel's longest serving
prime minister. But given the pressure on him, as Melissa laid out there, from both the right and the left and internationally, how vulnerable is he
right now?
GIDEON LEVY, COUMNIST, "HAARETZ" NEWSPAPER: So, let me first emphasize, with your permission, what this protest is not about. It is not about, it's
not against the war. It is not against the devastating scenes, the images that you have just shown now from Shifa. It's not against the starvation.
It's not against the destruction of Gaza.
It has two goals. One is to get rid of Netanyahu. And the other one is to release the hostages. Nothing to do with continuing the war. And this
should be emphasized because people tend to think the people of Israel stood up and say enough with the war. We want peace. Not at all.
Now, to your question. Those protests come and go in Israel, and there are all kinds of waves. Until now, Netanyahu stood them quite well, I must say.
We have to remember that by the end of the day, it is about his coalition in the parliament. And this coalition is quite solid because of a very
simple reason. The bad polls for this government, the bad polls for Netanyahu, they all show that they will not be reelected, and this is
enough for them to get united and to try to survive this protest because they know the alternative of going to elections is horrible for them.
[12:15:00]
So, will it affect Netanyahu? No doubt that Netanyahu is now in his weakest point ever, but he can still survive this protest.
ASHER: Gideon, what is his strategy for surviving this, though? Because yes, you have these protests taking place and a lot of people calling for
early elections in Israel, but you also have the fact that the Supreme Court has just ended or decreed an end to subsidies for ultra-Orthodox Jews
who choose not to serve in the military. That's another fault line, as well, for Netanyahu. What is his strategy? Where does he go from here?
LEVY: Let's admit that both of us wouldn't like to replace him, for sure not at this point. You did mention also the international pressure, the
pressure of the Biden administration and many others. The strategy, as it seems now, is to continue the war as much as possible because ending it
might bring the end of his career. And he does it in all kinds of ways. First of all, this unbelievable continuous negotiation about the hostages
deal, which should and could have been concluded a long time ago.
This continuous of this, which brings those people to protest now because they feel the time is running out, maybe it ran out already for many of
them, is because of political reasons. Netanyahu -- this is not his first priority day, releasing the hostages. His first priority is to continue
this war, as horrible as it sounds, in order to survive in office.
GOLODRYGA: Gideon, correct me if I'm wrong. There seems to be a bit of naivete or at least confusion between how Americans in the West perceive
the big impetus here in Israel and how it's being perceived within Israel proper itself.
As you noted, the majority of people that are turning out to these protests aren't calling for an end to the war. And I think back to the landmark
speech that we heard from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, pushing and asking for new elections, saying that Netanyahu's time has come and it's
time for new leadership there.
If new leadership, and given where the polls are right now, it does appear that Benny Gantz could replace him. It doesn't seem that the war itself and
the way the war is being orchestrated would be very different if a new prime minister were in office. Maybe there would be a little more humility
publicly, maybe there would be a different personality and more thankfulness to the U.S. and appreciation. But the war itself wouldn't
change, no?
LEVY: This is a very crucial point, and I couldn't phrase it better than you. The feeling outside is, and also inside Israel. If we only get rid of
Netanyahu, Israel will turn into a paradise, a peaceful country, putting an end to the occupation, to the apartheid, and to the war in Gaza.
So, I have news for you. Benny Gantz has different manners. I guess it will be a more pleasant environment and more efficient environment around him,
more moderate environment. He might meet Abbas. He will definitely meet Biden. Everything will be around talks and talks and negotiations.
But by the end of the day, and this we have to remember, when it comes to the core issues, namely continuing the war, continuing the occupation,
continuing the apartheid, there are much less differences between Netanyahu and all the other candidates than it seems from the outside. So, therefore
my small modest suggestion to you is be modest with your expectations, because it will not bring a real change.
ASHER: Although there are some people who will say, listen, the people who would have been responsible, who were responsible for the security failures
that led to October 7th, should not be the ones to solve the crisis.
Also, some people are hoping for a much more conciliatory approach just in terms of negotiating with Hamas and getting the hostages home. That is why
some people do want Netanyahu out. Gideon Levy, we have to leave it there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Thank you. Still to come for us, what crews are doing right now to help clear the Baltimore port in the wake of the bridge collapse. And
CNN speaks with one of the last people to cross the bridge safely. Those stories ahead.
