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Israeli PM to Push Through Rafah's Incursion as None of the Parties Agreeing to the Ramadan Truce; Newswires Pulled Out Controversial Photo of the Princess of Wales; "Oppenheimer", "Poor Things" Big Winners at the 96th Oscars; Ukraine Slammed Pope Francis' Remarks on Negotiations with Russia; Alabama Senator in Hot Water after her GOP Response in President Biden's SOTU; Iowa Hawkeyes Completes Three-peat Mission in Big Ten Conference. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired March 11, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, as Ramadan begins in Gaza, there's still no ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, what Israel's Prime Minister says about the possibility of military action in the southern city of Rafah.

Questions about the well-being of the Princess of Wales have started anew after this photo released by Kensington Palace was recalled by several media organizations. CNN has new analysis of the photo that those groups say may have been manipulated.

Plus, it was Hollywood's biggest night and the results of the Oscars are in. We will have more on the big winners and the memorable performances.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, U.S. President Joe Biden says the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is, quote, "front of mind" in a statement marking the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

Mr. Biden acknowledged the terrible suffering of the Palestinian people as the war rages on in Gaza and pledged that his administration is continuing to work on a ceasefire. Over the weekend, the U.S. President said Israel's Prime Minister is, quote, "hurting Israel more than helping" in remarks that have drawn reaction from Benjamin Netanyahu.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical. So there's no red line. I'm going to cut off all weapons so they don't have the Iron Dome to protect them. They don't have. But there's red lines that if he crosses, he cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't know exactly what the president meant, but if he meant by that that I'm pursuing private policies against the majority, the wish of the majority of Israelis and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he's wrong on both counts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Netanyahu says he still plans to push ahead with a military ground incursion into Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than a million people are sheltering.

And CNN's Scott McLean is following all the developments. He joins us now live from Istanbul. So what is the latest?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rosemary. Yeah, the U.S. has long said that it would not support any kind of ground invasion into Rafah without a credible plan to move the well over one million people who are taking shelter there. And many U.S. officials had even cast doubt on whether that kind of an evacuation, given the fact that there's really no safe place to go for them in Gaza, is even possible.

So President Biden, you heard there, said that going into Rafah would be a red line. But he also couched it by saying that he's never going to leave Israel. He's never going to leave them or stop or cut them off of all weapons like the Iron Dome. And so clearly that didn't come across as much of a threat to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that this ground incursion would, in fact, go ahead, despite the fact that there are so many people taking shelter there. He said that a military operation like that to root out Hamas in that area could take two months, perhaps even less than that.

And he also said that most Israelis are behind him in that plan and those efforts.

He also, Rosemary, addressed the situation in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, where the militant group Hezbollah continues to fire into Israel. Israel continues to return fire in kind.

And he left open the door for an expansion of military operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETANYAHU: So we will do whatever we can to restore security for them and bring them home. And I hope we can do that. If we have to do it with military means, we'll do so. If there's a diplomatic way to achieve it, fine. But ultimately, we'll do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: And I should clarify, the them there that he's referring to are the Israelis in northern Israel who have had to leave their homes because of those ongoing exchanges there. It's also worth pointing out and making clear, Rosemary, that Hezbollah is not Hamas. It is a much more powerful and formidable fighting force.

Even the Israelis say that there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of rockets stored in private homes near the border in southern Lebanon, all within range of Israel. And Hezbollah claims to have some 100,000 reservists able to call up.

[03:05:01]

Now, there is no indication at this point that Israel is going to make good on its threat, at least immediately, to go into Rafah because no deal has been reached by Ramadan, which starts in most Arab countries today.

But in terms of the talks, there's really no indication of any kind of a breakthrough either. Hamas left the last round of talks in Cairo on Thursday. The Israelis were never there at all because they said that Hamas couldn't even produce a list of hostages who were dead or alive.

