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U.S. House Approves $95 Billion Aid Bill; Ecuador's Security Referendum; Dengue Surging. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired April 21, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[03:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers watching all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Ahead on CNN Newsroom, fearing a critical hurdle, U.S. House lawmakers passing $95 billion foreign aid package, virtually American support to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Plus, Ecuador prepares to vote on security measures aimed at fighting recent surging violence.
And dengue fever is surging in Latin America, leaving doctors and hospitals struggling to heap up.
After months of bitter Republican infighting in the U.S., Congress and frustration among American allies internationally, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a $95 billion package and foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
The package now goes to the Senate Tuesday to be voted on. The upper House is widely expected to pass the funding, which would then head to President Biden's desk, and he says he is ready to sign it.
The $95 billion package includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and $8 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific allies.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has cheered the move, thanking the United States for its support.
For more on that, I'm joined now by CNN's Clare Sebastian from London. Good to have you with us, Clare.
So, there's no doubt this aid is a lifeline for Ukraine at a time when we've heard repeatedly that Russia could win this war against Ukraine this year without it. Now that the aid package has been passed in the House, it will go to the Senate before being signed by the president, just take us through the reaction.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, clearly, Lynda, this has brought a renewed sense of hope for Ukraine at a very bleak time for that country. You know, we're hearing that across all sections of society, there is relief and optimism off the back of this from soldiers on the frontlines to average people on the streets of Kyiv. We're even hearing of a concert that happened in Kyiv last night where, during a pause between songs, they announced the news to sustained applause.
But, clearly, after months of lobbying this, this was a very big moment for President Zelenskyy. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We appreciate every manifestation of support for our state and independence, our people, and our lives, which Russia wants to bury in ruins. America has shown its leadership from the first days of this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So, praising America. But he also in a statement pointed out that this will, in his words, keep the war from expanding, the idea that President Putin would not stop at Ukraine has been a key argument that the Ukrainians and those in favor of more U.S. aid in Washington have been using to try to push this issue forward.
Now, as for Russia, they tread a relatively fine line here. On the one hand, we heard from the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, roundly criticizing U.S. aid, not only to Ukraine, calling it a direct sponsorship of terrorist activity, but also to Israel and Taiwan, saying this will exacerbate global crises.
But, of course, for Russia, the argument that the U.S. is directly involved in this conflict has been one of their key justifications, that this is somehow an existential struggle between Russia and the U.S. and the collective west, that this is Russia under siege somehow.
So, we've heard previously from the Kremlin when the threat was that the U.S. would freeze aid for Ukraine, saying that the U.S. will somehow continue to be involved in this conflict. But, of course, the bigger issue for Russia now is what this means on the ground, how quickly this erodes what we've seen to be their advantage in the ground war, Lynda.
KINKADE: And that is the big question, really, isn't it, Clare? Like what will this $61 billion mean on the ground, on the frontlines, for the Ukrainians who are fighting off Russia?
SEBASTIAN: Well, it's not a silver bullet, of course, but it will keep them in the fight. And I think, you know, certainly if you speak to military analysts, there will be an immediate impact because we know Ukraine has had to ration artillery ammunition in particular. And now, with the confidence that more is very likely coming, they will be able to fire more liberally. Perhaps we know that there's at least a one to five ratio, Russia firing at least five times more than Ukraine on those frontlines.
On the other hand, of course, you know, we've seen Russia increasingly using these very deadly glide bombs, particularly. They used them in the capture of Avdiivka back in February. And that gives Russia essentially an aerial advantage. And Ukraine is still waiting for those F-16s, which could help erode that.
This bill is not going to push that any quicker, but it will give a morale boost on the frontline.
[03:05:02]
Certainly, that's what we've been hearing from soldiers. But, of course, they will still have to grapple with the profound impact of that delay, Russia having stepped up aerial attacks on Ukraine's cities using, as I said, these glide bombs. We've seen renewed attacks on energy infrastructure. Of course, they had to give up Avdiivka in mid-February. And we see Russia continuing to try to push west from there, the head of the armed forces saying in recent days that the situation on the eastern front is worsening significantly.
So, look, the profound impact of the delay is one thing, but there is a sense of renewed hope in Ukraine today. Lynda?
KINKADE: Yes, that is good to hear. Clare Sebastian for us, joining us from London, thanks so much.
Global Affairs Analyst Michael Bociurkiw joins me now. Good to see you, Michael.
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, SENIOR FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Good to be with you. Thanks for having me, Lynda.
KINKADE: So, $61 billion is a significant sum about the equivalent to what the U.S. has already given Ukraine since Russia's invasion. What can that buy in Ukraine's war effort?
