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Lawmakers Vote To Prevent "No-Deal" Brexit; May Meets With Corbyn For Cross-Party Talks; Report: Nissan's Former Chief Arrested A Fourth Time; Ethiopian Investigators To Release Crash Findings; House Committee Approves Subpoena To Get Mueller Report; Key Democrat Demands Trump's Tax Returns Be Turned Over; Uncertainty Could Hurt U.K.'s Booming Space Sector; Birth Control Options Impacted in Venezuela; Gantz Looks for Political Career after Military; College Admissions Scandal; 22 False or Misleading Claims a Day. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired April 04, 2019 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and thanks for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church and you are watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Ahead this hour, constructive but inconclusive, British Prime Minister Theresa May gets some face time with Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, hoping that reaching across the aisle can finally end the Brexit deadlock.
Plus, the investigation onto what brought down Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a new report into the deadly crash is just hours away.
And U.S. Democrats take new action to try to get the Mueller report in a public domain. This, as we are learning the Special Counsel's investigation may be worse for Trump, than we've been led to believe.
We begin with a new twist in the never-ending Brexit saga; the British House of Commons has approved a plan that forces the government to request another extension from the E.U., thereby preventing a no-deal Brexit.
Prime Minister Theresa May was met with jeers from her own party, for her talks with opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Downing Street described the session as constructive, while Corbyn called it inconclusive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA MAY, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: I think there are actually a number of areas that we agree on in relation to Brexit. I think we both want to deliver, leaving the E.U. with a deal. I think we both want -- we both want to protect jobs, I think we both want to ensure that we (INAUDIBLE) movement.
JEREMY CORBYN, LEADER OF THE BRITISH LABOUR PARTY: I welcome the Prime Minister's offer for talks following the meetings that I've held with members across this House. I look forward to meeting her later today, and I welcome her willingness to compromise to resolve the Brexit deadlock.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Another Brexit extension would still have to be approved by the European Union, of course, where patience is wearing thin. CNN's Erin McLaughlin has more now from Brussels.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the E.U. is watching and waiting to see what comes out of the talks between Prime Minister Theresa May and the leader of the opposition, in the United Kingdom, Jeremy Corbyn.
But today, the President of European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, throwing Theresa May an olive branch, saying that he would be willing to allow that May 22nd extension, which Theresa May, at this point, really, really wants, if, and it's a big if, she passes the withdrawal agreement by April 12th. Take a. listen.
JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, PRESIDENT OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION (through translator): 12th of April is the final day for possible approval. If the House of Commons do not adopt this tense before the date, no short-term extension will be possible.
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, there's skepticism here, in Brussels, that she'll be able to pull this off. And so, minds are focused on what could happen next. What would happen? What will be the E.U.'s response if Theresa May comes to the extraordinary summit on Wednesday, and meets the 27 E.U. leaders with no real concrete plan in hand.
There's increasing talks here, in Brussels, of a long-term extension, with strings attached. Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Brussels.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And joining me now from Los Angeles, CNN European Affairs Commentator, Dominic Thomas, good to see you again.
DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Hi, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. Let's follow on from that because the E.U. has said, yes, we will give you this extension if you can pass this withdrawal agreement by April 12th. Can they do that?
THOMAS: Well, this is the -- this is the big question. We've actually ended up in a rather remarkable situation now, where throughout this process, Theresa May has been accused of putting her party over the country, and now the narrative has shifted.
She's going to put the country ahead and is not impossible based on all that we've heard today from politicians that are not participating in these talks, from the votes that took place in parliament that were extraordinarily divisive.
That Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn might very well potentially now come up with some kind of negotiated deal which they would be incapable of getting through the House of Commons. This is not an inconceivable scenario because the Brexiteers are unlikely to go along with anything that looks like a softer Brexit.
And on Jeremy Corbyn's side, he's also being forced to negotiate and to ask for the potential of there being a people's vote, or a second referendum. And it's certainly going to push for much closer relationship with the E.U. and a much softer relationship.
And as we've seen throughout this process, it has been extraordinarily difficult to get parliament to vote with any kind of consensus on any issue that has been put before them.
[01:05:01] CHURCH: And we have witnessed an extraordinary scene, haven't we? Theresa May, turning her back on her own party and handing an olive branch to the opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn. They seem very happy with the outcome of the first day of talks describing the constructive useful, but inconclusive. And they want to forward and reach some sort of softer Brexit compromise.
But the big question is, how they do that? Because the problem is, Theresa May has the Brexiteers whispering in her ear, trying to influence her and push her to a harder line. And then, as you mentioned Jeremy Corbyn's party, they want whatever agreement is made to go back to the people.
And this is all going to get -- take time and the E.U. has said this agreement has to be signed and agreed upon by April 12th. How is the timing going to be possible?
