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Israeli Strike At Gaza's Nasser Hospital Kills Hamas Official And Aide; Some European Countries And Canada Issue Advisories For Travelers To The U.S.; Israelis Protest Outside Netanyahu's Residence In Jerusalem; U.S. And Russian Officials To Meet For Talks In Riyadh; Trump Officials Defend Use Of Wartime Law To Deport Migrants; Pope Francis Released from Hospital after Five-Week Stay; Liberals Conservatives Vow Strong Response to Trump Threats; Second Lady Usha Vance To Visit Greenland This Week; Missing South Korean Family Last Seen At Site Of Major Crash; Three Charged With Murder After New Mexico Mass Shooting; South Korea Top Court Struck Down Acting President Han's Impeachment; Schumer Not Stepping Down Amid Calls For New Leadership; Patagonian Ice Dragon Threatened By Glacial Melt. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired March 24, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:23]
BEN HUNT, CNN HOST: Hello. Wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CN Newsroom. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me. Coming up on the show, Israel strikes Gaza's largest functioning hospital, adding to a death toll Palestinian officials say exceeds 50,000.
The U.S. is set to meet with Russia to discuss a possible ceasefire after a weekend of Russian airstrikes across Ukraine and countries around the world are issuing advisories for those looking to travel to the US. We'll speak with an immigration attorney about what you need to know if you plan on taking a trip.
A new Israeli airstrike hit Gaza's largest functioning hospital on Sunday night. Parts of Nasser Hospital went up in flames, leaving medical providers scrambling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GHAZI ASHOUR, HEAD NURSE, GAZA'S NASSER MEDICAL COMPLEX (through translator): They directly hit a missile towards the second floor of the emergency building. It was targeted at the men's surgical department. And as you can see, the department was completely destroyed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Israel claims a key Hamas figure who was operating inside the hospital was killed. But Hamas affiliated Al Aqsa TV reports that he had been receiving medical treatment there. We spoke to a doctor just hours before the strike. And he says Palestinian, European and American teams were working at the hospital before the strike among very difficult conditions. And as bodies were constantly being brought in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MARK PERLMUTTER, AMERICAN DOCTOR IN GAZA: So many shredded bodies, mostly of which were children, mostly women, the balance were almost all elderly and a few men, and even most of them were elderly, were ripped to shreds. There was exposed bone, organs hanging out, brain hanging out, and a lot of death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: That was Dr. Mark Perlmutter speaking to me yesterday. He sent this video you're going to see now after the strike showing the destruction and chaos amid the smoke and the rubble.
In the meantime, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says the total death toll of the conflict has surpassed yet another staggering number. CNN Sebastian Shukla has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN FIELD PRODUCER: A grim milestone in Israel's war with Hamas came today as the Palestinian Health ministry announced that 50,000 Palestinians had died since Israel launched its Gaza offensive in the wake of the October 7 attacks.
The numbers announced by the Hamas run ministry mark a grave moment in the conflict as tensions are growing once again after Israel upended the cease fire in Gaza by restarting offensive operations in the Strip. And Israel and Lebanon traded blows, ending what was an equally uneasy treat between the two neighbors in response to the Hamas run ministry's arithmetic, the IDF told CNN the Hamas controlled ministry's figures are replete with inconsistencies and false determinations, adding that the ministry tends to record deaths unrelated to the conflict, such as natural causes, before saying the IDF operates according to international law.
Despite those numbers, the IDF has continued and ramped up operations in the Gaza Strip overnight as member of Hamas's political bureau Salah al-Bardawil was killed alongside his wife in a tent in Khan Younis. The IDF today has also been conducting operations in the district of Rafah, the IDF saying that they have destroyed what they call terror infrastructure. And according to the Palestinian Authority, the IDF have been displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in makeshift tents.
