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Pope Francis Out Of Hospital, Continuing His Recovery At Vatican; Ukraine Team Meets With U.S. Officials One Day Ahead Of U.S.- Russia Talks; Former Federal Judge Warns Trump "Declared War" On Judicial System; Three Teens Killed In New Mexico Mass Shooting; Family Missing For More Than A Week After Grand Canyon Trip; Palestinian Officials: Death Toll In Gaza Now More Than 50,000; Concerns Over Humanitarian Crisis In Gaza As Aid Blockade Continues; Food Banks Scramble After USDA Halt $500 Million In Deliveries; White House Seeks Corporate Sponsors For Easter Event. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired March 23, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:30]

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

We begin this hour with breaking news.

Pope Francis now back at his Vatican home after being released from the hospital in Rome this morning, where the Pontiff, at 88 years old, has been battling double pneumonia for the past five weeks.

Earlier today, CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman was reporting live from outside the hospital when just before the Pontiff's release, Pope Francis on the balcony, greeted a crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And now on the second floor, I don't know if you can see it, There's an open window there where we're expecting Pope Francis to appear. And there he is. You can see him in white.

So there's (INAUDIBLE), the crowd is applauding. He's waving. He's been rolled out on his wheelchair there.

And yes, this is the first time we are seeing him, first time we are seeing him in more than 38 days. 38 days, he's been here in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, suffering from double pneumonia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Incredible moment there.

Let's get more perspective now from CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb. Hello, Christopher.

Wow, what a moment. And what a great surprise for that crowd.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was a real surprise, I think, because, you know, many people had felt that Francis could have been nearing the end. We were told by the doctors that he had two moments where he could have lost his life.

But today you could see the Pope out there on the balcony, clearly still in a physically fragile state, clearly struggling to speak. And he found it also, I noticed, difficult to raise his arm to bless people.

But at the same time very much mentally alert. And he seemed happy to be out of hospital. He noticed a lady in the crowd with some yellow flowers. It was quite a sweet moment when he pointed her out. This is -- this is what happened. Have a -- have a look.

(POPE FRANCIS SPEAKING)

LAMB: Now she had been joining many others in praying for Pope Francis up at the hospital in Rome, and of course, others praying for the Pope around the world for his recovery. And of course, today probably felt like an answer to those prayers. The Pope out of hospital thanks to the support of many people from around the world.

But of course, the skill and technical expertise of the doctors at Gemelli Hospital who treated the 88-year-old pontiff for more than five weeks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. And what incredible timing. I mean, this -- there's, you know, any day is good to see this moment, but it also is in the midst of a very busy Easter season.

So how much more of the Pope do we think we're going to be seeing?

LAMB: Well, the doctors have said that the Pope must now convalesce and recover for the next two months in his home in the Santa Marta. He's been told he mustn't have meetings with big crowds, but he is due to have a meeting with King Charles on the 8th of April.

So I imagine he will start to gradually get back to work. Francis is a known workaholic. He's very determined and has a deep sense of mission. But it is clear, too, that he is going to have to find a new way. He can't continue at such a frenetic pace as he has before.

He has to find a slower pace, but perhaps he will use that physical vulnerability and fragility that he has to show solidarity with fragile and vulnerable communities, that he has done so throughout his papacy.

[14:04:42]

LAMB: Now, of course, the Pope has the Easter celebrations coming up fairly soon at the end of the month. It's not clear whether he will lead those celebrations, but I imagine he will make a big effort to try and be present at at least some of them.

Still unclear about how that's going to look, but clearly Francis is determined to continue, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh, indeed.

All right. Christopher Lamb, keep us posted. Thank you so much.

All right. Also at this hour, a large delegation of U.S. officials are in Saudi Arabia meeting with Ukrainian officials in an effort to end the war with Russia. The U.S. delegation is set to meet with Russian officials tomorrow.

These peace talks come just days after President Trump held a lengthy phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin. That call resulted in the Kremlin agreeing to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure targets. But Moscow stopped short of signing off on a broader ceasefire sought by the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, TRUMP'S FOREIGN ENVOY: Lots of progress got made last week. The parties agreed to an energy infrastructure -- a moratorium on attacks for energy infrastructure.

I think that you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you'll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Kevin Liptak is joining us now from the White House. So Kevin, what more are you learning about this new round of talks?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, these are technical talks. They're not at the highest level of these governments. But what the officials do hope is that they will be able to work through some of the modalities of these various components of a ceasefire that President Donald Trump is trying to push as he works to end this conflict in Ukraine.

