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What We Know with Max Foster
Israel Facing Growing Pressure To End The War; Netanyahu: Israel Has Killed Hamas Leader Mohammed Sinwar; Germany To Help Ukraine Produce Long- Range Weapons; Harvard Remains Defiant Amid White House Threats; Students Caught In The Middle Of Political Battle; Anthropic CEO: A.I. will Spike White-Collar Unemployment. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 28, 2025 - 15:00 ET
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[15:00:25]
ISA SOARES, CNN HOST: Growing pleas to stop the suffering in Gaza after 600 days of war. I'm Isa Soares in for Max Foster. This is WHAT WE KNOW.
Israel is facing more pressure than ever to accept a ceasefire and allow a flood of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Fifty-four thousand people have now
been killed in Israeli attacks. And that is according to the Palestinian health ministry. And that includes many women and many children. And much
of Gaza's civilian infrastructure has been bombed into dust.
The EU foreign policy chief today said Israel's military operations go beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas. We also heard a lot of criticism
of the war at the U.N. Security Council today. A U.S. trauma surgeon who has volunteered twice in Gaza said we are losing a generation before our
eyes. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. FEROZE SIDHWA, U.S. TRAUMA SURGEON: I did not see or treat a single combatant during my five weeks in Gaza. My patients were six-year-olds with
shrapnels in their heart and bullets in their brains, and pregnant women whose pelvises had been obliterated and their fetuses cut into while still
in the womb. Mothers sheltering in the hospital cooked bread on hot plates in the emergency department during mass casualty events, as we dealt with
the rain of fire and death falling around us everywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Algeria's U.N. ambassador also addressed the council, making sure everyone saw the faces of some of the children recently killed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMAR BENDJAMA, ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: On the morning of Friday, May 23rd. Dr. Alaa al-Najjar left her home for her shift, at the hospital -
- at the Nasser hospital. She didn't know. She didn't know it would be the last time she said goodbye to nine of her ten children.
These are these children. They were not members of a center for command and control of Hamas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, at that same meeting, the Israeli ambassador to the U.N. hit back at those who claim Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: That is what happens when terms like genocide are thrown around, like political weapons, stripped of
meaning and used to demonize Jews. This council has become a megaphone for that hate, a place where the worst actors in the international system used
a banner of justice to justify violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the IDF is making a dramatic shift toward the complete defeat of Hamas. He announced today that
Mohammed Sinwar, that is the de facto leader of Hamas, has been killed in a recent strike.
Our Jeremy Diamond has more for you from Tel Aviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, for the first time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Mohammed Sinwar has
been killed. The de facto leader of Hamas in Gaza was targeted in an Israeli airstrike about two weeks ago that, we know, killed at least 28
people and wounded 50 others. But until this moment, Israel had not confirmed that Sinwar was in fact killed in that strike. And so, this is
the first time we are hearing confirmation from the Israeli prime minister himself.
Important to note, though, that the Israeli military has yet to release a statement on the matter, and typically they would confirm such a high
profile killing in a statement. The Israeli prime minister's comments came as he was talking about how he believes Israel has changed the face of the
Middle East, listing a series of Hamas leaders whom Israel has killed over the course of this war and listing Mohammed Sinwar, among them.
Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied this claim from the Israeli prime minister. When this strike was carried out, they released a statement
saying that only they would be authorized to confirm or deny news of this significance.
Mohammed Sinwar was one of the architects of Hamas's October 7th massacre in Israel, as well as the kidnaping of more than 250 Israelis who today, 58
of them are marking 600 days now of captivity. One of the key questions is what Mohammed Sinwar death now means for the war. Sinwar's killing
certainly gives the Israeli prime minister something to tout as kind of a symbol of victory here, and we will see whether or not that impacts those
ceasefire and hostage release negotiations and Israel's willingness to agree to a temporary ceasefire here.