And Hamas is pretty firm in their positions as well. They say that any deal needs to be a permanent ceasefire and needs to involve Israeli troops getting out of the Gaza Strip entirely, really non-starters for Israel, at least based on what they've said so far in comments like the ones that we've heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

We also heard from the chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who said that he's still open to talks, but he's also pointing the finger at Israel for the lack of progress. And he says that there's not going to be a hostage exchange until there is a deal, which includes Hamas' demands. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Scott McLean joining us live from Istanbul.

And earlier, I spoke with Yaakov Katz, a senior columnist at "The Jerusalem Post", about the latest developments on Gaza. And here's part of his analysis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YAAKOV KATZ, SR. COLUMNIST, THE JERUSALEM POST: I think that we have two processes that are moving at the same time and each are connected one to the other. Israel would like to try to reach a deal that would secure the release of the majority of the hostages or at least those that we know to still be alive. And he's using the threat of an offensive inside Rafa in the southern Gaza Strip to try to motivate Hamas, as well as the Qataris, who are the patrons of Hamas, to push the terrorist leaders who are on the ground inside Gaza to agree to a deal.

The Americans are also trying to avoid that offensive in the south of Gaza, which might have some legitimacy. We could talk about that, but wants to get Israel into that place where it can reach a deal. It had all sides had used Ramadan, which begins today, as the kind of deadline and the clock that was ticking down towards it. But no one has reached that deal yet. And the question really will come down to how much longer is Israel willing to hold back and wait with the impending offensive in Rafah for this possible deal that has yet to come?

CHURCH: Yeah, let's look at that, because negotiations for the ceasefire and hostage release remain stalled over Israel's demand that Hamas provide a list of which hostages are alive and which are dead and confirm the ratio of hostages to Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged, while Hamas is demanding a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops and for all displaced people to return to northern Gaza. So what is the next move with these negotiations, if that is the sticking point?

KATZ: These negotiations are extremely complicated. Rosemary, as I think we all know, after weeks and months now of actually watching how they go back and forth, we saw over the weekend the Israeli intelligence chief meeting in Jordan with the director of the CIA, William Burns.

So these talks are ongoing and President Biden continuously repeats that he hopes that a deal is possibly on the horizon. But I think that Israel has made some demands that make sense, right? Israel wants to know which of its people are alive, who are the hostages that it has the potential to return to Israel, because out of the 134 who have been held in Gaza for almost 160 days now, Israel does not yet know what their fate is. Hamas cynically holds on to these people and does not reveal what it is, what their status is, whether they're alive, they're dead, they're injured. Israel knows absolutely nothing.

And Israel also doesn't want to commit to a complete cessation of the war while it's willing to agree to a six, seven-week ceasefire. It's not committing that it won't go back in and continue to fight against Hamas, because let's remember, a ceasefire would keep Hamas now in power, in control of Gaza, still in possession of weapons and capabilities that could allow it to carry out another October 7th style attack in the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Several major news agencies have withdrawn an image of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and her three children, claiming the photo has been manipulated.

It was released Sunday by Kensington Palace, the first official image of the princess since her abdominal surgery in January. The picture also included a message from her thanking the public for its support, while also marking Mother's Day in the U.K.

CNN has conducted its own initial review of the image and identified at least two areas which appear to show some evidence of potential manipulation. If you look closely, the first area includes some potential altering of Princess Charlotte's sleeve cuff.

And the second area under scrutiny is a zipper on the left-hand side of the jacket the princess is wearing.

[03:10:08]

CNN has reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.

Joining us now from Washington, D.C. to talk more about the latest developments is CNN Royal commentator Sally Bedell-Smith. Thank you so much for being with us.

SALLY BEDELL-SMITH, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: So conspiracy theorists were already falling over each other with increasingly crazy theories about what had happened to Kate, which made it all the more critical that the first picture of the Princess of Wales was not controversial in any way. And now we see that very picture recalled due to some form of doctoring of that photo. So what is going on here?

BEDELL-SMITH: Well, I think we're. I hope that Kensington Palace will -- will give us some clarity in the next day or so.

