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Biden Calls for Ceasefire, Access to Food & Water for Gaza; Israel Says High Number of Aid Tracks Entered Gaza Tuesday; Bodies Exhumed From Mass Graves at Al-Shifa Hospital; U.N. Report Warns of Imminent Famine in Northern Gaza; Biden and Kishida to Meet for White House Summit; Former Taiwanese President Meets With China's Xi Jinping; Multiple U.S. States Have Passed Restrictive Abortion Laws; Trump Holding Fundraisers in Georgia, Florida; Whistleblower Raises Alarm About Flaws in Boeing Dreamliner Jets; U.S. Sends Thousands of Seized Iranian Weapons to Ukraine; U.s. Could Ban Use of Russian Cybersecurity Software, Kaspersky Labs Antivirus is Already Banned on U.S. Government Computers; Anger Mounts as Floods Crippled Russia's Orenburg Region After a Dam Burst in the Ural River; Inflation Ticked Higher in March to 3.5 Percent; "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" to Premiere in February 2025. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired April 10, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:10]
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I am Erica Hill in New York. This is "CNN Newsroom." Just ahead, U.S. President Biden with his strongest criticism yet of Israel's conduct of the war, saying Benjamin Netanyahu's approach in Gaza is a mistake.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking to CNN as Russia launches a new wave of attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure. More of that interview ahead, plus the Arizona Supreme Court re-instates an abortion ban in the state that dates back to the civil war. We'll examine the potential impact on the upcoming year's presidential campaign.
U.S. President Joe Biden says the Israeli prime minister's approach to the war with Hamas is a mistake. This is one of the sharpest rebukes yet that we've heard from Biden when it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu. It came in an interview with Univision, in which Biden also called for a ceasefire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: What I call for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine going into the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Biden Administration officials also believe the Israeli PM's claim that a date has been set for a ground offensive in Rafah is bluster. Israeli Military is facing growing international criticism about its planned assault in that southern Gaza city. Rafah, of course, is the last refuge for more than a million displaced Palestinians who have been fleeing the fighting elsewhere in Gaza.
International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson is live in Jerusalem at this hour. So Nic, these comments from Joe Biden, the most direct to this point, calling this a mistake on the part of Benjamin Netanyahu. How are those -- how are those being received?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think we can get a sense of how they were received because remembering he made these comments before the weekend and we know that he spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu. President Biden did right at the beginning of the week and then than over the (ph) weekend, we saw a big division of the military pull out of southern Gaza, of Khan Younis. We've seen since then a significant ramp-up of aid going into Gaza, the past three days, biggest amounts of aid according to Israeli officials who has gone into Gaza.
So, it is clear that what we heard President Biden express in that interview did connect during his conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, as far as a ceasefire goes, this really does seem to be in the hands of Hamas and the negotiations to get the hostages released. And this is something that just yesterday, Secretary Blinken said, the ball on that account was firmly in Hamas' court. So on a ceasefire, whatever the Israeli government has put forward, and we don't know all the details, in those conversations in Cairo over the past couple of days, it now seems to be Hamas that would have to take the step next to lead to that ceasefire.
But undoubtedly, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been put under pressure by President Biden and responded in some kind. And he is also under levels of pressure domestically saying this -- that the Rafah operation, that a date is set.
HILL: So, as we watch and see that play out, Nic, appreciate the update from you as well. Thank you.
Sorry, Nic, I am told me may have a little bit more time. Do we still have Nic? Nic, so when we look at what is happening there, there are calls for a ceasefire. There is also increasing concern, of course, about the humanitarian issue there, aid getting into Gaza. We are also learning about more bodies being exhumed from around the Al-Shifa Hospital. Can you talk to me a little bit about the aid at this hour and whether more is actually getting into Gaza?
[08:05:00]
ROBERTSON: Yeah. The COGAT, which is the Israeli government body that oversees aid going into Gaza, said yesterday, 467 trucks of aid went into Gaza. We know the State Department the previous day said that more than 300 trucks of aid had got in that day. But both the State Department and the Israelis are saying these are the largest amounts of aid that have been able to get in a single day since the beginning of the conflict back in October 7.
However, there does appear to be some level of shortcoming on the other side, the U.N. not in a position to distribute the aid. Of course, there's a war, there's a huge amount of destruction that has been caused by the Israeli Defense Forces inside of Gaza. And the ability to move that aid around Gaza, particularly to the north is strained. The Israeli government said that they would open a border crossing at Erez in the north of the country. That has not happened yet. There are indications it may not be Erez, but it may be somewhere else in the north.
