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CNN International: Israel: 50 "Terrorists" Killed At Al-Shifa Hospital In Gaza; Blinken: 100 Percent Of Gaza At "Severe Levels Of Acute Food Insecurity"; U.S. Lawmakers Race Against Clock To Avoid Government Shutdown. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired March 19, 2024 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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RAHEL SOLOMON, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
In Gaza, Israel's military is providing new details about its raid on a hospital. This as the UN human rights chief warns that Israel's restrictions on aid into Gaza could amount to a war crime. Plus, government shutdown averted or so it seems. House and Senate leaders announcing a deal that President Biden says he will sign just as soon as it reaches his desk. We're live on Capitol Hill with the details. And Prince William today made an appearance to announce new funding in his campaign to end homelessness in the UK. But, questions remain about his wife Kate after a new video shows her out shopping. Our royal correspondent will break it all down.
We want to begin this hour in Gaza. The Israeli military now giving new details about its raid on al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, as a doctor inside the complex calls for urgent intervention, warning that the hospital could turn into a "mass grave". The IDF says that it has killed 50 "terrorists" in close range combat so far. It accuses Hamas of using the hospital as cover. Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians are seeking shelter there. The World Health Organization says that it is "terribly worried" about their fate, saying that hospitals should never be battlegrounds. Civilians in Gaza, meantime, also face a growing risk of death by starvation. Listen to what the U.S. Secretary of State said about a new report warning of famine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: 100 percent of the population in Gaza is at severe levels of acute food insecurity. That's the first time an entire population has been so classified.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: And the UN human rights chief is putting the blame on Israel. He says that Israel's "extensive restrictions on the entry and distribution of aid could amount to the use of starvation as a weapon of war, which is a war crime."
Let's bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks for more. She is following all these developments from Doha. Paula, those warnings are dire from the UN, from the U.S., and others. What's the latest on efforts to increase the amount of aid reaching Gaza?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, we're still hearing from aid groups that only a fraction of what is needed is actually getting in at this point, again, blaming Israel for the restrictive measures that they have at the two land crossings that are effectively open at this point. There are continuing calls for more land crossings to be opened. And in the absence of that, we are seeing more airdrops, and we're seeing the maritime corridor being used. But, repeatedly, humanitarian aid groups say that there is no substitute for being able to get aid in across these land crossings.
Now, the UN-backed report, you mentioned then, did say that they believe that there could be famine in northern Gaza between now and mid-May. That is if the humanitarian situation doesn't change and if they are not able to get more trucks through the land crossings. Now, we have heard from World Food Programme. They said just a couple of days ago. They were able to get some 20 trucks, excuse me, 10 trucks into northern Gaza through a new route. So, these aid groups are still trying to find different routes to get to where they need to, to drop this aid off and distribute it to the desperate residents of Gaza.
Less than a week ago, the Israeli military said that they had opened up a gate along the security fence between Israel and Gaza, and through that route the World Food Programme was able to access northern Gaza. That was a pilot program. We haven't heard that that's being used any more in the future. But, this is what the pressure is at this point, to open up more land crossings. We've heard it from the Biden administration. We've heard it from the international institutions, the WFP saying that there is a very small window now to be able to try and avert famine in the Gaza Strip. Rahel.
SOLOMON: And Paula, what about the latest on the status of the ceasefire talks? You're in Doha where the current round of talks between Israeli, Qatari, Egyptian officials has now just ended. What's next now?
HANCOCKS: Well, the Mossad director David Barnea has left Doha. We have heard from the spokesperson of the foreign ministry here that the process now is that they have the technical talks. So, that was ongoing this afternoon, really hammering out the details, and he said that he was expecting a counterproposal to come from Israel and to be able to give to Hamas.
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So, that's the status of the talks at this point. Now, he said he was cautiously optimistic, because the talks had resumed, because the very fact that Israel had sent this delegation even though the Mossad director did have some very strict parameters as to what he could agree to. There had been a war cabinet meeting, a security cabinet meeting in Israel the day before giving him exact details of how far he could go and what the red lines were in what he would agree to. So, the process now is once the technical teams have finished their work that offer will then be taken by the Qatari mediators to Hamas to consider. So, he did say he was hopeful, but he didn't say that they were close to success. He said it's too early to say that they're close to success. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Well, I suppose any optimism even, if it is a cautious optimism, is a positive development and a step in the right direction. Paula Hancocks live for us there in Doha. Paula, thank you.
And now we continue to track the crisis in the Caribbean, gangs rampaging Haiti's capital after the government's near total collapse. It has sparked a new humanitarian emergency and a growing vigilante movement where communities are taking the law into their own hands.