BOCIURKIW: Sure. Well, hopefully, it will buy an end to the war. And what I mean by that, it will send a deterring signal to Mr. Putin that he can't go on bombing Ukraine relentlessly and then going after more sovereign territory.
But what the Ukrainians have stated repeatedly over the past few months is they need this $61 billion for a number of things, mostly ammunition, shells, air defense systems, deep strike rockets and other critical needs.
Also, there is provisions in this legislation for money to go to budget support. At the moment, since the start of the war, Ukraine has been facing a $5 billion a month budget deficit. So, this will help, for example, pay teacher salaries and pensions. And then there's a smaller part for humanitarian aid.
One more critical thing for people to remember is that a lot of this money will actually stay in the United States. It will go to pay for restocking of weapons and ammunition that the U.S. actually gives to Ukraine. So, you know, that's down the road. It will create new jobs and wealth. So, it's a win-win, I think, for everybody.
KINKADE: And, Michael, this aid package was pretty similar to what the Democrats put forward months ago, although far right Republicans delayed it. At what cost to Ukraine? BOCIURKIW: Enormous cost. I mean, in the months that were wasted and false situation created by MAGA Republicans, what has happened is Russia has basically had more time to dig in with more defense lines. They've had more time to restock their stockpiles of rockets from friends like North Korea, time to get more drones from friends like Iran.
And, you know, it's so sad, you know, I'm mostly based in Ukraine, and I see in front of my eyes what's happening, cities like Kharkiv and now Odessa are being heavily struck. Kharkov is being leveled very, very badly. And then the other thing is the countless deaths, of course, soldiers and civilians, and then the fear that has struck into people, a lot of people are now deciding whether to stay or go. That's how bad the Russian assaults are right now.
KINKADE: Yes. But, crucially, of course, this bill does include measures that will allow for the selling off of frozen Russian assets to fund the war effort. Is Europe likely to follow suit?
BOCIURKIW: Yes. I think this will be kind of a starting pistol for Europe. I think they needed a bit of a wake-up call. So, for the United Kingdom and the E.U. to also go out go after the tens of billions of frozen Russian sovereign assets there, a lot of interest has accumulated over two years. So, that should be given to Ukraine for defense needs and also lots and lots of Russian assets in places like London, yachts in places like Italy and elsewhere, those need to be not -- they're now seized but they need to be sold and the money given to Ukraine. So, it's a very, very good signal for that but also a good signal for Europe to proceed more with providing ammunition and other military needs to Ukraine.
Of course, this $61 billion for Ukraine was part of a $95 billion foreign aid package, which also included aid for Taiwan and Israel. We know that the U.S. continues to rack up debt. The U.S. Treasury Department says it's about $35 trillion right now. Is this approach sustainable going forward?
BOCIURKIW: Yes, I think so. But I think the administration or whoever is going to be in power in November needs to do a better narrative in terms of convincing American taxpayers why this is needed. The key line there should be, if we don't pay now, we're going to pay a lot more later, not only in terms of providing military support to Ukraine, but also in terms of human lives.
Mr. Putin will go further. He has a long track record of that. He won't be finished with Ukraine.
[03:10:00]
Baltic States, and I think Poland too, are in the crosshairs. And, of course, if a NATO country is attacked, that will trigger provisions that NATO forces, including the United States have to get involved.
Just quickly, this is a real deal the money that has gone so far because Ukraine has so far managed to destroy about 50 percent of conventional Russian military capability and about 25, 30 percent of the Black Sea fleet.
KINKADE: Michael Bociurkiw, always great to get your analysis, thanks so much for your time.
BOCIURKIW: My pleasure. Thank you.
KINKADE: As we mentioned earlier, the U.S. aid package includes $26 billion for Israel. The reaction from Israel officials was immediate.
CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson has more now from Jerusalem.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Very strong thanks coming from Israeli political leaders here, thanks to the bipartisan support, the thanks given to Speaker Johnson, the thanks given to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The prime minister saying, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that this shows bipartisan support for Israel, which is kind of interesting, because there's been this assessment in Israel that the prime minister has been alienating Democrats in the United States because of the way that is fighting the war in Gaza, because so many Palestinians are being killed, more than 34,000 now.
So, the prime minister kind of framing it in a way there that is actually important to him to -- he shows he still has, the country still has that bipartisan support.
The defense minister, you are pointing out that there are -- Israel has seven enemies at the moment, and important to show again, he said that this shows the strong support and strength between the United States and Israel.
We heard similar things from the foreign minister as well, Israel Katz, saying that this shows strong ties, a strategic partnership between the two countries, but the speaker of the Knesset perhaps framing it in what could be the sort of most important language here or the way that he explains it. He says this shows Israel's enemies of the strong support between the United States and Israel.
