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Ukrainian President Names Former P.M. as New Defense Chief; British Doctor Experienced How People in Gaza Suffers Malnutrition; Fire Erupts Main Stage of a Belgian Music Festival. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired July 17, 2025 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."
Centuries of grievance held off by a tentative ceasefire. We'll look at the conflict brewing in southern Syria.
And Ukraine is undergoing a major political shakeup as Russia ramps up its strikes on the country, we'll have a reaction from Moscow.
Plus, after weeks of badmouthing the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve, President Trump has found a new way to criticize Jerome Powell.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: We'll get to those stories in just a moment, but first we have breaking news coming into CNN from Capitol Hill.
The U.S. Senate has just voted to approve its version of the government efficiency or DOGE bill. The rescissions package would cancel $9 billion in federal funding that was already approved by Congress for foreign aid and public broadcasting programs. The package now returns to the House for final approval before going to President Trump for his signature.
The House has to pass it by the deadline this Friday, which is mandated by the budget rules that Republicans are using to move it through Congress without Democratic votes.
We're also following breaking news out of eastern Iraq, where about 50 people have died in a massive fire at a multi-story shopping mall. Now, that's according to local reports and a regional governor.
Video shows some people on the roof of the building as crews tried to put out the flames. It's not clear yet how the fire started. Three days of mourning have now been declared for the victims, and we'll bring you more on the story as new developments come in.
Well, it is 10 a.m. in southern Syria, where government forces and Druze militias have announced another ceasefire after days of deadly clashes. Video from late Wednesday shows Syrian military vehicles leaving the area.
Syria's new president says he wants an inclusive country where everyone's rights are protected, but he's taking aim at Israel, which he claims is trying to divide Syria.
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The Israeli military struck a number of targets in the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday in support of the Druze, an Arab minority group. Syrian authorities say at least three people were killed and dozens more injured. The U.S. is working to broker an agreement between Israel and the Syrian government to restore calm in the south.
Alright, Salma Abdelaziz is following developments live from London. So, Salma, walk us through the latest on this conflict and where that leaves the fragile state of this new Syrian government.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. So, the people of Suwayda today will be waking up, Kim, hoping that peace will hold after brutal clashes where we saw really terrible violence. Gun battles breaking out in the streets of the city, extrajudicial killings, according to monitoring groups, dozens of people killed, homes burned.
But yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States stepped in to negotiate an end to the violence. They did that, of course, because Israel was involved carrying out airstrikes both on Damascus and in Suwayda province.
Now, the Syrian government, as you mentioned, did say it pulled its troops out of the area last night in accordance with an agreement with Druze militias. Now, this new ceasefire agreement, according to the Syrian government, includes a complete halt of all military activity. It will also form a monitoring group, include members of the Druze community to monitor, again, any signs of violence.
And it will also include security forces that will be led on the ground by the Druze community. So an attempt there to give some autonomy, some control to that group over the security of Suwayda. But, of course, there are fears that this ceasefire will break down.
The President of Syria addressed the nation yesterday and said if peace is to be restored in the area, Israel has to stay out of it. Take a listen.
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AHMED AL-SHARAA, SYRIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The Israeli entity, known for its repeated attempts to destabilize us and sow division, once again seeks to turn our land into a battlefield of chaos and to dismantle the fabric of our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ABDELAZIZ: Now, I laid out the ceasefire for you there. I laid out for you what the President of Syria wants to see, which is that Israel would step out of their business, step out of the clashes that are taking place on the ground. But it's, of course, not that simple, Kim.
The Druze community, this minority group which has a stronghold in Suwayda, it's about a million people, a religious minority, they are not a monolith by any stretch of the imagination. And, of course, some members of the Druze community, including a very prominent spiritual leader, Hikmat al-Hijri, say that they may not abide by this ceasefire.
Hikmat al-Hijri in particular has been someone who has called for foreign intervention, including from Israel in the past. You have a divided community on the ground. Yes, an agreement in place, but will all the parties involved abide by that agreement?
This is a country, of course, that has been plagued by sectarian violence, that has been trying to recover after years and years of civil war.
