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One World with Zain Asher
Trump Touts Optimism That A Deal May End War Soon; More Attacks In Iran, Israel And Region Amid Talk Of Negotiating; Reuters-Ipsos Poll: Trump's Approval Rating Drops To 36 Percent; Kim Jong Un Calls Nuclear Weapons Possession "Irreversible"; Online Trolling Between Iran And U.S. Escalates; U.S. Citizen Imprisoned In Afghanistan Returns Home; Kennedy Grandson: Trump Has "Obsession" With My Family; Officials: U.S. Marine Expeditionary Units Deploy To Mideast; New Mexico Jury: Meta Liable In Child Sexual Exploitation Case; ; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired March 25, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:42]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the back and forth on talks with Iran is enough to make your head spin, but one thing is for sure, the status is
unclear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I think we're going to end it. I can't tell you for sure. You know, I don't like to say this,
we've won this -- this war has been won.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: The Iranians are mocking Trump. American super troopers are on their way to the region. And Israeli -- the Israeli offensive on Lebanon is
not letting up. Where the war stands at this hour.
Plus, weighing in from the Hermit Kingdom, Kim Jong Un says the war in Iran is proof that North Korea needs its nuclear arsenal.
And later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Look at the size of this thing. I'm going to try to take a bite.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: We're just hours away from the start of the baseball season. And CNN is taking you to the ballpark. Everything from out of this world game
day eats to brand-new umpires they can make calls without even saying a word.
Well, live from Atlanta, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Zain and Bianna are off today. You are watching the second hour of "One World." Great to have you with us.
Well, questions are swelling this hour over the true status of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump has expect -- has
expressed optimism while Tehran remains skeptical.
Take a listen to the conflicting messages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: J.D. is involved and Marco is involved. And -- and Jared Kushner is involved. Very smart guy. And -- and Steve Witkoff, smart guy, is involved.
And I'm involved. I'm involved.
ESMAIL BAGHAEI, IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: There is no talks or negotiations between Iran and the United States. As it has not been such
negotiation for the past 25 days of their illegal war against Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, so according to Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are leading the negotiations.
Sources telling CNN that Iranian representatives do not want to deal with the U.S. Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
We're also hearing around 1,000 more U.S. soldiers preparing to deploy to the Middle East in the coming hours.
Well, across the region, the warring sides are still exchanging fire in a conflict that the U.N. Secretary-General today described as out of control.
Antonio Guterres saying that the world is staring down the barrel of a wider war.
Our team is tracking the story from all angles. Our Nick Paton Walsh is standing by for us in Beirut, Lebanon.
First, I want to go straight to Alayna Treene live at the White House. Good to have you both with us.
So, Alayna, the U.S. continues to be mocked by Iran for saying that the war has been won, that this 15-peace plan is going to happen.
Exactly who is the White House speaking to when it comes to these Iranian negotiations? And what do they expect from Pakistan when it comes to
negotiations going forward?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, it's very difficult, I think, to have a better understanding of what they're going to
expect because those negotiations, at least in person, which there are talks right now, told by senior administration officials.
They are working toward the Trump administration to set up talks with the Iranians in, you know, what could be considered a potentially neutral
territory, including countries like Pakistan, but others in Europe as well.
And so I think until then, you know, a lot of this is really, you're getting a he-said, she-said from what you're hearing from the Iranians and
from the United States.
As for why the president has been so optimistic, it's because a number of reasons. One is that they are, the president believes that they are moving
towards these negotiations. He believes, and is hopeful, and I'm told this is a sincere hope, that they will be able to find a diplomatic off-ramp to
this war.
Now, as for his, you know, you played that clip of him declaring mission accomplished, essentially saying that the war has been won, that is partly
political. This is something he has been hearing from many advisers, but also people and allies outside of the White House. This idea that he needs
to project confidence. He needs to project that the military, the U.S. military, has been successful, that they have been victorious.
[12:05:08]
And also try to convey to the American public, many of whom are very wary of this war. And I'd say many of his own supporters vary wary, particularly
if this continues on much longer about this politically.
And so that's part of this as well. I think the big question, though, of course, is really whether or not negotiations, like I said, these potential
talks that they are building toward, are actually possible. And what specifically they are going to be able to achieve here.
One of the, of course, as well, problems is whether or not this Iranian official that, you know, the president referred to, he left, you know, a
nameless official is essentially what he said, is trustworthy and actually has enough sway within the regime to bring this.