So, the logistics of trying to make good on the commitments are not things that are happening immediately. The logistics on the ground to distribute it to the people who need it most are not there. So, today is a day in Gaza where people are celebrating Eid, the end of Ramadan, where traditionally they would gather in their homes and eat sweets and where new clothes that they would have bought in the market.
CNN has been talking to people in Gaza today who are scratching through the rubble of their homes just to try to find a piece of furniture, a piece of clothing. They are not celebrating Eid as the way they would do normally. They don't have the wherewithal to do it. And I think that's the picture that even though the number of trucks has ramped up, it is going to be a long time before it has a significant difference. And of course, State Department saying very, very clearly through Secretary Blinken yesterday, it is not just about the number of trucks getting in. We need to see it consistently reaching and spreading out on the ground to everyone that needs it.
HILL: Yeah, Nic, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, as we've been discussing, the aftermath of that siege of the Al- Shifa Hospital complex in northern Gaza, bodies are now being exhumed from mass graves around the hospital. I do want to warn you, some of these images you are about to see are graphic. Officials say the remains of nearly 400 people have now been recovered from the vicinity of that complex as Israeli forces withdrew on April 1st following that two-week siege.
Other hospitals in Gaza, meantime struggling to keep patients alive, and frankly, to keep the lights on. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports now on that ongoing suffering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A nine- year-old girl cries out, it hurts, it hurts. The doctor holds her hand as she lies on the floor and tells her it is going to be OK. There is no pain medication for her burns and shrapnel wounds. He tells her to pray.
Nearby, another doctor tries to save one of his own, performing CPR on a paramedic who was injured by Israeli artillery fire. His heart eventually restarts, one life saved amidst so much loss, his longer- term chances of survival in a decimated medical system are unclear. These doctors are American, volunteers on a World Health Organization coordinated mission to the north of Gaza, desperate to help in an evermore helpless crisis. DR. FARHAN ABDELAZIZ, EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN: Situation here is intense, it is catastrophic. Really, these words are hard to describe what we are seeing. I mean, you are talking about mass casualty events where people are coming in, with limited staff, limited -- overworked staff, hungry staff, all working who have been displaced from homes and they are sitting here and they are trying to do the best they can.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): This is Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north, one of the few hospitals still open although barely functional.
DR. SAMER ATTAR, ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON: This morning, we woke up and found out that four patients died in the ICU, one of them was about ten years old and the mom just refused to refuse to leave the child's bedside, refused to believe that the child was dead, refused to let the staff cover her up. The child died of malnutrition and dehydration.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Patients here lie on the floor in their own blood. Electricity relies on solar panels. The fuel ran out some time ago. The hospital's director says volunteer specialists traveling into Gaza are a massive help amid a shrinking medical staff. Close to 500 medical personnel have been killed since October 7, nearly 300 others have been detained by the Israeli Military according to Gaza health authorities.
A U.N. backed report had warned famine could hit northern Gaza anytime between now and May.
[08:10:00]
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Under U.S. pressure, the Israeli government announced last week, it would re-open the Erez crossing to allow humanitarian goods to reach the area. Those plans have since been delayed according to an Israeli official, shattering what was a small but needed glimmer of hope.
ATTAR: These people, they just need help me. They just want this to stop. Nobody talks, nobody discusses politics here. They just -- they just talk about food and water and shelter. And they just want the war to end.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): As the war enters its seventh month, the injured must be wondering if anyone is hearing their cries for help.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Iran's supreme leader says Israel must and will be punished for a missile attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus. Seven Iranian officials and six Syrians are reported to have been killed in the April 1st strike. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says hitting the embassy in Syria was like attacking Iran itself. Israel's foreign minister said his country would retaliate by taking action on Iranian soil if Israel was attacked. In the coming hours, the White House is set to host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on an official visit to (ph) President Biden. And Mr. Kishida will sit down for talks ahead of a state dinner tonight on their agenda, strengthening ties between the two countries with a focus on emerging technologies for both military and commercial use. The two are also expected to discuss collaboration in space. Japan has expressed interest in putting its first astronaut on the moon.
Arlette Saenz is live at the White House this hour. So Arlette, walk us through, first of all, the goals of this visit.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida are hoping to showcase the close relationship between the U.S. and Japan at a time when both countries are trying to blunt China's economic and military might in the region. Japan really, officials say has been at the cornerstone and center of President Biden's Indo-Pacific policy as he sought to build and bolster alliances and partnerships in the region.