CNN's David Culver and his team have been reporting from inside Port- au-Prince all week, and he has this look at a city scarred by carnage.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Port-au-Prince feels post-apocalyptic.
CULVER: This is basically the aftermath of a war town.
CULVER (voice-over): Driving through the battlegrounds between gangs and police, we dodge massive craters and piles of burning trash. The police controlled these roads leading to Haiti's international airport, for today at least. It's been shut for weeks. Out front, checkpoints to search for suspected gang members and an armored truck to keep watch. It sits beaten and battered. Less than a month ago, we flew in and out on commercial flights here, now it's desolate. The country is in chaos, essentially held hostage by gangs eager to expand their reign of terror. Over the weekend, more businesses looted and cars stolen, gangs leaving behind a scorched path of ruin.
We're headed to one of the last remaining hospital trauma centers that's still functioning in Port-au-Prince.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: February 29th was probably the worst.
CULVER (voice-over): As soon as we meet one of the doctors, a call comes in.
CULVER: Go ahead if you need to get it.
CULVER (voice-over): A gunshot victim heading into surgery. He takes us to him.
CULVER: Most of those cases that are brought here are gunshot victims from the gang violence.
CULVER (voice-over): With the patient's family giving us permission, we go in as staff prepared to operate. We're told the 24-year-old truck driver was caught in the crossfire between police and gangs. CULVER: The doctor is showing me here images that are very disturbing, but they show an entry wound of a bullet basically around the temple and went right through and caused damage to at least one eye.
CULVER (voice-over): The doctor tells us the man has lost vision in both eyes. Another bullet hit his arm.
CULVER: And so they will have to amputate his arm?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CULVER (voice-over): We peer into the ICU. It's full.
CULVER: Are most of these gunshot victims?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of them.
CULVER: All of them are?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And she is in pain. She feels the pain in her leg.
CULVER: And so how did it happen? Where were you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was going to the market.
CULVER (voice-over): Eighty-six years old, a reminder no one is shielded from the violence that's gripped Haiti's capital in recent weeks.
Police are exhausted. One local commander telling me morale is broken and that the gangs have more money and resources than they do: low on ammo, their squad cars out of gas. It is personal for the commander.
CULVER: He was forced out with his family from their own home and now this is his home, essentially.
CULVER (voice-over): The police, at least in this community, do have backup in the form of local residents.
CULVER: Do you feel like gangs are trying to move in and take this area?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, for sure.
CULVER (voice-over): While many community leaders call for peace, they admit they're tired of feeling threatened. So much so, some have created their own checkpoints and barricades, staffed 24/7, redirecting traffic and determining who comes in. Not everyone gets out.
CULVER: You can see right here at this intersection, there is a massive burn pile. This is actually where the community takes justice into their own hands. About a week ago was the most recent such case. They captured four suspected gang members. They brought them here, killed them with machetes, and set their bodies on fire.
CULVER (voice-over): The gruesome vigilante acts recorded in part as a warning to the gangs.
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But, even amid utter turmoil, life moves forward, and with it, moments to celebrate. Outside a church, these bridesmaids excitedly awaiting their cue to walk down the aisle.
Port-au-Prince is a city now shattered by the relentless blasts of violence that have forced more than 300,000 of its residents out of their homes.
CULVER: Where are you staying here? Where is your home in this facility?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CULVER: Right up there.
CULVER (voice-over): They take refuge in places like this school, classrooms turned dorm rooms, where more than 1,500 people cram in.
CULVER: So she is showing us, this is all her stuff --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That her stuff, yeah.
CULVER: -- that she has been able to bring and this is where she is set up right now.
CULVER (voice-over): In the classroom next door, we meet this woman, her husband killed by gang members. She and her five-year-old, like many here, have been forced to move every few weeks. "We're sleeping hungry. We're in misery," she tells me. "We'd probably be better off dead than living this life."
CULVER: Adding to the complication for those folks is the reality that they are not only facing threats from gangs, but as they describe it to me, they are also being ostracized from the communities in which they are now essentially camping out, and they say those neighbors don't want them there and will likewise attack them because they feel like having these refugees now within their community is drawing the gangs' attention and potentially bringing more violence to their homes.
David Culver, CNN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: Our thanks to David there.
And coming up, Donald Trump is getting fresh backlash this morning over comments he made about Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats. We will explain just ahead. Plus, Princess Kate appears to have been spotted out shopping near her home. So, will this end the online speculation about her whereabouts? We'll have a live report coming up.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. I want to take you now to Miami. That's where former Trump aide Peter Navarro is getting ready to turn himself in to a federal prison. Let's listen together.
