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House Republicans Plan Vote On Pro-Israel Resolution Opposing Calls For Ceasefire Between Israel And Hamas; Israel Opens Erez Border Crossing Into Gaza to Allow in Humanitarian Aid; President Trump Hosting Republican Party Fundraiser; Special Counsel Jack Smith Requests Judge Aileen Cannon Rule on Whether Presidential Records Act Will be Considered Viable Defense in Donald Trump's Classified Documents Trial; Americans Travel to Cleveland to View Upcoming Solar Eclipse; Ukraine Running Low on Munitions as Russia Continues Launching Missiles Strikes against Ukrainian Cities; Iowa Women's Basketball Team Advances to NCAA Championship for Second Straight Year; Israeli Family Member of Hostages Held by Hamas Since October 7th Interviewed on Her Experiences over Previous Six Months. Aired 2- 3p ET

Aired April 06, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:09]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with the growing crisis in the Middle East. CNN has just learned that House Republicans plan to hold a vote next week on a pro- Israel resolution that would oppose calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the very thing the U.S. has been working toward. The vote, which is symbolic, would put Republicans at odds with not just the White House but much of the world. It will come one week after an Israeli strike killed seven aid workers in Gaza, including a dual U.S. citizen.

And with the U.S. now on high alert, a senior Biden administration official tells CNN the U.S. is actively preparing for a significant attack by Iran on U.S. and Israeli targets in the Middle East as soon as next week. Iran is blaming Israel for an airstrike in Syria this week that killed at least seven Iranian officials, including two top military the commanders.

Priscilla Alvarez is in Washington. Nic Robertson is in Jerusalem. Let's get started with you, Priscilla, in Washington. U.S. officials believe in attack is inevitable. What is the administration preparing for?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Inevitable and perhaps on the horizon. The U.S. and Israeli governments working very closely to try to be in position for any potential attack by Iran targeting U.S. and Israeli assets in the region. Now, as you mentioned there, the U.S. is on high alert for what officials have described as quote, inevitable. Now, it's unclear how this would unfold. It could unfold in multiple

ways and multiple different ways. And it's also not quite clear when this would happen, though it is anticipated to happen as soon as next week. Now of course, this was a major topic of discussion between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they held their call earlier this week.

And all of this stems from an Israeli airstrike in Damascus where several Iranian commanders were killed. Iran vowed to seek revenge over this. There was an exchange where the U.S. made clear they did not know of the airstrike ahead of time, nor were they involved.

But the worst-case scenario you that U.S. officials are bracing for here is a direct strike by ran on Israel. That could potentially escalate what is already a very tense -- tense relationships across the region into a broader conflict. And that is something that the White House has been trying to avoid.

It's a delicate situation. And that is what the U.S. officials and Israeli officials are working very closely on and staying in close touch over, because again, if there is a direct strike by Iran on Israel, it could very much escalate this conflict to be a regional conflict. That is something that the U.S. is very worried about.

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much, Priscilla. Now to a Nic Robertson in Jerusalem. Nic, just days after Biden told Netanyahu, he must do more to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel is preparing to reopen the Erez border crossing for the first time since October 7th. What is expected to happen?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, this is something the United States has been pushing for for a long time. Secretary of State Antony Blinken when he was here in February asked specifically for the Erez border crossing to be opened, and it hasn't happened since then.

But under the extreme pressure of the events of last week of the World Central Kitchen seven workers being killed and the pressure in that phone call from President Biden on Prime Minister Netanyahu, there was an announcement that the border crossing will open. We understand that trucks will go across the border crossing tomorrow, Sunday local time.

It's not clear to us how many, what will be on them, where they'll go, and how sustained this will be. We were at the border close to the Erez crossing today. This was typically a pedestrian crossing before.

It can, obviously, handle trucks, but a lot of the roads on the Gaza side are broken, the tarmac completely destroyed on some of the roads in some places. We heard heavy machine gunfire around there today and the sound of heavy explosions not far away. So it's hard to know how safe and whether or not the vehicles will actually be able to get in and do their job.

We do know that the IDF met Friday with World Food Programme officials. We don't know the plans at the moment, and we didn't see any signs of a big physical preparation at the border for this expected beginning. And I think the scrutiny, as the White House has said, will be on how much the Israeli government is able to or does keep it's word on this particular commitment.