Japan is part of many of those groupings, including the Quad leaders and really that historic summit that occurred between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan just last year. But Japan also has served as a key ally of the U.S. in offering support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion there. Now, this closeness and the relationship will be on full display in just a few hours when President Biden welcomes Kishida here on the South Lawn for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony. They will then head into bilateral meetings before having a joint press conference in the afternoon and followed by a lavish state dinner this evening.
And the two leaders are expected to make an announcement on a host of issues, according to senior administration officials, one of those key issues trying to deepen the security and defense cooperation with each other, willing to include a commitment to changing the U.S. Force posture in Japan as they are seeking to integrate and heighten cooperation between the two countries. Officials note that that will take some time to implement. These are -- simply it is going to be an announcement that they intend to do this with the plans to be hammered out by each of their defense departments going forward.
There also expected to establish a military and industrial council where they went talk about ways to potentially cooperate when it comes to producing defense weapons. There is also expected to be significant announcements in the area of space. As you noted, Japan has been quite eager to land an astronaut on the moon and NASA is conducting those Artemis missions where they are trying to get astronauts back to the moon in the coming years. They are all so trying to strengthen the people-to-people ties, investing in new AI research initiatives as well as promoting student exchanges between the two country.
There is a host of other economic issues as well, including deepening cooperation when it comes to semiconductors. But, and one of the most symbolic announcements expected to come today will center around the cherry trees. Anyone who has been to Washington, D.C. in the springtime knows that one of the most beautiful parts of Washington is those cherry blossom trees over in the Tidal Basin. National Park Service officials recently announced that they will have to cut down about 150 of those trees due to needing to raise the sea barriers at the Tidal Basin.
Japan has offered to provide the United States with new saplings to plant new cherry trees. Officials here note that while there are a host of announcements being made, that this really speaks to the closeness of the alliance. Now, later in the evening, there will also be that state dinner, an event the first lady has been planning. I am told that she selected Paul Simon as the entertainer for that event because he is a personal favorite of the first lady's, but also of Kishida. So, the administration using a bit of musical diplomacy as they plan today's events.
Now, even as we've seen these areas of collaboration and shared mutual concerns relating to China, there are some differences in the U.S.- Japan relationship, chief among them right now is the president's opposition to the sale of U.S. steel to Japan.
[08:15:00]
SAENZ: Officials say that this -- they don't expect this to come up in the discussions today, that the relationship is bigger than one economic -- commercial deal. But, it is very clear with this meeting, the White House is trying to place this emphasis on the president's Indo-Pacific policy as they have sought to re-invigorate these alliances, especially in the face of an ascendant China.
HILL: Arlette, appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Well, in a rare meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a former leader of Taiwan said war between the two countries would be unbearable for the Chinese nation. This meeting comes, of course, amid rising tensions and with the new administration set to take up office in Taiwan in the coming weeks, it is of course an administration that Beijing openly opposes. Kristie Lu Stout has the details.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chinese leader Xi Jinping held talks with Taiwan's former president in a rare meeting that recalls a past era of warmer ties. Now, this is the first time a Chinese leader hosted a former leader of Taiwan and it comes just weeks before Taiwan inaugurates a new president that Beijing openly detests. Ma Ying-Jeou is the ex-chairman of Taiwan's opposition, Kuomintang. He led Taiwan from 2008 to 2016, and he arrived in China on April 1st in what he calls a trip of peace and friendship.
Now, Taiwan officials tell CNN his meeting with Xi was moved to today to coincide with the Japanese Prime Minister's state visit to Washington. After the meeting, we heard from both Ma and Xi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT: There is no grudge that cannot be resolved, no issue that cannot be discussed, and no force that can separate us. MA YING-JEOU, FORMER TAIWAN PRESIDENT: For Taiwan, without stability and peace on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, there will be no stable and prosperous Taiwan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: They last met in Singapore in 2015, and that was the first such meeting since the two sides split in 1949 following a bloody civil war. And that landmark summit, it took place shortly before Taiwan's Current President Tsai Ing-wen won election. Now, China openly loathes and detests Tsai and her party DPP, which is independence leaning. And China has ramped up aggressive tactics since Taiwan's election in January this year, which resulted in another presidential win for the DPP.
Analysts say Beijing is using the meeting with Ma to shape hearts and minds abroad and inside China. Wen-Ti Sung, a Taiwan-based fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub says this, "Ma's visit gives Beijing proof that there is still a significant portion of Taiwanese society that values shared ties with Chinese tradition and culture between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait." It is also a useful data point Beijing can point to, to tell China's domestic audience that there is still reason to be patient with Taiwan.