THOMAS: Yes, well, the timing, there are some very serious issues that you raised there, in terms of, for example, a people's vote or referendum, it is absolutely impossible to do and to organize something by mid next week.
And so, that's the sort of -- that's -- you know, raises sort of extraordinary, you know, challenge, if that is the road that they -- that they go down. But that option would also be incredibly unpopular with the Conservative Party, right up there with the Customs Union.
So, the closest that they can get to, at this particular stage, is some kind of, you know, softer Brexit that involves an element of the Customs Union. And hopefully, by calling it withdrawal agreement four plus, they're able to, sort of, muscle that through, because the alternatives are so complex as well.
Now, we also end up in this situation where the European Union is watching this, and everything that they see today, the inability to achieve a meaningful, sort of, successful vote in the House of Commons, these divided outcomes and so on, reaffirms their suspicion that they have at this particular process.
And, of course, if they're able to strike a deal, the European Union will help them legislate. But I think that from the E.U.'s perspective, what they're seeing here is a prime minister and a leader of the opposition, that are both talking about Brexit. This is where the people, like it or not, the default position. And it is not inconceivable that the European Union turns around. And if they don't get this through, simply says that we are not providing you with an extension. You have a choice right now, between either a no- deal, which delivers Brexit.
And you'll have to figure out what you're going to do with that, or ultimately, you can remain in control of the process by revoking Article 50, participating in the E.U. elections and figuring out back in the United Kingdom.
Whether you ever want to revoke Article 50 again, and come back and try and leave the European Union, rather than doing it the other way around, which simply keeps the hopes alive of the Brexiteers by providing an indeterminate extension of six months and one year, and keeping this, sort of, constantly on the battlefield of the European Union, and that's something that the E.U. has really been wanting to avoid.
CHURCH: And Dominic, you have been watching the twists and turns of this throughout. What is your gut feeling as to what will likely happen here, given the time restraints?
THOMAS: Well, the European Union has really set a deadline here, and I think that's extraordinarily important and that, sort of, makes it slightly more likely that this particular deal would go through. I still find it absolutely extraordinary that Theresa May emerged from that meeting, that cabinet meeting, the other day, and that there haven't been a greater number of resignations.
And that's somehow rather the Brexiteers are all going along with this. I do feel like this is a trap for the Labour Party. I feel like the Brexiteers, at the very least, get Theresa May to pass a deal, and then step down and shepherd the process through, in the post-Brexit period.
And so, I think that there's disingenuity to this whole, sort of, you know, process that's going along here, and so I'm suspicious. And so, in order to really answer your question, I would be extremely surprised if they were able to come up with a deal that would make its way through the Houses of Parliament.
I wouldn't bet on it, but at this state, given the fact that this deadline is so absolutely firm from the European Union, does force them to now make the decision as to whether or not they are going to leave the European Union with some kind of deal or have to either crash out of it or revoke Article 50, with all the implications of each of those.
CHURCH: We will find out on April 12th, what happens in the future of Britain, going forward, all right. Dominic Thomas, thank you so much for joining. Appreciate it.
THOMAS: Thanks, Rosemary.
CHURCH: More charges are being filed against the suspect in the New Zealand Mosque attacks. Brenton Tarrant will be charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 counts of attempted murder. Tarrant is due to appear in court in Christchurch on Friday.
In his earlier court appearance, he was charged with one count of murder. Fifty people were killed when a gunman opened fire on worshippers in two Mosques in New Zealand. Police say even more charges are being considered.
[01:10:02] Well, the former head of Nissan Motor Company has been arrested in Japan, for a fourth time. Broadcaster NHK reports that prosecutors suspect Carlos Ghosn misappropriated Nissan's company funds for personal use.
He is awaiting trial on charges he understated his earnings for years and abused his position by transferring personal investment losses to Nissan. He denies any wrong doing.
And now, Sherisse Pham, joins us now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Sherisse. So, what more are you learning about the circumstances and details surrounding the fourth arrest of Carlos Ghosn?
SHERISSE PHAM, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: That's right, prosecutors arresting Carlos Ghosn, yet again, just the latest twist in this unfolding saga that has brought down one of the titans of the auto industry, so prosecutors made a move on Carlos Ghosn's Tokyo home in the early hours of this morning and arrested him on new charges of financial misconduct.
So, prosecutors are saying, now accusing him of using company funds for personal use, and that from 2015 to 2018, they are accusing him of transferring payments to an overseas dealer for "the purpose of self- interest." Prosecutors say as a result of this financial misconduct, Nissan lost about $5 million dollars.