Renewed actions inside Gaza calm as Israel ratchets up pressure on Hamas to return the remaining Israeli hostages, both dead and alive still held there since October 7th and blaming the group for refusing to agree revised terms on the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
Hamas, though for their part say they are still fully engaged with the mediators and are deliberating on a proposal delivered by Donald Trump's Middle East peace envoy, Steve Witkoff. Sebastian Shukla, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan to expand settlements in the West Bank. Israel's right-wing finance minister confirmed that 13 areas in the west bank will be split from existing settlements and will be recognized as independent.
[01:05:05]
This comes as Israeli far-right ministers pushed for Israeli sovereignty over the west bank in defiance of international law and the U.N. Security Council resolutions. The Israeli Security Cabinet also approved a proposal for what it calls, quote, a voluntary transfer for Gaza residents who express interest in moving to third countries. Human rights watchdogs denounced that Trump backed plan, saying it's simply a way to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza.
You're seeing some minor clashes between protesters and Israeli police in front of Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister's Jerusalem residence on Sunday. Large crowds participated in the demonstration after Netanyahu's cabinet approved a no confidence motion against the Attorney General, a move that critics say is hostile to the government and undermines key state institutions.
Just earlier in the week, police deployed a water cannon against anti- government protesters near Netanyahu's residence. Brett McGurk was the lead negotiator in the Israel-Hamas hostage deal and he talked to CNN about what it would take to get a ceasefire back in place.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: And there's one formula, it's actually pretty simple to get the ceasefire back in place. There's a formula on the table where Hamas can agree to release a number of hostages. There's 25 living hostages still in Gaza. They can release a set number and you'll have another 40 to 50 days of a ceasefire to negotiate the ultimate arrangements to end the war.
I know a lot about this agreement that's in place to get to phase two, which they're talking about right now. The agreement says you have to agree on the conditions for phase two. The conditions for phase two mean Hamas ultimately has to relinquish its power and authority over Gaza. I know that's hard.
You know, Fatah, the legitimate Palestinian ruling authority in the West Bank, stated just yesterday, really for the first time, that Hamas must relinquish its authority over Gaza for the sake of Gazans and to get a ceasefire in place that is critical. There are talks ongoing behind the scenes here.
What Israel is doing is targeting very deliberately the leaders of Hamas that are purporting to be part of the politburo that would control Gaza once the war is over. Hamas will not be in charge of Gaza once the war is over. That is impossible. Israel is making that clear. But the path here back to the ceasefire is a hostage release. It's really as simple as that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Another round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine is scheduled in the hours ahead as delegates from the U.S. and Russia sit down in Riyadh. Teams are trying to sort out the details of a proposed limited ceasefire. The Kremlin says Monday's discussions will mainly focus on reviving the Black Sea grain initiative.
This will come one day after the U.S. team met with Ukrainian officials in what the country's defense minister described as productive talks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who visited with troops on the front lines over the weekend, says the Russian president must be pushed to the end and end the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Without pressure on Russia, those in Moscow will continue to show contempt for real diplomacy and keep destroying lives. Our team is working in a fully constructive manner and the discussion is quite useful. The work of delegations continues.
But no matter what we're discussing with our partners right now, Putin must be pushed to issue a real order to stop the strikes because the one who brought this war must be the one to take it back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: CNN's Kevin Liptak has more from Washington.
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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: American officials on Sunday continue to put a positive spin on their attempts to negotiate a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine as technical teams from the United States met in Saudi Arabia with their Ukrainian counterparts. Those talks ending late Sunday.
They will continue on Monday as the U.S. team meets with Russian negotiators to try and work out some of the modalities of this cease fire that President Trump is trying to put into effect, including this pause on attacks on energy infrastructure that President Trump and President Putin agreed to in their telephone call last week.
It remains to be seen exactly when that will go into effect and who would enforce it. And that will be a key point of discussion between all three of these teams as they continue their talks in Riyadh.
We also heard on Sunday from the American national security adviser, Mike Waltz, as well as President Trump's foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, that they wanted to discuss the issue of a ceasefire in the Black Sea to enable ships to continue shipments of grain and fuel to restart trade in that area.