ASHER: And could you be one of the tens of millions of people whose personal data has been leaked on the dark web after an apparent breach at
AT&T? We'll have that story for you next.
(INSIDE AFRICA)
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[12:22:21]
ASHER: All right, now to an incredible story of luck, timing and survival. CNN spoke to one of the last people to make it off the Baltimore bridge
before it collapsed last week. Larry DeSantis told us he was headed to his second job just minutes before the cargo ship hit the bridge. He says he
feels so incredibly lucky to be alive, as I'm sure you can imagine. But, of course, does feel very sorry for the victims who died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY DESANTIS, DROVE OVER BRIDGE BEFORE IT COLLAPSED: Hard to believe. I feel sorry for those workers. I really do. I mean, they're doing their job,
but they lost their lives. So, it's hard. I was right by them. I saw all of them. Just a minute before they probably died.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: You can see how emotional he got there. It's an incredible story. Meantime, crews are preparing to open an alternate channel near the
key bridge for essential vessels. Officials say it's an important first step to fully reopening the port of Baltimore after last week's deadly
bridge collapsed. The port is a major hub for vehicles, containers and commodities, and thousands of jobs are directly affected by the bridge
disaster.
ASHER: All right, I want to turn now to a massive data breach for tens of millions of AT&T customers here in the U.S. The personal information of 73
million people has actually been leaked onto the dark web. That includes their social security numbers and their passwords, as well.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, AT&T is still trying to work out what exactly happened, saying that it has no information that its systems were compromised. Matt
Egan is on the story for us. So many questions here, Matt. Number of customers impacted. Do we know the scale of this and the scope?
MATT EGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Bianna and Zain. The scope of this is massive. And this is a data breach that's actually impacting former
customers more than existing ones. AT&T says that 7.6 million existing customers have had their data caught up in this breach. But look at this,
almost 10 times as many former customers, 65 million customers who used to be with the company have been impacted.
Now, I know everyone's wondering whether or not they are caught up in this. And AT&T says they've already reached out to current customers and they've
already changed their codes, their passcodes, if they had their data infiltrated here. And the company says they will be reaching out to former
customers as well.
Now, one of the big concerns here is the scale and the scope of the data that was stolen. Because AT&T says this includes potentially everything
including full names, dates of birth, mailing address, email address, account numbers, passcodes, and most alarmingly, social security numbers.
[12:25:00]
Now, one cybersecurity researcher told me that this is more than enough for criminals to do everything from sending spam to potentially really
sophisticated and targeted phishing campaigns, potentially even impersonating customers and, yes, stealing their identity.
Another important element here is timing, because it was almost three years ago that a well-known hacker came out and claimed to have data on about 70
million AT&T customers. Now, at the time, AT&T said that its systems were not infiltrated.
Now, the company says that it did learn about two weeks ago, customer data was leaked on the dark web. AT&T says that it still doesn't have evidence
that its systems were penetrated, but they left open the possibility that perhaps this was from a vendor. Either way, Bianna and Zain, a lot of
people have been impacted here.
ASHER: When you think about what was taken, I think the really sort of frightening thing is this idea of identity theft. I'm sure anyone who is a
former AT&T customer, I am, would look at that and get really nervous. So, beyond just sort of waiting for AT&T to reach out to you, what can
customers actually do proactively, Matt?
EGAN: Yeah, Zain, that's a great question. So, the company is saying, first of all, change your passcodes, right? A lot of people use the same passcode
on multiple different companies. We're not supposed to do that, but change your passcode because that might have been stolen here. Monitor and be
vigilant with your account activity, including your credit reports.
AT&T is telling people to set up fraud alerts, which is something you can do for free. The company is also providing people who have been impacted
with complementary identity theft and credit monitoring services. And also some experts are saying that if you were impacted here, one thing you can
do is you can freeze your credit with the big three credit bureaus.
That is something that you can do to try to make it harder for someone to try to steal your identity. But all of this, I think, just underscores how
major companies are constantly being attacked by hackers, right? And these criminals, they just have to be right once before real damage is done, both
to the company and most importantly, to the customers.
GOLODRYGA: I speak from personal experience. It is very cumbersome. But the most important, I guess, easiest thing you can do right away is change your
passwords and make sure they are long, complicated and difficult.
ASHER: With asterisks --
GOLODRYGA: Yeah.