Now, Carlos Ghosn's lawyer is out against these charges, pushing back pretty hard this morning, calling the move against his client, an act of hostage justice. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUNICHIRO HIRONAKA, LAWYER OF CARLOS GHOSN (through translator): Prosecutors are trying to maintain an edge against him by hurting Carlos Ghosn through hostage justice. I think it's extremely inappropriate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHAM: Extremely inappropriate, and who else is going to be agreeing with that would be Carlos Ghosn, himself. He was silent when he was first arrested back in November. He has already been detained for 108 days. This arrest, today, comes just a day after he took to Twitter, sent his first tweet yesterday, saying he is going to tell the truth in a press conference next week.
That, of course, is now all up in the air after this arrest, but he came out with a statement. He told CNN this morning, through a spokesperson, "My arrest this morning is outrageous and arbitrary. It is part of another attempt by individuals at Nissan to silence me. And he is saying, why arrest me except to try to break me? I will not be broken. I am innocent of the groundless charges and accusations against me."
So, once again, Rosemary, we are just sitting and waiting for the next move. Prosecutors are going to be holding a press conference in a couple hours here, and Carlos Ghosn's lawyer will also be holding a competing press conference. We'll be looking for the next lines out of them, in the coming hours, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes, will be interesting to see what his next legal move is. Sherisse Pham, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
Well, in just a few hours, Ethiopian officials are releasing a preliminary report on the doomed Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. 157 people were killed when the Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed last month. The entire fleet is grounded as Boeing fixes a software problem that may have prevented the pilots from maintaining control of the plane. CNN's Robyn Kriel has the latest from Ethiopia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBYN KRIEL, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: We are waiting for this preliminary report to be released by Ethiopian authorities. We understand they do have up until the 9th of April to release it, not that it could be released any moment now.
Just to give you an idea of the scenario, the Wall Street Journal is reporting. They said that the MCAS, the anti-stall system on board, that doomed Flight ET302 failed and that pilots followed procedures to shut it down but they still could not control the plane.
So, this indicates some kind of a deeper failure, and could be why Boeing said that they had an additional piece to address to get that Max aircraft back in service. Here in Addis Ababa, plane stay still taking off from Bole International, way into the night.
It's been three weeks, roughly, since that crash, ET302 plunging into the ground, despite what we now understand from the Wall Street Journal's reporting, as pilots following emergency procedures to try to keep the nose of that plane up, 157 lives lost from 35 different nations, in just a six-minute plunging plane ride. That must have been terrifying for all involved, Robyn Kriel, CNN, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Joining me now from Albuquerque, New Mexico is Allen Deal. He is a former Accident Investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force. Thank you so much for being with us.
[01:15:09] ALAN DIEHL, FORMER ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR, NTSB: Thank you, Rosemary. CHURCH: So, what impact could this preliminary report potentially have on Boeing, if as we expect, it reveals that the Ethiopian pilots did everything they were trained to do to try to save that doomed plane?
DIEHL: Well, there's still something that we're waiting for. A piece of information here tomorrow. And that is that the Ethiopian crew initially followed the Boeing recommendation to shut off the automation. Because there are two, so-called cutout switches. But according to the Wall Street Journal and other people familiar with the investigation, the Ethiopian's -- one of the pilots then turned the automation back on, or actually, turn the electric power back on, which allow the automation to pitch the nose over again.
Now, that will hopefully come out tomorrow. If that is true, the second part of that statement is true, that they turn it back on, that is contrary to what Boeing recommended in its bulletin after the Lion Air crash. So, we'll have to wait for this release tomorrow to hopefully know what happened in that Ethiopian cockpit.
CHURCH: Right. And if that all is true, then how damning could this be for Boeing?
DIEHL: Well, it's probably not going to be good. Because obviously, these pilots didn't handle it. Rosemary, when the Boeing test pilots fly these aircraft, and when the FAA test pilots fly these aircraft, they have to keep in mind that the Lion pilots are going to fly them later are not are all Sully (INAUDIBLE), a miracle on the Hudson captains.
And you have to design these aircraft in these procedures to the typical Lion pilot. And I think, maybe they'll have to go back to the drawing boards. Now, several of the fixes that Boeing is claiming, they are installing should go a long way to doing that.
But we'll have to wait and see what the Ethiopians have to say. And, in fact, not just what the FAA has to say, but the rest of the International certification organizations in Europe, Canada, China, etc. If they buy that this airplane is now good to go.
CHURCH: Yes, you mention that patch. Because Boeing is still working to try to fix the software problem that may have prevented the pilots from controlling the plane. And in an effort to show these planes are safe, Boeing CEO, joined the test pilots to demonstrate the updated software. Saying, everything worked as designed.
How much comfort does that give you, and do you think then, that this will be enough to correct the problem and make these planes safe?