And why is that so important? Well, there's a there's an understanding in Israel at the moment that one of the reasons Iran decided to hit Israel in a way that had never done before, more than 350 missiles and drones directly from Iran into Israel, was because the perception here in Israel, at least, is that Iran thought the tensions between the White House and the prime minister here meant that that U.S. support for Israel wasn't as strong as it was before, and therefore they could attack Israel in a way that they hadn't done before.
So, the speaker of the Knesset making it clear for Iran, for others, that that strong support is there. So, this isn't just about having the armaments to continue to fight all the wars that Israel is fighting. It is about sending that clear message to their enemies.
Nic Roberson, CNN, Jerusalem.
KINKADE: Well, thousands of Israelis spent Saturday calling for Benjamin Netanyahu's government to be replaced.
In Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, they called once again for new elections and for the government to do more to bring hostages home from Hamas- held captivity.
Protesters have held rallies for the past seven months now, angry with how the Israeli government has handled the hostage situation. Hamas is thought to be holding around 100 Israelis.
The Palestinian political faction, Fatah, is calling for a workers' strike across the occupied West Bank today over Palestinian deaths in the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry says 14 people were killed during an Israeli operation at the Nur Shams refugee camp. They say they've now been able to go in and tend to the wounded after Israeli forces partially withdrew from the area.
The IDF claims to have killed what they described as ten terrorists and arrested eight suspects, calling it, quote, an extensive counterterrorism operation.
Elliott Gotkine joins us now from London. Good to have you with us, Elliott.
So, more than a dozen people killed in the West Bank. Israel claims many of them were terrorists. What can you tell us?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: That's right, Lynda. Israel says that this is a counterterrorism operation, actually began on Thursday evening. It's still ongoing, as far as we understand it. And during this operation, Israel says that it has killed what it describes as ten terrorists and arrested eight wanted men and also discovered explosives and other weapons, such as M16 rifles.
Now, the Palestinian Ministry of Health says that 14 have been killed. Authorities have now that the Israelis have partially withdrawn, they have been able to go in to try to remove the bodies and treat other victims.
The Ministry of Health there in the West Bank also saying that among those 14 victims are one child and one teen, and that this is just another Israeli raid, in a sense that these have been happening on an almost daily basis, both pre-October the 7th and post-October the 7th.
[03:15:14]
Indeed the Ministry of Health, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, saying that almost 500 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli- occupied West Bank since October the 7th.
Now, that includes clashes with the IDF. It also includes Palestinians killed in clashes with settlers, some of whom have been acting violently towards Palestinians, and a number of Palestinians being killed in the last -- Palestinian civilians being killed in the last couple of weeks or so, especially when there's been a spike in the wake of the disappearance of a 14-year-old Israeli boy who Israel says was killed in a terrorist attack. So, violence increasing both between the IDF, as it goes, and what it describes as counterterrorism missions and operations, and also between Israeli settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Palestinian civilians. And that shows no signs of abating either, and indeed we've seen more of that taking place over the weekend as well, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes. Of course, the ambulance officer that died trying to help Palestinians who are being attacked by Israeli settlers, tell us more about that.
GOTKINE: Yes. So, this is according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. It says that one of its ambulance drivers, who was Mohammed Awad Allah and Mohammed Musa, he was driving this ambulance, taking, transporting Palestinians who had been injured after being hurt by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. They were taking them to be treated. And the Palestine Red Crescent Society saying that the ambulance came under fire from settlers and that as a result of that fire, one of its drivers was killed.
And, again, as I say, we have seen an uptick in violence between Israeli settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Palestinian civilians. There's been a spike of late. But, really, it never stopped. But if anything, it does seem to have experienced an uptick since the Hamas terrorist attacks of October the 7th.
And it's even getting to the point where we're hearing reports that one particular battalion in the IDF may actually come under sanctions from the United States for abuses, for alleged abuses carried out against Palestinian citizens, something that has united many of the disparate parts of the Israeli political system in opposition to those reports about what may happen in terms of U.S. sanctions against an Israeli IDF battalion. Lynda?
KINKADE: All right. Elliott Gotkine for us live in London, thanks so much.
Well, friends and family of Damian Sobol, one of the seven aid workers killed in Gaza earlier this month, gathered for his funeral in Poland on Saturday. He was killed when Israeli forces attacked a World Central Kitchen convoy delivering food in Gaza. The IDF called the strike a grave mistake and has fired two senior officers.
In a letter that was read aloud at Sobol's funeral, Poland's president said, quote, we're saying farewell to a wonderful young man, courageous and generous activist who followed the idea of solidarity.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China next week in an effort to firm up relations with Beijing amid rising global tensions. Blinken will meet senior officials in the Chinese capital, as well as Shanghai, and is expected to discuss a range of issues, including the Middle East and China's support for Russia. This is his second trip to China as a top diplomat.