There are questions about how Sinwar's death, if the Israeli prime minister is to be believed here, how it will impact those negotiations because while
Sinwar was certainly viewed as a hardline figure, someone who my sources have said has stood in the way of previous ceasefire and hostage release
negotiations, he was also the one who ultimately greenlit on the ground the release of Edan Alexander, the Israeli American. And following that, Hamas
very much hoped that that would lead to negotiations to end the war in Gaza. Altogether. It was the day after Edan Alexander was released that the
Israeli military actually carried out this strike, which the Israeli prime minister now says has killed Mohammed Sinwar.
So, a slew of questions here. And again, no official confirmation yet from Hamas itself. But the Israeli prime minister saying that Israel has killed
Hamas's de facto leader in Gaza, Mohammed Sinwar.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: As Jeremy said, today marks 600 days of the war in Gaza. Protests have erupted across Tel Aviv, some turning violent. Demonstrators took to
the streets chanting with megaphones you can see as police forcefully grabbed several protesters. They're calling for the end of the war and the
return of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
I want to go to Berlin, where Germany and Ukraine's leaders are strengthening their alliance. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has
announced the joint production of long-range weapons inside Ukraine, and it comes after the Kremlin slammed what it calls a dangerous decision by
Ukraine's allies to lift the ban on Kyiv firing these types of weapons into Russia.
Fred Pleitgen has all the details for you from berlin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Germany appears to be drastically stepping up its military aid for Ukraine announcing a 5
billion euro aid package that covers not just giving Ukraine weapons and ammunition, but also combined production of weapons.
Now all this comes as President Vladimir Zelenskyy of Ukraine was here in Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. And during that
meeting and after that meeting, it was thought that maybe Friedrich Merz would announce that the Germans would give cruise missiles to Ukrainians.
However, that was not the case. Instead, the German chancellor announced that there would be combined weapons productions by Germany and Ukraine for
longer range weapons.
Here's what he said.
FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): We are financing a considerable part of the country's Starlink cover, and our defense
ministers will today sign a memorandum of understanding on the procurement of long range weapon systems from Ukrainian production, so-called long
range fires. There will be no range restrictions. Ukraine will thus be able to defend itself fully, even against military targets outside its own
territory.
PLEITGEN: Now, a little bit more nuance about that was given by the German defense ministry. They said that the first batch of these weapons would be
in Ukrainian hands within the next couple of weeks. Also that no additional training would be necessary for the Ukrainian forces that are set to use
these weapons. And at the same time, the Germans saying that they believe that a significant number of these munitions could be in Ukrainian hands
before the end of the year.
So, certainly, that could drastically enhance Ukraine's capabilities of attacking targets deep inside Russian territory, which, of course, the
Russians have said could potentially escalate the war in Ukraine. And the Russians also coming out and heavily criticizing this new measure by the
German government, saying that the Germans and the French where, as the Kremlin spokesman said, in a race to escalate the war in Ukraine.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Thanks to Fred.
Well, the next round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine could take place as soon as next week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the
talks will happen in Istanbul in Turkey. CNN has reached out to Ukraine's foreign ministry for comment. As soon as we get a response, of course we'll
bring that to you.
The Trump administration is ramping up measures against international students. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has now put a pause on new student
visa application appointments. Mr. Rubio, in a diplomatic cable seen by CNN, says U.S. embassy should take a closer look at student social media
profiles before approving their visas, and this move could create a significant backlog and discourage, of course, international students from
studying in the U.S.
That pause on new student visa interviews is contributing to the cloud of uncertainty. So you can imagine hanging over Harvard's graduation week
normally a time, of course, of celebration.
And while Harvard day festivities are being held on campus, President Trump is doubling down on its attacks against the university, suggesting that it
should place a 15 percent cap on the number of international students. The president also threatened to cut more federal funding to the school.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're taking $5 billion, and I'd rather see that money go to trade schools. And by the way, they're
totally antisemitic at Harvard, as you know, and some other colleges too, in all fairness to them. And it's been exposed, very exposed. And I think
they're dealing very badly. Every time they fight, they lose another $250 million. Yesterday, we found another $100 million.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on all of this. Discuss with our senior White House reporter in Kevin Liptak.