PETER NAVARRO, FORMER AIDE TO DONALD TRUMP: Certainly, focus on that little story. But, what I'd suggest to you as journalists is there is two really bigger stories that you might want to report on and even do some research on, because these are big issues. This is not about me. One of the big stories is about what is really an unprecedented assault on the constitutional separation of powers and the doctrine of executive privilege as a critical tool dating back to George Washington and effective presidential decision-making.
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When I walk in that prison today, the justice system such as this will have done a crippling blow to the constitutional separation of powers and executive privilege. The second and related story has to do with the emergence of lawfare and the partisan weaponization of our justice system, which we have seen Trump to this country with a vengeance since the coming of Donald John Trump as President, and that keeps getting worse. So, let me walk you through those two stories. And again, I'm hoping as journalists, you will do some background, some research. I'm asking you to fact check everything I say today and write the bigger stories here, which I think are the important ones.
So, let's talk about some facts here. I am the first senior White House advisor in the history of our republic that has ever been charged with this alleged crime, and I say alleged, because for hundreds of years, this has not been a crime. And for 50 years, the Department of Justice has maintained the principle of absolute testimony immunity, and it was only with my case that somehow that has changed. And --
SOLOMON: All right. We've just been listening to Peter Navarro there as he begins to serve his -- he begins his turn himself into serve four months for refusing a congressional subpoena to report to the January 6 House Committee. We'll continue to watch this.
But, in the meantime, we want to turn our attention to some other news this afternoon, this morning. U.S. congressional leaders say that they have now reached a tentative budget agreement. But, will lawmakers have enough time to review and pass it in order to avoid a government shutdown? Well, negotiators on Capitol Hill are still facing a serious time crunch to seal the deal and keep the government open past Friday.
President Joe Biden welcoming the developments. In a statement, he said "We have come to an agreement with Congressional leaders on a path forward for the remaining full-year funding bills. The House and Senate are now working to finalize a package that can quickly be brought to the floor and I will sign it immediately." Let's bring in Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju. Manu, good
to have you. They say they have a deal. So, walk us through what happens next, especially given the opposition within the House Republican Conference.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I mean, this is almost six months late. Remember, they're supposed to do this on October 1. That's when the fiscal year begins. So, this essentially it would fund the government up until the end of September. Then they'd have to do the next year's appropriations bills because we've seen this messy processes, torture process. Remember, the beginning of the new fiscal year in October that led to the ouster of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker after he agreed to a short-term extension of government funding. The right flank revolted. He got ousted. Mike Johnson had to come in. And they have to negotiate this process that led to a number of short-term extensions.
And finally, they have cut a deal to fund most of the federal government. That includes the Defense Department, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, and some other major agencies of the Department of Homeland Security. Now, Speaker Johnson made clear in announcing this deal just moments ago with other congressional leaders, but they hadn't even drafted the bill text yet. They're still trying to finalize the text of the legislation. In fact, he said in the statement that House and Senate committees have begun drafting bill text to be prepared for release and consideration by the full House and Senate as soon as possible.
And that is important, because under House rules, they have to give them 72 hours, three days, to review the legislation. And they have to pass this by 11:59 p.m. on Friday night to avoid a shutdown of much of the federal government. Can they actually get to that point? It's unclear because of the fact that they have not even released this legislation yet. And even after they release it, they have to get an agreement of all 100 senators to expedite its consideration, and a final vote in the Senate. That's uncertain, especially when you're looking at the opposition on the right flank, some of those members are unhappy with the deal that was cut, believed the spending levels are too high. Some of those are the same ones who pushed out Kevin McCarthy.
This is what the House Freedom Caucus said in a letter. That's the far right, hard right block in the House GOP. They said, "We ask you join us in rejecting the appropriations package or anything similar slated to be before the House that would directly fund these disastrous policies. They go on to say "The House was put forth an appropriations measure that forces the inclusion of the core elements of HR 2, the Secure the Border Act." That is that Republican immigration plan that the Democrats have essentially rejected and said they would not even consider looking at, saying it goes too far.
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That is not included in this legislation. So, you're going to see a revolt on the right flank. That doesn't mean it will pass. It ultimately will pass. But, there is going to be a lot of unhappy people not willing to really cooperate and move this quickly because they don't like the way this has come together. But, ultimately, this is expected to pass. Even if it leads to a shutdown over the weekend, likely this will lead to the -- its approval by early next week. But, this torture process finally about to come to a conclusion here, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Tortured is certainly one way to put it. Manu Raju live for us in Washington. Manu, thank you.