Amanda Hsiao of the International Crisis Group adds this, "For Beijing, Ma's visit is also a useful way of assuring its domestic audience, we have not lost the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese people." Now, China claims Taiwan as its own territory despite having never controlled it.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Ukraine's president says, if the West sends more weapons, he will "Break Vladimir Putin's backbone." Volodymyr Zelenskyy telling the audience of Delphi Economic Forum to be realistic but not pessimistic about Ukraine's chances of driving Russia back. He was speaking just one day after visiting the frontlines in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. He said Russian attacks are aimed at taking out the power grid, plunging Ukraine into darkness, but that Russia overestimates its ability to hit Ukrainian targets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: He thinks that his ability to produce and buy artillery from his accomplices will allow him to advance their frontline, while Western friends of Ukraine delay their deliveries. Putin has nothing but this (ph) terror. But Ukraine has shown that Russia, his new jets and no (ph) rockets, that Ukraine would not be able to shoot down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: CNN's Fred Pleitgen was the moderator for today's conversation with Zelenskyy and joins us now live from that event. What else did you hear from President Zelenskyy this morning?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATINAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Erica. Well, first of all, it comes of course, only hours after once again the Russians attack the Port Town of Odesa in Ukraine, hitting it with several missiles and injuring a lot of people there. So that certainly was on the president's mind when he spoke to that forum today. But obviously, one of the things that I did ask them about was the lack of U.S. military aid at this point in time because for the first time the Ukrainian president recently said that if Ukraine doesn't get that military aid from the U.S., that Ukraine could lose the war.
Now, he painted a more optimistic picture today.
[08:20:00]
PLEITGEN: He said, as you mentioned, that the Ukrainians have now stabilized at least some of the front. They believe that they can make a comeback against the Russians, but they need more arms and more long-distance arms from the U.S. Here is some of what Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY: I understand that this is not easy and everybody is thinking about oneself, and we are grateful to all our partners. But what we have now is not sufficient. If we want to truly prevail over Putin, if nobody wants Putin to drag the war, the world into third world war.
PLEITGEN: Thank you, Mr. President. As you know, there was a report out to this week that allegedly if, and it is a still a very big if, Donald Trump is elected president of the United States in November, that he would essentially force Ukraine into a called it a peace deal with Russia that would force Ukraine to cede territory, like for instance, giving up on getting back Crimea and also ceding the Donbas region. Would you ever be willing to give up Ukrainian territory for peace?
ZELENSKYY: First and foremost, those signals were on certain media platforms. I haven't heard that directly from his ideas in detail. I did not have an opportunity to discuss them with him and to discuss his ideas on how to end the war. If I have such opportunity, I will with pleasure listen to them and then we can discuss the topic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: So you can see, Erica, the Ukrainian president still quite careful on responding to those alleged ideas of Former President Donald Trump, however (ph) -- is saying that he would be willing to listen to them because we do know that Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he has invited Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and also alleges that Donald Trump has accepted that invitation, but it is unclear when something like that could happen.
At the same time though, you do recognize and we recognize today that the Ukrainians understand they are in a very difficult situation at this point in time. They do say they do need more arms and especially more ammunition very quickly if they are to turn the tide, especially right now, as the summer months are approaching, which of course are always the main time for the really heavy fighting that goes on in Ukraine, Erica.
HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Frederik Pleitgen joining us there from the Delphi Economic Forum. Fred, thanks.
Still to come this hour, how a new abortion ruling in the U.S. could impact Donald Trump's plan to move on from that contentious issue, plus Boeing battling yet a another bad headline as a whistleblower voices concern about the safety of its jets. What he is alleging and his warning, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:25:00]
HILL: The issue of abortion is rapidly becoming a major player in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated a law from the 1860s which outlaws nearly all abortions in the state. Arizona is, of course, a key swing state and the White House was quick to blame Donald Trump and his Supreme Court appointments for that ruling. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris saying, Arizona just rolled back the clock to a time before women could vote and by his own admission, there is one person responsible, Donald Trump. With more, here is CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. KATIE HOBBS (D-AZ): It is a dark day in Arizona.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Arizona Supreme Court ruling that the state must enforce a near-total ban on all abortions. The controversial law, which dates back to the civil war, before Arizona even became a state. The court saying, "Physicians are now on notice that all abortions, except those necessary to save a woman's life, are illegal." Abortion providers could face a prison sentence of two to five years.