And, Kevin, like we said today, it was supposed to be really the start of celebrations. Yet we have the president continuing his attacks on Harvard.
Of course, Harvard pursues the legal route.
Just bring us up to date with the very latest is what we've heard from the president, of course. And the pressure this puts on international students.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. And that figure that you heard the president say today, that he thinks that there should be a 15
percent cap on international students enrolled at Harvard. That was actually a new figure in all of this back and forth over international
enrollments at Harvard that hadn't necessarily come up yet. And it sort of adds a new layer to what the White House and what President Trump are
trying to do with this very elite institution in Massachusetts.
And we have now seen the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, instruct embassies and consulates to put these interviews for student visa
applications on hold. That would apply to Harvard, but would also apply to every other university in the United States.
Tomorrow, a judge in Massachusetts will hear arguments over this hold that the administration has put on visa applicants, specifically at Harvard. And
so, you can see how the institution is continuing to challenge all of these efforts in court.
And then, of course, there are the financial ramifications. The administration just this week instructing federal agencies to end all
federal contracts with Harvard, totaling about $100 million. And you can see through all of this, this attempt by the White House to one kneecap
Harvard financially, but two to kneecap it in its kind of global stature and its ability to attract kind of the best of the best across the entire
world.
And we should say that that too, will have a financial effect on Harvard, because often, international students pay full tuition in a way they
subsidize the financial aid that a lot of American students receive at these organizations. They are kind of a cash cow for institutions like
Harvard and other higher education institutions across the U.S. and so you see, this continued effort.
And I think this court hearing tomorrow will be a good moment to sort of determine how exactly this will all proceed. This is a judge that was
appointed by former President Obama. She has shown an inclination to, at least initially, put that restraining order in place that will continue to
allow foreign students to enroll. But this will be an important moment as Harvard celebrates their commencement this week.
SOARES: Indeed. Thank you very much. Kevin Liptak there, thank you.
Well, desperate for food, chaos erupts in southern Gaza during a U.S.- backed aid distribution. Coming up, what went wrong at the first day of dispersement? We have more next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:08]
SOARES: The U.S. and Israel are pressing on with a controversial aid program for Gaza despite an alarming start. Palestinian officials now say
one person was killed by gunfire on Tuesday and dozens were injured. Israel says its forces fired warning shots as thousands of Palestinians swarmed
the U.S.-backed convoy.
The main U.N. agency serving Palestinians, issued a searing condemnation of this disastrous rollout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIPPE LAZZARINI, UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL: It was chaotic, undignified and unsafe. We have predicted that with this hub, people would
be asked to walk for kilometers, which seems to have been the case, waiting long hours in the sun, waiting to be vetted and cleared, and as you know,
we as a united nation have said we cannot adhere to this way of providing assistance because it falls short to abide to humanitarian principles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Lazzarini there. Well, the U.S. ambassador to Israel says the food distribution in Gaza was effective, the scenes of chaos and the chaos we
just showed you suggests otherwise. So, what we want to know is what is the right way to distribute this aid.
Joining me now from Jordan is Shaina Low, her communication advisor with the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Shaina, welcome to the show.
Look, time and time again for the last several weeks on my show, I have heard from NGOs including, you know, even NRC's Jan Egeland, who spoke to
me, I think at the end of April, really to speak out about the humanitarian, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. They -- many NGOs have
refused to my understand, to cooperate with their plans, which they say kind of contradicts, from my understanding, humanitarian principles and
some say appear to weaponize this aid.
When you look at the chaotic images that we've been playing out, that we've been showing viewers, where are they going wrong?
SHAINA LOW, COMMUNICATION ADVISER, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: Well, first of all, I think we can and as the U.N. said, this was completely
predictable what happened yesterday. And the way that that aid should be carried out is by coordinated humanitarian aid systems. These -- our
systems have proven to work time and again.