All right. New backlash today for former U.S. President Donald Trump, as he played into an antisemitic trope that questions the loyalty of Jewish Americans. So, the comments came during a podcast hosted by his former White House aide Sebastian Gorka.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Now, the conversation centered on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's recent criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And this is not the first time that Trump has played into antisemitic stereotypes during his presidential campaign.
Let's bring in now CNN's Alayna Treene, who joins us live from our Washington, D.C. bureau. Alayna, good to see you. So, how are these remarks being received both by his political opponents and of course Jewish groups?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Right. Well, we've heard a lot of backlash to the former President's remarks and the language that he used in that interview. We heard criticism from the Anti-Defamation League as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Biden White House and the Biden campaign.
I'm going to read you just part of the statement from the Biden White House. Spokesperson Andrew Bates said "There is no justification for spreading toxic, false stereotypes that threaten fellow citizens. None." And that's just one of, again, the responses that we have heard condemning Donald Trump's language. But look, from the Trump campaign side, they are leaning in. They are defending this. We heard from Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. She said quote, President Trump is right. The Democratic Party (sic) has turned into a full-blown, anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist cabal. So, as you can see, Rahel, very different responses to this language.
But look, this is the type of rhetoric from Trump that isn't entirely new. It is far from the first time that the former President has targeted Jewish Democrats. Donald Trump is someone who claims, and I know personally, or he personally believed from my reporting, that he did far more for Israel than any other President in modern history. But, there isn't an interesting distinction as well about Donald Trump, and we got a glimpse of that during that podcast interview. He often conflates support for Israel with being supportive of the Jewish population despite trading in antisemitic stereotypes. And shortly after losing the 2020 election, Donald Trump lamented how his support for Israel didn't seem to translate to the ballot box with support from Jewish Americans.
He felt at the time and still personally feels that Democrats wrongly got a lot of votes from Jewish people. So, much of this is political as well, Rahel.
SOLOMON: OK. Alayna Treene, thanks for joining us.
Let me bring in our panel now. Mica Soellner is a congressional reporter for Punchbowl News, and Tyler Pager is a White House reporter for The Washington Post. Good to have you both.
Tyler, let me start with you. Talk to us a little bit about how the President is reacting to these comments from the former President about essentially Jews hating their religion if they vote for Democrats. As our reporter said there, this is not necessarily entirely new. So, how is the President responding to this?
TYLER PAGER, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, WASHINGTON POST: Yeah. As you saw Alayna read out the statement from the White House, the Biden campaign put out its own very similar statement. And what they were trying to emphasize, to your point, is that these comments are not new. I think the Biden campaign has been waiting for this general election matchup to solidify between Biden and Trump to argue to voters that they have a choice here between Trump and Biden. And the Biden campaign is doing everything it can to continue to advertise Donald Trump's comments when they happen, but also put them in the broader context of other comments that he has made.
This is not, as Alayna said, the first time that Trump has made comments that Jewish Americans have found to be offensive and have been criticized across the political spectrum. So, we saw a lengthy statement from the Biden campaign last night very quickly after these comments surfaced. That sort of walked people through the various other comments he has made about Jewish Americans, about the Jewish people throughout his political career. And again, this is not just a time that the Biden campaign is using to criticize Trump, but to remind voters of what Trump has said and done.
I think the Biden campaign has conceded sources on the campaign tell me that they're concerned that they think Americans have a sort of amnesia about the Trump presidency. They forgotten some of the comments he has made, the policies he has pursued. This is particularly salient on the issue of abortion, where they argue that voters are not aware of or enough aware of how much he has done to roll back reproductive rights.
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And so, this is part of a wide-scale effort across the Biden campaign to remind voters about Trump's record and Trump's rhetoric. SOLOMON: And Tyler, I actually want to get to that in just a moment.
But, let me bring Mica in here. Mica, it looks like on Congress, they got it done. It looks like they have reached a tentative deal. But, as Manu pointed out, there still could be some drama in the days ahead. I mean, is there still a potential that this could unravel perhaps because of the right flank? Or what do you see here based on your reporting and your conversations?
MICA SOELLNER, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, PUNCHBOWL NEWS: Yeah, absolutely. I think that Speaker Johnson is in a difficult position, as he has been throughout the duration of his entire speakership, and this is largely due to some of the rules that are put in place by the right flank. The legislation for -- the text of the legislation for the deal that was made is not going to be out earlier than Wednesday. And lawmakers, of course, want 72 hours to read that. And if Johnson tries to break that rule, he is going to get a lot of pushback from the House Freedom Caucus that have already been frustrated by the way he has governed, and have had increasingly tough demands when it comes to what they actually want.
And of course, these are the same people that tend to vote "no" on a lot of the appropriations process anyway. So, we'll see what the Speaker does. But, this could very well push this fight into the weekend, which is beyond that Friday deadline of a shutdown.
