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Total Solar Eclipse Passes Over Mexico, U.S. and Canada Today; Trump Releases Statement on Abortion Stance; Israeli Military Withdraws Ground Forces from Khan Younis. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired April 08, 2024 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: -- I mean, cosmically aligned, this is where we are.

[07:00:01]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, come on, what are we all doing for the eclipse day? You watching it?

MOLLY BALL, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Absolutely, I'll be at work, but I will try and go outside.

REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): I think I am going to the bridge over the Anacostia River, because I know I would be able to see something there.

HUNT: Cool, I love it.

MATT GORMAN, FORMER TIM SCOTT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN SERNIOR ADVISER AND REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: We will be in the roof of a building somewhere.

HUNT: Somewhere?

GORMAN: Yes.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: (INAUDIBLE) and finishing this donut.

HUNT: Yes, I have to say. I like think this doughnut has the amount of sugar that I normally consume in like a whole week, in one like single food.

GORMAN: That's a little contact (INAUDIBLE).

HUNT: But I am excited about eating the Oreo on top.

All right, thanks guys. I appreciate it. Thanks to all of you for joining us. I'm Kasie Hunt.

You better stick around because John Berman and CNN News Central are up right now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Get your glasses ready. Today is the day of the total solar eclipse, the celestial event you'll have to wait another 20 years to catch again in the United States. JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are standing by for Donald Trump to release a statement on abortion. Overnight, he teased an announcement is coming. In private, he has discussed support for a 15-week ban. Where will he land this morning?

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And a Boeing plane engine cover comes off during takeoff, one of a list of recent mishaps, this time forcing a Southwest Airlines flight to make an emergency landing. I'm Sara Sidner with John Berman and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN New Central.

BOLDUAN: Today is the day, friends. Happy Monday and happy eclipse mania day. It's officially reached a fever pitch. Millions of people are waking up to check the forecast and to make sure their glasses are ready for this total solar eclipse moment soon, making its way across Mexico, the United States and Canada.

More than 32 million people in the U.S. will be in the path of totality, which stretches from Texas up to the northeast. Along the path, the moon will appear to completely cover the sun for about 3.5 to 4 minutes.

And for people not perfectly positioned for today's event, you should still be able to get a show of some sort. 99 percent of Americans will be able to see at least a partial eclipse today, and this is definitely one of those must see, do not forget, mark the calendar, set a timer, take a moment to enjoy types of events because after today, it will be another 20 years before a total eclipse will be visible from the United States.

So, from the forecast to the watch parties, there's a whole lot to watch even in the lead up to this afternoon.

CNN's Rosa Flores is in the totality zone in Texas for us. Rosa T- minus, what, seven hours now to show time?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kate. And I think Kerrville is so ready for this but I don't know that I am. I'm a little confused about what the real glasses look like. So, I'm hoping that you can help me. Because these are kind of cool but like I could see better with these, and this is where we have our public service announcement. Friends if you're going to watch the eclipse make sure that the real glasses, like if your finger can go through the glasses, that will let you know that those are not the ones that you want to use so that, you, can protect your eyes.

These are the ones that you want. Make sure they fit the international standard, and these can give you a third eye of wisdom. You can see right here in the center, it says eclipse times two. Well, that's because Kerrville will have two eclipses in a matter of six months.

We have the map from NASA. Take a look, because this is really fascinating. X marks the spot. There was an annular eclipse back in October, and you see the path of totality there. There's another eclipse today and you see the path of totality. And in the center, that's where Kerrville is. Now, I talked to the mayor of this city about this. She was very excited. She's welcoming people from all over the world. She has already declared a disaster in the town, not because she thinks it will be a disaster, even though they do say that this town has been getting calls about, well, is this going to be the apocalypse? Is this the end of in the point of no return? No, friends, nothing like that. They are going to have counter-flow, according to the mayor, once totality is over to make sure that everyone can get out of town safely.