We saw when we had the operating space to deliver during the six-week ceasefire, that we were able to scale up our operations, reach communities
wherever they are, and ensure that we are not contributing to the forced displacement of Palestinians.
What we saw yesterday undermines everything about the humanitarian response and fails to adhere to any, even the most basic of humanitarian principles
in terms of reaching people where they are and delivering aid that meets their needs.
[15:20:06]
SOARES: Just expand on that, Shaina, because I think that's really interesting, because from what I understand, you know, as we look at these
chaotic scenes, rather than aid being distributed to people in need, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is overseeing a new system of food
distribution where people in Gaza must collect. And this is why we're seeing these scenes must collect aid from a small number of hubs. And from
what I understand, there's one in central Gaza, two in southern Gaza, and the sites in the south, from what I understand, were in an area that fell
just a day prior under evacuation order, and none in the north.
Why does this does not and clearly, it does not work. We're seeing it, right? But explain why to our viewers. You might be, you know, confused
about why we are seeing these images.
LOW: Well, first of all, in terms of the location of these hubs, you're correct. These hubs are not in the areas where people are and people are
not able to access them, particularly those in northern Gaza who have faced extraordinary deprivation over the last 19 months. These hubs failed to
address the needs of the most vulnerable of people, people who cannot walk the many kilometers needed to access these sites, people who are elderly,
people who have disabilities.
We have such an enormous number of amputees in Gaza, single headed -- single family, single headed households where a parent might not be able to
leave their children unattended to be able to access the aid. So, what we - - what we have warned about and what we what we fear is that these hubs are really a cover in order to displace Palestinians. Israeli officials have
made it clear their intentions to take over large parts, if not all, of Gaza, and displace the residents living in those places.
And we want no part of that. We cannot contribute to the forcible transfer of Palestinians. We cannot be complicit. These are clear violations of
international humanitarian law and for humanitarian organizations and the U.N. -- including the U.N. These are things that we just cannot take part
in.
SOARES: Can I just ask you as a humanitarian, when you see these scenes, you know, given what we've heard from so many NGOs prior to this, the
warnings, of course, and worth pointing out, the Gaza humanitarian foundation, one of its leaders, has actually stepped down since. Does it --
this simply infuriate you that, you know, I told you so, we're here?
LOW: Of course, it infuriates me. It's so frustrating. The U.N. has said that they have 100 -- that there are 171,000 metric tons of food aid
waiting to enter Gaza, prepared to enter Gaza, and that we know how to safely deliver, how to reach communities in need. And these boxes of food,
which I read today, the humanitarian foundation says it's enough food to feed five and a half people for only three and a half days.
That's just ridiculous. That is not what people need. People need assessments. They need services.
Not just food. They need medical care. They need nutritional care. They need water and sanitation services. This is just simply not going to cut it
in terms of the needs of Palestinians.
SOARES: And, Shaina, as you are speaking, we're getting some news and this is from the World Food Program. We're being told that a hungry crowd of
Palestinians broke into the U.N.'s warehouse in central Gaza today, resulting in at least two people dead, a multiple injured, of course, as
famine desperation continues to worsen, this incident was at the World Food Program warehouse.
That really just underscore, Shaina, you were making this point that just the humanitarian disaster, you know, after 80 days of complete aid blockade
and the utter desperation as we see these hordes of hungry people. Can you -- can -- do we still have her? Do we do you still are you still with us,
Shaina?
LOW: I am still with you. I'm sorry. My camera seems to have turned off.
SOARES: Don't worry, don't worry. I was just asking you, you know, to react. And were hearing from the World Food Program that, you know,
Palestinian -- crowd of Palestinians have broken into their warehouse in central Gaza, resulting in two people dead and multiple injured.
LOW: It's not surprising at all because we've seen how desperate the population is to get any type of food, any type of support that they can.
We've seen the decimation of law and order in Gaza as civilian police have been targeted and as desperation grows, we expect this to only continue.
It's undermining that not only -- it's undermining the efforts of principled humanitarian actors as people continue to starve, as people
continue to be desperate and do anything that they can to feed themselves and their families.