[01:10:00] That is another component of this ceasefire that President Trump wants to see take effect. All of this is building to a larger pause in the fighting, in President Trump's view, potentially a 30-day pause that would allow for more negotiations to reach a more durable, lasting peace in Ukraine.
What we have heard so far is the Ukrainians sign off on that type of 30-day ceasefire without any conditions. But President Putin still has a number of conditions before he agrees to end the fighting, including maintaining Russian control over territories in Ukraine that he has seized since the start of invasion and including a provision that Ukraine never be allowed to join NATO. These are Putin's maximalist positions that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says are non- starters as he works towards ending this conflict.
So it still remains to be seen how a number of those items will be resolved and certainly not all of them will be resolved in these technical talks that are unfolding in Saudi Arabia. But what is clear is that President Trump very much wants this conflict to end. He just said in an interview over the weekend with a podcast host on Air Force One that he continues to believe he is the only person in who could resolve this conflict. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Sunday marked the fifth night of protests across Turkey following the arrest and jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Erdogan's most serious political rival. Police combated protesters in the capital, Istanbul, with pepper spray.
State media reports that Imamoglu and some 100 others associated with him have now been accused of belonging to a criminal group, along with a litany of other charges filed by the Istanbul prosecutor's office. Supporters of the popular mayor, chief among them the leader of his own party, claim the charges are politically motivated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OZGUR OZEL, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (through translator): By keeping Ekrem Imamoglu in prison for four days, sending him to court while Turkey was going to the polls for him, and sending him to civilry prisoners while Turkey was electing him. President Tayyip Erdogan defied not only Ekrem Imamoglu but millions and attempted to stage a coup.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Thousands gathered in Istanbul on Sunday night at a rally held by Imamoglu's Party, Turkey's main opposition bloc. The mayor has denied all the charges against him and vowed he will not bow down.
Still ahead, attorneys with the Trump administration will be back in court on Monday amid a growing legal battle over the Alien Enemies Act. Plus, as tourists are detained and deported from the U.S., European nations are issuing warnings to people visiting America. More on the increased travel restrictions just after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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HUNTE: The Trump administration is pushing back against criticism over its aggressive immigration agenda. U.S. border czar Tom Homan is defending their use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members after the wartime law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge. Here's what Homan had to say on Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you mean when you say I don't care what judges think?
TOM HOMAN, U.S. BORDER CZAR: I don't care what judges think. As far as this case, we're going to continue to arrest public safety threats and national security threats. We're going to continue to deport them from the United States. I understand this case is in litigation through the Alien Enemies Act and will abide by the court order as litigated.
But my quote was, despite what he thinks, we're going to keep targeting the worst of the worst, which we've been doing since day one, and deporting from the United States through the various laws on the books. We're not making this up. The Alien Enemies Act was actually a federal law. It's a statute enacted by Congress and signed by a president. Now, that's under litigation, but put that aside.
We still have Title 8 authority to remove illegal aliens from the United States, and we're going to continue to concentrate on those who are the biggest threat to our communities, the public safety threats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments from the Trump administration in this case on Monday. Officials have not revealed the identities of the deported migrants or the evidence against them. Their families argue the administration is violating their civil liberties.
The IRS is closing in on a deal to share migrant data with the Department of Homeland Security in what could be a major shift at the agency. That's according to a person familiar with the matter. The unprecedented agreement would allow the use of tax information to confirm names and addresses of people suspected of being in the U.S. Illegally.
ICE officials would submit those names to the IRS, which the agency would then cross reference and confirm. But privacy experts warn the move could violate strict disclosure laws.
Travelers are becoming increasingly concerned as nations around the world begin to issue advisories tourists visiting the US. In the U.K., people are being warned they could be arrested if they fail to comply with U.S. entry regulations. Germany recently issued a warning as well, after several German tourists were detained and later deported from the states.