SOLOMON: Tyler, let me ask, Trump is posting today about his inability to pay his $464 million bond in that civil fraud case. He wrote this, "I would be forced to mortgage or sell Great Assets, perhaps at Fire Sale prices, and if and when I win the Appeal, they would be gone." Now, at the same time, Biden seems to be really touting his fundraising numbers, and he is actually using some of that fundraising to unveil new ads like this one. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For our ABUELOS --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: INSULIN that costs $35 --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- or HUNDREDS.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- that is the DIFFERENCE between Joe BIDEN --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- and Donald Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For WOMEN, the FREEDOM to control our own bodies, or doctors going to jail for an abortion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the DIFFERENCE --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- between Joe Biden --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- or Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SOLOMON: So, Tyler, talk to me a bit more about that, because that sort of touches on what you were saying earlier in terms of the strategy of reminding voters of what Biden sees as the difference between he and Trump. But, with fundraising this time around, I mean, both of them have pretty great name recognition. I mean, voters know both candidates pretty well, it seems.
PAGER: Yeah. I mean, this is exactly the stark contrast that the Biden campaign is streaming a lot of their strategy on trying to make it clear to voters that they have a choice. And so, we're seeing more and more spending, more ads from the Biden campaign, very clearly laying out that choice. The ad that you just played is particularly targeting Latino voters, as the President heads out West to Nevada and Arizona as part of this nationwide tour of the battleground states in the post State of the Union.
But, you're right. On the fundraising thing, this is one of the clear, bright spots for the Biden campaign. They've had a rocky few months with polls showing Biden trailing Trump across the key battleground states that both men need to win to secure the presidency. And this comes as Trump is also facing significant financial challenges related to his legal troubles. And so, it's really quite the contrast there on the fundraising front as well, the Biden campaign touting record fundraising in February, saying that they have the most cash on hand of any presidential candidate in history. And we're increasingly seeing them deploy those resources to try to frame this contest.
This was the strategy that they wanted to sort of keep their powder dry, wait till it became a two-man race, Biden versus Trump, and then start to really deploy these resources in a way where they could frame it around this idea of a binary choice. It's either Trump or Biden. Obviously, there is third-party candidates that are complicating those efforts. But, we're seeing the Biden campaign really rev up its general election strategy, and really hone in on that choice.
SOLOMON: And Mica, let me just ask, I mean, it is also primary day in several places around the U.S. What are you watching, and how much do you think Trump's endorsement appeal is on the line here in terms of how strong his endorsement really is now in places like Ohio, for example?
SOELLNER: Yeah. I think that today is a really big day, and we are going to see Trump could go to the test in terms of some of these candidates that he wants. I think one primary that we should all be watching is Congressman Mike Bost in southern Illinois. He is -- there is a far-right candidate, Darren Bailey, who actually ran for governor last year, running against him, and he has the backing of hardliners like Matt Gaetz. So, that's a good test, I think, there in terms of the loss of a potential defense hawk, GOP member, or someone that is more on the Trump train. So, that's a good primary to watch.
And, of course, I'll note also that President Biden is going to some of these border, significant states like Arizona and Nevada.
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So, he'll be actually making a good test to those voters as well and appealing to moderate and independents.
SOLOMON: OK. Mica Soellner, Tyler Pager, good to have you both today. Thanks for joining us.
PAGER: Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right. Well, still to come for us, we are going to go inside the painstaking project to return Paris's beloved Notre-Dame cathedral to its former glory after that devastating fire. Plus, a new video appears to show the Princess of Wales out shopping. Will this stop the rampant online speculation or will it fuel it? We're going to have a live report from London. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You are watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
And here are some of the international headlines we're watching for you today. The Bank of Japan has raised interest rates for the first time in 17 years. The central bank moved rates to one tenth of a percent, ending the negative interest rate policy that has been in place since 20 -- since in 2016. The move comes as the Japanese economy shows signs of growth with inflation now at a healthy rate and wages on the rise.
Legislators in Hong Kong have unanimously passed a new national security law. The penalties here include life imprisonment for crimes related to treason and insurrection, and decades of jail for the theft of state secrets. Critics warn that these new powers could threaten Hong Kong's freedoms.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is in Germany today. He is attending a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Earlier today, Secretary Austin met with Ukraine's defense minister. Austin says that support for Ukraine does remain strong despite the stall for funding in Congress.
And Prince William made a public appearance on Tuesday, announcing new homeless funding. His appearance comes as a new video has surfaced that appears to show Princess Catherine out shopping, after extensive public speculation about her whereabouts. And today, photo service Getty Images is saying that one of the last images of Queen Elizabeth was "digitally enhanced".