[15:25:06]
I worry that many, many more people will die, if not in scenes like the one the WFP is reporting, than from the malnutrition, the spread of diseases,
and a whole host of other issues that are completely 100 percent preventable, if only we're able to get our aid in.
SOARES: Indeed.
Shaina, really appreciate you coming on and bearing with us. And thank you. We can fix your camera, but we hear you, your insight, your -- it's so
important at this moment. Thank you very much indeed.
Now it's been 600 days since Hamas launched the October 7th attacks, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. A former hostage
who survived the attacks and the ongoing war recently spoke with my colleague Bianna Golodryga. Omer Shem Tov spent 505 days in captivity. He
was released during the temporary ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas if you remember in February.
That's him you see there embracing warmly, embracing his parents. He tells us what life was like being held by Hamas. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OMER SHEM TOV, FORMER HOSTAGE: By the last week, I had a biscuit a day with a couple of sips of salty water. And I remember me waking up in the
morning in what I thought is a morning waking up. And I had to calculate throughout the day, the biscuit, how am I going to eat it? And yeah, it was
a very difficult time for me there. But at the same time, my faith in God became very strong.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: You dropped an enormous amount of weight, I think going from 176 pounds to 121 pounds.
You talked about the starvation. In your interactions with the terrorists and your captors, did you ask them why they were starving you?
TOV: One time, I did ask one terrorist about it, and he told me because of the army, there is no food. But I used to see them eat. I knew they weren't
getting -- they weren't skinny as me, you know. One time I remember I asked to go to the to the to the restroom, to the bathroom, and they took me out.
I used to go every three days to the bathroom.
And I remember me walking by another room in the tunnel. Yeah. And seeing, like, like a big amount of food, of, you know, cheese and bread and like
huge amounts, you know? So, I was being starved. You know, there is no question about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Omer Shem Tov speaking to my colleague Bianna Golodryga.
And still to come, the Trump administration hits pause on new student visa application interviews. The impact that move may have on thousands of
college students, and what it could mean for the U.S. economy. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:32:03]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Neither side appears to be backing down in the escalating feud between the White House and Harvard University.
President Donald Trump is suggesting that the school placed a 15 percent cap on the number of foreign students. He said that in the last, what, two
hours or so. His administration is demanding the names and countries as well of origin of the thousands of international students currently
enrolled there.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We want to know where those students come. Are they troublemakers? What countries do they come?
And we're not going to. If somebody is coming from a certain country and they're 100 percent fine, which I hope most of them are, but many of them
won't be. You're going to see some very radical people. They're taking people from areas of the world that are very radicalized, and we don't want
them making trouble in our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And the threats come amid Harvard's class day celebrations prior, of course, to Thursday's commencement moment. Of course, that ought to be
full of celebration.
Joining us now is Ambassador Nicholas Burns. He's the former U.S. ambassador to China and NATO. He's also professor at the Harvard Kennedy
School.
Ambassador, welcome to the show. I was caught -- I saw your tweet earlier this morning that really caught my eye. And I shared with the team. I
really wanted to get your insight inside today's show because you wrote this. I've taught hundreds of international students to Harvard. They
enrich the experience of American students, boost our economy, and return home impressed by our open democratic society.
Who gains from this gross, unfair decision, you ask? China. Just explain to our viewers around the world what you mean by that.
NICHOLAS BURNS, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Well, first of all, thank you for this interview. I can tell you that on class day and tomorrows our
commencement, Harvard's standing tall. Theres a feeling of collective strength. We know that we're in the right.
We're a private institution. We know that we have to follow the laws of the United States, of course. But the government can't dictate to us or
penalize us if they disagree with what we say or the composition of our faculty or our student body. So, this is a question of constitutional
rights of Americans. And as you know, Harvard is contesting these government actions in court.
What I meant in my tweet is to say this. We are in -- we are involved in a battle of ideas with the Chinese government. They say that authoritarianism
is the way forward. That they're state-driven model is the way forward.