WHITFIELD: And then Nic, what is the latest on a ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas?

[14:05:01]

ROBERTSON: Yes, Hamas is sending another senior official back to Cairo, and that follows a meeting there not so long ago, a few days ago, where attended by Egyptian officials, Qatari officials. Bill Burns, the head of the CIA, David Barnea, the head of Mossad in Israel where there for that meeting. Hamas is saying they're sending their official back, but they're not changing their position. They say they're sticking with their position from the middle of March.

And the gaps appear to be around the fact that Hamas is now saying that it wants a complete ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, which is a hardening of a previous position which would allow for a phased approach. Six weeks of a temporary truce, and then meanwhile, in parallel with talks to get to a longer-term truce that could be agreed in a following six-week period.

And another point that Hamas is really pushing for now, which is return of displaced people in the south of Gaza to be able to get back to the north of Gaza. The numbers that Israel has been saying that it could contemplate over the numbers of displaced that could go back over any specific date, that number is in dispute. And it seems that these could be the details that scupper any progress in the talks.

And there's a real sense now that if there isn't progress in these talks, then Israel's desire, the IDF's desire, this government's desire here to go into Rafah where they believe there are still four battalions of Hamas holding out behind the civilian population of close to 1.4 million people, that we could be good without an agreement in Cairo, we could be getting closer to that. And nothing that we're hearing at the moment indicates it's getting closer.

However, there is a possibility that the CIA director, or the Mossad chief, could go back to Cairo in the coming days. We don't have hard confirmation yet that definitely will happen.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks to both of you, Nic Robertson and Priscilla Alvarez. Appreciate it.

All right, meantime, back in this country, it's a big night for former President Donald Trump as he looks to build momentum for his 2024 White House campaign. He's headlining a fundraiser with some of the Republican Party's wealthiest donors.

A source familiar with the details says tonight's high-dollar event has already raised $43 million in contributions. The Trump campaign says the former president raised over $65 million in March. So tonight's fundraiser will provide a big boost to his campaign coffers.

CNN's Fredreka Schouten is back with us now. It's so weird calling you Fredreka because that's your name, too. But I don't come across to many other Fredrekas. I know you don't either. All right, so what more do we know about tonight's event?

FREDREKA SCHOUTEN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL WRITER: Hey, Fred. It is a big deal for the former president's campaign. About 100 people are scheduled to gather at this high-dollar fundraiser at a supporter's home in Palm Beach, Florida. It's bringing in lots of money, as you noted. The top ticket price is $824,000 and -- $824,600, because he is raising money not just for his campaign, but for the Republican National Committee and dozens of state parties.

And that allows them to sort of take one big check and distribute it among all of these groups. The entry fee, the lowest price is $250,000. At the highest level, there is a special perk. You get to eat dinner at the former presidents table, both he and former the first lady, Melania Trump, are scheduled to be there.

And as you note, it is attracting a lot of folks. I mean, we're seeing big names, billionaires who are starting to rally around the former president now that the general election is sort of engaged. Folks who had been engaged in 2016 who are coming back, folks who've always been with him who have decided to really step up. And he needs the money because President Joe Biden is way ahead.

WHITFIELD: And then are we getting word from President Biden's campaign about the huge fundraising haul that he and his campaign have been able to enjoy?

SCHOUTEN: Exactly. They raised $90 million in March alone they announced early this morning. And that's an enormous number. And he also has a big number of cash on hand. It is $192 million cash on hand. He started April with that according to the campaign. It's a record for a Democrat at this point in the fundraising cycle. And I'll also note that it is $100 million more than team Trump has said it had on hand.

[14:10:02]

So there's a lot of ground to make up for the Trump -- for Trump world as this very expensive and bruising general election battleground gets underway, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it is definitely underway. All right, Fredreka Schouten, good to see you again. Thank you.

All right, the U.S. geological survey says it has recorded 28 aftershocks following that rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck New Jersey Friday morning, the largest aftershock clocking in at 3.8 magnitude. Friday's quake was felt from Washington, D.C., to Maine, and it was the third largest earthquake recorded in the area in the last five decades. Officials reported very limited damage. The USGS says the aftershocks could happen for weeks, possibly even months, and will become less frequent as time goes on.