And so you heard Steve Witkoff there, the president's foreign envoy talking about this pause in attacks on energy infrastructure that both sides agreed to last week. They still need to iron out some of the details of that, when precisely it would go into effect, who would enforce it. That is up for discussion this week.

Then they hope to move to discuss more of a pause on attacks in the Black Sea. That had been sort of a talking point for these sides throughout the course of this conflict.

What they hope is that ships will be able to start moving again through these Black Sea ports, carrying items like grain and fuel. That would be important for these sides to come to an agreement on this potential larger ceasefire that Donald Trump is hoping for in this conflict.

I think what he's struggled with so far is that Moscow, to this point, has not backed off some of its maximalist positions as it approaches a potential end to this war. Items like land concessions on the part of the Ukrainians, things like preventing Ukraine from ever joining NATO. Those are all items that will have to be discussed as part of this broader push towards a full end to this war.

We did hear Donald Trump last night on Air Force One, speaking to a podcast host. And he did suggest that things were moving in the right direction. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think there's anybody in the world that could have stopped him except me. And I think, I hope I'm going to be able to stop him.

That's a very rational discussion. And I just want to see the people stop getting killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, these conversations between Trump and Putin have spooked in a lot of ways the Europeans. They wonder whether Trump is being overly credulous to the Russian leader. But when we heard from Witkoff earlier today, he said that in his view, he didn't see that Russia wanted to take on all of Europe. And in his view, he is an honest broker towards peace, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kevin Liptak at the White House, thanks so much. We'll check back with you.

All right. And now more on the escalating fight between President Trump and the nation's judicial system. J. Michael Luttig, a conservative former federal judge, wrote a "New York Times" op-ed today warning that President Trump is, I'm quoting now, "declaring war on the nation's federal judiciary, the country's legal profession and the rule of law".

Joining me right now is Lynn Sweet, the Washington bureau chief for "The Chicago Sun-Times". Lynn, always great to see you.

So, President Trump appears more defiant than ever, right, during this second term. If he goes after federal judges that block his immigration initiatives and lawyers that filed lawsuits against him, he's, you know, really putting them to task and offering lots of threats and even kind of offering some deals.

Does this demonstrate that there are any guardrails left to check him?

LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF FOR "THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES": Fred, good afternoon. Thanks for having me.

[14:09:43]

SWEET: And the answer is he's trying to -- President Trump is trying to inoculate himself from potentially adverse legal rulings or upcoming court challenges in this new strategy by intimidating judges and lawyers from bringing them in the first place.

It is cunning. It is testing the limits for which, so far, Trump has found none. And since he is -- he believes he can do what he wants as he -- as he consolidates his power, he has nothing to lose in putting forth this newest legal strategy, which includes intimidating law firms in the sense of shaking them down for free legal services if need be, which happened earlier this week with one law firm and also trying to threaten federal judges with lifetime appointments by trying to get them impeached.

So he is putting a lot of real pressure on the legal system, the likes of which we've never seen.

WHITFIELD: There are not a whole lot of Republican lawmakers who are directly calling out President Trump for stoking a fight with federal judges.

But this is Utah Republican Senator John Curtis. This is what he said this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CURTIS (R-UT): I would never be the one to say to the president what he can say and what he can't say. I'm going to tell you, if it were me, I probably wouldn't be poking the people that are going to make decisions about me.

But that's me. And the president's going to do what the president does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So what's it going to take to go further than that?

SWEET: Well, that's pretty tepid, pretty bland. And I guess this counts, Fred, for having -- calling him what -- a courageous Republican, because at least he said something.

So this idea of trying to neutralize any upcoming potential legal rulings against him is something that needs to be taken very seriously, because these gambits, in the short term at least work.

You didn't think he could fire federal workers at will? Well, he's doing it. Didn't think he could just gut an agency. Well, he's doing it. Using the threat of funds for universities to do this or that.

Or indeed, he wants to go back as far back as eight years looking at firms that have done things he didn't like. And this includes things that affected him personally.

And this is, again my plea for people to understand what is really going on is that a lot of this is targeted. It's part of Trump trying to get even for cases that were brought against him.

Also worth noting that the attorney general is acting as someone who is working at the personal behest of the president rather than as the attorney general for the United States. So, again, a lot on the plate. A lot of incoming. And with the idea of intimidating lawyers from responding in the way that they have so far.