And when we think of America's strengths, we think of immigration, legal immigration. We think of our diversity in the United States, and we think
of the strength of our universities, that we tell the truth in our universities, that we study subjects that are taboo in places like China.
So as our government here in the United States has launched this cavalcade of charges against Harvard and deprived us of government financing, you can
bet the Chinese government has had a field day with this. And I've been following the statements of the Chinese government, and they've been very
unfair, obviously, in describing the situation here.
[15:35:05]
So that's what I meant. And I think it's important for all Americans to reflect on the fact that one of our very greatest strengths globally is
that is our institutions of higher learning, our universities.
SOARES: And we have heard in the last week or so from China's foreign ministry, ambassador, as you would have known, the spokesperson saying just
on Friday, I'm going to quote her here, such actions by the U.S. will only damage its own image and international credibility. No doubt rubbing their
hands with glee, as you're suggesting, is all this is unfolding. And as we've heard, and I had this conversation with Juliette Kayyem, who's also a
professor at the Kennedy School, you know, just in the last hour.
And we were having -- we were having this discussion about how, you know, how enriched the student body is at Harvard, like so many U.S.
universities, from students all over the world, we know international students make up a significant, I think, more than a quarter of the body
and those from China making up the largest. From what I understand, international group, that many of them, as I've discussed with several
professors, end up staying in the United States.
So, speak to the impact that this would have, of course, on, you know, on civil society, on the American economy, even speak to that.
BURNS: Well, first, we live in the 21st century, and every university around the world should not be composed just of students from that one
particular country. We all live in a globalized world. We have to work together on the big global challenges ahead of us. So, we want -- we should
want our young people to be studying together at Harvard Kennedy School, 90 -- students from 90 countries come together in our classrooms and will be
seated together at commencement tomorrow.
So that's the kind of environment we want. And for the U.S. government to be saying, you have to have only Americans there, or only 15 percent
foreign students. That is so arbitrary, and I think self-defeating.
The second thing I'd say to you is that if we think about our modern economy, particularly the transformational forces of artificial
intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, most of the ideas that our private sector in the U.S. and around the world are bringing to market,
those ideas come out of university research labs.
And what really made America great as an industrial power post-World War II was the fact that the federal government funded research in universities,
the universities incubated ideas and then transferred them to the private sector. That becomes the iPhones of the day. And here in the U.S., Boston's
a high tech city, a great number of our CEOs and founders of our companies are immigrants or naturalized Americans. The same is true in Silicon
Valley.
So, leaving our doors open to legal immigration is part of the strength of the United States, not a weakness.
SOARES: Ambassador Nicholas Burns, really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us here on the show. Thank you, sir.
BURNS: Thank you so much.
SOARES: You're very welcome. Well, in addition to the battle we'll have with Harvard, the U.S. State Departments pausing new student visa
appointments. A notice was sent to all U.S. embassies, as well as consulates around the world.
The State Department says it's reviewing the current screening process, but there will be new rules about the vetting of social media accounts for
prospective students. And that worries many students who have spoken out on the war in Gaza.
Here's CNN's Nada Bashir with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Students across the globe hoping to study in the United States are now in limbo after the U.S. State Department
issued a bombshell decision instructing embassies and consulates around the world to pause all new student visa appointments as it moves to expand
social media vetting for applicants. That's according to a diplomatic cable seen by CNN.
ADEFEMOLA AKTINTADE, REPORTER, "PEOPLES GAZETTE": I don't have any backup plan. You know, I put all my eggs in one basket in Columbia.
BASHIR: Nigerian journalist Adefemola Aktintade was accepted to Columbia Journalism School for a master's degree on a scholarship and is due to
start in August after paying a hefty enrollment fee. She was on the verge of applying for her visa when the news broke.
AKTINTADE: I was blank for some seconds. I didn't know what to think and then it's so close, like, how was I can almost feel it? And then yet so
far, I don't know what to do. This is something I've always wanted for the longest of time.