And so there are so many questions about this. I can tell you there is going to be a press briefing today with the White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt. I think a lot of these questions, of course, we're going to have to see how she tries to answer it, but there is still so much
uncertainty.
And, of course, everything they're hearing, this rosy picture that the president has been painting so many people and so many different partners,
including the Israelis, showing a lot of skepticism about it.
And so I think there's still so much work that needs to be done. And really, there is a massive question still of whether or not diplomacy is
actually something can be achievable despite what you're hearing from the president.
KINKADE: Yes. It certainly sounds, Alayna, like that rosy picture described by the president is targeted at investments, investors in oil markets,
rather than the facts on the ground.
Just in terms of the troop deployment that we're hearing about right now, how many more troops are expected to be deployed to the Middle East from
the U.S.?
TREENE: More than a thousand, Lynda. And really what we've heard from this administration and from the Pentagon has been essentially that they are
going there in place, that they are not expecting to put boots on the ground at this moment.
But, of course, having this troop deployment is signaling the opposite of the message that the president is trying to convey.
In one where he is saying that he believes the war is won, that diplomacy is achievable and he's hopeful for it. And in another, you're seeing this
deployment to the Middle East. Again, they are saying that this is more so to have them in place.
But again, quite a different picture you're seeing from the actions there versus the words that we are hearing.
KINKADE: Yes, certainly. As Alayna Treene for us outside the White House. Thanks to you.
Nick Paton Walsh, I want to go to you on perspective from Lebanon. Given that the U.S. president says the war has been won essentially while the
U.N. chief is talking about the threat of further escalation.
You've been reporting there in Lebanon about the fact that the death toll is rising. More than a million people have been displaced. What are you
seeing right now?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, this is frankly an intimately connected but entirely separate
conflict to that between Israel, the U.S. and Iran.
Yes, escalated because Hezbollah and Iranian proxy here avenged the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But prior to this peak of
violence, Israel was hitting targets inside of Lebanon.
But we are in a key moment here for Lebanon. And ultimately, the complication of Israel's demands that Hezbollah be disarmed also being
something that Lebanon's government has said publicly it wants to achieve as well.
But the facts on the ground are quite different to all of that. And instead, we are seeing quite a conventional confrontation like the decades
long one we've seen between Hezbollah and Israel.
And Israel has made it clear that they are likely to hold a significant part of a security zone, occupy it. And also that they're going to blow the
bridges towards southern Lebanon across the Litani River, complicating life for Hezbollah, certainly, but also making civilian life untenable there as
well. That is contributing to the million displaced as well.
We've heard today from Hezbollah chief, Naim Qassem. He has said that they cannot negotiate while under attack, that negotiation would be surrender.
Remember, though, Lebanon's government has offered direct negotiations with Israel for weeks now, but yet to see any public traction for that.
We are seeing consistent airstrikes in the south. Overnight, we've heard blasts here in Dahieh. The target list that Israel's hitting inside of
Lebanon is expanding to gas stations now. Two paramedics killed by an Israeli strike in the southeastern town of Nabatieh just yesterday. Others
killed along there as well.
And I think a fear here that we are in a point where Israel's goal of disarming Hezbollah may involve some kind of territorial occupation, like
their finance minister, a hardliner, has suggested.
He said, make the new border up on the Litani River itself. But ultimately, too, along with the U.S. standoff with Iran, these are intractable problems
that the region has been facing for decades, ultimately.
And so it's more likely, I think, here, that we'll see some kind of diplomatic solution at the end of its some kind of negotiation bringing
this conflict to a lower ebb than some sort of absolute in which Hezbollah are ultimately destroyed.
[12:10:04]
In the same way, too, I think you're just going to see in the Iran-U.S.- Israeli conflict as well, regardless of the hardline rhetoric and claims on Iranian state media that they don't like the 15-point plan that U.S. has
presented to them, still the Iranians have taken a phenomenal beating militarily over the past weeks.
The U.S. will be running out of its own inventories. And so you will eventually read a point where both sides think they can talk their way to a
better position.
The problem is, if their starting positions are this distant, then at the time it will take to get to a point where they can ultimately agree to slow
things down will be longer. And that gives much greater capacity for other issues to get involved to upset those peace talks, particularly damage to
the economy as well.
So we're into a key 48 hours or so. Now, President Trump has been clear. He thinks he's won. He thinks he can get a deal out of all of this. That does
hand some cards to an Iran who have fared better in this, perhaps, than many analysts thought they might do and may be seeing an opponent now that
wants a negotiation, wants a cessation, and therefore a chance for them to seize the upper hand and appear to be less weak.