They say despite visas and entry waivers, Germans are no longer guaranteed entry into America.
[01:20:03]
Meanwhile, Denmark and Finland are cautioning tourists who identify as transgender. Denmark has advised that those who do should reach out to the U.S. embassy before visiting. Although tourists aren't directly advised against visiting America, the warnings outline a growing wariness between Europe and the US.
Let's dig deeper with Anastasia Tonello. She is an immigration attorney with UB Greensfelder, thank you so much for joining me. How are you doing?
ANASTASIA TONELLO, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY, UB GREENSFELDER: Pleasure. Thank you. Thanks, Ben.
HUNTE: You're so welcome. Over the past few weeks, we've seen travelers from the U.K., Canada and Germany be detained at the border. I'm wondering, how surprised were you by these reports coming out?
TONELLO: I mean, I am surprised in that, you know, people have problems all the time pre this administration. It is a lot of people don't know traveling on for business that a lot of the discretion that the Customs and Border Protection officers will have on entry, so we don't hear about it. A lot of these just happen. People go back, they get pieces, they deal with their issues.
So what was most alarming this week was this kind of, this number of cases that were reported. So I don't know if we have data that would show that they've increased or maybe people are just more vocal and it's coming to more attention.
HUNTE: That's real. And if you are detained, what actually happens next? What's the process?
TONELLO: Well, what typically will happen for most travelers who coming to the U.S. to visit they would encounter customs border protection and potentially have some further questions. So they would be taken to secondary inspection where they can wait 15 minutes, you know, several hours. And for most situations, that's where it ends. They are admitted. Whatever was the issue is, has been cleared up.
But many times then it may require a period of detainment and then a return to their home country. Typically, the delay is usually just dealing with the flights to try to get the passenger back to their place of origin.
HUNTE: Interesting. And I wonder what authority immigration officers actually have in checking personal devices, because we have heard reports that some people's devices are being checked when they're trying to enter the U.S. What rights do those travelers have when it comes to those devices? Do I need to just unlock my phone and just give it to them? TONELLO: More or less, yes, they do have a lot of discretion because
entry to the U.S. would be the benefit they're seeking. So as part of that, the Customs and Border Protection officer who has a suspicion, a reason to believe that there may be something incriminating, we've been assured many times the immigration law community has very good liaison with Customs and Border Protection, and we've been assured that they do limit searching to very specific law enforcement purposes.
But there's a lot of leeway as far as, yes, if they're -- if they want to search your device and you want entry to the U.S. then it's likely that's going to happen.
HUNTE: And people are concerned about that because even within my friendship circle, people have reached out to me. They're like, you OK? Like, is, I think, going to be good if we come to America? Like, what's actually happening with this? And some countries have actually issued advisories about travel to the U.S. now. So what do people need to be aware of?
TONELLO: So I think the main takeaway that I'm trying to share with my clients, with people, my friends who are asking is to, for those in the US do you need to travel? Do you need to travel at all? It's important enough. And then if they're coming to the U.S. to realize that they're seeking a discretionary benefit. They're seeking. And true to the U.S. And Customs and Border Protection officers will have a lot of discretion on what they can ask you and what you can and can't do while you're in the US.
And I think that people just take it for granted. You know, I get on a plane, I go through. You know, it's no big deal, but it's a. It's a priority for this administration.
So it's really not the time to be, you know, trying to cut corners, trying to get away with something. It's just the question is, you know, if you're here, do you leave? And then if you're coming, you know, what are you doing and is it appropriate and do you have the right visa to do it?
HUNTE: And I'm going to ask you the big question at a moment. Do you think these changes will push people who can legally visit the U.S. to just go elsewhere instead?
TONELLO: I think, I mean, as I say, clients who are here are thinking they don't want to travel to deal with coming back. And these are people with green cards, people with work visas. So I wouldn't be surprised if someone's like, I don't want to risk it.