Joining us now from London is CNN's Royal Correspondent Max Foster. Hi, Max.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey Rahel.
SOLOMON: So, let me ask, this is the first time that we have seen Princess Kate sighting in months. I mean, walk us through sort of what the latest is here.
FOSTER: Well, it's video. We're sure it's true. It's from the weekend. It was in the -- I have to say that because this is the world we're in, isn't it, because there are conspiracy theories to say these are body doubles or something. I can't really keep up with it. But, we're pretty sure this is true. And you see Kate and William together, very much together. Her looking really well.
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This, I think for a lot of fans, is really reassuring stuff because they are genuinely concerned that they haven't had much information from the palace, and there are so many rumors flying around. And this does undermine a lot of those rumors, although we are in this world where it's actually fueling a lot of rumors because people are saying, you know, they put out fake imagery. We can't trust these images. We don't know whether or not these images are true. But, there is nothing to suggest that they aren't true, and the palace isn't knocking them down in any way. But, there is a lot of distrust, I think, out there with what the palace puts out. But, in terms of genuine public concern, I think a lot of people were reassured about it.
SOLOMON: Max, what might you expect moving forward at this point, because as you point out, the online speculation is running so rampant? Do you expect that perhaps we might see a more official appearance from the princess? I mean, what might you expect in situations like this?
FOSTER: Well, I do ask for updates. They basically say, when there is an update, we'll give it to you. They've got this very strict plan on how to deal with this period of the princess's recovery. So, only updates when there is something to say. So, it certainly has been suggested to me the next time we see her is at Easter, possibly a service on Easter Sunday. They won't confirm that but they're not saying it won't happen either.
So, I think that is going to be the next opportunity for her to have an official engagement, if you like, but it'll just be going into the church and back out again, not like a more complicated engagement. So, it's quite manageable. Tis going to be a huge amount of pressure on her when she is seen in front of the cameras again, but that does seem like what they're aiming at.
SOLOMON: Fascinating stuff. Max Foster live for us there in London. Max, thank you.
Well, it has been nearly five years since that catastrophic fire engulfed the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. You might remember seeing this massive, massive fire, but thanks to an immense fundraising effort and an ambitious restoration, the cathedral was set to reopen by the end of this year.
CNN's Richard Quest takes us inside the reconstruction
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: My God, look at this scaffolding. (Inaudible), as they say. Did they have to put the roof pipe? PHILIPPE JOST, PRESIDENT, REBUILDING NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS (interpreted): The oak structure, known as "La Foret," burned the ground. It is now rebuilt. We searched for thousands of oak trees in the forests of France.
QUEST: How much technical skill had to go into it?
JOST (Interpreted): We had to find extraordinary skills and expertise but we found them. Because in France, we have a very extensive heritage, which we maintain. So you have carpenters, stonemasons, sculptors and these people work on all the monuments. In France, we didn't build such spire since 160 years.
QUEST: More people come to Notre-Dame than the Eiffel Tower.
JOST: Notre-Dame has the spirit that you don't find in -- doesn't find in monument as Eiffel Tower.
QUEST: (Inaudible).
JOST: Logistics is very important here. We have 2,250 companies and artists and 140 contracts.
QUEST: I've always been fascinated by logistics. People think it's boring, but it's logistics that make the whole thing work. I think what really gets you when we see it is the size and scale, and the fact that it's been done in, what, four years. This is an achievement to have done this. And it will be the best part of a billion dollars. As I understand it, none of the glass was actually broken. Is that correct?
JOST: Well, none of the -- is correct. It's correct. We had a lot of luck, because all big artistic works here were not damaged by the fire. Here we are --
QUEST: That spire.
JOST: -- just under the spire, you see. And to rebuild the spire we had to build the scaffold which goes through the vault.
QUEST: What percentage of completion do you think you are at now?
JOST: I think we are 85 or 90.
QUEST: Wow.
JOST: We finished the roof, the spire. We are all (inaudible).
[11:40:00]
QUEST: Cleaning?
JOST: We have cleaned all the inside, all these woods. We have cleaned the paintings in the chapels. You see that vault -- that vault. It was crushed.
QUEST: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
JOST: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
QUEST: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Come down.
JOST: It's important that we cannot identify what has been removed because it's the same stones and the same type of work, which is the respect we owe to the monument.
QUEST: You and I in our lifetime have seen projects like this taking 20 years.
JOST: After the failure, a lot of people said you will need 20 (ph) years for rebuilt this cathedral.
QUEST: Me?
JOST: Because (inaudible) in July and they said we will do it in five years for 2024, and we are doing it and, we do it perfectly, perfectly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: And our thanks to Richard Quest there.