ASHER: -- and exclamation marks.
GOLODRYGA: Difficult to remember.
ASHER: And different numbers, yes.
GOLODRYGA: Matt Egan, thank you.
ASHER: Thank you, Matt.
EGAN: Thank you, guys.
ASHER: All right. Donald Trump had a very clear message on Easter Sunday, and it had very little to do with religious observances or hunting for
candied eggs.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, instead, he posted an angry message to a social media platform attacking the numerous prosecutors and judges involved in cases
against him. He used words like evil, sick, corrupt and deranged. One post read, "Happy Easter to all, including those many people I completely and
totally despise because they want to destroy America."
ASHER: Trump has a very big month ahead of him, just in terms of the legal front here. He's got a deadline this week to pay the $175 million bond from
his civil fraud trial. Jury selection will begin in about two weeks in the hush money criminal trial. And at the end of the month, the U.S. Supreme
Court is going to be hearing arguments about Trump's claims of absolute presidential immunity.
With more on what Donald Trump's been up to and is up to right now, let's bring in CNN's Alayna Treene, joining us live now. Just in terms of, you
know, Donald Trump's messages over the weekend, I think probably the most alarming is the fact that he shared a video of President Joe Biden bound
and gagged in the back of a pickup truck.
Obviously, this outraged a lot of Democrats. And so, just in terms of how Donald Trump's campaign is calculating that this message will play out with
independence in a general election, what is the calculus here?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: I mean, it is very interesting because he's no longer in a primary, right? We've normally seen this type of imagery and
rhetoric from Donald Trump to play to his base rather than the general election public. But he is in the middle of his general election campaign.
So, I do find that interesting.
But look, this is the type of language, this violent and incendiary rhetoric from Donald Trump that isn't new. We've seen this play out several
times in the past. And not just during this campaign, but also when he was in the White House, as well as, in the lead up to his first White House bid
in 2015 and 2016 where he used fear and fear mongering really to play on voters and try to get them to help him enter the White House at his first
time around.
But it's also something that he's written many books on. And that's why I say playbook. I mean it quite literally. He's written many books outlining
this type of strategy. There was one 2004 book titled, "How to Get Rich", where he said in that book, "Try to go after your enemies as violently and
viciously as you can and do so in a public way."
[12:30:00]
And that's exactly what Donald Trump continues to do. And really, the way that he views this, the former president, is that this helps energize his
supporters. He wants to make them angry in order to, one, continue to believe his false claims, really, that there is election interference, that
if he were to lose the election in 2024 that it would be dangerous for the country, but also to contribute to his campaign.
And I do want to point out, as much as I think that it is important to note what he is saying, to cover here at CNN what he is saying, it's also
significant to note the timing and the context of this. Zain, you just walked through kind of what to expect on the legal side of this.
I do think that his attacks on his prosecutors, on the judge's family in his upcoming hush money trial later this month, all of that is coming at a
critical moment in his general election campaign, but also in his legal battles. He's about to go to trial for the first time this election for a
criminal trial. And it could also be perhaps the only trial he goes to before November.
And so, I think, the timing of that is also where a lot of this is playing in, that trial is a realization, really, of a lot of his long-held fears of
political enemies, but also past people who had worked for him, people like Michael Cohen, who may testify against him. And I think that's why you're
seeing these attacks.
Now, I do also just want to quickly point out that tomorrow, we are going to see Donald Trump, in earnest, really kick off that general election
campaign. He's going to be visiting two battlegrounds, Michigan and Wisconsin. And I do think you'll continue to hear this type of rhetoric
from him in some of those states tomorrow.
ASHER: Same rhetoric that we've seen before, and I'm sure it will continue all the way up until the election. Alayna Treene, live for us there, thank
you so much. All right, still to come. How aid to Ukraine could determine whether Mike Johnson holds on to the gavel as Speaker of the House.