All right, coming up, we're following new developments in Donald Trump's classified documents case in Florida. Plus, we're headed to solar fest. How Cleveland plans to celebrate the solar eclipse at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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[14:15:50]

WHITFIELD: All right, this week brought new legal setbacks for Donald Trump in the classified documents case. A Florida federal judge, Aileen Cannon, refused to dismiss the case based on the argument that the former president had a right to keep classified material after he left the White House. Trump's legal team's strategy of seeking trial delays have become a flashpoint in Special Counsel Jack Smith's two prosecutions.

Joining me right now to discuss is former California Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell. Judge Cordell is also author of the book, "Her Honor, My Life on the Bench, What Works, What's Broken, How to Change It." Judge Cordell, great to see you.

LADORIS CORDELL, FORMER JUDGE, CALIFORNIA SUPERIOR COURT: Sure. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Special Counsel Jack Smith did something bold, right? He challenged Judge Cannon before her ruling. And while she has ruled the case should proceed, is it your feeling the Presidential Records Act argument is coming back?

CORDELL: Yes. So Fredricka, even a first-year law student after reading the indictment would know that the Presidential Records Act, I'll call it the PRA, has no bearing. It doesn't even apply to this case. This is a case under the Espionage Act. So the PRA says that presidents are to return presidential records at the end of their term, but they can keep personal records like journals. And Donald Trump is using the PRA to lay personal claim to these highly classified documents.

The PRA was put in place after the Watergate scandal not so that presidents could unilaterally designate government documents as their own personal property, but for the opposite reason, to ensure government documents remain in possession of the government.

So Judge Cannon initially ruled that Presidential Records Act did not apply. But within days of making that order, she reversed herself and she ordered the defense and the prosecution to send her proposed jury instructions that suggests that she's still open to the PRA defense, which again, has no bearing in this case.

So why would she do this? She's doing this, one, it's delay. But secondly, she is sending a direct methods to Donald Trump that she's in his corner. She is basically saying I'm open to this defense, and you can -- maybe I'm going to bring it up during trial.

So in response, what does Jack Smith do? He says, all right, give us a ruling now, a definitive ruling. Are you going to allow the PRA as a defense or not? And she has declined to do that. So if she waits long enough and they seat a jury and then she decides I'm going to allow the PRA, there's nothing the prosecution can do about it. WHITFIELD: Wow. OK, that's fascinating. So the word ahead could be a

very tenuous, bumpy one potentially.

So now let's talk about the New York --

CORDELL: Right, and --

WHITFIELD: Go ahead, yes.

CORDELL: Can I just add one other thing. So Smith has an out. He could say, I'll give you a proposed jury instruction, but I'm going to go right up to the court of appeal now and ask them to make an order directing you, Judge Cannon, to make a final decision. Is this going to be a PRA defense or not? Are you going to allow it? And if the appellate court directs her to do that, she has to then make a ruling right now and not wait till the trial happens.

WHITFIELD: So given his tone, given his tone right now, you think that's the direction he might take?

CORDELL: He has to go that way because if he doesn't and she allows this defense, the jury would have to acquit Donald Trump, because he's just said, I took these because they're my personal records and the PRA allows me to do it, which it doesn't.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

CORDELL: So that's the problem.

My concern, finally, is that this woman, Judge Cannon, she's no dummy. She's got a very good legal education. She is telling us right out here what it is she's doing. And what she's doing is currying favor. And my guess is that her plan is, if Donald Trump is elected president, then he would then when an opening comes up, he would appoint her to the U.S. Supreme Court. And if that were to happen, God help us, then we'd have yet another loose cannon on the Supreme Court.

[14:20:03]

WHITFIELD: Wow, that's fascinating.

OK, let me ask you a quickly about the New York Trump criminal hush money case. Judge Juan Merchan added to his existing gag order, right. Previously, the gag order stated that Trump could not criticize his former attorney, Michael Cohen, or adult film star Stormy Daniels, who are both expected to be witnesses at the trial.

But now he has expanded the gag order, saying Trump is not to attack the judge's family or the family members of the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. And of course, this comes after Trump has been targeting Judge Merchan's daughter with what he calls dangerous rhetoric. Is this enough, in your view?