And it was only last year that President Bashar al-Assad was ousted from the country. But Israel's involvement has happened from that very moment. Hundreds of airstrikes have been carried out since his ouster.
Israel had also seized territory in that region recently afterwards. It declared unilaterally a demilitarized zone in that area. So still, it remains a tinderbox, and Israel very much involved in it, Kim?
BRUNHUBER: Yes, so a very fragile situation, I appreciate that. Salma Abdelaziz in London.
Ukraine's cabinet is undergoing its largest shake-up since Russia's full-scale invasion more than three years ago, as the country grapples with increased attacks in recent days. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is widely expected to name former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to be Ukraine's next Defense Minister. Shmyhal thanked lawmakers for voting to boost defense spending by more than $9 million on Wednesday.
The vote and cabinet shake-up came after Russia launched 400 drones in a large-scale assault on several regions the night before, striking energy infrastructure in some areas. Separately, at least two people were killed and 27 wounded in a Russian strike on a shopping center in the eastern Donetsk region, according to the governor.
Now, the Kremlin says it's watching Western arms deliveries to Ukraine very closely, namely long-range missiles. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week he's not looking to provide long-range missiles to Kyiv after giving Russia a 50-day ultimatum to reach a ceasefire. But U.S. Patriot air defense systems and other weapons are on their way to Ukraine with the help of NATO allies.
More details now from CNN's Matthew Chance in Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what Russia's 50-day window in Ukraine looks like.
Overnight, hundreds of drones pounded towns and cities across the country. The biggest attacks of the entire war, say Ukrainian officials, despite President Trump's sanctions threat, the Kremlin is showing no sign of letting up.
Russia is not changing its strategy, the Ukrainian President posted on X, demanding more air defense systems, more interceptors and more determination.
Russian President Putin inspecting a metals factory in Magnitogorsk, nearly a thousand miles from Moscow, hasn't even commented yet on the U-turn in Washington. But his officials are brushing off concerns over sanctions and even European deliveries of U.S. weapons authorized by President Trump.
DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESPERSON (through translator): It's business. There were supplies before and no one stopped them. It's just a question of who pays, now some Europeans will pay for them.
CHANCE (voice-over): And Russia seems to believe it has the upper hand. Latest footage from the Russian Defense Ministry purports to show its forces, quote, "successfully advancing and improving tactical positions along the front lines in eastern Ukraine."
By the time President Trump's 50-day window for a peace deal has closed, the Kremlin may have significantly tightened its grip.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
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BRUNHUBER: All right, I want to bring in Michael Bociurkiw, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and founder of the global affairs newsletter, "World Briefing," available on Substack. He joins us live this hour from Odessa, Ukraine.
Good to see you again. Thanks so much for being here with us.
So Moscow has said it's seen deadlines before, whether it's 24 hours or, like now, 50 days. They seem to be kind of shrugging off Donald Trump's new change of approach.
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MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, SR. FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL, AND FOUNDER, "WORLD BRIEFING" ON SUBSTACK: Yes, Kim, not only shrugging off, but ridiculing him very, very harshly in the Russian media, which is, of course, a mouthpiece, as we all know, of the Kremlin, saying that he blows hot and cold and that he can't be really taken at face value.
So I think, you know, there was a lot of glee in Moscow, if we can put it that way, when this announcement was made. Ending 50-day window is a lot of time. As one security analyst put it, Kim, it's enough time for Russia to throw as many as 25,000 more drones, based on the current output, into Ukraine and further pummel Ukraine in cities and towns.
Just two days ago, not far from where I'm sitting, two very powerful ballistic missiles hit an outer region of the port. This is a world port that ships food all over the world. And yet we hear hardly a peep from European capitals on that one.
BRUNHUBER: So on that, you know, what you call the pummeling of Ukraine here with these frequent night attacks that we're seeing with these record numbers of drones, does this sort of represent a change of strategy by Moscow?
BOCIURKIW: Well, I think, you know, Mr. Putin never likes to be backed into a corner. In a way, he is. But I think he also sees this as an opportunity to do the max in terms of drones, in terms of ballistic missiles, but also in terms of gaining more territory on the front line.