WHITFIELD: Ok. And now to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who appeared defiant today after helping Republicans advance their funding bill and essentially refusing to step down from his leadership role when asked about it and when pressed on that.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Look, I'm not stepping down. And let me just say this, Kristen, I knew when I cast my vote against the -- against the government shutdown that it would be -- that there would be a lot of controversy.

KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS HOST: You were, of course, instrumental in urging President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race when he himself wasn't convinced. I have had conversations with Democrats, Leader Schumer who say this moment feels very similar. Are you making the same mistake that President Biden did?

SCHUMER: No. Absolutely not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. So when Congress returns to Washington this week, after so many members were, you know, the centerpieces of town halls, they got an earful from people who expressed themselves vociferously, in fact. So what, particularly for Democrats, you know, when they return to the Hill, I mean what are their marching orders for the party, for themselves, whether it be the House or the Senate?

I mean, are they taking stock and what their constituents are saying? The climate of things overall and kind of rejiggering, re- strategizing, if you will.

SWEET: Well, they would re-strategize if they had any clue to what the strategy should be that can be effective. And my analysis, I think Senator Schumer and the handful of Senate Republicans -- excuse me, Senate Democrats who voted for this to prevent the shutdown, did the party a big favor.

[14:14:45]

SWEET: Let me quickly remind people that in the Senate, even though the Republicans have the majority, they needed 60 votes here. And if things are just a mess now for Democrats, and we know the skill that Trump and his allies have in getting people to believe what they want people to believe.

Right now the firings, the shutdowns, the chaos, the potential threats to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are all coming from the Trump White House. If the shutdown had happened, it is highly likely that somehow all

this could have been dumped on the Democratic slap (ph). The worst thing that happened now is that there's budget issues and a budget that the Democrats don't like. That can be fixed -- not today, not tomorrow. But that had less risk than having some of these Democrats vote for it.

And I don't think the call for Schumer to step down is analogous to the situation with Biden. Schumer made a strategic calculation that there's less damage to the Democratic Party to avoid a shutdown than to have a shutdown. And I think that was just a very pragmatic, practical and supportable decision.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lynn Sweet of "The Chicago Sun-Times", always great to see you. Thank you.

SWEET: Well, thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Still ahead, new details on the search for a South Korean family, which mysteriously disappeared after a trip to the Grand Canyon.

Plus, food banks scrambling after the Department of Agriculture stops $500 million in food deliveries.

And the White House shopping for corporate sponsors for this major annual event. Our new reporting on this year's Easter Egg Roll that has shocked former White House officials from both parties.

[14:16:36]

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WHITFIELD: Police have arrested two suspects in connection to a mass shooting in New Mexico that killed three teenagers. The chaotic scene captured on video, which we do warn some viewers might find disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stay here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, let's go to my truck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Police say the shooting began after a fight between two groups during an unsanctioned car show at a park in Las Cruces on Friday night. In addition to the three deaths, more than a dozen other people were injured.

The victims' ages range from 16 to 36. The FBI, ATF and New Mexico state police are investigating.

In Arizona, officials say a South Korean family of three has been missing for more than a week now after vacationing at the Grand Canyon. Officials say GPS data from their rental car last pinged their location on Interstate 40 around the time of a fiery pileup during a winter storm. The deadly crash involved 22 vehicles and burned for more than 20 hours.

CNN correspondent Julia Vargas Jones is following the latest on the search for this family.

Julia, what do authorities know about these three missing family members so far?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, they're still working to piece together what is it that happened to them. You know, missing for more than a week now after setting out on a road trip between the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

It's 33-year-old Jiyeon Lee, 55-year-old Taehee Kim and 54-year-old Junghee Kim. They were last seen on March 13th. They were traveling westbound on Interstate-40 in Arizona.

And as you said, their GPS data last pinged them just after 3:27 p.m. That is the same time in place of that deadly pileup during a winter storm that's outside of Williams, Arizona.

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office has released a flier asking for the public's help, and they said that investigators are still trying to confirm whether that rental car they were using was involved in the crash or not.

The collision was so large, 22 vehicles, so many of them engulfed in flames, burning for so long. It's been really difficult to identify victims and to figure out even what cars were involved.

Two people were killed, 16 others were taken to the hospital. And that little stretch of I-40 was full of snow around that Milepost 159.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Some of the passengers were rear-ended. They were pushed under tractor trailers. It's hard to imagine what could have happened to that family in that site of destruction.