DIEHL: Well, I believe it, it should be. OK. But I want to hear not just from the FAA, but from the other, a certification authorities. If there's a global consensus that yes, this is -- this is going to work. Now, you got to remember, Rosemary that Airbus has the same situation in this bipolar world between Airbus and Boeing.
They've had the same kind of failures with their equipment. Their equipment is even more automated. So, well, I don't think this is permanently going to hurt Boeing, although, certainly, they loss of over 300 people and two aircraft is tragic. Especially, right after the introduction.
And, oh, by the way, Boeing wants to bring out a new aircraft to replace their 757s. And I think the airlines will look very closely at the automation on not just the backs, the 737 MAX, but also this new aircraft that is scheduled to come out sometime in the next year.
So, this could hurt Boeing in the race with Airbus if they don't get it right. So, we're all waiting to hear what the Ethiopians have to say. And, of course, what the rest of the world that with the other certification authorities and the airlines have to say.
CHURCH: Yes. Because indeed, public confidence is at an all-time low when it comes to Boeing. So, they have to work on that part of the equation as well. Alan Diehl, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
DIEHL: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: And just ahead. Donald Trump, says the Mueller report completely exonerates him. Mueller and Trump's own Attorney General say, not quite. Now, House Democrats are taking steps to see the full report for themselves.
Plus, it's not food or water, but women in Venezuela are desperate to get their hands on what they consider another bare necessity: birth control. The skyrocketing costs and scarce supplies are driving some young women to put their lives at risk. We'll have the details after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:22:41] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, some and special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators say the Mueller report is more damaging to President Trump than Attorney General William Barr's memo revealed. That from The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Some on the team, saying the evidence of obstruction was alarming and significant. One official told The Post, the team members had prepared summaries for each section. And they expected those summaries to be released to the public. Instead, the Attorney General did his own summary.
It comes as the House Judiciary Committee approves a subpoena to get the full unredacted version of the report. The party line vote came in a contentious committee meeting Wednesday. The chairman said he is not issuing the subpoena just yet but will if he needs to.
And speaking with our Manu Raju, Chairman Jerrold Nadler was adamant that only the full report will do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you willing to negotiate any middle ground in terms of redactions of the Mueller --
(CROSSTALK)
REP. JERROLD NADLER (D-NY), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: No.
RAJU: You're not.
NADLER: No. The committee must see everything as was done in every prior instance. The committee is entitled and must see all the material and make judgments as to what can be redacted for the public release by ourselves.
We're not willing to let the Attorney General who after all, is the political appointee of the president make that judge, subs to his judgment for hours.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Political analyst Peter Matthews is a professor of political science at Cypress College and he joins us now from Los Angeles. Thanks for being with us.
PETER MATTHEWS, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, CYPRESS COLLEGE: Good to be here, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So, once it's issued, if it is, how likely is it that this subpoena approved by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee will result in the Democrats getting a full unredacted version of the Mueller report. Particularly, now that we learn the New York Times is reporting that members of Mueller's team say, their findings were more damaging than the Attorney General revealed in his summary.
MATTHEWS: That New York Times report is a lot of fuel for the fire that they have to provide: the unredacted report. Because that's important for the jury committee to decide what was going on. And it's required. I think they'll give it. They'll have to give it up because that's required by law, it's a subpoena. That's a legal action which requires it. And that's the only way they're getting information to the bottom line what did Mr. Mueller actually find out.
Not something that was summarized in four pages by the Attorney General that was appointed by the president that almost smacks of a cover-up. And this is -- the whole report is fully given to the Judiciary Committee in Congress. And that they can decide what can be redacted for the public to see. But the Congress and the committee has to get the full report. Otherwise, it looks like a cover-up.
[01:25:24] CHURCH: Right. We'll see what happens with that. Do want to turn to Donald Trump's tax returns now. And the House Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal has formally requested the release from the IRS of six years of President Trump's tax returns using a little-known IRS code. Will this strategy work and will Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who oversees the IRS comply?
MATTHEWS: Again, you'll have to do so. Because this code was brought in after the Teapot Dome scandal under President Harding. And it's very solid in terms of legal precedent. And you have to return it -- you know, not only if they ask for Trump's tax returns, they've asked for eight of his businesses, as well, because they want to make sure that President Trump or his businesses were not in any way owing something to foreign entities and they were not making decisions especially the president because he had private obligations.
This is a -- this goes back to Plato, the ancient philosopher has said, the people who are in power, the gold class, the ruling class should not even own private property, leave alone maintain it, and make profits out of it like president Trump's been doing. There's a conflict of interest inherently there. And that's why it has to be released.
These tax returns have to be made available to the committee and to Congress, so they can figure out if the president under some kind of cloud or not when he makes decisions for the public. That copy of interest has to be cleared up.
CHURCH: Right. Do the Democrats though, run the risk of looking too political on this issue, and perhaps overarching?