Well, still to come after the break, we'll take a close look at the hush money trial and its critical players, the people who could help decide the fate of Donald Trump.
Plus, voters in Ecuador are set to vote on a series of measures to tackle the growing gang violence in the country. Can it really control the rising crime? We'll have a report next.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. Well, it's just one more day the jury is ready in opening statements in the historic first ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president set to start Monday. Donald Trump was supposed to appear at a rally in North Carolina Saturday, his first since the hush money trial began, but severe weather forced the event to be delayed.
His weekend campaign stops are crucial for the presidential candidate, as he must appear in court during the week for a trial that could last five or six weeks.
From attorneys to witnesses, there are a number of key players who could take center stage as the former president's criminal trial gets underway.
CNN's Brian Todd gives us a closer look.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is an outrage that this case was brought.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Other than the protagonist himself who's on trial, there are some critical players who will determine the former president's fate in this case, starting with the man presiding over it. Juan Merchan, the Colombian-born New York Supreme Court judge who's in his early 60s, has already stood firm against Donald Trump's moves to delay and throw out this case, and expanded a gag order after Trump's personal attacks against Merchan and his family.
KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: He will have a very commanding presence in the courtroom in a very quiet and understated way, but he has no problem being strong if he needs to be.
TODD: Sparring before Judge Merchan will be a prosecution team led by Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, who will go against Trump's lead defense lawyer Todd Blanche and his team, who get praise from legal analysts for their track record.
AGNIFILO: Unlike some of Trump's prior representation in some of his other cases that I wouldn't put in the same caliber or the same quality of lawyering, Trump has got excellent lawyers here.
TODD: But it's the witnesses who will likely bring the most sizzle. Possibly the most critical one, Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer. Cohen is central because he made the hush money payments to Daniels and was reimbursed by the Trump Organization. MICHAEL COHEN, DONALD TRUMP'S FORMER ATTORNEY: And he had told me
that he had spoken to a couple of friends and it's $130,000, it's not a lot of money, and we should just do it. So, go ahead and do it.
TODD: Trump denies the charges of falsifying records of the payment. One analyst says the pressure on the prosecution to establish Cohen's credibility will be enormous.
JEREMY SALAND, FORMER PROSECUTOR, MANHATTAN D.A.'S OFFICE: If he fails, and he looks like this is an agenda, and he's a scorned individual, and we know that he's admitted lying, and we know that he's a criminal conviction, that is not going to be favorable in any way, shape, or form to the prosecution.
TODD: There's Stormy Daniels, the adult film star whose alleged sexual encounter with Trump was the reason for the hush money payment. Her testimony on the affair, which Donald Trump has denied, will be pivotal in this trial, as will her accounts of the payments.
David Pecker, former chairman of the company that publishes the National Enquirer, will be asked about his efforts to bury media stories about the affairs.
But a witness who could provide the most dramatic testimony, Hope Hicks, Trump's former communications adviser, who helped the campaign deal with the Stormy Daniels fallout.
AGNIFILO: Anyone who is in Trump's inner circle and who can provide that context and that perspective, I think, is someone that the jury will be listening very closely and intently to what they have to say.
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TODD: Attorney Karen Agnifolo, who provided analysis for our piece, works for a firm that represents Michael Cohen. But Agnifolo has no contact with Cohen and does no legal work for him.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
KINKADE: Well, the U.S. is now one step closer to banning TikTok. House lawmakers approved a bill targeting the app as part of that massive foreign aid package past Saturday. The bill gives the hugely popular social media platform nine months to replace the current Chinese parent company, ByteDance, with the new owner.
Many in Congress see the TikTok app as a national security risk. More lawmakers now support the ban since it's part of the larger legislative package.
[03:25:00]
That bundling makes it harder to remove the measure and more likely that it will pass. TikTok calls a potential ban and attack on free speech.
U.S. President Biden has said he will sign the legislation if it reaches his desk.
In the coming hours, millions of voters in Ecuador will head to the polls to vote on a referendum put forward by the country's president. It asks voters to approve new security measures which aim to tackle growing violence in the country.
As CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports, Ecuador has been gripped by violence from gangs and drug cartels.
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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Soldiers in Ecuador patrol the streets as their country does battle with violent drug gangs. In January, the increasingly brazen gangs took on the government head-on, carrying out coordinated attacks in broad daylight, even holding journalists at a T.V. station hostage live on air.
Ecuador's president responded by asking lawmakers for special wartime powers, ordering the military to destroy the gang.