And let's not forget, it was reported just before the announcement Mr. Trump made, is that Mr. Putin said he needed 60 days to finish the job in Ukraine. And that includes getting complete control of the four oblasts or provinces that he partially controls. So this, in a way, is a big gift to him to, as he kind of put it, finish the job.
BRUNHUBER: But this announcement by Trump, it's more than just a deadline, it also signals the resumption of sending arms to Ukraine. Will that make a material difference, do you think, to the war?
BOCIURKIW: Well, on the face of it, yes. But, you know, Ukraine basically has about half a dozen Patriot missile systems at the moment. Mr. Zelenskyy said he needs 25.
Reading news reports this morning, there's a lot of confusion in Europe right now where those Patriot missile systems will come from. And also, by the way, there's a lot of confusion on whether Europe is actually able to get past the finish line on the 18th package of sanctions.
But let me be clear, it isn't only Patriot missile batteries that Ukraine needs. It's, you know, protection against those hundreds and hundreds of drones coming every night. Patriot missiles don't do that, it needs a lot more muscle to be able to protect itself.
BRUNHUBER: President Zelenskyy, it looks like he's making some changes, expected to name a new defense minister. What do you make of this shake-up and the timing?
BOCIURKIW: Well, as I said in "World Briefing," one can't help but be a little bit cynical about this, because there's -- it's basically a shuffling of the chairs on the deck. Mr. Zelenskyy and his deputy, Mr. Yermak, are in a process -- a lot of analysts agree on this-of consolidating their power over the government.
And to -- you know, the former defense minister, who is seen as a bit of a potpourri guy, is going to be sent to Washington, reportedly, to be ambassador there. And I'll remind you that a few weeks -- a few months ago, another popular gentleman, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, was sent to London as ambassador.
So this all comes at a time when, you know, you're starting to see hairline cracks in support for Mr. Zelenskyy, including from the mayor of Kyiv, who has been quite strident in his criticism.
BRUNHUBER: I want to change gears here, because today marks the 11th anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. Just to remind viewers, all 298 people on board were killed when the plane was shot down by a Russian-made missile. The day's being marked today by many around the world.
Where do things stand in terms of the effort to get some sense of closure?
BOCIURKIW: Yes, it's a very sad day. And by the way, among that 298 civilians killed were 80 children.
Kim, I was in touch with many of the families overnight. As you know, I was there on the ground with the OSCE monitoring mission when -- a few hours after the plane came down. And what they told me is that what they want to see is real justice.
They said they want to see an end to the war, there's been too much killing. But they also said that it doesn't get any easier 11 years later. They're happy that judgments have been made against Russia and the European Court of Human Rights recently and the ICAO Council.
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But here's a direct quote from a mom in the Netherlands who lost her son. She said, we still don't know the full truth about what happened, who fired the Buk missile that brought down that airplane, and why they did it.
But again, they all tell me it doesn't get any easier. They'd like to see justice. There's only been three men charged by The Hague, and they're on Russian territory, not expected ever to spend a day in prison. So such a sad story.
One more quick thing. This is the biggest -- one of the biggest mass murders in the skies in our generation. I think everyone should take a moment to remember those poor souls who died on that day.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, it's such a sad day for so many families who are unlikely to see justice, unfortunately. We'll leave it there, I really appreciate getting your take on all of this. Michael Bociurkiw, thank you so much.
BOCIURKIW: Thank you for having me.
BRUNHUBER: Well still ahead, the U.S. President and the Fed chief have long been at odds over interest rates, which isn't ground for termination, but Donald Trump may be looking for another way to fire Jerome Powell. We'll have those stories and more coming up. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: On Wednesday, the U.S. President said that he would love for the Federal Reserve chairman to resign, but declined to reveal whether he would remove him. Donald Trump acknowledged such action could disrupt the markets while hinting that Jerome Powell could still be fired for fraud. President Trump has long railed against him for refusing to cut interest rates.