HOBBS: In the near total civil war era ban that continues to hang over our heads only serves to create more chaos for women and doctors in our state.
TODD (voice-over): The Arizona law is on hold for two weeks, while a lower court hears arguments on its constitutionality. And Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, says that at least while she is in office, no woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this law by the state. President Biden calls the new ban cruel and Vice President Kamala Harris said this on X.
KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: To stop bans like this, we need a United States Congress that will restore the protections of Roe v. Wade. And when they do, President Joe Biden will sign it into law. And let's always remember, it does not have to be this way.
TODD (voice-over): Opponents of abortion are applauding the Arizona ruling. The group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America in a statement saying, "We celebrate this enormous victory for unborn children and their mothers, and claiming the ruling will protect more than 11,000 babies annually." This comes just one day after Former President Donald Trump announced his campaign position on abortion, declining to support a federal nationwide ban on abortions, saying it should be left up to states.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people.
TODD (voice-over): And it all comes on the heels of a controversial ruling in Florida Supreme Court last week that allowed a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy to take effect next month. Florida's high court did allow a proposed constitutional amendment that would establish the right to an abortion to go on the ballot this November, to the delight of abortion rights activists who pushed for that.
LAUREN BRENZEL, DIRECTOR, YES ON 4: What it does is remove politicians' ability to interfere with her private medical decisions.
TODD (voice-over): Florida is one of several states where abortion will or may be on the ballot in November when voters will decide whether to guaranty the right to an abortion in their state's constitution.
AYESHA RASCOE, NPR HOST, "WEEKEND EDITION SUNDAY" & "UP FIRST" PODCAST: You are seeing all of this turmoil where people don't know from day-to-day what is going to be the law in their state, what happens if they get pregnant and they want to terminate the pregnancy.
TODD (voice-over): Many abortion rights activists still have their sights set on a longer-term strategy to restore federally-approved access to abortion. But even they realize it won't happen soon. One leader of Planned Parenthood saying it could take decades. So for now, their strategy is focused on going state-by-state to protect and maybe even expand in some cases access to abortion.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: As Donald Trump prepares for the start of his criminal hush money trial that begins on Monday in New York City, he is heading out on the campaign trail today with stops in both Georgia and Florida. These fundraiser events come just a day, of course, after that Arizona Supreme Court ruling on abortion, and two days after Trump's comments where he said abortion should be left to the states. CNN's Alayna Treene joining us now with more. So, first stop today is Georgia. What is the strategy at this point?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, Donald Trump is still very much focused on closing the money gap with President Joe Biden. Joe Biden has really been winning at the money game for many months now, and it is something that Donald Trump and his team are very aware of and also have been really trying and working hard to try and fix. We have seen really since Super Tuesday, Donald Trump has forgone a lot of campaigning and holding rallies to host instead these high-dollar fundraiser, and that's what we are going to see today in Georgia.
That's his first campaign stop where he is fundraising in Atlanta. He'll be joined by Former Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. And really, I mean the amount of money that is required to attend these fundraisers are ranging anywhere from more than $6,500 to $250,000. So again, another really big high-dollar fundraiser that they are trying to hold and then later, he will be in Florida. And of course, this comes after Donald Trump and his campaign said that he raised $50.5 million at a big fundraiser over the weekend in Palm Beach.
[08:30:00]
TREENE: And so, this is really what Donald Trump is trying to focus on, especially before he begins his trial next week in his hush money case. That's going to be taking him off the campaign trail as well. He is going to be required to be in court four days a week. And so, the focus right now is to continue to try and raise as much money as they can behind closed doors before he is stuck in New York for really the next month and a half or so, Erica.
HILL: Alayna, appreciate it. Thank you.
U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing is facing new allegations today of safety shortcuts and retaliations. This from one of its engineers who accuses the company of taking dangerous shortcuts with two of its widebody jets, the 777 and the 787. Boeing is already under federal investigation following a series of alarming incidents, including, of course, when a fuselage panel on a 737 airliner blew out in mid air. Gabe Cohen joins us now from Washington with more on this. So, the complaint was filed earlier this year, just now being made public. These are very serious allegations
GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are Erica. This is a scathing complaint and yes, the complaint was filed earlier this year, but it is finally going public here over the last 24 hours. And we are hearing from this Boeing Engineer Sam Salehpour for the first time, and we are hearing the details about this FAA complaint, including that Boeing has been allegedly cutting corners in its assembly of two of its planes, the 787 Dreamliner and the 777, roughly 1,400 planes between those two models according to the complaint.