BASHIR: For now, it's unclear what kind of social media posts could pose a problem for a student's visa application. As a result, many students were
reluctant to speak to CNN on camera. One Canadian student hoping to study at Columbia in the fall, told CNN it feels like a really scary and
unsettling time for international students studying in the U.S. a lot of us chose to study in the U.S. for its freedoms, but now knowing that innocent
social media posts could cost an education feels like censorship.
[15:40:08]
The White House has also recently attempted to stop foreign students from studying at Harvard University, though that decision has since been halted
by a judge for the time being. But plans to further restrict the flow of international students to the U.S. will deal a significant blow, not only
to prospective students but also to U.S. colleges.
DAVID HAWKINS, FOUNDER, THE UNIVERSITY GUYS: I think this is going to be a concern and perhaps threaten some of the financial stability of many U.S.
universities, is those floating voters, those consumers of education, who might be looking at the U.S., but also at other destinations like Canada,
like Europe, like the U.K., where that lack of certainty is at the very least, meaning they're going to have to apply to more than one destination.
BASHIR: According to a report from the Institute of International Education, more than 1.1 million international students studied at U.S.
higher education institutions in the 2023 to `24 school year, meaning many U.S. colleges reliant on foreign tuition could be severely impacted.
Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Nada for that report.
While the A.I. revolution is coming and our jobs will likely become obsolete, including potentially mine. That stark warning from one of the
industry's top executives. The story with Anna Stewart after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone.
A terrifying warning today from one of the leading executives in the A.I. world. Dario Amodei, the CEO of A.I. creator Anthropic, tells "Axios"
unemployment could spike to 10 or 20 percent in the next five years, as A.I. takes over jobs. He adds that A.I. will soon be capable of doing many
entry level jobs, white collar jobs which could devastate young workers in fields like technology, finance, as well as the law.
[15:45:04]
Our Anna Stewart has more from these warnings.
And, Anna, I think it's -- you know, we've been here before. We've heard a lot of these warnings. How is this one any different?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we haven't had a warning really for a couple of years. There was that big open letter signed by the likes of Elon
Musk, calling for a pause for six months on large language models, saying it could be a risk to the human race. Of course, Elon Musk did then launch
Grok, which is a large language model, but that's another story.
So, today, we have the CEO of Anthropic who founded the company. He used to work at OpenAI, giving this big warning in an interview with "Axios". He is
saying that as many as half of entry-level white collar jobs. I think he's talking about the U.S. specifically could be wiped out in the next one to
five years.
SOARES: That's not that long.
STEWART: A pretty short time frame. And his concerns are that lawmakers are either not believing the risks involved with jobs or they don't believe
them, and they're not doing enough. And CEOs are too afraid to bring this up.
Already we can show you a few job cuts that we've had just in the last few months. Microsoft is reportedly laying off 3 percent of its workforce.
Walmart is letting go hundreds. This article from "Axios" cites 1,500.
CrowdStrike, which is a cybersecurity company based in Texas, they're cutting 500 jobs. That's 5 percent of their workforce. And they actually
cite A.I. in that announcement.
SOARES: So if you are screaming at the telly saying, is my job at risk? What industries are we looking at here potentially?
STEWART: So many, including our own.
SOARES: That's what I said and you probably heard me. I hope that doesn't include me.
STEWART: Pretty much everyone should be questioning, is A.I. a risk to my job? Yes, it can augment my job right now, but will it one day automate my
job? Could it replace me? And key is this isn't just a warning, but also this article cites things that can be done.
Policymakers should be working on job retraining. Policymakers could also consider maybe even taxing A.I. companies like Anthropic. Thats actually a
suggestion from the CEO, because perhaps they'll need to redistribute money in a world where there are far fewer jobs.
He's talking about 10 to 20 percent unemployment increase in the next one to five years. Now, this is very, very gloomy. This is not necessarily
going to happen, but it's just one of the many warnings out there.
STEWART: Warnings, but also solutions. That's not very common from CEOs. Glad to hear.