DANIEL NOBOA, ECUADORIAN PRESIDENT: I declared war on terrorists. These are not conventional gangs. They are terrorist groups. They are highly organized, structured, armed forces that terrorize complete regions and have had control in the past few years of our nation's prisons.
OPPMANN: On Sunday, more than 13 million Ecuadorians are expected to go to the polls to vote on an 11-measure referendum. If specific measures get a yes vote, the military will gain more control over prisons. Sentences for people convicted of crimes, such as drug trafficking and terrorism, would increase. And soldiers would be allowed to equip themselves with weapons seized from the gangs.
Since January's explosion of violence, more than 18,000 people have been arrested. And the state of siege Ecuadorians live under has badly damaged the economy. This music club owner says a nightly curfew means he has to close early, but the loss in revenue is worth it if the tough measures bring peace.
JORGE SILVA, BUSINESS OWNER: We have to support the propositions that have to do with the security of the country. And that ultimately benefits us, because if we can have a calmer, safer city, there will be more people going out.
OPPMANN: Ecuador is not a large-scale producer of narcotics. And for decades the country, seemed immune to the drug wars that tore apart much of the rest of Latin America. Then local gangs partnered with international drug cartels to turn Ecuador into a key transshipment point for cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru that is then sent abroad.
ANASTASIA AUSTIN, RESEARCHER, INSIGHT CRIME: Ecuador is also an exporter of legal goods to the United States and to Europe, you know, fruit, bananas. And drug traffickers, you know, they're businessmen like any other. They see this developed infrastructure that's reliable, that goes so many places, and that for them is an opportunity that they want to exploit.
OPPMANN: Ecuador's president has vowed to crush the gangs.
NOBOA: Now, it is time to protect what we have won. We require urgent reforms that allow us to protect our security.
This process can only continue, it can only be sustained if we give the national police and the armed forces the clear and firm support that we are proposing in the referendum.
OPPMANN: But as long as the country continues to be caught between the increasing supply and demand for illegal narcotics, the war will likely rage on.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, billions in financial aid could soon be headed to U.S. allies overseas. Ahead, House Speaker Mike Johnson got foreign aid through the U.S. House of Representatives with the help from some political rivals.
Plus pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, what the students and faculty members are demanding.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. U.S. allies around the world are celebrating the passage of three aid bills that will help fund Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Many House members applauded, some waving Ukrainian flags as the bill passed by a vote of 311 to 112. Countries benefiting from the aid package were all quick to thank the U.S. for the assistance.
But not everyone praised its passage. Russia, which invaded Ukraine, predictably condemned the move, saying military aid to the Kyiv regime is direct sponsorship of terrorist activity. To Taiwan, it is interference in China's internal affairs, and to Israel as a direct path toward escalating unprecedented aggravation in the region.
President Biden spoke to both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries after the vote thanking them for their leadership.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden on Saturday applauding the House for the passage of national security bills, including the funding for Ukraine. In a statement, the president said, quote, today, members of both parties in the House voted to advance our national security interests and sent a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage. At this critical inflection point, they came together to answer history's call, passing urgently needed national security legislation that I have fought for months to secure.
It goes on to note, I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs.
Now, of course, the White House made the ask for these additional funds for Ukraine back in October. And the president at the time said and addressed to the nation that it was in the interest of U.S. national security, saying that no ground should be ceded to Russia.
But, of course, the stalled aid in Congress only added to the urgency. And over the course of recent months, U.S. officials made the correlation between battlefield losses in Ukraine, arguing that that was because they weren't getting the funding that they needed and putting the responsibility squarely at the feet of Republicans in Congress.
Now, over the course of time, White House officials have been in touch with members of Congress and congressional staff working furiously behind the scenes to see this through. And the president Saturday applauding that it has now happened and hoping that it crosses the finish line soon so that that aid can get to Ukraine swiftly.
Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.
KINKADE: Over a dozen members of the U.S. House Progressive Caucus who voted against the aid to Israel are slamming the bill, saying, quote, we make ourselves complicit in this tragedy if Congress continues to supply military aid.
In a statement, they say our votes against H.R. 8034 are votes against supplying more offensive weapons that could result in more killings of civilians in Rafah and elsewhere. When faced with the question of whether to provide offensive aid to further this conflict, we believe there is a moral imperative to find another path.
Well, pro-Palestinian protests continued at Columbia University for a fourth straight day.
Students and faculty members have been protesting what they describe as the university's continued financial investment in corporations that profit from Israel's war in Gaza.
CNN's Polo Sandoval reports.
[03:35:00]
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know much of this started on Wednesday when the Columbia University president, Minouche Shafik, was in Washington testifying before lawmakers, responding to reports of anti-Semitism on campus. Subsequently there was also a presence of not just students but also faculty setting up tents and signs here on the campus itself, the organizers of this event making their message quite clear, saying that their hope is that they will pressure Columbia University to divest funds from companies connected to Israel.