Lynda?
KINKADE: Nick Paton Walsh for us in Beirut. Great to have you there for us. Our thanks to you for that analysis.
The U.S. war with Iran and the economy appear to be driving down Donald Trump's approval rating.
A new poll shows only 36 percent of Americans approve the job that he's doing as president. That's down from 40 percent in the same poll last week.
Well, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten joins us live to break down the numbers. Harry, great to see you.
Despite the president saying, the war has been won, it's clear that people don't believe that, right?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: No, no, no, nowhere near, Lynda. No, no, no, in many words.
Look, this is just one of many polls that Donald Trump is hitting term two lows. You could see him up here on the screen right here. I mean, just look
at this. Across the board.
You spoke about the Ipsos poll, the Reuters-Ipsos poll. Look, you got a Verasight poll. It's 23 points underwater there. You got a Yahoo. YouGov
poll, 21 points underwater there. You got a Quinnipiac University poll, 20 points underwater there.
The bottom line is this. You look at individual polls. You look at the polling aggregates. They all show the same thing, which is that Donald
Trump has no floor. The floor is collapsing underneath him. He is reaching new lows for his second term across pollsters in the polling aggregate.
And the question, of course, is why? What is happening? Well, of course you were just talking about the war in Iran. And this, I think, is one big
chunk of the reason why.
Again, take a look at that Reuters-Ipsos poll. Look at this. This is Trump's net approval rating on foreign policy. You can see it here. You
know, I outline it. He hits a term too low here.
Look at this. Back in January of 2025. Look where Donald Trump was. He was at plus two points. More Americans actually approved the -- of the job than
disapproved to the job he was doing on foreign policy.
But look at where that net approval rating is now. A shift of nearly 30 points away from the President of the United States. He's now 27 points
underwater with the American public. That is a place you don't want to be. It is not the sign of a president who has been able to sell what is going
on in Iran right now.
And amongst those who are in the center of the electorate, independents get this. His approval rating on foreign policy is just 22 percent, just 22
percent. Only about one in five independents approve of the job that Donald Trump is doing on foreign policy.
And, of course, one of the other effects of the war in Iran right now are those gas prices in the United States of America climbing ever higher. And,
of course, that's hitting Americans' pocketbooks.
And what we're talking about here is we're talking about the economy. Take a look here. Take a look at this trend line in Donald Trump's net approval
rating on the economy. Again, hitting a term too low according to Reuters- Ipsos.
In January of 2025, he was on the positive side of the ledger at plus six points. Look now, he's nearly 40 points lower, at 33 points underwater.
And on the cost of living, the cost of living, which of course is very much tied to gas prices, Lynda, he is now 41 points underwater.
My goodness gracious. Donald Trump got elected, reelected to a second term back in Jan -- excuse me, November of 2024, to fix the economy. And now
Americans, Lynda, think he's done anything but that.
In fact, the majority of Americans say his policies are making the economy worse. And that's a terrible place to be for a president and certainly a
terrible place if you're a Republican running for Congress, because, of course, here in the States, we have those midterm elections coming up at
the end of the year.
And right now, it's looking no bueno for those Republicans, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Speaking of elections, there was that special election in Florida last night. A Democrat flipping a deep red state House
seat, which are, of course, includes the district, which Mar-a-Lago --
[12:15:09]
ENTEN: Mar-a-Lago. Yes.
KINKADE: -- resort is. Not good news for Donald Trump today.
Harry Enten in New York, appreciate it. Thank you.
ENTEN: Thank you.
KINKADE: While the U.S. says Iran must not be allowed to build nuclear weapons, North Korea insists that its right to them is, quote,
irreversible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Kim met, on Wednesday, with Belarusian and President Alexander Lukashenko in Pyongyang. Both Belarus and North Korea have supported
Russia's war in Ukraine.
CNN's Will Ripley has more in Kim's message to the West about the country's nuclear future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un walks into Parliament with confidence. State
media claims he just won re-election by a landslide with 99.93 percent of the vote.
In front of a packed house in Pyongyang, Kim has a defiant message for President Donald Trump. "The United States is now resorting to acts of
state-sponsored terrorism and aggression. The hostile forces wanted us to make a different choice, preaching a payment for our giving up of nuclear
weapons, but the present situation clearly proves our nuclear possession is irreversible."
Kim never names Iran, he doesn't have to. His message to Trump is blunt. When diplomacy fails, only brute nuclear force will do.