You know, what is, you know what has happened really over the past few months is there has been a kind of, you know, a sort of momentum that's been building particularly on social media, as you mentioned, so many conspiracy theories. And this obviously this photograph was an effort to settle everything down, to reassure people that the Princess of Wales is on the mend, that she's looking healthy, which I don't think anybody has contradicted the fact that this is a genuine photograph of her and her children.

I think where it began to spin out of control is the speculation. Well, first of all, the photo agencies, three of the four biggest photo agency -- agencies have pulled -- pulled the image, which I mean, I'm sure it's happened before, but I've never heard of it.

And -- and there's discussion of the photo having been doctored. Now, the motive for this photo was to reassure people. And it sort of boggles the mind to think that -- that anybody would be involved in manipulating it, knowing how important it is to be, you know, an accurate reflection of where she is right now.

CHURCH: So what needs to happen now in terms of setting the record straight, getting a truthful and honest photo and storyline out to the public on what's going on with Kate? And will the palace be forced to divulge more now about her surgery, more than they ever intended to divulge?

BEDELL-SMITH: Well, I think, you know, the sort of odd, unintended consequence of what has happened today is that they have, with all the best intentions, managed to invade their own privacy. And I think, you know, if you -- if you factor that in, plus the intense curiosity and concern, obviously, over her, it would seem that they should rethink their -- their approach, which has been not to divulge anything more than the bare minimum.

You know, I think. Obviously, she's not in the -- in the same position as her father-in-law, the king, who is the head of state. And there's more pressure on him probably to reveal more. But I think because there has become -- there has been such a frenzy over her because prior to this 76 days or whatever it's been, she was ubiquitous. You know, she was one of the most important symbols of the monarchy. And so I think Kensington Palace has to issue a statement. I don't know if -- if the princes of Wales would be up doing an interview with somebody, probably not televised, maybe just with somebody from the press.

But I think they need to do something more to sort of set the record straight. And, you know, all the speculation about the photo may be misplaced. But I think we need to know. Also, we need to know from the photo agencies what they mean. You know, we live in a world of manipulated images. If you look at Instagram, you know, there are just thousands of manipulated images. That's what influencers do. Formal portraits are digitally manipulated and tweaked.

So, you know, where are the boundaries and where do you draw the line between something that is legitimate and something that is false?

CHURCH: And they will certainly need to explain that. So how does this damage the royal family? And of course, it's a PR machine.

[03:15:07]

BEDELL-SMITH: Well, I think it's PR machine is -- is it has to account for itself right now. I don't, I mean I don't think it damages the royal family per se. But I think they need to reexamine their PR strategy and to be more transparent. That's, you know, the way the world is now.

And in the you know, if you have a vacuum, social media will -- will fill it with whatever outlandish theory they can come up with. And -- and it's just the reality now. And I think they need to be even more vigilant in the balance.

CHURCH: Sally Bedell-Smith, thank you so much for joining us. I Appreciate it.

BEDELL-SMITH: You're welcome. Thank you.

CHURCH: Still to come, Hollywood's elite turned out for the year's biggest night in film. So what moments from the Oscars will everyone be talking about today? We'll discuss.

Plus, sources say a prisoner exchange plan for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was in the works when he died. We will have more details later in the hour.

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[03:20:04]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Hollywood has wrapped up its biggest night, celebrating the best achievements in filmmaking in 2023 at the 96th Academy Awards.

"Oppenheimer" dominated the competition, winning seven Oscars out of 13 nominations, including awards for Cinematography, Original Score, Best Director, Best Actor in both Leading and Supporting roles and the top honor of the night, Best Picture.

Not far behind was the genre-defying comedy "Poor Things", earning Emma Stone her second Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

The night also featured performances by nominees for Best Original Song.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

That is part of Ryan Gosling's show stopping performance of "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie" made by Warner Brothers, part of CNN's parent company. His performance earned a standing ovation, but ultimately the movie's other nominated song, "What Was I Made For?" ended up taking the Oscar.