GOLODRYGA: Then, Ukraine has been targeting Russian oil refineries, and some of those attacks are being powered by a form of artificial
intelligence. We'll give you the details just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:35]
ASHER: All right, welcome back to "One World", I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Returning now to our breaking news this hour. Iranian media is reporting that the country's consular building
in Syria has been destroyed in an airstrike. These are new pictures that you're seeing from Damascus. The Fars News Agency says the Iranian Quds
Force commander, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was killed in the attack. A note that Fars News is managed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
ASHER: Syrian state media is blaming what it calls an Israeli act of aggression. All right, the most powerful Republican in Congress says he is
ready to push ahead with a package on aid for Ukraine.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson says that he expects lawmakers to move quickly on the issue once they return from the Easter
recess next week. Aid to Ukraine is a divisive issue among House Republicans, and how Johnson handles it could determine whether he keeps
the support of his Republican colleagues. Johnson told Fox News that the measure will include some important innovations to make it more appealing
to Republicans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE JOHNSON, U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: When we return after this work period, we'll be moving a product, but it's going to, I think, have some important
innovations. The Repo Act, you know, if we could use the seized assets of Russian oligarchs to allow the Ukrainians to fight them, that's just pure
poetry. Even President Trump has talked about the loan concept, where we set up, we're not just giving foreign aid, we're setting it up in a
relationship where they can provide it back to us when the time is right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Congressional Correspondent Lauren Fox joins us live now. I mean, the Speaker really is at this point, Lauren, between a rock and a hard
place, if he puts forward this Ukraine bill, of course, he could alienate GOP hardliners. If the bill has other innovations, if you will, to do with
border security and, of course, spending cuts, that could, of course, alienate Democrats. So, what does he do? Where does he go from here?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I've been talking to people all morning about what they have heard from Speaker Johnson in terms
of what his concrete plans are. And many Republicans are just pointing to those comments yesterday on Fox News because Johnson has not really
informed his membership as to specifically what he plans to do when they return next week.
He is under immense pressure from defense hawks who have wanted him to take steps on Ukraine aid for the last several months but have been giving him
some room and some space because they knew he had a series of spending deadlines he had to get over first.
Now, that those are behind them, there's a lot more pressure coming from those Republicans who want him to act. On the other hand, he is also facing
pressure from people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who sort of threatened that warning shot right before the recess that she could move to try and
oust him from his job.
Now, she has not made any commitments as to whether she will ultimately act or when she would act, but that is certainly another factor here. And he
has such a narrow majority that whatever he puts on the floor is going to need Democratic votes.
And because of all the issues they've had with getting procedural votes across the finish line, it's very possible he would have to bring something
that not just got a simple majority of the House but was getting two-thirds of the House.
And that means that you have to appeal to Democrats with whatever you're going to put forward. So, that's where Johnson is facing really a series of
conflicting limitations when it comes to what he can actually do on Ukraine aid.
Meanwhile, it's important to remind everyone back home, the Senate did pass an $85 billion aid package that included funding for Israel, funding for
Taiwan and funding for Ukraine. But Johnson obviously wants to make some changes to that underlying bill.
ASHER: I think the fact that he is sort of colluding and reaching out and enlisting the help of Matt Gaetz, of all people, just in terms of the
person who spearheaded the ousting of Kevin McCarthy, tells you all you need to know. There's so many plot twists here. You could not make this
stuff up. Lauren Fox, live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: It also sounds like he's still brainstorming. I mean --
ASHER: Yes, yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- in that interview with Trey Gowdy, he was just throwing out possible ideas.
ASHER: Various innovations. Yes, yes.
GOLODRYGA: We'll see where he takes it next week. Well, as Ukraine waits for help from its allies, it has been attacking oil refineries inside
Russia's borders, striking at the heart of Russian industry.
ASHER: And Ukrainian forces are using artificial intelligence to guide their attacks. CNN's Clare Sebastian has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Flying straight for Russia's biggest moneymaker.
[12:40:00]
This precise hit. One of more than a dozen Ukrainian drone strikes reported on Russian oil refineries since the start of the year.
VASYL MALYUK, HEAD, SECURITY SERVICES OF UKRAINE (through translator): We have already reduced both production and processing by 12 percent, so we
continue to work while the gas station country continues to burn.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Attacks like this, which CNN has geolocated to the high-capacity Ryazan oil refinery, may, experts say, do more harm than
sanctions to Russian energy.
HELIMA CROFT, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS: From the beginning of the war, the U.S. made the decision to try to keep Russian oil on the market because no one
would support Ukraine in a winter of discontent.
SEBASTIAN: And now the weapons have stopped coming.
CROFT: Right, that is the question. Has the bargain broken down? Because aid for Ukraine is being held up in the United States Congress, and then
does this mean that Ukraine has a limited window to try to change dynamics on the ground?