Ever since the Iran war broke out, a string of high-profile North Korean weapons tests, this salvo of cruise missiles fired from Kim's flagship
destroyer, the Choe Hyon. Days later, a barrage of what state media calls a dozen nuclear-capable rockets.
Kim, joined by his daughter and rumored successor-in-training, the teenager believed to be named Kim Ju Ae. She's even getting behind the wheel of a
brand-new tank, with her father riding shotgun.
Kim and his daughter busy flaunting their firepower.
And Russia, praising its anti-U.S. partnership with Pyongyang. During coverage of the Iran war, Russian state T.V. airing footage of North Korean
troops training near the Ukrainian front, glorifying soldiers who chose suicide over capture, a clear signal Russia has North Korea's back.
And back in Pyongyang, Kim is honoring families of fallen troops, doubling down on nuclear weapons, and telling his military and his people to prepare
for war.
RIPLEY: There are still signs diplomacy is not completely off the table. Just this month, South Korea's prime minister sat down with President Trump
in the Oval Office, raising the possibility of another meeting with Kim Jong Un.
Trump has made it clear, he's open to it. And Kim is signaling he could actually be too, but with one condition, North Korea's nuclear weapons are
not up for negotiation.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Beyond the battlefield and the war against Iran, the U.S. and Tehran have taken to social media to promote their side of the conflict.
And now the main war is really heating up.
CNN's Clarissa Ward brings us the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Can we just take a moment to talk about the level of online trolling between Iran and the U.S.
right now?
Iran, in particular, has really upped the ante recently with these kind of extravagant, A.I.-generated, Lego-themed videos.
The latest one shows President Trump crying at his desk as U.S. troops in the region come under heavy fire. And the memes have been relentless after
Trump told reporters that the Strait of Hormuz would be controlled by him and the ayatollah, the Iranian embassy in South Africa posted this.
Now all of this, of course, is in response to these videos put out by the Pentagon that use video games and clips from Hollywood movies to celebrate
the U.S.'s bombardment of Iran.
Now, propaganda is not new in war, but if you're watching this play out online on social media, it feels more like a game than a real conflict that
has left more than 2,000 civilians dead, including hundreds of children and upended global energy markets.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Thanks to Clarissa Ward there.
Well, a landmark ruling that could upend social media. A U.S. jury found that Facebook and Instagram do not protect children online. The details of
that case, coming up.
Also, an emotional reunion for an American who was detained by the Taliban for more than a year. What Dennis Coyle said about his imprisonment and his
homecoming? We'll have that story, just ahead.
[12:20:04]
And the grandson of John F. Kennedy speaks to CNN about the demolition of the White House's East Wing, including a garden dedicated to his
grandmother.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you, Dennis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: American, Dennis Coyle, who is imprisoned in Afghanistan for more than a year, is finally back home in the U.S.
The Taliban released the 64-year-old academic on Tuesday. U.S. officials say he was held in near-solitary confinement after he was arrested back in
January 2025. There are at least two other Americans still being held by the Taliban.
Let's bring in our senior national security reporter, Jennifer Hansler, who's covering this. Jennifer, good to have you with us.
So, he was held for more than a year in prison by the Taliban. Finally, we saw that emotional reunion with his wife. What do we know about his
condition? What is the State Department's official reaction to his release?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, the U.S. is obviously welcoming the release of Dennis Coyle, who has now touched down
there in Texas earlier this morning, where he was created by his mother, his sister.
This was a very emotional reunion. And the State Department says they did not have to give or trade anything to secure Dennis' release.
Now, his release comes nearly two weeks after the U.S. designated Afghanistan to be a state sponsor of wrongful detention. This is a newly
created designation that can carry serious repercussions, including the potential that U.S. citizens could no longer travel to the country of
Afghanistan without a special passport.
So they say that that pressure really upped the ante and got the Taliban to really consider releasing Dennis, as we saw yesterday. The Taliban itself
said that this was a humanitarian gesture.
Now, from the looks of it, he seems to be in pretty good shape, all things considered. And his -- his family was expressing an immense amount of
gratitude that they were able to have this reunion this morning.
Take a listen to what one of his sisters said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOLLY LONG, SISTER OF DENNIS COYLE: Today's been a joyful day that we've gotten to bring our brother, Dennis Coyle, home, after 422 days in
captivity by the Taliban. We have special thanks for President Trump and his strength and tenacity to bring Dennis as the 105th hostage home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[12:25:00]
HANSLER: Now, Lynda, he is expected to take part in a U.S. government program that a lot of detainees who return to the United States participate
in, that is to help them re-acclimate to life after that time of detention.