Now, CNN has reached out to the university to address it for more on not just their investments but also to address the allegations that have been put forward by these organizers. But, eventually, this evolved into an encampment, a large one, that the university president declared a disturbance, so turned to the NYPD sending them a letter asking for police officers to essentially interject and forcefully remove some of the students who are participating in it. The result was well over a hundred people that were detained, will be issued court sentences.
But, really, what this is now is the presence that still remains here on the campus, a peaceful presence of a mix of both current and non- students here, hoping to continue with that message from last week here. For protesters, this may be a galvanizing moment to basically reinvigorate their cause, but for universities, they're certainly going to -- this speaks to them having to grapple with the reality that we are likely going to continue to see more of these demonstrations from one campus to another. Both protests and also counter-protests and those universities really forced to walk that the line between safety and free speech.
Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
KINKADE: Well, two children were killed in the U.S. state of Michigan Saturday when a car drove through a building. More than a dozen people were injured. Police say a drunk driver crashed into a boat club where a child's birthday party was taking place.
A 66-year-old woman was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing death and will likely face additional charges.
The Monroe County sheriff was visibly shaken as he discussed the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERIFF TROY GOODNOUGH, MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: The vehicle struck the north wall of the facility, entering the building, and came to rest approximately 25 feet inside the building, where a young child's birthday party was being held. Upon arrival, excuse me, first aid was provided to approximately 15 victims, which included adults and young children.
Nine of those victims were transported by ambulance and/or medical helicopter to local hospitals with serious life-threatening injuries. A total of three children and six adults were transported. Several others were transported by private vehicle to local hospitals.
Unfortunately, in tragedy, two of the victims were pronounced deceased at the scene. This includes an eight-year-old female and a five-year- old male who are siblings of each other.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KINKADE: Well, turning now to Kenya, where thousands of doctors have been on strike for weeks demanding better working conditions. But the situation is leaving many people in dire need of health care.
CNN's Larry Madowo has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Thousands of doctors in Kenya have been on strike for over a month now, leaving many people struggling to find health care. Public health care doctors are asking the government to honor a collective bargaining agreement set back in 2017, but talks are at a standstill.
The Kenyan Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union is demanding better wages, better work conditions and health insurance for its members.
The government says it cannot afford what you're asking for, that we have to live within our means. What's your response to that?
DAVJI EHIMIJ ATELLAH, KENYAMEDICAL PRACTIONERS, PHARMACISTS AND DEISTS UNION: It's not about affordability, it's about priority. You can't say that health care is essential when you don't budget for it, as has been said. That's why doctors are out to show that they need to be actually factored, and they need to be budgeted for.
That is for payment or salaries for those who are interested, who need to be posted, as per the agreement, not be reduced, and also to pay for the doctors who are actually working. Because we have doctors who work under salaries delay for up to six months.
MADOWO: Public health facilities across Kenya have been paralyzed by the doctors' strike. But there's no shortage of private hospitals if you can afford it. But for those who don't have the money, it's a matter of life and death.
JANE AKOT. MOTHER OF CANCER PATIENT: We were meant to see the doctor today because she cannot swallow any food. The doctor was supposed to perform a procedure on her so that she can be able to eat, but we got sent back and asked to come tomorrow at midday because there were no doctors available today. We shall try again tomorrow to see if we shall find any.
MADOWO: Hundreds of doctors and medical students have taken part in demonstrations in the Kenyan capital to show support for the strike. Last month, the Kenyan Health Ministry assigned interns to various health care facilities nationwide to address the growing need for health care and urged doctors to end their strike and resume work.
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For how long can you keep this strike going?
ATELLAH: It's doctors who are tired, who feel like there's nothing they're losing by being in the hospitals when the only thing they can do is to supervise deaths of patients, and therefore, we can go as long as it takes. Most of the instances, doctors will be in the hospitals, they don't have the emergency drugs. So you end up losing a patient that otherwise you will have saved.
MADOWO: Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
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KINKADE: Well, dengue fever is surging across the Americas with cases topping 5.2 million, according to the Pan-American Health Organization. Infections reported this year have already surpassed the records set last year, and it's only April. South America has been hardest hit by the mosquito-borne virus.
CNN's Gustavo Valdes reports.
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GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The bed inside this netting meant to keep mosquitoes away, Joselyn Caqui is terrified.
JOSELYN CAQUI, DENGUE PATIENT: They told me I should not have high fever.
VALDES: fearing not only for her life, she is 15 weeks pregnant with twins.
CAQUI: There were patients who were pregnant and lost their child. That was my biggest fear, to lose my babies.