They did discover that, just yesterday, there may be some additional human remains from that wreckage, Fred, and they are now with the county medical examiner.

The Department of Public Safety saying they're still going through all of that evidence from the crash site. And the consulate of South Korea here in Los Angeles is working with those authorities.

If anyone has seen or heard from this family, they're urged to contact both the Los Angeles South Korean consulate or the Coconino County Sheriff's Office.

WHITFIELD: Yes, an incredible and very upsetting mystery.

Julia Vargas Jones, thanks so much. All right. Coming up, Israel escalating its offensive in southern Gaza

as health officials there say more than 50,000 Palestinians have now been killed since the start of this war.

[14:24:52]

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WHITFIELD: In Gaza today, a grim new milestone. Health officials there say more than 50,000 Palestinians have now been killed since the war between Hamas and Israel began, including at least 41 people who died this weekend alone. Hamas says one of its senior political leaders was among those killed.

Renewed airstrikes and a ground offensive last week by Israel ended a two-month ceasefire. Israel has also halted aid from entering Gaza. WHITFIELD: The United Nations says that blockade has reversed any

humanitarian gains made during the ceasefire.

Let's bring in now Arwa Damon. She is the president of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance, and a former CNN senior correspondent who covered the Middle East.

[14:30:01]

Great to see you, Arwa.

I mean, so what kind of immediate impact do you understand, this blockade to be having on the people in Gaza?

ARWA DAMON, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR AID, RELIEF & ASSISTANCE: Well, I actually got a video from a colleague who works for another humanitarian organization this morning that was kind of depicting that the extraordinarily long lines at the few remaining functioning bakeries. You see, the way that people are struggling to find water. Only 1 in 10 people in Gaza right now has access to clean water.

You see it in the shops, and what you hear about what's available in the market. You know, there's a few potatoes, lemons covered in flies. There's a couple of cans of meat, as my friend was saying, you know, meat that isn't poured out of a can is something like a distant dream.

You see it in the exhaustion on peoples faces, in the way that their tone of voice has changed. You know, the two months of the ceasefire allowed people to hope that maybe the chapter of consistent bombings and repeated displacements was at least over. Not that they thought that the next chapter was going to be easy, but clearly they're facing that once again. And, you know, I was also messaging with somebody else who was just basically speculating as to whether or not, you know, deaths would be easier than having to live in these continuous pseudo humane conditions.

And, you know, a lot of people, I mean, not just now, but even before, cant really understand how it is that we're all watching this and allowing this to happen to them, that a country like Israel can besiege Gaza in such a way, cut off all humanitarian aid, since right now -- well, since March 2nd and continue to not allow a growing number of humanitarian workers like myself and medics and doctors permission to enter into Gaza.

WHITFIELD: Mm-hmm. And it's not just food that would be part of the aid that would come in, but its medicines. You just mentioned water. Only 1 in 10 people have access to clean water. I mean what are among the things that people have been have become accustomed to getting at least a little bit of in during the ceasefire because we know there were still, you know, blockades going on intermittently at that time.

But people got used to some aid getting in. What might those items be? And now, what is it like to receive none of that?

DAMON: It's -- it's shattering really. Also, we need to remember that, you know, its the holy month of Ramadan. So people are fasting all day. They're supposed to be this huge family tradition of, you know, breaking your fast. It's known as Iftar, where the entire family would be getting together. Of course, none of that exists.

But during that respite that existed when the ceasefire was holding, things like fresh fruits and vegetables were getting in, you could find chicken. Prior to that, chicken had been absent in some areas for months. You could find meat. You could find baby powder and diapers and sanitary pads. What wasn't getting in in sufficient quantities was shelter items, so tents and tarps.

And to a certain degree, you know, aid organizations were also able to get in much needed medications. Now, all of that has stopped. And so that was one level of difficulty that people had to deal with once again.

But then you also have the fuel shortage. And so that exacerbates what bakeries are able to produce, what water pumps at the few remaining facilities are able to produce. It affects hospitals capacity to be able to function. You know, I was messaging with a medical organization and they were talking about how they have, you know, much needed baby incubators that are stuck on the other side of the border.

My organization has, you know, a truckload of medications for two of our primary medical care points that are stuck at the border, and people are just really struggling to understand, like, is this happening to us again? Are we being displaced yet again? Are we being forced from our homes yet again?

I mean, how long can a population endure? How many times can your heart get broken over and over again? How long are they expected to survive like this? These are the questions. You know, I'm constantly being asked that I can't answer.