I should also note that the United States does not plan, at this point, to lift that wrongful detention designation because there are at least two
other Americans who are being held in Afghanistan right now, Mahmoud Habibi and Paul Overby.
And they say that these Americans, as well as all other Americans wrongfully detained abroad must be released.
Lynda?
KINKADE: All right. Jennifer Hansler for us. Our thanks to you.
Well, the grandson of John F. Kennedy is speaking out about the demolition of the East House -- East Wing, the White House East Wing rather, including
the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, which is dedicated to his late grandmother.
Jack Schlossberg told CNN that President Trump has a deep obsession with his family. The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden has been dismantled to make way
for President Trump's new ballroom.
Betsy Klein reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden was demolished months ago, but we are only just now getting a look
at what is replacing it.
It was back in 1962 that President Kennedy wanted a garden where his children could play. And after his assassination, Lady Bird Johnson met
with the landscape designer Bunny Mellon. And they decided to not only get this project over the finish line, but to dedicate it to Jacqueline Kennedy
to honor her stewardship and meticulous preservation of White House grounds.
Since then, it's been a respite for first families, a soccer field for Barron Trump, a pen for the Biden's dog commander until it was demolished
in the fall.
And there are no plans to move this garden to another location on White House grounds. We understand that some of the trees and the shrubbery will
be incorporated and its iconic I.M. Pei-designed pergola is going to be preserved according to a White House official.
But these new plans show very little visual reference to the Kennedy Garden and her grandson takes issue with that. We heard from Jack Schlossberg,
he's running for Congress, he told me, quote, "President Trump has a deep obsession with my family, from the East Wing to the Rose Garden, the
Kennedy Garden to the plane, the list goes on. But he is attacking all families each and every day with higher costs, careless war and a deep
corruption. My grandmother believed in the people of this nation, every single person. She wanted us to see gardens and color and the brightness of
life. What we have now is darkness."
Now, this new design was presented at a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission.
And where this garden once was, there's going to be a staircase and a brick patio. Landscape architects at that meeting also took major issue with the
asymmetry of the new driveway design. Once a circle, this driveway shape has been disturbed and pinched a little to make way for President Trump's
massive new ballroom.
And I spoke with Charles Birnbaum. He literally wrote the rule book for the National Park Service on Cultural Landscapes. He said that this design
would never have been approved on his watch. But the ballroom and its landscape design are expected to be approved by a key commission next week.
Betsy Klein, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still come here on "One World," a major change headed to baseball stadiums this season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Well, then the goner of the day is the baseball managers getting super angry and yelling at the umpires and getting kicked out of games
because now players can challenge whether or not they think a call was a ball or a strike.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:38]
KINKADE: Welcome back to "One World." I'm Lynda Kinkade.
We discussed earlier the headline that the U.S. is sending new troops to the region.
CNN's Paula Hancocks takes a closer look at what the thousands of Marines headed to the Middle East may be preparing for.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what an amphibious assault looks like.
A U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, storms a beach with the forces and equipment needed for battle.
This was a joint exercise with South Korean Marines three years ago. An actual assault is more likely to take place at night.
Two MEUs like this are on their way to the Middle East. Officials tell CNN, their mission, not revealed.
In the skies above this drill, attack helicopters, Osprey transports an F- 35 stealth fighters. Thirty nautical miles out to sea, an amphibious assault ship, the USS Makin Island, bringing together all the components
needed for a self-sufficient attack.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): And as to this commander-in-chief.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Some within President Trump's circle are pushing for the U.S. military to take over Iran's Kharg Island to force the opening of
the Strait of Hormuz.
A tiny island off the coast of Iran that 90 percent of the country's oil exports passes through, considered its economic lifeline.
The U.S. says it has attacked its military defenses. The oil infrastructure remains intact. If President Trump does decide to take Kharg Island, a
Marine Expeditionary Unit would be ideal.
Around 2,200 Marines and sailors prepped for ground combat and air combat with a logistics command.
Considered, the Swiss Army knife of U.S. military capability.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Dubai.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, tech giant, Meta, says it plans to appeal after a jury in New Mexico found it liable for failing to protect children from sexual
predators and misleading users about the dangers of its platforms.
The jury ordered the company to pay $375 million in damages for violating New Mexico's consumer protection law.
A Meta spokesperson says they respectfully disagree with the verdict. A similar case is happening right now in California.