[01:25:03]
The stories are really freaking people out. They're really, they're scared. They're seeing people like them have problems that they don't want to have.
HUNTE: Well, this is just the beginning. So I'm sure we're going to be speaking again very soon. For now, Anastasia Tonello, thank you for joining me.
TONELLO: Thanks for having me.
HUNTE: Students at Georgetown University are calling for change after a professor was detained by ICE. Protesters gathered on campus on Sunday demanding the release of Badar Khan Suri, accused by U.S. officials of being a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda.
But his attorney argues that Khan Suri is being targeted because his wife is a Palestinian American. Some Georgetown students and faculty now want the university to become a sanctuary campus, banning ICE agents and police from entering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANA, STAFF MEMBER, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: I think there is definitely a general sense of unease. Having someone from our own community taken is something I think our entire community is still processing. There is fear. We are seeing escalations in ICE actions around the country to have it hit so close to home is definitely putting us in a difficult position on whether we actually have the freedom of speech or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Still to come, Pope Francis, discharged from hospital after more than a month fighting double pneumonia, will tell you his next steps in recovery.
Plus, Canadians will elect a new government next month as they stare down Donald Trump's threats to their country's sovereignty. Just ahead, how the candidates are promising to fight.
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[01:31:56]
BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.
Catholics in and around Vatican City are set to gather in the coming hours for prayers concerning the Pope's health. It's expected he'll cut back on official duties as he continues recovery after being discharged from more than a month in a Rome hospital.
CNN's Christopher Lamb has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pope Francis now embarks on a period of recovery following this long hospitalization with pneumonia. The doctors say that he needs at least two months of convalescence, and that will take place at the Casa Santa Marta, his home in the Vatican.
The doctors saying he should not have meetings with large groups of people. However, a meeting with King Charles is due to take place on the 8th of April, provided the Pope's health holds up.
Now, when the Pope came onto the balcony to greet people at the Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, he seemed happy to be finally discharged from hospital.
He saw a lady in the crowd with yellow flowers, and he addressed her with a few words. She had been coming up to the Gemelli Hospital on a daily basis to pray for the Pope's recovery like so many others in Rome and across the world who've been praying for the Pope to recover, to come through what has been a really difficult health crisis, the longest hospitalization of his pontificate.
Now, it's not clear how the Pope will govern the church in this new phase of convalescence and recovery. But people in the Vatican are talking about a new moment for the papacy, where the Pope will have to slow down. He'll have to do less.
Of course, before his hospitalization, he was operating at a frenetic pace with a large number of meetings and audiences. He's clearly going to have to stop a lot of those.
The Catholic Church is in the middle of a Jubilee Year, which is a major event with lots of meetings with the Pope. Those are going to have to be suspended while the Pope recovers.
Of course, Easter is also coming up soon, so there's a lot of uncertainty about how the Pope will operate at this time.
But clearly a new moment for the Francis papacy is opening up as he recovers from this really serious health crisis and starts to chart a new course in his pontificate.
Christopher Lamb, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Canada's new prime minister has announced a snap federal election is set for April 28th -- a very short turnaround. This all comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney says the country faces, quote, "the most significant crisis of our lifetimes", forged by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and promises to turn Canada into the 51st U.S. State.
[01:34:45]
HUNTE: Mr. Carney will face off against his main rival, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre. They are both promising that their party will put up a strong fight against Donald Trump's existential threats.
Second lady Usha Vance is preparing to travel to Greenland this week as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to express interest in annexing the arctic island.
The White House is describing the trip as a cultural visit and says a U.S. delegation will be joining her to attend Greenland's National Dog Sled Race and visit heritage sites.
A source says national security adviser Mike Waltz is also expected to visit Greenland this week.
A South Korean family visiting the United States has been missing for over a week after a vacation to the Grand Canyon. Officials say they were last known to be on a highway where a deadly crash occurred during a winter storm involving 22 vehicles.
Julia Vargas Jones has more on the search for the family of three.