MATTHEWS: It depends how they presented. You know, if you say that this is part of the law, it's part of the rule of law principle that no one's above the law, and this case all presidents have revealed their tax returns. All the modern ones. And therefore, why should Mr. President Trump be an exception? That workers have to do it in a very measured way.
In that case, they won't seem to be overarching, but they'll leave or reaching. But they'll be seem to be carrying out the rule of law. I think that's how they should do it, in the right way.
CHURCH: All right, switching to the Democrats. Now, in former Vice President Joe Biden posted a video on Twitter, Wednesday, in the wake of accusations made against him regarding inappropriate touching from four women. And this is part of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Social norms began to change, they've shifted. And the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it. I get it. I hear what they're saying, I understand it. And I'll be much more mindful. That's my responsibility. My responsibility and I'll meet. But I'll always believe governing, quite frankly, life, for that matter is about connecting -- about connecting the people. That won't change. But I will be more mindful, and respectful of people's personal space. And that's a good thing. That's a good thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: So, will this Biden's pledge to respect women's personal space be enough to stave off criticism? Should he eventually declare his intention to run for the 2020 presidential election, which certainly looks like that's exactly what's going to happen? MATTHEWS: He's been doing these things for years. It wasn't just overnight or a long time ago. And so, it does become questionable. And I could imagine how women would feel about that. There were personal space being violated and by man. And you know, generally, men were dominant physically. And I think Vice President Biden's in a big -- in a bad situation right now. He's trying his best to get out of it by saying, "I acknowledge it. He didn't say apologize, because maybe he did.
He is saying, I acknowledge it, I'm addressing it. I'm not sure it'll be enough for many, many people especially younger women. And we have to see how that goes. We'll just have to wait and see.
CHURCH: You think that will be enough to rule him out in this instance, then?
MATTHEWS: You know, Rosemary, I never say never in politics. You know, anything could happen overnight. And something else could actually weaken him enough to where he may say, I'm not -- just not going to run, it's possible. And then, that'll change the whole equation for the Democrat nomination, wouldn't it?
CHURCH: Yes. It certainly would.
MATTHEWS: It depends.
CHURCH: We'll be watching to see what happens. But certainly, from that video, that is an indication he seems to be moving forward on this. We'll watch.
Peter Mathews, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
MATTEWS: Thank you, Rosemary. Good to be with you.
CHURCH: And still to come. They are used to sending their work out into the great unknown. But Brexit has even got Britain's rocket scientists on the edge. Wondering if the country's space industry is about to crash and burn.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:31:58] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
Let's check the headlines for you this hour.
British lawmakers have approved a plan to request another deadline extension from the European Union and prevent a no-deal Brexit. That comes as Prime Minister Theresa May has wrapped up her first day of talks with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn aimed at breaking the Brexit impasse.
In the coming hours, authorities are set to release their initial findings on the doomed Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. The Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed last month killing all 157 people on board. Other reported findings suggest that the automatic flight control system may have caused the accident.
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee has approved a subpoena to get the full, unredacted version of the Mueller report. It came in a party line vote on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the "New York Times" and "Washington Post" reporting some of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigators say the report is more damaging to President Trump than Attorney General William Barr's memo revealed.
Well, if Brexit does eventually happen, the impact will reach across the country, the continent and even into space.
CNN's Nina Dos Santos explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL LOWETH, OXFORD SPACE SYSTEMS: Here is our aim, the theme (ph) and the LDA alti-structure.
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sixty miles from Westminster, some of the world's top engineers are trying to solve a problem. Their aim -- to build something flexible, durable and able to function in a hostile environment. Like Brexit, it's a delicate balancing act.
LOWETH: Everyone knows carbon fiber from their (INAUDIBLE) that solid component, but what we have done here is how to make that something that we can actually deploy and flex without it shattering.
DOS SANTOS: Brexit may not be rocket science, say the voters disappointed it hasn't yet happened, but it could have a big impact on the U.K. burgeoning space sector populated by small businesses developing unique technologies.
Oxford Space Systems makes high-tech equipment for satellite. Its products are so innovative they've been showcased to the British Prime Minister and unveiled by members of the royal family.
Since launching in 2013 with just three employees, the firm now has 47 staff and $26 million in private and public sector funding.
LOWETH: Here you see a (INAUDIBLE) antenna --
DOS SANTOS: But the signal of potential hires they're picking up from politicians is not favorable and that's a risk for an enterprise that is expanding.
LOWETH: Brexit is becoming a little bit of a challenge in Europe. People don't know whether they can come to the U.K. There's so much uncertainty that we have even had people turn down jobs to come here.