And the mayor also told me that she tapped into the supernatural to make sure that these 100,000 people that are expected to be here will get a good show. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: One of the concerns, of course, is the weather.

MAYOR JUDY EYCHNER, KERRVILLE, TEXAS: Weather. but I --

FLORES: Would it be clear? Will it not be clear, will it rain, will not rain?

EYCHNER: I checked my magic ball this morning and it says, no rain, and we're going to be able to see it.

[7:05:01]

So --

FLORES: What else does that magic ball tell you there?

EYCHNER: I'll have to look harder.

FLORES: Okay. Does it tell you the lottery numbers? Because if it does, I want those too.

EYCHNER: That's a secret. That I can't share.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now, Kate, I borrowed that crystal ball from her and I can see good weather, people cheering, people having a good time. And, Kate, I think I see the lottery numbers but I don't think I'm going to show those. I think I'm going to (INAUDIBLE) to myself.

BOLDUAN: Wait, wait, wait a second. Now, this is actually serious because I was not in Oregon and did not win Powerball, so we need to discuss.

Rosa, thank you so much. I cannot wait to see what props come up next. She's got an entire suitcase of them. You're amazing. Rosa has got the view from Texas Forest all day long.

SIDNER: She understood the assignment.

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

SIDNER: She had props. She had everything going for her.

BOLDUAN: When you've got team under seven hours to show time, you can just bring out the props.

SIDNER: She was on a stage and we were all just the audience enjoying the whole thing.

Speaking of which, as people are staking out their spots, like Rosa, to see the eclipse, millions are hoping and even using crystal balls to try to be in the way, the clear sky, so that they can see everything perfectly. Most of you will get one, including one guy who traveled to Mexico just for this eclipse. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mazatlan is one of our favorite places in the world and we wanted to come here to see the eclipse. And the town is full of people. It's absolutely packed with tourists here for the eclipse. And it's wonderful

CINDY CLARK, TRAVELING TO TEXAS FOR ECLIPSE: And it came to this. I had to think it all out, lay it on the calendar and I'm ready. I'm ready to go. All I need is a clear sky.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Such a surreal experience, you can't even explain what it's like to be in a total eclipse. You think you're going to know, then you're like, oh, I wouldn't expect them that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: I love how excited people are.

So, who is on deck for the best viewing? CNN's Allison Chinchar has the forecast. I think that a lot of people are going to be pretty, pretty darn happy with.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, there are going to be plenty of spots that it's going to going to have pretty good viewing today. Some of those include Cape Gerardo in Missouri. We've got Evansville, Indiana, Carbondale, Illinois, and then another good spot farther off to the north, basically from Burlington, Vermont, all the way up through Caribou, Maine, going to see some fantastically clear skies.

There are going to be some trouble spots, namely much of the area in Texas and portions of Arkansas. And the reason for that is we have the potential for some strong to severe thunderstorms later on today.

Now, the good news is the bulk of those storms will actually be after the eclipse. But we all know a lot of those clouds are going to start building ahead of time, and it's how quickly can those clouds increase during the eclipse time that's going to be a concern.

But also after as everyone is leaving the event is over. Maybe they're heading back home. They may end up encountering some of these strong to severe thunderstorms. That will include large hail, damaging winds and the potential for some strong thunderstorms, especially through the evening hours. So, let's say you're traveling to three, even four hours away, you may encounter some of those.

But, again, we also have some really good spots too. Take, for example, Indianapolis. A lot of those clouds are going to be decreasing through the day. So, even if you wake up this morning and you look outside and you see those clouds, don't worry, we are going to start to see a lot of those fade away during the day today.

Another good spot, as we mentioned, Burlington, Vermont, still looking at plenty of sunshine, guys, to be able to see that optimal viewing later on today.

SIDNER: Allison, do not think that I have not noticed the earrings and the shirt. Those are eclipse earrings. I mean, where did you find that?

CHINCHAR: I only get to wear these every so many years. I had to take advantage of it.