A 20-year-old woman and her mother accused four social media companies of intentionally designing addictive platforms that got her hooked as a child
and led to mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression. Two of the four companies have settled, Meta and YouTube, are still fighting.
Well, time now for "The Exchange." Joining me now is Mary Anne Franks, who is the perfect person to talk about these cases. She's a professor of
intellectual property, technology and civil rights law at George Washington University Law School. Great to have you with us.
MARY ANNE FRANKS, PROFESSOR OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, TECHNOLOGY, AND CIVIL RIGHTS LAW, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL: Thank you for having
me.
KINKADE: I want to get your perspective, first, on this landmark ruling involving Meta. Certainly, a case that is holding a big tech company
accountable. How significant is this verdict?
FRANKS: The jury is, you know, announcing here in a way that we haven't really seen before when it comes to this company that this is a company
that was knowingly deceiving its consumers and its users despite all of its promises to the contrary.
[12:35:09]
So, it's quite significant, not just because of the money, because the money for a company as big as Meta isn't really what's painful about this.
It's the exposure of these documents that the company has not wanted to be in the public eye demonstrating that there are at least several people at
that company that knew about the dangers and ignored them.
KINKADE: And it was interesting, Mary, when we saw the trial, the jurors seen testimony from whistleblowers and internal Meta documents suggesting
that the platform actively enabled predators.
What evidence do you believe convinced the jury that Meta's platforms endangered children?
FRANKS: It certainly seemed like some of the internal communications where specific employees are saying, this is really risky or we are hearing or we
have seen reports that we are exposing minors to dangerous activities or to dangerous individuals.
And you get responses back from the company executive saying, we actually think we should forge ahead or we should even put some of the problematic
practices that we might have limited in the past. We should put them back in.
And so really I think what the jury was responding to here is hearing that these were concerns that were raised within the company itself and there
are responses to it that were saying, well, because of what our bottom line is, we're going to continue to do this, and in some cases, accelerate some
of those dangerous practices.
KINKADE: The state had sought up to $2.2 billion in penalties, but the jury award it was -- the award was $375 million. What does that gap tell us
about how courts balance deterrence within the tax economic power?
FRANKS: It's really difficult to read the tea leaves on this one. Juries assess these things in lots of different ways. And it's hard to know
exactly what to make of the fact that this was comparatively speaking a much smaller award than you might -- than the state might have wanted.
It certainly does seem to be clear that they are saying there's a lot of liability here, but we're having trouble calculating exactly what the
monetary amount of that is.
I think more to the point is the question or the assessment here that the jury is saying, but we do think it's your fault. We're just not quite sure
about how expensive it should be for you to make up for what you've -- what you've done here.
KINKADE: Mary Anne, you've suggested that laws like Section 230 might need reform in order to hold tech companies accountable.
Does this verdict weaken the traditional legal immunity that social media platforms have been able to use in the past? And could it potentially spur
in your legislation?
FRANKS: It certainly seems like that is part of the kind of landmark nature of this ruling and not just of this case, but other cases that have been
allowed to go forward.
We've seen cases going forward against these companies that for the last few decades were kicked out of courts really, really early on because of a
very expansive and deferential view of Section 230, really so broad as to basically tell these companies you can do whatever you want and you'll
never be held accountable.
And I think we can see by the way that these companies responded to that -- that kind of license that they did exactly as what you might expect a
billion dollar corporation to do, which is to decide to continually push out dangerous risky products if they were profitable because they had no
real incentive to worry about the cost.
These cases and the fact that they've gone forward and the fact that there's now been this jury verdict really indicate that that interpretation
or that widespread deference and preferential treatment seems like it is coming to an end, not just in these individual cases, but also because of
all the information that's being released to the public that I think legislators and policymakers and regulators are pairing very close
attention to.
KINKADE: And, Mary Anne, I want to ask you about the other significant case in Los Angeles right now, where a jury is deliberating over -- with Meta,
which owns Facebook and Instagram and Google which owns YouTube, engineered their platforms to be addictive, particularly to young people.
Now, a jury is a reportedly struggling to come up with their verdict. But just how significant is this addiction trial, alongside the New Mexico case
we've been discussing?
FRANKS: I think it's highly significant once again that it even got to this point, even if, and it seems unlikely at this point that you're going to
get a no liability finding. The jury has given some indications that there's liability, but they're struggling over the question of damages.