[01:34:58] DOS SANTOS: The firm is one of 89 space start-ups based in the technology park on the outskirts of Oxford. Businesses familiar with sending their wares into the unknown, but with the U.K. set to leave the E.U.'s Galileo satellite navigation system, there are concerns that some parts of the space industry may have to relocate to the continent. LOWETH: We do have some business in Europe and some of that European
business is around some of these satellite playgrounds, global positioning network. And the U.K. has now found out that we are not going to be able to get involved in that like we used to. And that runs the risk of us losing some of those expertise.
DOS SANTOS: With Brexit once again coming down to the wire, space companies like others up and down the country are hoping for clarity soon. So at least in terms of their future they aren't left operating in the dark.
Nina Dos Santos, CNN -- oxford.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well now, to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. A new report is advising the United Nations to lead a full scale emergency response to the severe medicine and food shortage crisis there.
The report was just released by Human Rights Watch and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It highlights increased numbers of maternal and infant deaths, the spread of vaccine preventable diseases such as measles and diphtheria, sharp increases in the transmission of infectious diseases and high levels of food insecurity and child malnutrition.
Well, Venezuela's health crisis is also impacting birth control options, contraceptives are expensive and nearly impossible to find leading to a rise in unplanned pregnancies and abortions.
Our Paula Newton reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is not a line for food or water but still, they say, it's a bare necessity. In Venezuela they are desperate even for birth control.
For several years now several times a week they come to the health clinic PLAFAM (ph) for some of the only birth control that's available.
"It's terrible," Donnayi (ph) tells me, you just can't get contraceptives. If you do get them, her friend Emily adds, it's expensive. Even if you work your, entire salary isn't enough to get one pack of pills. And for young girls who can't get birth control, they tell me, especially teenagers, many turn to abortion.
We visited with the clinic's medical director months ago and the situation is the same today, he confirms. Contraceptives are scarce at public clinics and unaffordable at private ones. The World Health Organization says Venezuela now has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in South America as even black market contraceptive is far too expensive for most. And the consequences of the shortage pose an even greater risk to the long-term health of women and girls.
This young woman says she induced her own abortion at home with herbal tea and pills. She says the pain was unbearable.
Were you scared?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I was scared. I thought I was going to die because there was so much blood. It was horrible.
NEWTON: Hemorrhaging, she went to see a doctor but could not confess to having an abortion and still does not want her identity revealed. Abortion is illegal in Venezuela, punishable with up to two years in prison.
LUISA KISLINGER, WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACITIVST: There's no way of knowing what they're doing and how they are performing these abortions, so it's very worrisome.
NEWTON: This women's activist says the latest available health records show maternal mortality in Venezuela was up 60 percent in 2016 alone. A recent study of infant mortality, she says is even more alarming--
KISLINGER: Fetuses were found in garbage cans or babies were abandoned and we weren't really surprised by the number, the sheer number. And these are the ones that make it into the media. We don't know how many more there can be.
NEWTON: A generation of Venezuelan women now live in fear of how sexual activity and pregnancy can upend their health and their lives.
Paula Newton, CNN -- Caracas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, five days and counting until Israelis go to the polls but will Benjamin Netanyahu be able to hold onto power? Ahead, a look at the man posing the most serious challenge and what it will take to get there.
[01:39:31] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: The Israeli election is less than a week away and the latest poll shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has caught up with -- and overtaken his main challenger for the first time in weeks. A survey of voters by Israel's channel 13 shows Mr. Netanyahu's party Likud Party would win 29 seats. That is a one-seat advantage over Blue and White Party of Benny Gantz.
And Benny Gantz had a long and distinguished career as an Israeli Army general and like many military leaders before him, Israeli politics has become his next battlefield.
CNN's Michael Holmes has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The man who wants to be Israel's next prime minister Benny Gantz who served as his country's military chief under the incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Together they led the country through two wars in Gaza but that hasn't stop Netanyahu's Likud Party from slamming Gantz on the campaign trail.
Gantz has fired back at those who say he might have military credentials but no political experience particularly on the world stage.
BENNY GANTZ, BLUE AND WHITE PARTY: I sat with prime ministers before, presidents before, chief of staff before. What are you talking? Is my starting point any way worse than what was Netanyahu's 13 or 15 years ago?
HOLMES: Security is always the main issue in Israeli elections and Gantz has support from former defense chiefs and front line soldiers.
Alon Ziderman was a paratrooper in the 2014 Gaza war. He had no direct contact with the then chief of staff but the impression Benny Gantz made on him was a factor in his decision to support him.
ALON ZIDERMAN, GANTZ SUPPORTER: I think that Israelis vote their prime minister because of his security background. And I think that with Benny Gantz and his partners -- three former three for chief of staffs, I think he has that covered.
HOLMES: Then there's Ehud Barak, former prime minister and his country's most decorated soldier.