Joining me now is Michael Musto, entertainment journalist with the "Village Voice". Good to have you join us in the wake of Hollywood's big Oscar night.

MICHAEL MUSTO, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST, VILLAGE VOICE: Thank you, Rosemary. It's great to be here.

CHURCH: So let's start big picture. What did you think of the whole awards show compared to previous years and what score would you give it out of 10?

MUSTO: I would give it an 8.5. I thought it was really good. Jimmy Kimmel was a very funny host. He made barbs that were not mean, but they were sharp. The songs were better than usual. Ryan Gosling had a tremendous number from his Ken song from "Barbie". There were political statements. There were statements in support of the SAG- AFTRA union and the tech workers.

So it was an amazing mixture. And then the ending was beyond belief, where Jimmy Kimmel read an actual review by Donald Trump of the show that Donald Trump put on Truth Social. And he trashed Kimmel, he trashed the show. He said it was awful. And Kimmel came back with, isn't it past your jail time?

CHURCH: Yeah, very clever, very clever indeed. So let's move on to the awards now. And not surprisingly, "Oppenheimer" won Best Film and Best Director. Was that the only way this was going to go?

MUSTO: Yeah, those two were locks. I actually thought it would win eight awards or more, but it won seven, which is pretty good. That's considered a sweep. "Poor Things" made a very strong showing. It won four awards, including Best Actress, Emma Stone.

I actually was, I knew it was between her and Lily Gladstone from "Killers of the Flower Moon", but I was predicting Lily to win. Emma won as her second Oscar. She had won for "La La Land". And her speech was obviously spontaneous. She didn't expect to win. And it was a beautiful moment. There were wonderful, spontaneous moments like that throughout the telecast tonight.

CHURCH: And of course, Cillian Murphy winning Best Actor.

MUSTO: Yeah, he's a longtime actor. I've always admired his work and he's worked with Christopher Nolan before. And obviously, he's the heart and soul of "Oppenheimer". There's no movie without him.

And he doesn't give really a showy performance. It's more of cerebral. He's in the recesses of the movie. Always you see what he's thinking. But that's a really special kind of acting. So I'm glad they honored that.

CHURCH: All right. Let's look at Best Supporting Actor now. And of course, we know that that went to "Oppenheimer" again for Robert Downey Jr., while Best Supporting Actress went to Divine Joy Randolph for her role in "The Holdovers". Any surprises to you for these wins?

MUSTO: No, those two were locks for a long time. They had both won practically every single award on the way.

The Oscars are kind of the last word because you've already seen the Golden Globes, the Baptists, the sacks. But the Oscars are the biggest word and the best word.

So it was great to see Downey Jr. who gave a charming speech. It was great to see him win.

Hollywood loves his trajectory, which was he was a drug mess. And he's open about it. And he got himself together and he came back to success.

This was his third nomination. He plays Oppenheimer's political rival.

And Divine Joy Randolph is a relatively new actress. She was on Broadway. She was in the Eddie Murphy movie about Dolomite. And she plays the cafeteria manager and chef who goes on a road trip with Paul Giamatti's crusty professor and with Dominic Sessa's kind of misspent or misunderstood youth.

And she had won every single award. So it was really an easy year to join the Oscar betting pool because the major awards, except for Emma Stone, all went to the people. We knew we're going to get it.

CHURCH: So, Michael, what's everyone going to be talking about in the hours ahead? What were the main Oscar moments, do you think?

[03:24:56]

MUSTO: I honestly think the -- the Trump, Jimmy Kimmel reading the Trump posting was a priceless moment because he got to shame Trump all over again with the punchline.

And I think that's the biggest takeaway. But I hope that doesn't take away from the artistry of the people who are honored tonight. And that will linger because some of these movies were terrific this year. There were ten nominees for Best Picture. I was very happy that the "Zone of Interest", a foreign international film, won for Best International as well as for Sound.