But even if you were to get no liability, you would still have that public exposure that you've also seen in the New Mexico case. There's still a lot
more information that is being released to the public that can change how we deal with these companies in the future regardless of whether there's a
win or a loss in the individual case.
[12:40:08]
But I do think that the indication that the jury is headed for a finding of liability was kind of one-two punch here, I think, is really going to be
sending a powerful message to the public and to the industry that the -- the time of immunity and impunity may be coming to an end.
KINKADE: Yes. Certainly seems that way. Mary Anne Franks, good to have you on the program. We appreciate your time today. Thank you.
FRANKS: Thank you.
KINKADE: Seven weeks after the disappearance of her mother, Savannah Guthrie, sat down in her first interview. The co-host of NBC's "Today
Show," spoke with her longtime friend and colleague Hoda Kotb.
Nancy Guthrie went missing from her Arizona home back in early February. The 84-year old was last seen having dinner at her daughter, Anne
Guthrie's, home. Now, Savannah spoke about what the family is dealing with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, "TODAY" ANCHOR: We are in agony.
HODA KOTB, AMERICAN BROADCASTER: Yes.
GUTHRIE: We are in agony. It is unbearable. And to think of what she went through, I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night.
How will I hide in my face? But she needs to come home now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Guthrie confirmed she will return to work saying, I will not hide my face. However, NBC has not announced an exact date.
We're going to take a break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Well, around the world, as many as nine out of 10 business startups fail, often undermined by factors such as limited access to
funding, mentorship, and the networks needed to grow.
Across Africa, a new generation of education and innovation hubs is coming into being, building ecosystems designed to support entrepreneurs and
strengthen local economies.
In Cameroon, one such hub is helping company founders turn ideas into viable businesses.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EMMANUELLE BAROUX, GENERAL MANAGER, ENOVATION FACTORY: Enovation Factory was born from a simple observation, which is that there is no shortage of
talents or ideas in Africa and in Cameroon in particular.
[12:45:05]
However, there -- there is a structural gap when it comes to support, mentorship, capacity building, access to markets and capital.
AYUK ETTA, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM AND STARTUPS, ENOVATION FACTORY: The biggest challenge that I see is we do not have a thriving ecosystem. If that is
fixed, I think that we will have more innovation and more successful businesses.
BAROUX: So Enovation Factory was created to bridge that gap and to provide entrepreneurs with not just a workspace but a real growth platform.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's what some of you in country right now with the ideas that you have is that you have thought about good solutions and
good ideas, but no one is willing to pay.
BAROUX: We have a very structured methodology. We expect startups to follow through a six months program where we have scheduled weekly workshops. We
have defined milestones. We have measurables, deliverables that we asked from them.
ETTA: An important thing to note here at Enovation Factory is that most of the startups that we support are tech startup, right? It means that
technology it's at their core. Whether they are using it to build their products and their solution or they are using it to run their operation.
Technology plays 90 percent road in whatever we do here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you doing?
ETTA: I'm good.
MANUEL NZALI, CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, MADON: Welcome at Madon.
My name is Manuela Nzali. I'm an entrepreneur and also the co-founder and chief of operations of Madon, which is a digital marketplace that connects
Africa to the world.
Enovation Factory was not only a place to validate the business, but also to check the scalability and a place to network and also exchange with
other entrepreneurs to see how the things are going on.
So, we are very thankful for that because in the six months program, we really had the opportunity to validate that point and also prepare for the
expansion. And we are very grateful for that.
BAROUX: Everything is put in place to ensure that they're able to -- to compete globally.
For me, one big objective is that a startup in Yaounde should be able to speak the same business language as an investor anywhere in the world.
ETTA: Enovation plays a pivotal role in the ecosystem that we want to build in Cameron and across Central Africa, right? And which is to connect talent
to solutions.
And if we are able to do that at scale, then it's going to change so many things for our country and also for the young people in Cameron.
BAROUX: For us, our main ambition is impact. It's always been impact. So what we want to do in our mission here at Enovation Factory is to turn high
potential entrepreneurs into scalable and sustainable businesses. This is the core of our mission.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:23]
KINKADE: Well, Major League Baseball is back tonight. And for the first time, the league will be using robot umpires in official games this season.
The new tech will allow players to challenge calls by the human umpire on balls and strikes.
CNN's Andy Scholes explains how the new system will work.
SCHOLES: Well, then gone were days the baseball managers getting super angry and yelling at the umpires and getting kicked out of games, because
now players can challenge whether or not they think a call was a ball or a strike.