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Russia has admitted oil refining output is down, and it's temporarily banned gasoline exports to preserve supplies.
Meanwhile, global oil prices have risen around 12 percent since the start of the year, a U.S. official telling CNN these attacks are now being
discouraged.
CROFT: If this wasn't an election year, there might be more willingness to endure this. That's why Washington is calling Ukraine right now.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Two years ago, Ukraine would not have had the technology to do this. Some of the refineries hit are over a thousand
kilometers from its territory, a big leap in terms of range. This puts around three-quarters of Russian refinery output in Ukraine's reach,
according to RBC Capital Markets. As to their ability to avoid this fate, being downed by Russian jammers, a source close to Ukraine's drone program
telling CNN, artificial intelligence is now in use in some of the refinery attacks.
NOAH SYLVIA, RESEARCH ANALYST, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: They have this type of thing called machine vision, which is a form of A.I. to our
understanding. All you have to do is you take a model and you have it on a chip, and you train this model over time to be able to identify images,
geography and the target.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): It also allows for a high degree of precision. Look at this strike, geolocated again to the Ryazan oil refinery, a second hit
on one specific tower.
SYLVIA: From what we've seen, some of it is they're striking targets that need a lot of Western technology, and Russia has a much more difficult time
procuring this technology.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And yet experts say Ukraine is still exercising some restraint. These blue dots are Russia's key Western oil export
terminals, around two thirds of its oil and oil product exports pass through these ports, according to RBC.
CROFT: If we simply had one major export facility hit, I think the impact on markets would be substantial.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): For Ukraine, the risk here is not just U.S. disapproval, but Russian revenge. Amid signs Ukraine's own energy sector is
once again in its sights. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
GOLODRYGA: All right, coming up for us, a convicted murderer gets punished again for stealing from his clients and law firm. Details on the sentencing
of Alex Murdoch ahead.
ASHER: And the case that captivated America, the murder trial of Chad Daybell is underway. We'll have details for you on that after the break, as
well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:46:12]
GOLODRYGA: Convicted murderer Alex Murdoch has just received yet another prison sentence, this time in federal court for nearly two dozen financial
crimes.
ASHER: Yeah, a judge has sentenced him to 40 years, and that sentence will run concurrently with the 27 years he got in state court after pleading
guilty to similar financial crimes, including money laundering and fraud.
GOLODRYGA: The former attorney from South Carolina is already serving two life sentences without parole in state prison for the murders of his wife
and 22-year-old son in June of 2021.
ASHER: Capital murder, conspiracy and claims of apocalyptic religious beliefs. Chad Daybell's triple murder trial got underway in Idaho on
Monday.
GOLODRYGA: And he's charged with conspiring with his wife to kill her two children and his first wife. CNN's Camilla Bernal reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: State of Idaho versus Chad Guy Daybell.
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A high-stakes trial with the death penalty on the table if convicted. Prosecutors say Chad Daybell killed two
of his stepchildren and his first wife, motivated by power, sex, money and apocalyptic religious beliefs.
CHAD DAYBELL, PLEADS NOT GUILTY FOR CONSPIRING WITH HIS WIFE TO KILL HER TWO CHILDREN AND HIS FIRST WIFE: Not guilty.
BERNAL (voice-over): Murder and conspiracy charges.
DAYBELL: Not guilty.
BERNAL (voice-over): All of them, the same plea.
DAYBELL: Not guilty.
BERNAL (voice-over: His wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, was convicted of the same murders in May of last year.
UNKNOWN: Answer -- guilty. Answer -- guilty.
BERNAL (voice-over): And on Monday, it's Chad Daybell's turn to be tried. Prosecutors say Tylee Ryan, who was 16, and J.J. Vallow, who was seven,
were last seen on different days in September of 2019. Then, in October, they alleged Daybell killed his then-wife Tammy, who was initially believed
to have died in her sleep. Less than three weeks after her death, he married Lori Vallow.
UNKNOWN: The search continues for two missing children.
BERNAL (voice-over): The children's disappearance captured the nation's attention in late 2019 when Daybell and Vallow abruptly left Idaho after
police started asking questions.
UNKNOWN: Just tell us where your kids are.