We get more now from CNN's Brian Todd.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sitting on a coveted property alongside Washington's National Mall, two stately marble- facaded buildings now ringed by construction fencing, covered in scaffolds, so-called blue-skin waterproof coverings on the windows.
The two buildings, headquarters of the Federal Reserve and their costly renovation, are President Trump's latest weapon in his war against Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I mean, it's possible there's fraud involved with the 2.5, $2.7 billion renovation. This is a renovation.
TODD (voice-over): The President indicating today that while it's unlikely he'll fire Powell, it could still happen if fraud is involved in the $2.5 billion renovation, a project that's been hammered on by the president and his allies for weeks.
TRUMP: The one thing I didn't see him as a guy that needed a palace to live in. I think when you spend $2.5 billion on, really, a renovation, I think it's pretty disgraceful.
TODD (voice-over): Of course, Powell doesn't live in the building, but that hasn't stopped Trump from tying him to the renovation, the cost of which has shot up in recent years, from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion. The Fed says the buildings had to be upgraded because their electrical grids, plumbing, HVAC and fire detection systems were antiquated. The buildings were constructed almost 100 years ago.
There have been claims that the renovation would include expenditures for lavish items like rooftop gardens, water features and VIP elevators.
SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): It sends the wrong message to spend public money on luxury upgrades that feel more like they belong in the Palace of Versailles than a public institution.
TODD (voice-over): But Powell and the Fed say those were either not in the plans or were scaled back. JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: Some of those are just
flatly misleading. The idea of elevators, you know, it's the same elevator that's been there since the building was built. So that's a mischaracterization, and some of those are no longer in the plans.
TODD (voice-over): The Fed says the cost overruns are really due to things like the cost of removing more asbestos than anticipated, soil contamination and inflation.
DAVID WESSEL, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: I think the building is just a sideshow. It's an excuse to make life miserable for Jay Powell because President Trump, who, of course, appointed him, doesn't like what he's doing.
TODD (voice-over): What Powell is doing is not moving aggressively enough for Trump's liking to lower interest rates.
TRUMP: He's a knucklehead. He should have cut interest rates a long time ago.
TODD (voice-over): Powell's resisted rate cuts out of concerns that Trump's tariffs could spark more inflation. But Trump and his allies continue their relentless pressure on Powell. Trump's budget director Russell Vought sending a recent letter to Powell saying the President was extremely troubled by his management of the Fed, including his, quote, ostentatious overhaul of the headquarters.
TODD: Now, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN, Jerome Powell has asked the Fed's inspector general to conduct an additional review of this renovation. Powell has only 10 months left in his term unless Trump can find cause to remove him sooner. Analyst David Wessel says he doesn't think the controversy over this project would stand up in court as a credible cause for removing Powell.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. President's so-called reciprocal tariffs are poised to take effect on August 1st. He says that's when revenue collections will immediately increase.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump said tariffs haven't really kicked in that much. The Treasury Department says it has collected 126 billion dollars in import taxes so far this year.
Meanwhile, new data shows that despite tariffs, U.S. wholesale inflation was fairly muted last month. The Producer Price Index presented what appears to be a better than expected outcome amid the global trade uncertainty. This comes a day after the consumer price index pushed the annual inflation rate to 2.7 percent in June, a four month high.
Grief and mourning in Gaza after nearly two dozen people are killed at an aid distribution site run by a controversial Israeli and U.S.- backed organization. Plus, British doctor working to save lives in Gaza tells CNN how hunger is affecting his youngest patients. Well, that story and much more straight ahead. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check today's top stories.
The U.S. President has refused to rule out firing the Federal Reserve chairman, but acknowledged that doing so could disrupt the stock market. Donald Trump said he would love it if Jerome Powell resigns and suggested he could be removed for fraud.
Ukraine's cabinet is undergoing its largest shake-up since Russia's full-scale invasion began. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is widely expected to name former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to be Ukraine's next defense minister. This comes after Russia launched yet another large-scale drone assault on several regions.
A Syrian rights group says at least 169 people have been killed in violent clashes in the south. Government forces are pulling out of the area, which is home to a large Druze population. Israel has stepped in to support the ethnic Arab sect, with airstrikes on government targets in Damascus.