SIDNER: You came prepared, I totally appreciate it. Alison Chinchar, thank you so much. John?

BERMAN: All right. We do have breaking news. Donald Trump just posted a message on social media on his policy on abortion. We are going through that statement. We will tell you what it says shortly.

An engine cover rips off an airplane during takeoff. The whole thing caught on video.

And what is being called significant progress in hostage talks, could it lead to a ceasefire in Gaza?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00]

BERMAN: All right. The breaking news, Donald Trump has just released a video message on his policy on abortion. Overnight, he teased that he would be releasing a statement. That statement is now out. At question has been would Donald Trump come out with a definitive position on where he stands on a federal national ban on abortion? Over the last several months, he has talked about possibly a 15-week ban. We now have the video. We've been going through it.

CNN's Alayna Treene is with us now. Does he, in fact, take a definitive stand, Alayna?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: He does not. What he says is that this should be left to the states. And he also takes credit for overturning Roe versus Wade, while, again, still seeming a bit vague about where he stands.

And, look, this is something that Donald Trump has done for the entire time on the campaign trail thus far, despite many people and outside groups, anti-abortion allies pressuring him to clarify his position on abortion, he has avoided doing so because he believes that the issue is a political loser, especially for Republicans in a general election year.

And that's kind of where this video leaves us. It doesn't give many answers into exactly what -- how many weeks. We've heard Donald Trump repeatedly say -- or float, I should say, a 15-week or 16-week abortion ban. This says that it's up to the states.

And, again, he does take credit for stacking the Supreme Court with three conservative justices in overturning Roe versus Wade, but also doesn't go as far as many people on the right and in the conservative movement wanted him to do. And so that's kind of where this statement leaves us this morning.

Of course, we're still going through it. But I think, you know, again Donald Trump isn't leaning very hard into a national abortion ban. He is saying, look, that this is a state's issue.

And it's also the kind of statement we saw his team release last week in news of the Florida law, the six-week abortion ban being slated to take effect in a couple weeks now. They had said, look, Donald Trump believes in preserving life, again, another vague statement from the campaign, but also insisted that he believes it should be a state's decision. And that's kind where Donald Trump in the statement leaves us on the issue today.

BERMAN: Donald is a resident of Florida. On the ballot in Florida this November will be a six-week ban on abortion. Does this statement or does the campaign give any indication where he comes down on that issue?

TREENE: So far, they haven't. And I think that's, again, because they recognize the politics of this issue. They really do not want to be wading too deeply into this fight despite knowing that Democrats -- this is one of their main issues and one of Republicans biggest vulnerabilities for the election.

I have asked the campaign, how would Donald Trump vote on this as a Florida resident? He will have the right to vote on the constitutional amendment when it comes up in November. They have refused so far to say what he will do. Instead, they really are trying to say that this about the state's decision, that, for many years, conservatives, people of the pro-life movement have wanted abortion to be the states, that he overturned Roe versus Wade, and so that's where it should continue to be.

But, again, I don't think this is going to leave many of those people happy, particularly those who voted on this issue and helped him in 2016 get into the White House because of this issue. I think it will leave a lot of his allies on that front not totally fulfilled by what he is saying today.

BERMAN: So, he came out with a statement he promised but what he promised is still fairly vague this morning. Alayna Treene, thank you very much for that update. Kate?

BOLDUAN: So, scary moments aboard a Southwest Airlines flight. Passengers capturing the moments in air an engine cover appeared to peel off during takeoff.

And it is the dawn of a new sports dynasty, South Carolina's women basketball team bringing home their third national championship, beating Iowa and beating rock star Caitlin Clark in a game yesterday. South Carolina's Head Coach Dawn Staley will be our guest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BERMAN: All right. Developing this morning, what Egyptian state media calls significant progress in talks on a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. Also, the Israeli military says it withdrew ground forces from the city of Khan Younis, but said they're still far from halting ground operations in Gaza.