CORDELL: Well, it's long overdue. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1976 said gag orders are lawful. They are constitutional if they are written correctly. So I just wonder what took the judge so long. And I'm also curious about why he didn't include himself and Alvin Bragg. They have been repeatedly attacked. And we know what these attacks do. They incite the MAGA base to go after these people, to threaten them with violence and even commit violence.

So yes, we are now -- this is the only case that's now proceeding to trial. The only case that is now ready to hold Donald Trump accountable on April 15th.

WHITFIELD: Right. Do you feel like a Judge Merchan would feel like it would seem prejudicial if he were to include himself or even the D.A.? He's afraid of what it may look like?

CORDELL: Yes, ordinarily a judge would not include oneself in a gag order. But this is where this is a direct threat. Even the judge has even found, Judge Merchan has even found that Donald Trump's words are posing an imminent danger to individuals that he names. So I understand why, in a way, that he didn't include himself, but given that this is such a highly unusual situation, I think he would have been just fine including himself, meaning, you don't attack.

By the way, no other case in any other courtroom would any trial judge ever allow anyone, let alone a defendant, to attack the judge, it just wouldn't happen. So there's a double standard here. I get it, sort of, but if I were the trial judge in this case, I would not hesitate to say you don't attack me because we have decorum and law and order in the courtroom.

WHITFIELD: All right, Judge LaDoris Cordell, thanks so much. Glad you could be with us.

CORDELL: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, are you getting ready, are your glasses ready? Because we're just two days away now from the total solar eclipse. Next, we're headed live to the path of totality where people are already gathering four prime viewing spots.

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[14:27:13]

WHITFIELD: A historic countdown is underway. It's just two days until this year's most anticipated celestial event, a rare total solar eclipse. Millions are pouring into cities along the route the moon's shadow will take across the country, hoping to get an amazing view.

We find CNN's Miguel Marquez in Cleveland, which is right in the center of the path of totality. You are ready, you got your glasses, you've got crowds there, lots of entertainment. I mean, hey, what more can anybody want?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Cleveland rocks on a good day. In an eclipse it totally rocks. We're at the Hall of Fame, and if you know, Cleveland, you know it's right next to the Science Center, which they're expecting upwards of 30,000 people. So it's, what, about 2:20 right now, the sun will be right up in that area. The eclipse will happen between 2:00 and about 4:30 here. Totality, the bit everybody wants to see, will be about 3:13 p.m. here.

And this place, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is into it, too, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. they're open. Thats the longest this place has ever been opened and its history, and it's like a rock festival.

WHITFIELD: Fun.

MARQUEZ: It's the solar fast. What they're going to do, which is very cool, is they have speakers all over town, and they're going to D.J. the eclipse. So when it starts around 2:00 to 4:30, they're going to have a whole playlist that will play throughout Cleveland. They even have t-shirts. So it's like a -- it's like a tour basically, the solar fest tour. You can see the skull with the glasses on, of course, as all of the areas where if it's the totality will be. We caught up with people from across the country who are already here for the eclipse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLEEN TIGGES, TRAVELED TO CLEVELAND FOR ECLIPSE: We have decided that were going to meet at all the eclipses from this point forward.

(LAUGHTER)

TIGGES: Very important to get to this one because I am eclipse fan. And so if I got to see the total one in 2017, went down in Tennessee, and I've been telling them all morning, I'm like, it's such a surreal experience, you can't even explain what it's like to be in a totally eclipse. You think you're going to know, then you're like, oh, I wasn't expecting that.

MARQUEZ: Let me see your sun dance. We've got to have sun, or no cloud dance, no rain dance.

TIGGES: I have no idea.

(LAUGHTER)

MARQUEZ: It's all about the weather

WHITFIELD: Oh, my God.

MARQUEZ: It's a spectacular day today. Tomorrow is supposed to be good as well. But it might be cloudy on Monday or at least partly cloudy. But hey, it's the Midwest, or as they're saying, the total eclipse of the heartland. If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes.

WHITFIELD: I love it.

MARQUEZ: Thank you very much. Right over there, that's where it'll be. We're all waiting for it.