And I was very happy that another international film, "Anatomy of a Fall", won for Best Screenplay and was nominated for Picture Director. Sandra Hewler, actress, really a fantastic showing. And the dog from "Anatomy of a Fall" became a character in the telecast tonight. People are talking a lot about that.

CHURCH: All right. We will watch and see what the future reviews show in the hours ahead. Michael Musto, thank you so much for being with us. I Appreciate it.

MUSTO: Thank you.

CHURCH: And it was also a big night for Japanese filmmakers at the Academy Awards with "The Boy and the Heron" winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film and the Kaiju action movie "Godzilla Minus One" winning for Best Visual Effects.

CNN's Hanako Montgomery joins me now from Tokyo with more. So Hanako, how are fans reacting to these big wins for Japanese filmmakers?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, I mean, this was such a big night for Japanese cinema and fans across the country are celebrating these Oscar wins as though they personally have won these awards.

And, you know, you can't really blame them. People in Japan grew up watching Godzilla movies. They grew up watching Studio Ghibli works.

So really, these -- these films are an integral part of Japanese culture, of Japanese anime. So really, these Oscar wins are more of a nod to the international acclaim that these films have been garnering in recent years.

Now, on Sunday night, "Godzilla Minus One" made Oscar history by becoming the first film in the Godzilla franchise in its 70-year franchise to win an award in the Best Effects category.

And you saw the director there with his fellow crew members accept the award, accept those golden statuettes while also holding those Godzilla figurines. Very on brand there.

And as for Hayao Miyazaki, who has previously won an Oscar back in 2003 for his beloved film, "Spirited Away", this is just another jewel in the crown for him.

The 83-year-old director actually came out of retirement to make "Boy and the Heron", and it took him seven painstaking years. But boy, did it pay off. This film is actually the highest grossing film for Japanese box-offices ever. It made nearly 13 million U.S. dollars during the opening weekend alone. And what was unique and different about this film and its marketing campaign was that there was practically no marketing campaign to speak of.

There were no trailers, no pre-released soundtracks, no lists of voice actors for these characters. You actually only knew what the film was about once actually being in the theater. And it worked. It drew in those crowds. It drew in people like myself, because we're all betting that if it's a Studio Ghibli movie, it's going to be great entertainment, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, wonderful stuff. Thank you, Hanneko Montgomery, joining us live from Tokyo.

Well, still to come, sources say a prisoner exchange plan for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was in the works when he died. We'll have details after a short break.

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[03:30:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Latam Airlines says 24 people were injured during a flight from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand. The company says flight LA800 experienced what it called a technical event, causing strong movement on board.

In a statement to CNN, the airline says the plane landed as scheduled. An ambulance company in Auckland says its crews treated two dozen people at the Auckland airport for moderate or minor injuries.

Pope Francis is being slammed by Ukraine after saying Kyiv should negotiate with Russia to end the fighting. In an interview with a Swiss broadcaster, the pontiff said Kiev should have the, quote, "courage of the white flag to negotiate".

But Ukraine's foreign minister disagrees, saying in a social media post, Our flag is a yellow and blue one. This is the flag by which we live, die and prevail. We shall never raise any other flags.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy also dismissed the pope's remarks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): When the Russian evil started this war on February 24th, all Ukrainians stood up to defense. All Christians, Muslims, Jews, everyone. I thank every Ukrainian chaplain who was with the army in the defense forces on the front line, defending life and humanity. They support us with prayer, with talk and with deeds. This is what the church with the people is not 250,000 kilometers away, somewhere to mediate virtually between someone who wants to live and someone who wants to destroy you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Meanwhile, early voting in Russia's presidential election is underway in parts of Russia occupied Ukraine, as we're now learning more about the death of the man who was Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic.

CNN producer Sebastian Shukla joins me now from London. So, Sebastian, what all are you learning about a prisoner exchange that was in the works just before the death of Alexei Navalny?