At least 20 people in Gaza were killed in a crowd-crush, an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Now, we just have to warn you, some of the images you're about to see are disturbing.
This is the first time the controversial Israeli and U.S.-backed organization has acknowledged deaths at one of its sites. The GHF says 19 people were trampled and one person was stabbed in a surge driven by what they say are agitators in the crowd.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said 21 people were killed, 15 of whom died from suffocation after tear gas was fired, and six others were shot by Israeli forces. The Israeli military referred CNN to GHF's statement on the incident.
CNN correspondent Nada Bashir joins me now live from London. So, Nada, yet another catastrophe on top of the larger tragedy going on in Gaza.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And we are continuing to see these sorts of tragedies, Kim, around these GHF sites where many Palestinians are desperately waiting to secure what little aid is being made available through this organization, which is, of course, backed by both the United States and Israel. And we are seeing that desperation mounting as there continues to be that dire need for food, for medical supplies, for other humanitarian items so desperately needed by families that have obviously suffered after weeks-long blockade imposed by Israel. Now, of course, we're seeing that trickle of aid coming in. And, of course, on top of all of this, we are still seeing the health care infrastructure in Gaza really crippling and crumbling under the pressure of this humanitarian crisis.
We've been able to follow one British doctor who has travelled into Gaza multiple times to get a first-hand insight into the desperate situation within Gaza's hospitals. Take a look.
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NICK MAYNARD, SURGEON, MEDICAL AID FOR PALESTINIANS: I am just over halfway through my four weeks now in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. This is my third trip out here since October the 7th to Gaza, and it is much worse than previous visits.
BASHIR (voice-over): Dr. Nick Maynard has been travelling in and out of Gaza for around 15 years. He's been recording diary entries exclusively for CNN. Together with our own footage from inside the hospital, we have pieced together a first-hand look at the humanitarian crisis unfolding inside Gaza's hospitals.
MAYNARD: There was a massive aerial bombardment just to the east of Khan Younis. The whole operating theater was shaking.
BASHIR (voice-over): Doctors here are not just treating wounds from bombs and bullets. They are fighting to keep their weakest patients alive as hunger spreads.
MAYNARD (translated): Does it hurt? Where does it hurt?
He's very sleepy, isn't he?
BASHIR (voice-over): A blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip has thrown the enclave's two million people into the midst of a catastrophic hunger crisis. As a result, doctors warn Gaza's most vulnerable, including children, are starving to death.
MAYNARD: It made me cry seeing them, my tears in my eyes. Literally, the expression skin and bones doesn't do it justice. They had no muscle mass at all, every single rib visible.
BASHIR (voice-over): What we are about to show you is distressing.
Baby Zainab is just five months old. Her sunken cheeks and wrinkled skin, a painful indicator of just how malnourished she is.
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Her helpless cries, almost too weak to hear.
MAYNARD: What is her weight? BASHIR (voice-over): Zainab is just one of so many babies now at risk
of death in Gaza.
MAYNARD: There have been four newborn babies in the last couple of weeks who died as a direct result of malnutrition. Their mothers were too malnourished to produce milk. There are inadequate amounts of formula feed, healthcare workers who tried to bring in formula feed have had it specifically confiscated by the Israeli border guards.
BASHIR (voice-over): In response to CNN, the Israeli government said it is working to allow and facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip and is actively assisting these efforts, including the entry of food.
But almost all the aid coming through is being disputed by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is backed by both the U.S. and Israel. It's at these sites that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed as they desperately attempt to secure what little aid is being made available.
Many of them suffering from injuries that Dr. Nick Maynard says indicate a pattern.
MAYNARD: One day they come in with gunshot wounds to the head. Another day they come in with gunshot wounds to the neck. The other day we had four children admitted, all of whom had been shot in the genitals.
BASHIR (voice-over): CNN has reached out to the Israeli military, but has not yet received a response.
MAYNARD: All the families of these victims, they all tell exactly the same story, that there's Israeli soldiers shooting them and the quadcopters shooting them.