Well, Oprah Winfrey is getting personal about her weight loss journey. She hosted a new special on Monday, focusing on how medications designed for diabetics such as Ozempic are also helping her and others to control hunger and lose weight. In this special, she said that she wanted to start ending "the stigma and the shame and the judgment surrounding obesity and weight loss."
Joining me now to discuss is CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell. So, Meg, give us a sense of what all the special was about here.
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rahel. I mean, a lot of this was really personal to Oprah. She talked about a lot of her personal experiences with the scrutiny on her body throughout the decades that she was hosting a talk show on television. Take a look at this clip from last night's special.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "SHAME, BLAME AND THE WEIGHT LOSS REVOLUTION": -- say that I took on the shame that the world gave to me. For 25 years, making fun of my weight was national sport. In an effort to combat all the shame, I starved myself for nearly five months, and then wheeled out that wagon of fat that the internet will never let me forget. And after losing 67 pounds on a liquid diet, the next day, y'all, the very next day, I started to gain it back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TIRRELL: So, Oprah talked a lot about her own personal journeys through trying to lose weight, gaining weight back. She also talked with a lot of guests about that and about how they've been treated by society living in bigger bodies. Rahel, one thing where we've associated Oprah with over the last decade, of course, has been WeightWatchers. She actually joined their board in 2015. She took a stake in the company. We've seen her be involved in a lot of the marketing around WeightWatchers. Well, late last year, she said that she was taking one of these new weight loss medications. She didn't say exactly which one.
And then, last month, she said she was stepping down from WeightWatchers board and donating her proceeds from her shares in that company. She said last night that she had done that because she wanted to do this special without any perceived conflicts of interest around using these medicines. So, this was really focused a lot on these new drugs. Some critics, I saw both from the medical community and just sort of on social media, called it an infomercial for these medicines. But others who thought this was a really good special said it was great that it shed light on a lot of these issues around what Oprah called the blame and shame when it comes to weight.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And Meg, to that point. I mean, what are some of the issues with some of these? I mean, the message that -- at least we've seen seemed to be in favor of these medicines. But, what are some of the concerns at least right now?
TIRRELL: Yeah. I mean, some of the concerns include their side effects. They work really well for a lot of people, but they can be difficult to tolerate, things like nausea and vomiting. Those do come into play for a number of people who use these medicines. Also, their cost, and this did come into play last night in the special event. These drugs can cost $1,000 or more per month before insurance, and insurance coverage can be really difficult for a lot of people. These are medicines both for type two diabetes when it comes to Ozempic and Mounjaro, and for chronic weight management in Wegovy and Zepbound.
And the coverage for type two diabetes is a lot broader here in the United States, about 76 percent from employer insurance compared with only about a quarter who cover weight loss drugs, Rahel. So, this can be very expensive and out of reach for a lot of people in this country.
SOLOMON: Yeah. I mean, it's an important conversation that we're having, and there is certainly no one more visible than Oprah to be having a conversation about something that a lot of people really struggle with. Meg Tirrell live for us in New York. Meg, thank you.
TIRRELL: Thanks.
SOLOMON: Well, coming up, a deal with a powerful realtors group may have just made it a little easier to buy and sell a home in the U.S. But, how does it compare with other countries? We'll look at global agent commissions coming up. Plus, they didn't have to follow the yellow brick road, but the iconic ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" are finally back home.
[11:45:00]
We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Well, it is the end of an era in U.S. home sales. News broke last week that the National Association of Realtors was dropping its six percent commission to agents. It was all part of a deal to end antitrust lawsuits brought by home sellers. And this could be a game changer for buyers and sellers, especially as sales have slumped amid high mortgage rates. And it also got us wondering, how does the six percent commission stack up internationally? Well, to put that in perspective, The New York Times reported a 4.5 percent commission is more average in Germany, 2.5 percent in Australia, and 1.3 percent in the UK.
For more on this, let me bring in Eugene James. He is a longtime housing expert, and co-owner and broker at Atlanta Real Estate Consultants. Eugene, good to have you. This is really -- a really big story. And so, we're so glad to have some perspective today. First, when people hear the difference between the commission here in the U.S. versus everywhere else in the world, how do you sort of explain the six percent fee structure? Is it always more work for six percent?
EUGENE JAMES, CO-OWNER AND BROKER AT THE ATLANTA REAL ESTATE CONSULTANTS, & LONGTIME HOUSING EXPERT: Well, thanks for having me on board. But, it is kind of hard to compare U.S. commission versus throughout the rest of the world. I think it's really important to understand that here in the U.S. there are typically two real estate agents involved with each transaction. You have the listing agent or the selling agent, and the buyer agent. So, the commission does get split. I understand sometimes in other parts of the world, it doesn't happen like that.