VALDES: She's infected with the dengue virus, which is common in warmer climates, where it is spread by mosquitoes, and, in most cases, people suffer from mild or no symptoms. But, in extreme cases, it can be deadly.
That's why Joselyn is a special hospital ward in Lima, the capital of Peru, built during the COVID pandemic, but now it's full with dengue patients, and doctors can barely keep up.
Dr. Oscar Torres says, this year, they have documented at least 500 severe cases in his hospital, way up from previous years.
In the last ten years, yearly dengue cases in the Americas have more than doubled. Dr. Augusto Tarazona says climate change is a big factor in the growth and spreading of the disease.
DR. AUGUSTO TARAZONA, INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR: What is currently happening is that the mosquito has been adapting to climate change and has been reproducing at a faster rate than in previous years.
VALDES: An early drop in temperatures in the cooler region of Argentina saw the spread of the dengue disease earlier than predicted. Scientists say they have seen cases in parts of Argentina where they've never seen them before.
The country's outbreak strained hospitals and left shelf empty of insect repellent. The medical community is also on alert in North America. So far, the United States has reported about a thousand cases of the virus, according to the CDC.
Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Atlanta.
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KINKADE: Well, severe weather is battering parts of Eastern China, bringing heavy rain and flooding to some regions. That story to look at the forecast for the next few days after the break.
Plus warmer oceans are damaging coral reefs, like Australia's Great Barrier Reef, but underwater drones are helping scientists study these fragile ecosystems to find ways to save them. That story next.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. Thousands of locals in Spain's Canary Islands are protesting against mass tourism. They want limitations on how many people can visit. Last year, some 14 million foreigners stayed on the islands off the coast of Northwestern Africa.
That's about six times more than the actual number of people who lived there. The protesters are calling for the government to stop short- term rentals and hotel construction, which is driving up housing costs and straining natural resources.
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NIEVES RODRIGUES RIVERA, PROTESTER: We Canarians are fed up with being second and third class citizens. We're fed up with overcrowding, with institutional mistreatment, with low salaries, with our heritage being destroyed, with not having houses to live in, with land being bought by foreigners because they have more money to buy the land of our grandparents that we have not been able to buy.
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KINKADE: The Canary Islands' president says he's proud of the region's tourism but agrees more controls are needed.
A series of destructive storms have been battering parts of eastern China, bringing intense winds, heavy rain and even hail.
CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the details.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it wasn't just heavy rains but also very strong winds and even some hail impacting areas of Southeastern China in the last 36 hours. Here you can see just the 12th, a lot of that convection redeveloping across many of the same areas that have already seen a lot of these storms.
Here's a look at some video. Again, you can see that very powerful wind gusts blowing things around in the background, but also those little pellets indicating the small hail that appeared across several areas of Southeastern China.
Also, too, from those winds, a lot of trees down some power lines obviously falling onto roadways, causing some issues there. And, again, not just that, but the very heavy rain making visibility practically zero in some spots because it was coming down so heavy at certain periods of time.
Here is, again, the look at this, we finish out the rest of the weekend and even starting off next week, notice a lot of those same areas are expected to get additional rainfall on top of what they've already had. Keep in mind some of these areas, especially just north of Hong Kong, have already picked up between 150 to even 250 millimeters of rain in just the last 36 hours. So, now we're going to be adding more rain on top of that in quite a lot.
If you take a look at the forecast accumulation just in the next three days, widespread totals right around 100 millimeters, but there could be some spots that end up picking up as much as 150 millimeters. And, again, this is on top of what many of these areas have already had.
You can see here again not just Southeastern China, also Taipei looking at some showers and thunderstorms in a forecast there with a high temperature of 30, Hong Kong also looking at the chance for showers and thunderstorms with a high temperature of 28 degrees.
KINKADE: The Great Barrier Reef has suffered its highest heat stress on record, according to Australia's Reef Authority. Experts are calling it one of the most serious and extensive coral bleaching events in recorded history.
Scientists are now using artificial intelligence and a new kind of drone to monitor the health of coral reefs.
Rosemary Church has more.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Deep under the ocean's surface, a little robot wanders through Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It's an A.I.-powered drone called Hydrus, and it's doing important work for the environment examining the coral reefs.
The diverse ecosystems protect coastlines from erosion and storms, as well as providing jobs and food for local communities. The effects of climate change are threatening the coral, causing it to expel algae and lose its color, sometimes permanently.
MELANIE OLSEN, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE: Since 2016, there have been four major coral bleaching activities due to just the heat stress on coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef. We're in a midst of another mass coral-bleaching event right now.