EHUD BARAK, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Benny after all, always sat for many years in the meetings of the cabinet and government meetings to discuss -- discussing the most critical issues of the country. So he's much better prepared than Bibi when he came to power.
HOLMES: In Tel Aviv Gantz wooing voters in the home stretch. He's neck and neck with Netanyahu in the latest polls, but Israeli politics isn't about head to head. Neither man will win outright and it's all about who can form a coalition with nearly a dozen smaller parties.
Gantz is hitting the campaign trail hard in these final few days before the election. He may have risen to the very top of Israel's defense hierarchy but he's got less than a week now to convince voters to put him in charge of the country.
Michael Holmes, CNN -- Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, Chinese tech giant Huawei will be back in U.S. federal court in the coming hours. The company has pleaded not guilty to 13 charges including violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. Washington accuses Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou of lying to financial institutions about those deals.
[01:44:58] She is currently in Canada awaiting an extradition hearing.
And Matt Rivers spoke with her father, Huawei's CEO and founder. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we sat down with Ren for a really wide-ranging interview. And one of the things we are able to talk about is his optimism about his company's future.
And that surprised me a little bit given how many obstacles his company is facing right now. You would think that the tone of this answers might be a bit more negative but he was upbeat throughout our interview. Even giving some surprising answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REN ZHENGEI, CEO HUAWEI (through translator): I'm most excited and happy about the attacks on us from the United States. After being in business for 30 years, our teams were becoming lazy, corrupt and weak. Many mid and senior management have gotten rich and no longer wanted to work hard.
Since the U.S. began attacking us however, everyone has really come together and wanted to improve our products. And as a result, lifting a burden from my shoulders and making me relax enough to praise the U.S. more.
I hope our employees won't become anti-America. If we've learned from the 200 years of openness of the United States we will one day become advanced company.
RIVERS: So you're actually saying that what is happening to your company right now is a good thing?
ZHENGFEI: That's right.
RIVERS: Ok.
But as a father you must be nervous in some respects?
ZHENGFEI: When Meng Wanzhou problem emerged I was shocked. Now that it's already happened I'm more at ease. The legal systems in the U.S. and Canada are open and transparent. We have always believed that Meng Wanzhou hasn't broken any laws. So I'm not worried.
And since ancient times heroes always go through many hardships. How can you get tough without all the scars from your wounds?
RIVERS: Do you take any lessons from your childhood? I know you have spoken quite strongly about the influence of your parents in your life.
ZHENGFEI: Parents certainly have an impact on their children. The reason I'm often quiet is that witnessed the suffering of my parents. And I want to focus on my studies and work. I rarely take notice of social affairs or political matters.
RIVERS: And for Ren, it's not really about it looking backwards. It's more about looking forwards at this point. He is relentlessly optimistic about his company's future. he has major plans to dominate the 5G networks that are rolling out worldwide. He wants Huawei to be a major player in that.
Yes, he's got a major fight on his hands in the United States. Yes, Huawei is not going to be really breaking into the U.S. Market in a major way in the 5g technology space anytime soon.
But, he is not letting that diminish his hopes for Huawei to continue to make strides worldwide.
Matt Rivers, CNN -- Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Will they are Hollywood actresses but they're also mothers who prosecutors say lied, cheated and bribed to get their kids into elite colleges. The punishment they face -- we'll take a look at that on the other side of the break.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:49:46] CHURCH: The U.S. College admissions scandal is back in the spotlight. Two American actresses and ten others made their first appearance in court. They are accused of bribing and cheating to get their children into elite universities.
Prosecutors want all of them to serve time in jail.
[01:50:04] Here is CNN's Erica Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Avoiding eye contact, actress Felicity Huffman arriving at court hours before her scheduled appearance. He is accused of paying %15, dollars to a college prep business to doctor her daughter's college admission test scores.
Actress Lori Loughlin seen signing autographs at the airport Tuesday morning before smiling and greeting fans as she made her way through the crush of cameras into court. Both actresses facing between six and 21 months in prison. One law enforcement official telling CNN prosecutors are expected to ask for jail time for every defendant, sending a clear message -- there will be no special treatment.
ANDREW LELLING, U.S. ATTORNEY: These parents are a catalog of wealth and privilege. For every student admitted through fraud, an honest, genuinely talented student was rejected.
HILL: Prosecutors say Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, paid half a million dollars to get their daughters into USC as recruits on the crew team. Though neither participated in the sport. Loughlin's husband allegedly emailed pictures of his daughters on
indoor rowing machines to create fake athletic profiles. Payments were disguised as charitable donations, according to the complaint.
Before the scam was exposed, their younger daughter offered her shot thoughts on college to her nearly two million YouTube followers.
DAUGHTER OF LORI LOUGHLIN: But I'm going to go in and talk to my deans and everyone and hope that I can try and balance it all. But I do want the experience of like game days, and partying-- I don't really care about school.