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Rosemary, it's an extraordinary set of circumstances and scenarios that took place before, two years before almost Alexei Navalny died in his Arctic penal colony, where a discussion took place informally with the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at an Aspen Ideas Festival, of all places, where people come together to come up with ideas to talk about world issues and how to solve certain crises.

And at this dinner, Hillary Clinton spoke with Christo Grozevov of the online investigators Bellingcat, and it was there that they came up with the idea informally to talk about the potential swap deal to release Alexei Navalny from prison.

Now, the shuttling back and forth took place for two years, and the various constructions of how the deal came about, the constellations, who would it involve, how many prisoners, would it involve Americans, took place over a period of time. But after the dinner, Hillary Clinton took it to her friend and former colleague, who is now the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, who then ran it up the chain to the State Department.

[03:35:01]

All of this, you know, based on conversations that we've had with sources who've told us that over the course of those two years, back channels then between, towards the Kremlin were trying to be made, contact was trying to be made to the Russian president. But as one source told us, everybody who tried to communicate the message, quote unquote, "chickened out at the last minute", which is then, Rosemary, when Roman Abramovich comes on the scene, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, and you know, Putin, a confidant and ally who has lived in the U.K. and Israel and now shuttles between the Middle East and Moscow.

He was told, we were told -- that finally delivered a message the night before that Alexei Navalny died in prison, and that actually sources close to him said -- described him as being flabbergasted that he had died.

Now, the American sources who we spoke to told us that look, the deal was maybe seven or eight out of 10. Close to being -- being agreed, but it was always informal. And I want to quote one of the things that our sources told us, which is "the offer can only be made once it's been accepted informally. That's how it works in these negotiations".

So clear that whilst there was nothing formal on the table, talks were clearly happening underneath the surface. Rosemary, the White House, though, were very quick to tell us when we approached them for comment, that there was no formal offer extended at the time of Alexei Navalny's death to Russia. But I think all of it shows that the back channeling and that was going on in and around this for years to try and even get Russia to the negotiating table. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Sebastian Shukla, joining us there live from London.

Just ahead, the Republican senator behind the GOP response to President Biden's State of the Union address is walking back a key part of her speech. We'll have the latest on that controversy.

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[03:40:00]

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CHURCH: China's National People's Congress is wrapping up today. The annual meeting of the country's legislature is one of two major political sessions happening in China this month. The other, held by its political advisory body, ended Sunday.

Observers say the meetings are largely ceremonial, where thousands of delegates rubber stamp the Communist Party agenda. They also give China's leaders the chance to share their visions on issues including the economy, defense spending, foreign policy and more.

CNN's Marc Stewart joined us live from Tiananmen Square with more on the sessions and what they mean for China. Good to see you, Marc. So it is, of course, rare for journalists to have live access to Tiananmen Square. How did this come about?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, this is a moment to acknowledge because as an international journalist, I am usually not allowed to be here to report from here, let alone broadcast live from here. So, this is one of those once in a while opportunities and it is because of this gathering of the National People's Congress which just wrapped up moments ago.

But this has such importance, such symbolism in the government's eyes that this is an exception that has been made to allow international broadcasters such as CNN to be live as we are seeing here today.

CHURCH: And Marc, what all has come out of these sessions and what are leaders saying about the path ahead?

STEWART: Right, you refer to this as a rubber stamp legislature, Rosemary, and that's very much what these 3,000 delegates did. They approved an agenda, a plan that came from the highest levels in Beijing.

Among some of the headlines though, a new economic growth target of around 5 percent, more military spending as well as a big focus on technology, things such as artificial intelligence and China's electric vehicle industry. But behind that, there's also a lot of symbolism. This has been a

chance for Chinese President Xi Jinping to really show that he is in charge, that this is his China in the sense that typically we see an end-of-session briefing with the foreign minister.