[14:30:00]

WHITFIELD: Well, I think you are going to have a lot of sunshine, because the sun dance that you just saw, the rain go away dance, I mean, that was right on the money. (LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: And a perfect location.

MARQUEZ: It's good. People are ready for it.

WHITFIELD: All right, Miguel Marquez, thank you so much, right there outside of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the total eclipse heartland. I liked that.

Joining us right now, Jeffrey Kluger, editor at large for "TIME" magazine and author of the space thriller "Holdout." Jeffrey, great to see you. So humans have always been drawn to the stars, to the moon, the sun, all that. What do you think is going on here?

JEFFREY KLUGER, EDITOR AT LARGE, TIME MAGAZINE: I think there's something larger than us. There's something transcendent about being able to look out at the cosmos. I've often said that space is our great tease, because we can see it, we can almost touch it, but we can't touch it. Space does not want us here, does not want us there. It's too dangerous a place to be. Only 386 Americans have ever been to space.

So for all of us on earth, for this 7.5 billion of us on earth, we get to see space at a remove. So when the cosmos, when the clockworks of the cosmos put on a show like this, it's something extraordinary for the rest of us.

WHITFIELD: Then it sounds like you're not at all surprised that millions of people are rearranging their calendar, where they're going to be geographically, all because they want to be a part of this on Monday.

KLUGER: Yes. And it is worth the trip. It's worth the money. It's worth the time and the expense. When you look at an eclipse -- I've seen, this will be my third eclipse, and the first one I looked at I knew the science, I know the astronomy, and even I had this primal sense of fear. My goodness, the sun has disappeared. You can understand why the ancients were terrified by this kind of phenomenon.

WHITFIELD: So this will be your third, you said, right? So then what are your tips to folks who this is going to be a first-time experience for them and they're really not sure what to expect. What do you think as like required to get the most out of this experience?

KLUGER: I think the two things that are required are safety and rhapsody. And by that, I mean, where your glasses up until the point of totality. It is vitally important that that you protect your eyes while the sun is still peeking out from behind the moon. And once totality is reached, remain still, remain silent. No talking, no noise, no radio, no, iPods. Take it in. It's worth it.

WHITFIELD: I love that. Jeffrey Kluger, thank you so much. Fantastic advice. That's why your phone is ringing off the hook because people have heard.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: They're enjoying your expertise. Thank you so much. I love that last bit, just enjoy the silence. Don't talk, just lets be in the moment. I'm going to do that.

KLUGER: In the moment, absolutely. Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Jeffrey Kluger.

And of course, you want to be with us right here on CNN for special live coverage of the eclipse across America. It starts live Monday, April 8th, at 1:00 eastern, or stream it on Max, so you're not alone. You are experiencing it with everybody else, the millions who want to experience this eclipse. But just like Jeffrey said, just be quiet when the moment happens, and just take it all in.

All right, next, warnings Ukraine could face catastrophic shortage of munitions as Russia unleashes new attacks. The latest on stalled U.S. aid.

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[14:38:30]

WHITFIELD: We're following deadly new strikes in Ukraine. At least seven people have died in an attack in Kharkiv. Ukraine says residential buildings were hit, as well as a kindergarten, a cafe, and a gas station. A Doctors Without Borders office in Donetsk is said to be completely destroyed following an attack there.

And in Zaporizhzhia, three people have died in a so-called double-tap attack. These double taps are something we've seen from Russia throughout this war. It's where Russia launches a number of strikes, waits for first responders to arrive before striking again. Earlier this week, a Ukrainian firefighter or broke down after realizing his father, also a firefighter, had been killed in a double-tap after responding to the site of a Russian strike.

These relentless attacks come as Republicans in this country refuse to approve new aid for Ukraine, and western officials warn a munitions shortage due to a lack of help could be catastrophic.

Joining me right now to discuss his Marci Shore, professor of modern European Intellectual History at Yale University, and author of "The Ukrainian Night, An Intimate History of Revolution." Professor Shore, good to see you. You just returned from Ukraine and wrote in an op-ed for CNN that Ukrainians are dependent on air defense. What did you see there?