HILL: Major brands including Sephora and HP severed ties with the 19- year-old and with her mother. Loughlin and was also dropped by the Hallmark channel. Asked about her costar earlier this week, Candace Cameron- Beret offering support to Loughlin.
CANDACE CAMERON, ACTRESS: : We are family. and we stand by each other and pray for each other and will always be there for each other.
HILL: In the three weeks since federal prosecutors announced their findings, four of the 50 people charged have pleaded guilty including masterminded Rick Singer he told the judge, I created a side door that would guarantee families would get in.
In some cases, coaches were bribed including former Yale Women's Coach Rudy Meredith. Both men are now cooperating along with Mark Riddell who cheated for students on their ACT and SATs exits.
JOHN: John Van der Moore the former sailing coach at Stanford also pleaded guilty. According to the latest filing, at least one parent who allegedly tried to get his son into USC as a water polo player is now in talks with the government.
And the investigation isn't over. A law enforcement official familiar with the probe telling CNN more arrests are expected and could include students.
Meantime the Department of Education has opened its own investigation as schools try to control the damage. Yale rescinded the admission of a student whose parents gave 1.2 million dollars to Singer. They are not named in the complain. 1Well, U.S.C., tells CNN any applicants connected to the scheme would be denied admission, they've identified six.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And that was CNN's Erica Hill reporting.
Well, it's well document that Donald Trump has a tricky relationship with the truth. According to the "Washington Post" fact checker, the U.S. President is now responsible for 22 false or misleading statements a day. The latest involves acclaim about his father's birthplace.
CNN's Brian Todd looks at why Mr. Trump bends the truth so much. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president makes a claim about his family history which we presume he has to know isn't true.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My father is German, right. Was German. And born, born in a very wonderful place in Germany, so I have a great feeling for Germany.
TODD: It's well established that President Trump's father, Fred, was born in the Bronze in 1905. A Trump adviser defended president telling CNN, quote, Obama thought we had 57 states. Sometimes mistakes happen. But this isn't the first time Trump has made this claim.
TRUMP: I have great respect for Germany, my father is from Germany.
Both of my parents were born in E.U, ok? My mother was Scotland, my father was Germany.
TODD: Trump's mother Maryanne was born in Scotland. His paternal grandfather was born in Germany. Trump has a pattern of making not just misstatements where he simply has his facts wrong --
TRUMP: It took 11 months to build the Empire State Building.
TODD: But statements which are outlandishly untrue --
TRUMP: If you have a windmill anywhere in your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75 percent in value. And they say the noise causes cancer. You tell me that one, ok?
[01:54:57] TODD: One example of a blatant lie. This year the Trump administration ravaged the budget of a project called the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, slashing it from $300 million to $30 million.
Just days later, Trump came out and said this at a rally in Michigan.
TRUMP: And I'm going to get, in honor of my friends, full funding of $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
TODD: One famous Trump lie came after he botched the name of Apple's CEO Tim Cook.
TRUMP: We appreciate it very much, Tim Apple.
TODD: Trump then told two to reporters that he actually said Tim Cook Apple really fast and the Cook part of the sentence was soft, according to Axios.
TRUMP: Tim apple.
TODD: Trump later tweeted. I quickly referred to Tim and Apple as "Tim Apple" as an easy way to save time and words. The fake news was disparagingly all over this.
Just about every American President has lied about something.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I did not have sexual relations with that woman -- Miss Lewinsky.
TODD: And of course, some were big lies.
RICHARD NIXON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I first learned from new reports of the Watergate break-in. I was appalled --
TODD: But Richard Nixon's lies about Watergate, Bill Clinton's on his affair and Lyndon Johnson's on Vietnam were committed for political expediency.
MARC FISHER, AUTHOR: For most politicians when they do dissemble, when they do say things that aren't true. They're doing it to try to get by. They're doing it to try to gain some political advantage. In Donald Trump's case, it's just an endemic part of who he is.
TODD: Trump's biographers say his proclivity to lie dating back at least to his days as a real estate developer in New York is more about instant gratification than anything else.
FISCHER: He's just riffing. He's doing the moment. This is what Donald Trump does. Life takes place for him even the present. He doesn't really care about the past, not even that much about the future. He wants to win the moment at every turn.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: One key question is why don't the President aides who speak for him publicly, people like Sarah Sanders or Kellyanne Conway ever publicly correct the President's lies. Trump's Biographers say, that's for their own survival. That he would punish them if they ever did that accusing them of undermining him. They say those aides have to be careful about how they even approached Trump in private over that.
Brian Todd, CNN -- Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And you are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church. The news continues here on CNN right after this short break.
Please stay with us.
[01:57:26] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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