BERNAL (voice-over): The couple was found in Hawaii in January of 2020. That June, a gruesome discovery. The remains of Tylee and J.J. were found
on Daybell's property. Daybell's preliminary hearings have already given a preview of the evidence against him.
STEVE DANIELS, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Eventually, we uncovered the entire body that was wrapped in this black plastic bag with a lot of duct tape.
BERNAL (voice-over): And in Vallow-Daybell's trial, prosecutors said the two believed themselves to be religious figures who had a system of rating
people as light or dark and used their doomsday religious beliefs to justify the killings. During her sentencing, Vallow-Daybell doubled down on
her religious beliefs.
LORI VALLOW DAYBELL, FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER: Jesus Christ knows that no one was murdered in this case. Accidental deaths happen.
STEVEN BOYCE, IDAHO DISTRICT COURT: You justified all of this by going down a bizarre religious rabbit hole, and clearly you are still down there.
BERNAL (voice-over): She was sentenced to spend her life in prison, but now the question is whether Chad Daybell's defense will also include these
beliefs, or if he will turn on his wife.
BERNAL: And Chad Daybell's attorney spoke out, saying his client is ready to tell his story, although it is unclear if he will testify in his own
defense.
What will also be interesting to see here is what the defense consists of, because in Lori's case, they decided to not call any witnesses to the
stand, so it will be interesting to see what this defense attorney does.
[12:50:00]
Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.
ASHER: We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, in the U.K., King Charles met with the public for the first time since his cancer diagnosis earlier this year. The monarch
attended an Easter church service in Windsor on Sunday.
ASHER: Yeah, the outing comes more than a week after the Princess of Wales revealed her own battle with cancer. CNN's Max Foster reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A lucky few royal well- wishers given a surprise invite into Windsor Castle to see the king making his first major public appearance since his cancer diagnosis. Then an even
bigger surprise when he went for a walk and a chat.
CHARLES III, KING OF THE UNITED KINGSOM: I hope you haven't got too cold.
FOSTER (voice-over): A royal source telling CNN all future engagements remain subject to medical advice near the time, but this was an encouraging
sign of how the treatment is progressing as we look towards summer and how the road ahead is looking positive.
KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: He's obviously looking in really great form. He's walking. He's out there again. But we've been told that this
isn't a return for public duties. What it is, is a sort of gentle return to the public eyes. So, we're seeing Charles out and about, waving, you know,
seeing people. But he's not going back to the full duties of kingship, and we don't yet have a timeline as to when that's going to be.
FOSTER (voice-over): The service at Windsor is a tradition for the royals, Prince Andrew amongst those invited, showing that he's part of the family,
if not part of the firm anymore. The Princess of Wales didn't attend as she receives her own treatment for cancer, but that was expected as she also
spends time with her children during the school holidays.
KATE MIDDLETON, PRINCESS OF WALES: We hope that you'll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my
treatment.
FOSTER (voice-over): It's an unprecedented time for the royal family, with two senior royals sidelined due to serious illness, leaving only a handful
of working royals to carry out public duties. Queen Camilla has shouldered much of the load in Charles' absence. Prince William is expected to resume
public engagements in mid-April, but it's been a strain on the system.
ERIN HILL, SENIOR EDITOR, ROYALS, MULTIPLE MAGAZINE: King Charles really wanted to have a slimmed-down monarchy when he took on the throne, but he
never could have anticipated it slimming down to where it is now.
[12:55:00]
FOSTER (voice-over): And there's also a matter of trust. The statement by the Princess of Wales diffused a frenzy of conspiracy theories about her
health and whereabouts, but there are lingering questions about a digitally altered photo of Catherine and the children and concerns that the palace
isn't being transparent enough.
Media cameras were invited to film the events rather than in-house media teams. Behind the scenes, the king has been carrying out meetings and
continuing his work as head of state as both he and Catherine continue their cancer treatments.
FOSTER: Royal fans often come here to Windsor for a chance to see the king. And for a lucky few, they were invited into the castle and they actually
spent some time with him and they're all saying how well he looked. So, encouraging signs for a monarchist here in the U.K. Max Foster, CNN,
Windsor Castle, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Really reassuring to see him out and about with a smile on his face, chatting to people. I think the public will be reassured by those videos
that we just saw there.
GOLODRYGA: We're rooting for him.
ASHER: All right, that does it for this hour of "One World". I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thank you so much for watching. I'll be right back here with Amanpour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