[14:35:00]

MARCI SHORE, PROFESSOR OF MODERN EUROPEAN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY, YALE UNIVERSITY: I saw a city in which was extremely resilient and which everybody lived according to the air-raid alarms. There are signs everywhere for where the bomb shelters are. Everybody's life is determined by the rhythm of when those air raids come. Everybody is used to it, which does not mean they have accepted it and

it does not mean that they're willing to give up. On one single night during a three-hour period between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. on March 21, the Russians sent 31 ballistic and cruise missiles just in that three period to Kyiv. Air defense shot down all 31, which is quite spectacular. They've gotten very skilled.

But they are almost out of ammunition. And that is a city that is completely dependent on air defense. If other cities like Kharkiv, like Odessa, had that kind of air-defense, we would not see these children being buried under rubble every day. Everybody is waiting on Mike Johnson. Essentially Mike Johnson is holding these people hostage. He's dependent on his MAGA base. He is beholden to Trump. Trump is beholden to Putin for whatever reason. It's an absolutely terrifying situation.

WHITFIELD: Without any more U.S. assistance, what do you think is going to happen there?

SHORE: They Ukrainians will not give up. they will not give up and they will not surrender, because there is no one with whom to negotiate. Theres a terrorist power who just wants to kill you. There's no rational things on the table to be negotiated.

And they will not give up because the areas that have been occupied by Russians and have then been liberated, like Kherson, like the Kharkiv region, like Bucha, have been reigns of terror. And there have been massive civilian massacres and torture chambers that they have discovered all over the place.

You have these 20-year-old Russian kids going in and torturing with electric shocks middle aged women who speak their own language and could be their mothers, and they don't even know why they're there. So the Ukrainians regardless will keep fighting, but they can't win without our weapons. And we have got to get them those weapons.

WHITFIELD: You mentioned House Speaker Mike Johnson. Apparently, he is pledging to act on Ukraine aid next week. And one of the options he's considering is to structure the aid as a kind of loan, so there are conditions. Does that make a difference or potentially still an impact for Ukraine in your view?

SHORE: At the moment, I think the crucial thing is just that they get this stuff immediately. We have been way too slow. Europe has been too slow. The United States has been too slow. We have spent far too much time thinking it's a local conflict.

And people like Putin have a huge advantage, I think Trump has this advantage over us, too, in that other people's lives mean nothing to him. When other people's lives mean nothing to you, then you are not operating under constraints. Then you're in this Dostoyevskian world where everything is permitted.

So whether it's alone, whether it's a gift, whether you're taking money that has been from frozen Russian assets, I'm not an expert on that. In some sense that could be decided later. But they need those weapons now. Putin will bleed through his entire population.

WHITFIELD: I wonder, too, recently when you were there, you experienced you know, what particularly after Russian missiles came raining down, people were hiding. What were your experiences?

SHORE: My experience is that people have gotten very accustomed to it. They've gotten very adept. At one point up there with my friend Amelia Glaser, a Slavicist, and we were at a cafe with a poet whose work she was translating. The air raid alarm went off. Amelia and I were ready to immediately jump in the bomb shelter.

The poet was checking her phone, the Telegram channels with the information about the missiles. And she said, oh, it's this kind of missiles. So we have 30 minutes, we can finish our coffee.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. Wow. Professor Marcy Shore. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and your passion.

SHORE: Thank you so much for inviting me.

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:49:00]

WHITFIELD: All right, the men's NCAA Final Four games just a few hours away, but a lot of attention is on the Women's tournament. Iowa beat UConn by a narrow two points last night as they will play South Carolina for the championship title tomorrow. Iowa's Caitlin Clark hopes to lead her team to victory after losing final in 2023 to LSU.

Joining me right now is CNN's Coy Wire. So what can we expect from that team, Coy?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes, high expectations, right, Fredricka. This game was one of the most highly anticipated women's basketball games ever with both teams fighting to the last second. It's lived up to all the hype, but there was, as you mentioned, that controversy.

Caitlin Clark held to zero three pointers in the first half, just six points overall, stifling defense by UConn. But she did step up in the second, sinking a pair of threes in the third quarter. She finished with 21.