And now, the whistleblower makes several claims in this, including that crews have been forcing together misaligned parts of the fuselage, the main body of the plane, basically jamming those parts together, Erica. And he says the process to fill all of the tiny gaps in between those pieces of the plane hasn't been done properly and that could put a lot of added stress on those parts and it could dramatically reduce the decades' long lifespan of the plane or at least what should be decades long. And there is a dire warning in this complaint that I want to read. It says that these defects ultimately cause a premature fatigue failure without any warning, thus creating unsafe conditions for the aircraft with potentially catastrophic accidents and passenger fatalities. Now, Boeing, for their part, is vehemently denying these claims, saying that they are inaccurate and they do not represent the work that Boeing has done to ensure safety. And as they put it, they say these issues have -- that have been raised have been subject to rigorous engineering examination under FAA oversight.
Bear in mind, Erica, some of these allegations are not entirely new. The FAA halted deliveries of the Dreamliner, the 787 back in 2021, and was because of similar issues with those gaps, I was talking about, in-between the parts of the plane. Boeing, back then, said it made changes to fix the problem. The FAA signed off, but the allegation here is that they never really fixed it.
HILL: Serious allegations there. Gabe, thank you for walking us through those. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Still to come here, take a look at all of these weapons seized from Iran, but they'll soon be in the hands of Ukrainian troops. Plus, the U.S. has (ph) a popular brand of antivirus software could be a major security threat instead. That story when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:35:47]
HILL: Ukraine's president today stressing it is important to be realistic but not pessimistic about the state of the war. This as new Russian strikes we've learned have killed at least four across two regions in Ukraine. This strike here in Kharkiv injured several people. One victim said an explosion sounded and then just everything was covered in dust. The attack happened just as President Zelenskyy announced a visit to Kharkiv, inspected defensive fortifications as Russia is stepping up its aerial attacks. The U.S. Military meantime announcing new arms transfer to Ukraine this week, thousands of seized Iranian guns, rocket launchers, and ammunition will now provide some 4,000 Ukrainian troops with small arms rifles.
For some perspective on the war and where it stands, we are joined by Ukraine's Former Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk. Sir, it is good to have you with us this morning. We heard from president -- good morning or good afternoon rather where you are, sir. We heard from President Zelenskyy this morning, as I just noted, he said it is important to be -- not be pessimistic, but to be realistic. He also said, when asked by our Frederik Pleitgen about the lack of U.S. military aid, he painted a somewhat more optimal picture, while still stressing the need for, of course, additional arms. How would you assess the state of the war in this moment?
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK, FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: We need to understand that Russians, of course, they are pushing extremely heavy and they are basically sparing no expenses to try to advance at least somewhere. And they are moving in some directions with a very incremental, very small base like we are talking about kilometers, sometimes hundreds of meters, at the same time, losing tremendous amount of people on the way.
At the same time, they're still keeping the group of forces around 300,000 there and they are, of course, a substantial force and they have, what we call, the fire advantage over Ukraine, meaning that they have more ammunition, more guns and so on.
So, what is currently going on is that, of course, Ukraine has managed to stabilize most of the parts of the frontline. So Russians certainly don't have a chance to move like substantially deep into the territory of Ukraine. But that stability is extremely fragile and full of the combat engagements -- tons (ph) of combat agents in different parts of the front a day. When president was talking about not to be pessimistic, is because we see that Western observers often they assess this soberly the situation and they try to raise the awareness around the world about the very difficult situation and bringing this to the news, to the analytical reports and so on.
And then many of them going a bit further and then saying, well, then there is no chance. And that's certainly not the case. Ukraine still can win, Ukraine still can stop Russia, Ukraine still can actually even counter offend in a not-so-distant future. It is just a matter of having enough capabilities, having enough arms and ammunition. And we need to be very careful about that line of being realistic and not being -- going into the kind of despair and trying to say, OK, then there is like no victory in sight. That's absolutely not the case.
HILL: OK.
ZAGORODNYUK: There is good chances for victory still.
HILL: As you know, some $60 billion in potential funding is essentially stalled here in the United States, blocked in the House. The U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron has been in the U.S., meeting with officials, pushing for more aid for Ukraine. Do you believe that that will happen, that the U.S. will in fact be able to perhaps pass additional aid?