But, nevertheless, as far as I can remember, and I've been in business 25, 30 years, even if you go beyond that, it's been around six percent, five percent or six percent in the U.S. since who knows how long. So, it's time for change. I think change is good.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And so, for people here in the U.S. who might be in the market, they may be wanting to sell, they may be wanting to buy, how soon do you think that change will actually be reflected in prices?
JAMES: Wow, that's a million dollar question. I think change is going to be slow. It's going to happen. I'm thinking it's going to take several years before you really truly see a big change to take place. It absolutely needs to happen. It's going to happen. I don't expect for it to happen overnight. So, let's give it a couple of years before you really see that less than six percent on average commission kick in here in the U.S.
SOLOMON: And how would you explain to folks who are watching and they think, well, sales have slumped. That tends to mean that prices would fall as well, but we haven't seen that in the real estate market. So, what do you think is keeping prices propped up?
JAMES: That's easy. Economics 101. There is more demand for housing here in the U.S. than there is the supply of homes.
[11:50:00]
We've had a shortage of homes for sale in the U.S. now for at least five years and that's usually measured by the month supply. The last time I checked, we're still way below normal levels for the supply of homes. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon either.
SOLOMON: Yeah. No. I mean, the Biden administration has certainly, at least it will say working to sort of combat this issue. Let me ask. So, what is your message for folks who hear this, and they think, all right, I want to list my house, what do I need to do? What is the conversation you need to have with your broker?
JAMES: Yeah. Sure. Absolutely. When you're talking to a prospective real estate agent, thinking about selling your house, ask them about the fee structure or the commission rate. Ask them, hey, can -- will you accept a four percent or a five percent commission rate? And they should not tell you, no, I can't do that. Like, perhaps in the past, they were more inclined to do. Now, they're going to be ready to negotiate with you. And if they're not ready to negotiate with you, interview some other agents. And the other thing is just ask if the agent is full time or versus a part-time agent. That makes a lot of difference as well in terms of the expertise you're going to get when speaking with a variety of real estate agents here in the U.S.
SOLOMON: Eugene, how do you respond to people who say, even if realtors can't necessarily insist on six percent, aren't they still incentivized to look for homes where the commission structure is higher? So, if they see that it's still a six percent commission structure --
JAMES: Yes.
SOLOMON: -- maybe they're going to want to steer sellers to that house versus one where it's four percent.
JAMES: 100 percent correct about that. In fact, the larger firms are the ones that typically were holding steady on that six percent rate. The smaller boutique firms oftentimes were able and willing to negotiate and accept a lower commission. But, what would happen is people who are looking for houses, the agent is the one they can see in the multi-listing service. How much is that commission? And so, if the commission was less than normal, they tend to steer people away from even seeing that house, which is why discounted brokerage companies that were listing houses for sale, it was taking longer to sell those houses.
Now, one of the changes that might be happening as a result of this huge lawsuit is commissions may go away. You may not be able to see them in the multi-listing service. Now, if that happens, that would be a huge change and you won't have to worry about agents steering people away from seeing your home if you're offering a two percent or three percent commission rate versus a six percent. But, I don't know if that's really going to happen. I don't -- all the details still have not come out as a result of this lawsuit.
SOLOMON: I know everyone is trying to get their hands on more information, myself included. I spent the weekend talking to people --
JAMES: Indeed.
SOLOMON: -- trying to understand how this is going to work.
Eugene, before I let you go, I've heard a lot of different things. This described as a big deal. This described as a game changer. If you had to describe this news in one word, how would you describe this for the industry?
JAMES: Interesting.
SOLOMON: OK. Fair enough.
HAMES: It's going to take a while before it kicks in.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Eugene James, good to have you. He is with Atlanta Real Estate Consultants.
All right. Still ahead, a tearful reunion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL SHAW, RUBY SLIPPERS OWNER: They're in very good shape.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Nearly 20 years after being stolen, the iconic ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz are back home. I'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Well, there is no place like home. And now, the stolen ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz are finally home with their owner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAW: It's like welcoming back a new friend that I haven't seen in years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: The slippers were on loan to the Judy Garland Museum where they were stolen nearly 20 years ago. The FBI actually recovered the iconic shoes in 2018. But, they were only recently returned to their owner in a ceremony in Judy Garland's hometown. It's a brief reunion, though, because the ruby slippers are actually going on an international tour before they are then auctioned.
Well, we know your time is money. So, thank you for spending some time with me today. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. Stick with CNN. One World is coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