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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Investigators are still combing through the wreckage, a scene they say is intricate and time consuming to process.
But just last night, we heard from authorities that in the early afternoon of Saturday, highway patrol investigators discovered additional remains that they believe may be human. Those are now with the county medical examiner.
The Coconino County Sheriff's Office has released a flier asking for the public's help. They identified 33-year-old Jiyeon Lee, 59-year-old Taehee Kim and 54-year-old Junghee Kim as last seen on March 13th traveling westbound on Interstate 40 in Arizona.
The last signal from their GPS was at 3:27 p.m., the same time and place as the deadly pileup just outside Williams, Arizona. That collision involved 22 vehicles, and some were engulfed in flames and burned at extreme temperatures, resulting in extensive destruction.
At least two people were killed and 16 others were taken to hospital. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, some passenger cars were rear ended and pushed underneath tractor trailers.
Teams are still meticulously examining evidence from the crash site to identify possible remains. That crash happened on a stretch of I-40 that covered -- was covered in snow and ice about 30 miles west of Flagstaff and 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon National Park entrance.
Meanwhile, the consulate general of South Korea here in Los Angeles, is working closely with Arizona authorities and anyone who has seen or heard from the family since the 13th is urged to contact the Coconino County Sheriff's Office.
Julia Vargas Jones, CNN -- Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Three people have been arrested following a mass shooting in New Mexico. The incident left three teenagers dead and 15 others injured on Friday. Crowds fled what's being called an unsanctioned car show at a local park when an altercation between two groups resulted in gunfire.
20-year-old Tomas Rivas and two 17-year-old boys have each been charged with three counts of murder. Additional charges are still pending, according to police.
The community there is grieving. The tragedy is America's 53rd mass shooting in 2025.
South Korea's top court has struck down the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and has restored his powers as acting president. Han was impeached by opposition party lawmakers in December after serving as acting president for 13 days. Remember that?
Judges on Monday ruled that there were not sufficient grounds for his impeachment. Han became acting president to replace then-President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was suspended for declaring martial law. The court is now deciding whether to uphold or reject Yoon's impeachment.
Han says it's time for South Korea's political chaos to end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAN DUCK-SOO, SOUTH KOREAN ACTING PRESIDENT (through translator): I believe that all our citizens are now firmly raising their voices, saying that we should not be deeply divided by our fiercely opposing political factions.
I think there is no longer a left or right. What is truly important, and our task now, is for our country to move forward and develop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Well, you know, I want to dig deep into all of this. So let's speak to CNN's Mike Valerio. He's with me now live from Seoul.
Valerio, thanks for being with me. Everything has changed once again. Can you believe? What is the latest?
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Benny, I can believe and stay with us, it's a complicated legal saga. And I can't blame you if, you know, you're just catching up with us here on a Monday afternoon in Seoul.
This all, Benny, to your point, has to do with South Korea's rather shocking declaration of martial law instituted by the now-suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol back on December 3rd. It happened because from his point of view, nothing was getting done in the legislature.
[01:39:44]
VALERIO: His agenda was meeting a dead end, so he perceived it as a national crisis. Sends in the military, those indelible images of troops going to the heart of South Korean democracy, to send a message to opposition lawmakers.
So in sum, Benny, the elected president and his prime minister, lawmakers vote to impeach both of them. And we fast forward to today, the highest court in South Korea decides
there's not enough evidence to sustain the prime minister's impeachment. There's not enough evidence to rule that the prime minister Han Duck-soo conspired with South Korea's president, Yoon Suk-yeol, to send in troops to plan this ahead of time.
So really, the larger question here, which is still unresolved, is when are we going to know what happens to South Korea's now-suspended president? Does he stay or go? Is he going to be kicked out of office, or is he going to be reinstated in office?
And we are hoping that the ruling would help us to decode what's going to happen in the next few days or weeks.
But a lot of this is still unclear. If anything, it was an interesting part of the ruling, there are justices who say that the prime minister violated the constitution by not appointing constitutional court justices right after martial law.