ZAGORODNYUK: U.S. can pass it at any day whenever there is a political decision. So far, whatever is -- we have a problem with this basically no political decision. There is a very clear one party decides that at the moment, it is in their interest to stop that aid. And we believe that it is wrong political decision because it costs enormous amount of efforts and human lives and so on, particularly when we are talking about air defense, where Russians are trying to use that to their advantage, both against civilian targets and against military targets.
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ZAGORODNYUK: And it is all -- it is very difficult from here, from Ukraine to predict what is going to happen in D.C., within that one party. But we do hope that there will be some common sense finally, and they will unblock the aid. At the same time, in Europe, there is a lot of discussions right now about the fact that the world and Europe needs to live without U.S. leadership in the process of the global security, because lots of people are really concerned with the fact that internal matters are blocking U.S. from deciding something which has massive global importance.
HILL: And there are also questions about what could happen, of course, come November. Who will be in the White House and the impact that could have on future relations and of course, future aid to Ukraine
My colleague Fred Pleitgen asked President Zelenskyy earlier today about this idea that is reportedly being floated by Donald Trump, who believes that he could bring about peace very quickly in the war, but that may entail ceding the Donbas region and not regaining control of Crimea. So Fred asked President Zelenskyy how he felt about that plan. He was very diplomatic in his answer, saying he would be willing to talk with the former president who had not presented those ideas to Zelenskyy. Do you believe that that is something President Zelenskyy would in fact consider?
ZAGORODNYUK: Certainly, he will talk to a president of the United States, that's for sure. Secondly, we need to understand that what is being transmitted about Trump's position is through the secondhand, so to speak. So it is not like he himself formally announced it publicly because that is a terrible idea. The idea of ceding territories in exchange for peace is completely utopian and it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. And I sincerely hope that Republican Party, whoever is advising President Trump, it will advise him not to say that and not to do that because it just doesn't make sense.
If you give more land to Putin, he will want more. He will not want less. I mean, it just goes against the common sense and the way how Russians are operating, and what exactly their strategy is. Their strategy is to gain as much land as possible. And if you give them some, they will just go for more because they will say, you see, where -- it is working out, we are getting further. Let's do it. And then if to give them even theoretically, which by the way, legally is also impossible. But if theoretically, to provide them -- to give them something like concessions in exchange for peace, they will take concession straightaway, but the peace will be fragile and most likely will not hold even for a short period of time because they will break that deal as well as they broke all other deals before. So that just like, it will not work.
HILL: Andriy Zagorodnyuk, really appreciate your insight and your expertise.
ZAGORODNYUK: Thank you.
HILL: Thank you.
The Biden Administration is preparing an unprecedented ban on a widely-used, Russian-made cybersecurity software. The antivirus software from Kaspersky Lab is already forbidden from being used on U.S. government computers, but now the Commerce Department is considering a ban for private companies and individuals. Officials say that's because it is a security risk, saying the Kremlin could use it to gather data on Americans or even hack into U.S. computers. CNN Cybersecurity Reporter Sean Lyngaas joins us now with more on this. So, this would be quite the ban. What more do you know here, Sean?
SEAN LYNGAAS, CNN CYBERSECURITY REPORTER: Hello, Erica. The last guest that we had on was talking about the situation and the war in Ukraine, and this is in some ways that byproduct of that. U.S. officials have long been distrustful of Kaspersky software. Like you said, they claim, a claim that Kaspersky denies, but they claim that Russian cyber agents could use access to the computers, to the software to gain access to personal data, national security sensitive information.
And so, Kaspersky thought they were done with all these legal troubles. In 2017, the U.S. government forbid federal agencies from installing the software on their networks. Now, they are trying to go a step further and use an unprecedented authority that both the Trump Administration and the Biden Administration lawyers have worked on for years. And this is in some ways a test case because they are trying to say we don't want the software anywhere in the U.S. And again, I should point out that Kaspersky denies any wrongdoing, any what they call unethical ties with the Kremlin.
Yes, they are headquartered in Russia. They have world-class cybersecurity researchers. But right now, because they are headquartered in Russia, U.S. officials argue that they are subjected to Russian laws when it comes to handing over data and it is very much a geopolitical tug of war over this technology, Erica.
HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Appreciate the update, Sean. Thank you.
Still to come here, Russians demanding help from their government after floodwaters take over their cities. More on that, just ahead.
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HILLL: A burst dam on the Ural River is causing a major flooding in central Russia. More than 100,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. This is, of course, close to Russia's border with Kazakhstan. Cities along the river have been left submerged. You can see just some of the water, the damage there. CNN's Isa Soares tells us, anger is also mounting over the government's lack of response.