So, it's nice to be the first to ever regular season game with the new automated ball strike system. So batters, pitchers, and catchers can now
challenge directly after pitch if they think the call was incorrect by just tapping on their head.
Now, within about 10 seconds, this animation will play showing exactly where the pitch landed. Each team gets two challenges and they can keep
them if they are successful. No help can come from the dugout. And if the game goes to extra innings, teams will be awarded a challenge if they don't
have any remaining.
Now, funny wrinkle, players around baseball are shrinking because of this. Each player's exact measurements are used to determine their strike zone,
so you don't want to be any taller.
And the Rays' Gavin Lux, he actually went from being listed six foot two last season to now just five foot 11.
Now with the new season, new foods are coming to ballparks across the country and Levy restaurants brought some by our studios for me to try.
And Cubs fans this season, they're going to get this chicken and churros creation, which was just awesome.
In Arizona, sweet tooth fans, they're going to love the take-me-out-to-the- ball-game shake. It is an absolute masterpiece, but nothing is bigger than what they're going to have in Miami this season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM CARTER, CHEF: For the fans of the Marlins this year, we have the Machete. It's a house made two-foot quesadilla has carne asada inside,
Oaxaca cheese and mozzarella cheese for that perfect cheese pull, diced onions, cilantro, and a nice salsa verde.
And you even get your own Machete carrying track.
SCHOLES: You'd have to because it's too long, right?
CARTER: Yes.
SCHOLES: Oh boy, drop the pepper. Look at the size of this thing. I'm going to try to take a bite.
I mean, how jealous is everyone in the stadium, you know, if you're just doing this? Oh. Oh, my God. I think I could finish that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: And, Lynda, I -- about half of that pretty easily, you know, give me nine innings. I think I could finish it all by myself.
KINKADE: You should have brought some feedback for the rest of us.
Andy Scholes, our thanks to you.
Well, firefighters and a sheriff's deputy are being hailed as heroes after saving a group of cats in California.
Reporter Joy Benedict has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come here. Come.
JOY BENEDICT, REPORTER, CBS LA: It was a call for help these first responders hadn't seen before.
As four, usually feisty felines were trapped inside, suffering smoke inhalation after a fire at a senior apartment complex.
RAY GUILLEN, CALFIRE RIVERSIDE: They said that there were four cats missing.
BENEDICT: Engineer Ray Guillen from Cal Fire Riverside, went back into the charred building and started searching.
GUILLEN: When I looked under the bed, I found the first cat, the black one. But as soon as I went to go grab it, it just fell over. So then I knew
something was wrong.
BENEDICT: Not one, not two, but three cats were lifeless inside one apartment.
SALVADOR DE LA CRUZ, CALFIRE RIVERSIDE: Cat wasn't breathing. So we'd have any oxygen at that time. So I reverted to mouth to snout and started
pumping on the cat's chest.
BENEDICT: But with three cats in need and not enough paramedics, Deputy Adam Maldonado, with the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, came running
too.
ADAM MALDONADO, RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Started giving them chest compressions. And I know, from holding my cats, their -- their hearts
beat pretty fast. I was new to beat pretty deep and pretty fast.
BENEDICT: It was a rescue caught on video that has hearts all over social media, beating two.
DE LA CRUZ: We've gotten text messages at the wazoo about it. I mean, it's -- it's a great thing.
BENEDICT: Because even though saving lives and property is literally the job of first responders, the fact that they cared enough to save these
lives means the world to many.
MALDONADO: I am a proud dad of four cats. Four cats. And I get made fun of a lot, but I -- I don't care. I love them.
There's Mochi and Milo (ph).
BENEDICT: Firefighter De La Cruz also was once a proud cat dad. And the truth is, they all know that pets are family.
GUILLEN: They treated them like their kids. So we just couldn't leave them there.
BENEDICT: And how this crew knew what to do? Well, they just took a leap.
DE LA CRUZ: We just treated kind of like we would treat a pediatric patient that was unresponsive and not breathing. Small, press hard, press fast. And
then breath into them.
BENEDICT: And through chest compressions, mouth to snout, and then a little oxygen, eventually these furry friends came back around.
[12:55:05]
MALDONADO: My cat, while I was working on -- her name was Princess. So I can see Princess start passing.
BENEDICT: Few more breaths and a happy ending. Thanks to the extra effort by these cat loving heroes who made sure those who lost their home didn't
lose their furry family too.
Joy Benedict, CBS L.A.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Some good news to end.
Well, that does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks so much for your company. Stay around. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