They said, all right, there are three vacancies to South Korea's top court. You didn't appoint justices. That was certainly a violation of the constitution. And now, you know, you should do that in the future.
There's one vacancy right now. So we're wondering if this newly- reinstated prime minister is going to appoint that justice. And if that could leave us waiting longer for a decision on what's going to happen to South Korea's president.
Long story. We're all waiting, Benny.
(CROSSTALKING)
HUNTE: We are waiting, indeed. Always give me what I need. Thank you, Valerio. I appreciate that.
This seems like just the start of big changes, so I'm sure we'll be speaking again very, very soon.
VALERIO: Yes.
HUNTE: Thank you.
Still to come, U.S. Democrats call for new blood willing to push back against President Donald Trump. But are their current top-ranked leaders strong enough to make the cut?
[01:42:01]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNTE: Welcome back.
Defiance from the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate amid mounting pressure from his own party to step aside. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is not mincing words on Sunday, defending his move to endorse the Republican funding bill on NBC. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: 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'd be a lot of controversy and there was.
But let me tell you and your audience why I did it, why I felt it was so important. The CR was certainly bad, you know, the continuing resolution. But a shutdown would be 15 or 20 times worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Schumer has faced a barrage of criticism from Democrats since then for seemingly bowing to the Republican-controlled Congress.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also responded to the matter, adding that Democrats had no leverage heading into the vote.
Meanwhile, some top Democrats are urging House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to take control of the party over summer. They want a forceful pushback against the Trump White House.
CNN's Manu Raju has more details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Democrats are struggling with their way forward. They're trying to figure out what their strategy is as they try to battle Donald Trump, as they hear all these voter concerns, their own voters saying that they are simply not doing enough to push back against Donald Trump.
Of course, this was exacerbated in the aftermath of their handling of the Republican spending bill to keep the government open. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader on the Senate side, ultimately agreed to let that GOP bill pass.
That prompted a week's -- days of back and forth and attacks directed towards Chuck Schumer from Democrats.
And now we are hearing that a lot of House Democrats want their leader of their caucus, Hakeem Jeffries, to take the reins back from Chuck Schumer and really lead the party's charge out of the minority, try to lay out a vision, what they consider a badly-needed vision for a party facing a crisis of confidence from not just voters showing on both sides of the aisle, showing concerns about the Democratic brand, concerns about the direction of the party but their own voters themselves.
Poll after poll showing that they believe the party is headed in the wrong direction. But Democrats want Jeffries to help bring them out of the morass.
One of the things that we are hearing, my colleague Sarah Ferris and I about the push by some Democratic members to actually lay out a policy vision, a blueprint for how they could retake the House next year, come up with a number of proposals that their party could all unite behind.
That could be a lot easier said than done. This is a party that is not on the same page about what they are actually -- what they actually agree on, on some matters, but also on how to push back against Donald Trump. Whether to fight him on everything, whether they should have gone down a government shutdown route that could have occurred by mid- March and could have landed, led for -- went on for some time.
[01:49:52]
RAJU: Or whether they should stand firm and let Donald Trump battle them on pretty much everything and try to shift the focus back towards Donald Trump.
These strategic decisions have been debated for the past several months. Democrats have been unable to come up with a single solution on how to push back against Donald Trump.
So that's going to be one of the urgent matters to discuss as they return to Washington this week. One of the big focuses for Democrats in this next phase of battling Donald Trump is how to push back against the Trump agenda.
There's a massive bill that Republicans are trying to put together on major tax overhaul, significant spending cuts, immigration policy, energy policy.
Republicans are trying to wrap this up into one massive bill. Democrats are trying to figure out their strategy to push back against this. They, of course, want to focus on the issue of cuts to entitlement programs like Medicaid cuts. Republicans say that's not going to be part of the equation. Democrats say it absolutely will be.