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ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Catastrophic flooding and thousands of lives upended across several regions in Russia, forcing many to evacuate with just their pets and a handful of belongings. At least three people are reported to have died so far. Authorities declared a state of emergency in the Orenburg region near Kazakhstan after the Ural, Europe's third longest river, swelled several meters and burst through a dam embankment in Orsk, a city of more than 200,000 residents.
The anger there was palpable on Monday, with protesters chanting shame on you at local officials and Putin help over the government's response. No one is helping us here, a man in this crowd shouts. The state is doing nothing he says. The city mayor said the flood has now peaked according to Russian State News Agency TASS. And the Kremlin spokesperson described the deluge in these regions as inevitable due to an abnormal increase in water levels.
Dmitry Peskov also said that President Vladimir Putin is currently not planning on visiting the affected areas. Across the border, in Kazakhstan, the country's president said the floods were his country's worst natural disaster in decades. In Russia, the country's emergency situations minister flew over some of the flooded zones on Tuesday to inspect the damage. And over in the Kurgan region, melting ice and torrential rains caused another river to overflow.
This is not a joke, the regional governor says bluntly. Leave, take your papers, valuables, children, elderly relatives with limited mobility. You need to do this now, he says.
Flood waters in Kurgan are expected to rise even higher over the next 48 hours, putting thousands more lives at risk and wreaking even more havoc.
Isa Soares, CNN, London.
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HILL: Still to come here, you may have noticed the receipts from some of your stores having higher prices over the last few months. We'll take a look at why.
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HILL: Prices in the U.S. are on the rise. The latest consumer price report for the U.S. for the month of March just released a few moments ago, inflation ticking up to 3.5 percent. That's up from 3.2 percent in February. It is the highest it has been since last September and the usual suspects are blamed here, rising gas prices and the high cost of housing. CNN's Matt Egan is with us now for a closer look at the numbers. Matt, what is the takeaway from these numbers?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Erica, I think the takeaway is that this war against inflation is not over, right. I mean, put away those mission accomplished signs because the last mile of getting inflation back under control is proving to be more difficult than some had anticipated, right? So we are seeing that consumer prices, as you mentioned, up 3.5 percent year-over-year. Some context that is hotter than 3.2 percent, just the month before. This is hotter-than-expected, it is also the fastest pace in six months. So that's moving in the wrong direction. Month over month, we saw that prices were up by 0.4 percent between February and March, again, hotter-than-expected.
That is no improvement from the month before. So why is this happening? Well, you touched on some of them, right, the price of gasoline, we know that has gone up. The price of housing, that continue just remain hot, and hotter than some people had expected. Some other big culprits here are the price of car insurance, shelter, medical care, all of them rising on a month over month basis. Now, that is not to say there is not some positives, right? We know that some things like the price of used cars, of new cars, those have gone down month over month, airfare as well. But when you -- and when you zoom out, you can also see that year-over-year inflation really has cooled. There has been a lot of progress.
Remember, this figure peaked above 9 percent back in June of 2022. That's when gas prices were going through the roof and there were all these recession fears. So, the fact that it has gone from 9.1 percent or so down to 3.5 percent, that of course is progress. It is just not quite where it needs to be yet. And so this is not sitting well, as you might imagine, on Wall Street. We saw us stock futures were pointed to a slightly higher open before this number came out, not anymore. Look at that, Dow Futures down by 400-plus points, 1 percent; more than that for the NASDAQ and the S&P 500.
I think the concern here, Erica, is what does this mean for the Fed? A lot of investors had been hoping for interest rate cuts as soon as June, hoping for maybe three total rate cuts this year. But a number like this today, on top of the other inflation readings that have been hotter than expected, on top of the really strong Jobs Report, raises a lot of questions about whether the Fed is really going to be able to start cutting interest rates anytime soon.
HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Matt, appreciate it. Thank you.
EGAN: Thanks, Erica.
HILL: Well, before we leave you, fans are going to get a chance to lose themselves once again in the trials and tribulations of Bridget Jones.
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HILL: Oh the (ph) days. Renee Zellweger set to return in Bridget Jones "Mad About the Boy." It is the fourth installment of the film franchise. It picks up 14 years after Bridget landed Mark Darcy who, of course, was played by Colin Firth.
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HILL: Hugh Grant said to reprise his role as Daniel Cleaver, her former boss. The movie is expected to hit theaters internationally and on Peacock in the United States on Valentine's Day next year.
Thanks so much for joining me here on "CNN Newsroom." I am Erica Hill. "Connect the World" over Becky Anderson is up next.
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