[14:50:00]

But in the final seconds, UConn was down just one with a chance to tie it. And Aaliyah Edwards gets called for a moving screen. LeBron James and loads of others posting that they did not like this call, but that is how it would end. UConn players, they handled the loss with grace. Iowa wins 71-69 headed to the final where they will face undefeated South Carolina. They dominated NC State in their semifinal match up 78-59. Dawn

Staley's squad has only lost three games in the last three years. Iowa was the last team to beat them in the Final Four last year. This rematch is going to be epic. It's tomorrow night, and it's safe to say we're likely going to see more viewership records shattered.

Now, tonight, in Arizona, we have the men's Final Four, Purdue and NC State, then it's Alabama taking on the defending champion UConn Huskies. UConn has won their last 10 tournament games by double digits. It's never been done before.

They're led by coach Dan Hurley. He's an incredibly inspiring, fiery character. And his team, they lead with their chemistry and their character. I talked to Coach Hurley and his wife Andrea about the impact his team is having both on and off the court. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN HURLEY, UCONN HEAD COACH: She humanizes me a lot. I'm a little rough around the edges and an intense guy. So she brings that woman's touch, that heart and soul to our program, and really turns our team into a family.

WIRE: Love that. And Andrea, no matter what happens this year, how would you put into words what this team has meant to you?

ANDREA HURLEY, DAN HURLEY'S WIFE: Oh, my God, I just can't be any prouder. Like I'm going to cry. I'm a crier. I'm just so proud. Like how can you not be? They've broken records, they've done the most amazing thing, and they're so together. And this team is such a family that they got here by their closeness. Just everyone.

WIRE: We love that emotion. And Coach, what does it mean to you, and how does it feel when you see your players going out into the community, the Connecticut Children's Hospital, and helping Andrea help lift a lot of spirits of others.

DAN HURLEY: These guys have incredible talent and they're incredibly successful, and they have a major platform to go and do great things in the community, to inspire and to help young people grow and mature. So just so proud of our guys. We are UConn athletics is Connecticut's sports franchise, so we understand responsibility.

WIRE: Andrea, how does it feel when you have these players who have their busy lives and things to do, but here they are understanding the platform they've been given, and they're out there helping you help others?

ANDREA HURLEY Oh, my gosh. It's like it's bigger than basketball. You have these kids that just want to be part of something. And their days are just, sometimes they just have to forget about what they're going through.

And when our kids coming in there, some of these kids that I've been around, they weren't even sports fans until our kids came in, and now they are diehard fans. They are so obsessed with our team, and those are our future. So it's just amazing, and I'm just so blessed to be a part of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: All right, you can watch both games tonight on our sister networks TBS, TNT, TruTV, and Max. Pregame coverage starting at 3:00 eastern before the first games tip off at 6:00. It's the biggest moment of their careers, Fredricka, one last chance to punch one final ticket to the championship.

WHITFIELD: Oh, it's incredible. And they are such a cute couple. And obviously their family is one big family in that UConn men's team. All right, can't wait to watch what happened happens tonight, and of course, tomorrow with the women's really can't wait for that. All right, Coy Wire, thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:58:33]

WHITFIELD: All right, tomorrow will be exactly six months since armed Hamas terrorists attacked Israel and took more than 250 Israeli hostages. CNN's Bianna Golodryga looks at the fight to bring them home.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SECURITY GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Hi, Fred. Well, it is hard to believe that it's been six months already since the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel that triggered this horrible war. That day, more than 1,200 Israelis were murdered and more than 250 were taken hostage into Gaza. Today, more than 130 remain there, their families desperate to get them back.

I traveled to Israel earlier this year to speak with four of these families. Fred, they are heartbroken, but they remain resilient. I met with Hadas Kalderon, who had been a resident at Kibbutz Nir Oz. Her mother was killed on October 7th, and her two children and their father were taken hostage.

And yet she was one of the lucky ones. Her two children had been released during the one ceasefire back in November. But she's still enduring the pain and devastating impact from their ordeal and hers over those four months. Here's a small portion of what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

HADAS KALDERON: The last message I got that they jumped from the window and hiding in the bush. And then we lost the connection.

GOLODRYGA: She later learned they jumped because terrorists were tossing explosives into their home. But they stayed hidden, watching the horror for two hours.

KALDERON: And then a younger man, like 19 years old, was just jumped on the window and make like gym, you know, like sport.

GOLODRYGA: He was doing pullups?