Watch that to be one area of unity for Democrats going forward. That is something that Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries discussed on a private call just days ago in the aftermath of their flap over the government funding fight.
But there will be other points of leverage that they got to figure out. There is going to be another battle to fund the federal government in the fall. That's months away. But something that will come up rather quickly.
And also how to raise the national debt limit. Republicans are trying to do it on their own through their own process. But Democrats may be forced to be called on to help lift the national debt limit.
How do they use their leverage in that case as well, to avoid a debt default, but also get what Donald Trump to heed to their demands? All key questions that Hakeem Jeffries is facing at this moment.
And one thing that we heard from our reporting is that Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, had a suggestion for Jeffries. She told him to, quote, "use your power". In other words, if Donald -- if Chuck Schumer is going a different
way, use your power, your leverage to try to be the one pushing ahead on the Democratic agenda, sharpening your message, sharpening your strategy. Don't play second fiddle to Senate Democrats.
Manu Raju, CNN -- Washington.
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HUNTE: Still ahead, this unique creature thrives in one of the harshest environments on earth. But now the ice dragon is being threatened. That story and so much more after the break.
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HUNTE: On Sunday, wildfires prompted mandatory evacuations in parts of North Carolina, an area still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. In neighboring South Carolina, the governor declared a state of emergency as crews battled the Table Rock Fire in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Forest Fire Service has been battling its own blaze in the Wharton State Forest. The fire broke out on Saturday and was at about 80 percent containment, according to a Sunday evening update. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Glaciers across the planet are melting faster than ever, reshaping our environment. That's also threatening the habitat of one unique creature that lives in the frozen world.
CNN's Tyler Mauldin looks at the danger facing the Patagonian ice dragon.
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TYLER MAULDIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The harsh environment of a glacier is too extreme for most wildlife, but it is home to this creature, Chile's Patagonian ice dragon.
[01:54:48]
MAULDIN: This tiny black insect lives its entire life cycle in freezing glaciers, surviving up to 40 meters deep. It acts as a natural filter for glaciers, feeding off algae and bacteria from the ice.
Now, the ice dragon is endangered because its habitat is quickly diminishing. Glaciers are melting faster than ever due to global warming.
According to a new United Nations World Water Development Report, the last three-year period saw the largest glacial mass loss on record. The loss totals 9,000 gigatons of ice since 1975.
Here's what that means. MICHAEL ZEMP, DIRECTOR, WORLD GLACIER MONITORING SERVICE: This is just
a huge number and hard to imagine. So again, if you take the example of Germany, it would be an ice block of the size of Germany with a thickness of 25 meters. That is the ice that we lost since 1975 from glaciers.
MAULDIN: Melting glaciers are not just harmful to these endangered insects. They pose wider risks to people everywhere.
STEFAN UHLENBROOK, WMO DIRECTOR, HYDROLOGY It's putting at risk the water supplies. Its putting at risk food security, energy, energy security, as well as ecosystem services that that water resources and other resources provide.
But we shouldn't also forget the social, the cultural as well as the spiritual values glaciers have.
MAULDIN: As glaciers continue to melt, researcher Maribet Gamboa hopes that the resilient ice dragon can serve as a natural barometer for glacier health.
MARIBET GAMBOA, RESEARCHER, UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE LA SANTISIMA CONCEPCION (through translator): The research attempts to understand the glacier a little bit and understand how the Patagonian dragon lives there, and how it can be a sentinel to detect changes in the glaciers because it only lives in extreme areas, like in the glaciers and here, especially in Patagonia.
MAULDIN: Tyler Mauldin, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Floodwaters in Spain washed away parts of a centuries old Roman bridge on Sunday. Heavy rains in central Spain caused a section of the bridge in Talavera de la Reina to collapse.
The ancient bridge is seen as a symbol of the region, and its collapse shocked residents, who have used the bridge for generations.
Ok, that's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team.
I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. It's been so real.
Let's do it all again in two weeks when I'm back from London, England.
CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church is up next.
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