WHITFIELD: You're right now in Istanbul. You just mentioned, you received video from people who have conveyed that to you. How else are you able to communicate with people you have become accustomed to helping, and what have they been able to say to you directly?

DAMON: I know a lot of it is over WhatsApp, where were still able to call each other when they're able to find Wi-Fi points.

So, you know, the way that Gaza is now set itself up is, you know, if someone has a solar panel, they'll create sort of a small business and charge people to be able to charge their phones.

[14:35:10]

So that's how people are getting their phones charged, and then there's a couple of Wi-Fi points. And then of course, you know, the humanitarian sector and my friends who are there are able to reach out by connecting to Wi-Fi that they have at their various guest houses. And, you know, a lot of what they're saying revolves around trying to describe their emotional and psychological state, except that they can't.

And they really don't understand how it is, or that people are just kind of still watching this. And it's been going on for almost a year and a half now. They talk about how hard it is to see the elderly struggling, crawling, trying to get away from the bombs, or trying to follow the displacement efforts. They talk about the trauma that the children are going through over and over again.

You know, one of our -- our staffers at INARA, she's a mom of two little boys. And when the bombs first started falling, her youngest son, who's about six years old, jumped up and activated his emergency hospital, which is basically a bunch of cardboard boxes that he's built together to sort of be, you know, a hospital playhouse.

You know, children already were deeply scarred and traumatized by everything. I've seen numerous kids who are in such shock and have experienced such levels of trauma that they've lost their capacity to speak. We're seeing that again. You hear about children start bedwetting again. A lot of, you know, struggles with them trying to control their tempers.

And then there's the psychological and physical exhaustion on the population. You know, you -- you hear a father's voice -- since I was just messaging with another friend of mine who's -- who's a dad and also in the humanitarian sector, and I mean, his voice, the depth of pain in his voice as he's saying, we can't take this anymore. We just -- we can't. They've crushed us.

WHITFIELD: It's chronic trauma.

Arwa Damon, thank you so much. And thank you for being that window into all that is happening.

We'll be right back.

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[14:42:04]

WHITFIELD: As the Trump administration looks to slash more federal spending, some of the organizations helping the most vulnerable of Americans are now feeling the blow. Earlier this month, the USDA halted $500 million in deliveries to food banks nationwide that the Biden administration announced last year. And now some food banks and schools are scrambling to make up the difference.

Atlanta community food bank, which serves around 700,000 people in 29 counties, says the cuts amount to a 30 percent reduction in their annual budget.

Here with us now is the president and CEO of the Atlanta community food bank, Kyle Waide.

Great to see you. Welcome. I wish it were on better news, but perhaps it will turn into some better news somewhere down the pipeline, right?

KYLE WAIDE, PRESIDENT & CEO, ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK: Yeah. Well, I appreciate you having me on, and I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the topic.

WHITFIELD: So how painful is this blow right now? What is it doing?

WAIDE: Well, I think the place to start, Fredricka, is, is that demand right now for food assistance is really, really high. Lines are longer at food pantries all across our community and across the country.

WHITFIELD: And recently, or this has been the trend for a period of time.

WAIDE: So we've been serving kind of a similar number of people over the last several months. And that number is about 60 percent higher than it was three years ago. Inflation has had just a huge impact in our community, putting additional economic pressure on so many of our neighbors. And those folks now need help getting more food assistance.

So we're serving 240,000 households every month right now just at our food bank, about 11 percent of the population. And for us to meet that demand, we need all the food resources we can get.

WHITFIELD: And how do you -- I guess, what is the source of those food resources? I mean, is it coming from a conglomeration of places and you're finding that they're not able to make the donations, whether it be, you know, food or financial or is it largely from federal assistance?

WAIDE: Yeah. So this year, our food bank will distribute somewhere around $280 million worth of food and resources, the equivalent of about 110 million meals to people across our community.

Those resources come from the private sector in the form of donations. They come from the federal government and the form of USDA commodities and other support, and from food that we purchase using philanthropic funds that we've raised in the community. We're right now dealing with historically high levels of demand. And we're really stretched as our food banks around the country are stretched to the max to try to keep up with that demand and ensure everybody has what they need.

WHITFIELD: So customarily, administrations will, you know, re- strategize, have a new approach to perhaps trying to find a similar solution, you know, addressing a similar solution.