That did not take place, a way that many analysts feel is a way for Xi Jinping to exert his power even further. Yet at the same time, if things go wrong, he will be the only one responsible. But that is the narrative that we have been seeing from here in Beijing, from Tiananmen Square over the last week or so, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Marc Stewart joining us live from Tiananmen Square. I appreciate it.

Turning now to the southern U.S. and the state of Texas, where tensions have been growing over a immigration law.

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Hundreds of protesters turned out Saturday to rally against Senate Bill 4, which would allow state law enforcement to arrest and detain people they suspect entered the U.S. illegally. Last week, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the law from taking effect until this Wednesday, giving the court additional time to review the case.

Backlash is growing over the Republican response to U.S. President Joe Biden's State of the Union address when Alabama Senator Katie Britt falsely linked the story of a woman being sex trafficked to the president's immigration policies. The woman in question is now speaking out exclusively to CNN.

CNN's Rafael Romo has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have known Karla Jacinto since 2014. CNN profiled her story as part of CNN's Freedom Project, which seeks to raise awareness about modern-day slavery. Jacinto says she's very careful about who she gives her testimony to and how and when she does it.

So, she was very surprised, she told me, when she found out on Saturday that she was involuntarily put in the middle of a social media storm. This storm was prompted by what appears to be the use of her story during the Republican response to the State of the Union address by Alabama Senator Katie Britt.

I reached out to Karla Jacinto in Mexico City for her reaction and this is part of what she told me.

At one point when I met you years and years ago, you told me that you felt like at the beginning Mexican politicians had taken advantage of you by using your story for political purposes. Do you feel like that happened once again here in the United States?

[03:44:56]

KARLA JACINTO-ROMERO, HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR (through translator): Yes, in fact, I hardly ever cooperate with politicians because it seems to me that they only want an image, they only want a photo and that to me is not fair. I work as a spokesperson for many victims who have no voice and I really would like them to be empathetic.

All the governors, all the senators, to be empathetic with the issue of human trafficking because there are millions of girls and boys who disappear all the time.

People who are really trafficked and abused, as Senator Britt mentioned, and I think Senator Britt should first take into account what really happens before telling a story of that magnitude.

ROMO: Karla Jacinto also told me that Senator Britt got many of the facts of her story wrong. First of all, Jacinto says that one, she was not trafficked by Mexican drug cartels but by a pimp that operated as part of a family that entrapped vulnerable girls in order to force them into prostitution.

Two, she also said that she was never trafficked in the United States, as Senator Britt appeared to suggest.

And three, she was kept in captivity from 2004 to 2008 when President George W. Bush, a Republican, was in office as opposed to the current administration, as the senator implied.

And finally, she met the senator at an event at the border with other government officials and anti-human trafficking activists instead of a one-on-one.

CNN has confirmed much of what Jacinto has said in prior reporting, and her story hasn't changed since we first spoke.

Jacinto told me no one reached out to her to ask for her permission to use her story as part of a political speech. Someone using my story and distorting it for political purposes, she told me, is not fair at all.

As for Senator Britt, CNN reached out again to her office seeking comment, but so far we haven't heard back.

This is what Senator Britt had to say in an interview with Fox News on Sunday about the story of Karla Jacinto.

SEN. KATIE BRITT (R-AL): Well, I very, I very clearly said I spoke to a woman who told me about when she was trafficked when she was 12. So, I didn't say a teenager, I didn't say a young woman, a grown woman, a woman when she was trafficked when she was 12.

And so, listening to her story, she is a victim's right advocate who is telling this is what drug cartels are doing, this is how they're profiting off of women, and it is disgusting. And so, I am hopeful that it brings some light to it and we can actually do something about human trafficking and that that's what the media actually decides to cover.

ROMO: In a prior statement to CNN, a spokesperson for Britt's office neither confirmed nor denied Britt was sharing Jacinto's account, but said the story the senator told was, quote, 100 percent correct.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

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CHURCH: Turning now to the worsening situation in Haiti, German and European Union missions say they've evacuated diplomatic staff from Port-au-Prince due to escalating violence, and U.S. President Joe Biden approved an overnight airlift operation to get non-essential U.S. embassy personnel out of the capital.