Anna, thank you very much indeed.
"And Just Like That" is back. The beloved series is back. This week I sat down with one of its leading ladies, iconic Sarah Jessica Parker. That
conversation, just ahead.
(COMMERCIKAL BREAK)
[15:50:02]
SOARES: It's a story of love, of loss, of sex, but above all, a female friendship at all stages of life. The hit series "And Just Like That" is
coming back to our screens for its third season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congratulations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at them. So cool. So confident. So not dating in their 50s. So why? My hair was still smoldering. I called him and kind
of demanded that he fly to New York and see me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How does one kind of demand?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need proof that he loves me. What must it be like to not need that? You. I'm asking you, what's it like?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The show is made by HBO Max, which is owned by CNNs parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Earlier, I sat down with Sarah Jessica Parker. I started by asking her, what makes these women so relatable and what more we still have to learn
about dating in the modern day. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS & PRODUCER: Well, I think a point of reference is typically based on life experience. Lisette, the character in
the show that now lives in Carrie's apartment, she will -- she'll look at love and sex and relationships very different at her age in 2025 than
Carrie would.
I think the ways in which we, you know, arrive at opinions and pursue love are based on our life experiences. And Carrie is more mature. She's
evolved. I think she's less hysterical or demonstrative when love disappoints.
But I think she's as invested in the idea of this kind of companionship that still is a destination for her, but I think she just has, you know,
even vis a vis Aidan, she just -- when there is a revelation, she just is simply more circumspect about things, because that's what tends to happen
to people as they mature. They know more. They're able to process in ways that are probably slightly healthier. They're better at conflict, they're
better at problem solving. And I think Carrie is just yet one more human being who shows us that.
SAORES: And I love that. Aidan's back in the picture, very excited to see him back.
Look, while you are, of course, an author on the big screen behind that, you're a lifelong reader. And on my show, we have our own book club, and
you know, we're all enthused for your love of books. And that was also evident, Sarah Jessica, in your documentary, "The Librarians," which we all
-- we all loved here in the show. You've spoken out publicly about book banning in the United States, and I've -- actually, it's a conversation
I've had on my book club with the wonderful Jodi Picoult.
Can you speak to what you are seeing here in the United States regarding book banning and freedom of speech, and why people ought to be pushing
back?
PARKER: Well, book banning doesn't really accomplish much. Except it just hurts people. Specific to libraries, I will simply say that many people in
this country, including me, were raised in libraries, and they're not just buildings with shelves. They are sanctuaries of possibility. And there are
connection to, for many people, Wi-Fi, the opportunity to apply for jobs, to learn languages, to reach information. They are the gateway to
compassion and empathy and curiosity.
But they are also beacons in neighborhoods. They are warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and they are places for us to grow, to enrich our
lives, to be educated. And they are free, you know, the idea of freedom of speech and that it is being threatened is -- it's hard for me to articulate
the ways in which that is of such grave concern.
But it seems an impossibility that I would live in a country where I can't share a diverse or counter opinion. I'm excited about meeting people who
think differently than me, and it's a way and once again, it's how we often arrive at the best decisions. I'm not afraid of someone whose opinion is
different of their political beliefs, ideological beliefs, their religions being different, and even the ideas that scare me and words that I'm not --
that I personally object to, I would fight for their right to be heard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:55:04]
SOARES: Hear, hear. Thanks for Sarah Jessica Parker for that.
And finally tonight, it wasn't snakes on a plane level chaos, but some pigeons did try to sneak onto a flight in the United States.
The pilot of the Delta flight told passengers there's a wildlife situation on the plane on the statement, something you don't hear every day before a
baggage handler safely removed the two pigeons, those two extra passengers ended up delaying the flight from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, for
about one hour. I'm glad everyone is well, including the pigeons.
And that does it for this hour. Thanks very much for your company. I'm Isa Soares.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" with my colleague Jim Sciutto is up next.
Have a wonderful day. I shall see you here at the same time tomorrow. Bye- bye.
END
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