CNN's Nic Robertson is in Jerusalem this morning. Nic, what is the latest you are hearing?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. And the IDF is saying that this pullback of the 98th division from Khan Younis, pulling out this huge number of troops, the biggest division actually that's been operating inside of Gaza, they've been fighting in Khan Younis for four months, represents an end of ground operations in Gaza in their current phase.

What we're hearing from IDF commanders, though, is that there's a possibility the troops could go back in to Rafah or potentially they could be deployed for other operations elsewhere. The IDF is saying they're maintaining a strong force in the north of Gaza, the 162nd Division there in north around the major cities, like Gaza City.

So, this is far from a full withdrawal, far from an end of military operations. In fact, a warning there could more to come. However, potentially in the context of the talks that are underway or have happened overnight in Cairo, this could put something different on the table that may shift the dynamic and lead to a deal over the hostage release and the contexts and contours of what a ceasefire might look like.

It may change or it could go towards another breakdown in talks and then the indication that potentially this could lead to a ground operation in Rafah. And we're certainly hearing from members of the prime minister's hard right cabinet saying that if the prime minister is not going to go into Rafah and finish the job on Hamas, then perhaps they need to look at -- then he's not representing the will of people. So, that's a threat to the prime minister, but this is one that at the moment he can certainly appear to withstand.

BERMAN: All right, a lot going on there. Nic, keep us posted as to what you hear. Thank you very much. Sara? SIDNER: All right. There is also the threat from Iran. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the U.S. is ready to, quote, respond swiftly, if necessary, against any attacks by Iran.

[07:25:00]

U.S. officials are preparing for a significant attack that they believe is inevitable. Iran has said they are going to retaliate after last week's strike that killed top Iranian commanders in Syria. Potential targets could be Israeli or U.S. assets in the region.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is at the White House. We know that there is reporting the White House made clear to Iran that it was not U.S. involved, but Israel is being blamed for this hit on the complex. Can you tell me, going further, what the U.S. is hearing, what they're worried about at this point?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the U.S. and Israeli governments are on high alert for what U.S. officials have described as a, quote, inevitable attack, this potential attack by Iran sparked by that Israeli airstrike that you were just talking about that killed top Iranian commanders.

Now, as you mentioned, Iran vowed to take revenge, and the U.S. made clear they were not involved in this Israeli airstrike, nor did they know about it ahead of time, instead issuing a warning to Iran that they should not use this as a pretext to go after U.S. personnel or facilities.

Now, it's unclear when this would happen or how it would happen. Officials anticipated it could be as soon as this week, again, targeting U.S. or Israeli assets in the region.

But what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made clear over the weekend is that the U.S. is prepared to respond swiftly, if necessary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): I know the president and his team are working hard to prevent escalation and are prepared to defend any attack and respond swiftly if necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now, this, of course, was a major topic of discussion between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, the two governments staying in close touch over the weekend. Of course, the worst case scenario here would be a direct strike by Iran on Israel, which could spark a broader regional conflict. Of course, Sara, that is something that the White House has tried to avoid.

SIDNER: Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much for all that reporting this morning. Kate?

BOLDUAN: And some good stuff to get your day going today, a Girl Scout troop in Tennessee using cookie sales to help reunite lost pets with their owners, using the money that they earned from their cookie sales to purchase and install microchip scanners at their local library.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AINSLEE WRIGHT, GIRL SCOUT: It's all in good (INAUDIBLE) and, of course, really fun, but it feels great knowing that we helped a lot of lost animals.

MADDIE MARSHALL, GIRL SCOUT: I just think it's really fun to get to hang out with like my best friends and do good things for our community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: So, now, anyone who finds a lost pet in their community can bring the pet to the library to be scanned for a microchip and hopefully reconnect them with the owner. The project, two years in the making. John?

BERMAN: So, what is the one place that definitely does not have to worry about clouds for the total eclipse? Outer space, what will it look like from there? We've got a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:00]