CHURCH: Cooler waters can return the corals to its natural color but some are not able to recover and they eventually die. That's where this new technology comes into play. According to its maker, Advanced Navigation, Hydrus is less expensive than most other underwater vessels. While it can't bring back what's been lost, the underwater drone can make a difference in understanding what future coral reefs might endure.
PETER BAKER, ADVANCED NAVIGATION: We're working on coral mapping with the Australian Institute of Marine Science. And what they're trying to do is map areas of coral to detect change within those areas.
[03:50:03]
So, they want to get very fine areas of detail of this coral but they wanted to come back time and time again to track that change.
CHURCH: Hydrus dives further into the deep blue sea to navigate and study parts of the ecosystem human divers can't quite reach. It takes 3D photos by stacking 2D images of an area or structure and this data can one day build a digital twin reef.
BAKER: One of the benefits of having a robotic system is that it goes back to that same location every single time and it takes the same photo from the same orientation every single time, which is really, really difficult to achieve with a human diver.
CHURCH: Once the drone has finished its mapping, it's brought on board so scientists can view the captured A.I. navigation and positioning data. They can then monitor the changes over time to see how the climate is impacting the coral reefs.
Scientists hope this data can lead to better decisions about how to save the coral reefs.
Rosemary Church, CNN.
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KINKADE: Some call it the Hunger Games with a social twist, a games show that rewards players with food they can barely afford to buy for their families. A report on the Bangladesh food challenge after the break.
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KINKADE: Well, Spanish tennis star Garbine Muguruza is hanging up a racket, retiring after what she calls her long and beautiful career. Born in Venezuela, Muguruza is a former world number one and the only player to defeat the Williams sisters for her two Grand Slams.
Her first major was the 2016 French Open against Serena, her second the following year at Wimbledon against Venus.
The 30-year-old has ten singles titles but has not played in a year, as she spent that time with family and friends.
Well, Bangladesh has made major strides in reducing chronic hunger. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, it got worse, not just in Bangladesh but around the world. That's when one show runner stepped in providing food through what some people call the Hunger Games. CNN's Kristi Lu Stout explains.
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KRISTI LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From the far-flung corners of rural Bangladesh, an unlikely internet sensation is making quite a splash. With billions of views and counting and millions of subscribers, this is the S.S. Food Challenge.
Often called the Hunger Games with a social twist, it's also reminiscent of another global rage, Takeshi's Castle, an epic game show from Japan in which players overcome obstacles to win. While the comparisons are inevitable, the beginnings of S.S. Food Challenge are rooted in necessity rather than the sole thrill of it.
OMAR SUNNY SOMRAT, CREATOR, S.S. FOOD CHALLENGE: The journey of the S.S. Food Challenge started in 2020. But when inflation hits in Bangladesh and the price of edible items goes so high, it was a vital topic, then we come with the idea of giving edible items as reward.
STOUT: Rising living costs have been a sore point for Bangladesh, a country where around a fifth of its over 170 million people live below the poverty line.
[03:55:05]
RUCHIR DESAI, FUND MANAGER, ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL: Inflation has been pretty high over the last few years for multiple factors. This combination of the war on Ukraine, high commodity prices, high fuel prices in 2022 and also removal of many subsidies linked to domestic consumption, such as fuel and cooking gas in 2023.
STOUT: The ripple effects are still quite evident.
MOHAMMAD BABLU, RICKSHAW PULLER IN BANGLADESH: We are barely surviving with prices of everything going up. I struggle to balance between buying rice and lentils and my children's expenses. I can't fix this dilemma.
STOUT: This is where the S.S. Food Challenge steps in, a silver lining to a very dark cloud, a source of entertainment in grim times with social welfare at its core.
SOMRAT: My biggest challenge is to control the crowd. Everyone wants to participate in the games, but in a game day, I can only allow 120, or at most, 150 people.
STOUT: Yet, backed by a tiny team of 25, a simple phone camera and zero sponsors, this noble venture manages to keep the calm on-site, while taking the online world by storm, at the same time ensuring that no participants, even those who lose, leave empty-handed.
Kristi Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KINKADE: Well, actor Kevin Bacon catapulted to stardom four decades ago when he played a high schooler in a movie who simply wanted a little fun.
Well, in Footloose, he shocked elders when he organized a dance in a conservative town that had banned parties and rock music. The movie, of course, was a sensation. So, students at Payson High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, where it was filmed, lobbied hard to get the star to come to their prom on the movie's 40th anniversary.
The visit raised money for Bacon's Foundation, which helps local communities. Bacon called the students' enthusiasm contagious. One student said his visit gave her goose bumps. Well, hopefully, she can cut loose, footloose, and kick off the Sunday shoes this weekend.
I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks so much for spending part of your day with me.
Kim Brunhuber picks up our coverage in just a moment. CNN Newsroom continues.
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