[14:45:00]

But am I understanding from you that oftentimes when a new administration comes in, eliminates one program, its replaced nearly immediately from another program that will allow you and other organizations like yourselves to be able to continue doing the work that you do. But the difference here is there's no replacement program.

WAIDE: Yeah. So it's very normal for a new administration to come in and discontinue programming that the prior administration had put in place. What's critical right now is that were at this very high level of demand. We're stretched very far in our ability to meet that demand. We need resources to meet that demand, and were hopeful that the new administration, the new secretary of USDA and her team are working on identifying new programs that will continue to supply us with the resources we need to meet the needs of people in our community.

We don't know what that is yet. We look forward to working with her and her team to find ways to get the resources we need to respond, but don't yet know what that is going to look like.

WHITFIELD: So in the meantime, the private sector homes, households that can afford to donate, you're looking for them to do that?

WAIDE: Yeah, we're -- we're reaching out to our supporters, donors and our community. Food banks around the country are doing this. How can we make up the gap that is going to be in place after a couple of months?

You know, right now we're fine. But the things that have been canceled are food that's going to -- would have showed up in another 3 or 4 months from now. And so, we're going to need private resources to fill in that gap absent some sort of action by our partners in Washington.

We need philanthropic support. We can use that money to go buy more food, but ultimately, we need more public support to really fill in this gap.

WHITFIELD: Uh-huh, in the form of financial donations.

WAIDE: From the private sector, we need financial donations, and then we need additional support from USDA and --

WHITFIELD: OK.

WAIDE: -- and federal sources to really get us the food that we need.

WHITFIELD: Okay. Kyle Waide, all the best. Let's hope it happens soon, fast and efficiently.

WAIDE: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much. WAIDE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Former White House officials are shocked and scrambling for some sort of explanation here, as the White House hunts for corporate sponsors for an upcoming Easter event. Our reporting, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:52:05]

WHITFIELD: The White House is looking for corporate sponsors for this year's Easter egg roll. Quite the contrast from a White House tradition dating back to 1878, with first families inviting children for the event meant for goodwill and fun. The move is drawing major concerns now from ethics experts and former White House officials on both sides of the aisle.

CNN senior White House producer Betsy Klein has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Fredricka, the White House, through an outside production company called Harbinger, is soliciting corporate sponsorships for this year's Easter egg roll. They range from $75,000 to $200,000 and offer logo and branding opportunities.

And I obtained a nine-page document that's being sent to prospective sponsors. And when I showed this to a range of ethics experts, former White House officials on both sides of the aisle, the overwhelming reaction was shock and concern. Now, the egg roll has been privately funded for many years. What's different this year is the explicit promise of logo and brand activations.

And I just want to read to you some of the promised sponsorship perks from this document: naming rights for key areas or elements. Sponsor logos featured on event signage. Custom branded baskets, snacks, beverages or souvenirs, and mentions in official event communications and social media posts.

Now, sponsors will also receive tickets to the event and access to a brunch hosted by the first lady, as well as a private White House tour. And all of the money raised is going to go through the White House Historical Association to pay for this event production. Any excess funds raised, a source familiar with planning tells me, will go toward other similar events like Halloween and the 4th of July.

But the concern I'm hearing from a range of experts and former officials here is twofold. One, this document itself and the access and branding it is promising. I spoke to Richard Painter, who was in White House counsels office during the Bush administration. He told me this document wouldn't have gotten through counsels office in most other administrations. He said it would have been vetoed in about 30s in his day. Now, also, what actually happens and what it looks like to have logos

and branding on the south lawn and social media. We still don't know if that promised social media mention will be on official White House accounts. All of this directly goes against regulations prohibiting public officials from promoting private business.

But of course, this is a regulation, not a criminal statute -- Fredricka.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Betsy Klein, thanks so much.

All right. New today, the IRS is reportedly nearing a deal with ICE to provide tax information to help them track down suspected undocumented immigrants. Details on that, next.

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[14:59:15]

WHITFIELD: All right. Jake Tapper is back tonight with an all new episode of "UNITED STATES OF SCANDAL".

Jake, what will you be reporting on this week?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Thanks for having me.

So this week's episode takes a look at the Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas in 1991, which sparked national debate when one of his former employees, law professor Anita Hill, accused him of sexual harassment, which was a kind of new concept being discussed in 1991.

What followed was a series of unprecedented hearings that left many Americans divided and unsure of what and who to believe.

I sat down with Anita Hill herself to discuss. Here's a little preview.