A spokesperson told CNN that Mr. Biden is, quote, "deeply concerned about the situation". Gangs have been carrying out highly coordinated attacks that one leader calls an attempt to overthrow the government. Haiti is now under a state of emergency and curfew until early next month.

And we'll be right back.

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[03:50:00]

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CHURCH: British cosmetics company The Body Shop is shutting down all of its U.S.-based operations and plans to close dozens of its Canadian stores as it files bankruptcy. 33 of those stores in Canada will begin liquidation sales immediately, but all locations will remain open for the time being. High inflation has hurt traditional retailers like The Body Shop, brands that operate out of shopping malls and serve the struggling middle class.

Well the U.S. government is asking insurance companies to make advance payments to some healthcare providers. That's because insurance processing company Change Healthcare was hacked last month. It processes 15 billion healthcare transactions every year. Since the cyberattack, pharmacies and hospitals around the country have had trouble processing prescription bills. The U.S. wants insurance companies to make sure the problem does not cause healthcare providers to run out of money.

About 300 people at a California hospital are at risk of contracting measles. They were exposed at U.C. Davis' health emergency department on March 5th, when a child with the virus was treated there. The hospital says it is contacting all the people who are at risk from the disease. Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. It's spread by breathing and can live in the air for up to an hour.

Well the biggest game with the English Premier League season so far took place as Liverpool faced Manchester City on Sunday. And this one was special because it was Jurgen Klopp's final match against Man City as Liverpool's manager. Our Patrick Snell has the highlights.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: It was billed as the English Premier League's match of the season so far and it did not disappoint. Sunday's blockbuster between powerhouse rivals Liverpool and defending champs Manchester City. Both teams going into the game playing catch- up with new leaders Arsenal who'd beaten Brentford on Saturday. This, remember, Jurgen Klopp's farewell season at Liverpool. Huge respect between Klopp and counterpart Pep Guardiola as the pair locked horns for the last time in the Premier League.

This was an absolutely superb contest between two great sides and it will be the champions ahead after just 23 minutes. A well-drilled corner routine as defender John Stones who opens the scoring.

The injury-hit Reds though were transformed in the second half. Darwin Nunez is fouled by City keeper Ederson after a poor back pass and World Cup winner Alexis McAllister making no mistake from the penalty spot for one-all. It would be all-Liverpool at this point just past the hour mark. It's the sub Mo Salah with a wonderful through ball and Luis Diaz certain to score, you think, but the chance is squandered.

[03:55:01]

And then more drama to come a minute from time as City's Jeremy Doku has a good chance himself but his effort hits the inside of the post right in front of the Kop there and then the young Belgian player at the center of a highly controversial moment.

Deep into stoppage time, the contact, the high boot into the chest of McAllister. No penalty given though. An absorbing match ends on as even and just look at the emotional hug there between Klopp and Guardiola. The mutual respect between these two rival head coaches once again on full display. What a game this was.

JURGEN KLOPP, LIVERPOOL MANAGER: So I said after this game probably nobody should opening the champagne bottles because it's a long way to go for all of us. But there's a performance which really showed okay if you can play football like this against Man City, that's a statement and I love that.

SNELL: Arsenal now level on 64 points with Liverpool but the Gunners lead the way on goal difference only. City just a point back all three teams have played 28 matches and a huge fixture to come on March the 31st when City and Arsenal go head-to-head. And with that, it's right back to you.

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CHURCH: For the third year in a row American College basketball star Caitlin Clark and the University of Iowa have won their conference title. The Hawkeyes bested the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a 94 to 89 overtime showdown on Sunday. Clark was also named the Big Ten Conference Tournament's most valuable player for the third straight year. She's already the leading scorer of all time for women and men in NCAA

division basketball. After the game Clark told reporters she's quote "super proud of us".

And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues next, with Bianca Nobilo.

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