BASHIR (voice-over): But after more than 21 months of constant bombardment, and with at least 1400 medical workers killed during that time, according to the group Medical Aid for Palestinians, fatigue and the fear of being targeted pervades.
MAYNARD: Some colleagues have lost 20 or 30 kilograms in weight, so they are exhausted mentally, they're exhausted physically, they're hungry all the time, but they cope.
BASHIR (voice-over): And while doctors here work around the clock to save their patients from both bombs and bullets, their patients, they say, are often then lost to hunger.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASHIR: And Kim, as this situation grows more desperate, we are also seeing those growing calls from world leaders, from members of the international community, for a ceasefire deal to be secured between Israel and Hamas, to bring an end to the war and, of course, to return hostages held captive in Gaza.
Still, we've been hearing from sources both from the Israeli side and from mediators, including an Egyptian official telling CNN that one of the key sticking points still on the table around a possible ceasefire deal is questions around where Israeli troops would be redeployed when a ceasefire takes effect. And we have heard from a regional security source who has told CNN that it appears that there has been some progress on that front, so potentially a positive indication around whether we may see a ceasefire deal struck soon.
But, again, no concrete movement, and the situation in Gaza is only growing more desperate. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: All right, and thanks for bringing us that important story of that doctor's perspective. Nada Bashir in London. Thanks so much.
President Trump says Israel is expected to provide more details later today on the killing of an American in the West Bank. The family of 20-year-old Saif Musallet says he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers. CNN's Jennifer Hansler has our report.
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JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: President Trump on Wednesday indicated the administration could soon be learning more information from Israeli authorities about the killing of 20-year-old Saif Musallet.
Musallet, who's from Tampa, Florida, was visiting family in the West Bank when he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers last week, according to his family and eyewitnesses. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has called for an aggressive investigation into his killing, which he called a terrorist act. However, for the time being, the administration has resisted calls from the families for a U.S.-led investigation into his murder.
Instead, U.S. officials have pointed to the Israeli authorities for what they say are the need for concrete answers into his killing. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to this on Wednesday in the Oval Office.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Ambassador Huckabee has asked the Israelis to conduct an investigation. We want to get all the information about who was involved. We protect all American citizens anywhere in the world, especially if they're unjustly murdered or killed.
So we're gathering more information, but I hope you saw yesterday Ambassador Huckabee in Israel asked the Israeli authorities to produce an investigation and concrete information about who was responsible for his murder.
[03:40:08]
HANSLER: Now questions remain about the pressure from the administration on the Israeli authorities to hold those responsible for his killing accountable. The administration has taken a softer approach to the West Bank settlements and the expansion there. They also revoked a number of sanctions that were put in place by the Biden administration on Israeli settlers accused of violence there.
Jennifer Hansler, CNN, the State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Turkey's main opposition leader has been sentenced to one year and eight months in prison. Ekrem Imamoglu was accused of insulting and threatening a public official, that's after he slammed the city's chief prosecutor for allegedly targeting the opposition with politically motivated investigations.
Imamoglu was jailed in March, which set off Turkey's biggest protests in more than a decade. He denies the charges and is expected to appeal. The mayor is still a candidate in Turkey's next presidential race, many considered the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who's been in power for more than two decades.
South Korea's President has ordered a new investigation into the deadly crowd crush that killed nearly 160 people over the Halloween weekend back in 2022. That's according to Reuters. Lee Jae-myung wants fresh eyes on the case and is appointing a new team of police and prosecutors.
The tragedy happened in a popular nightlife district of Seoul and sent shockwaves throughout the country and far beyond. Most of the victims were young people. President Lee's decision to launch a new investigation came after meeting with their families.
Still to come, President Trump is upset with some Republicans for buying into Epstein conspiracy theories. We'll have more on the demand for details of the case files just ahead. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Sources tell CNN U.S. federal prosecutor Maureen Comey has been fired from the New York Southern District Court. Comey was a prosecutor in the case against Jeffrey Epstein and is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. The reason for her firing isn't known so far, but it's the latest link to the Epstein investigation currently consuming Washington.
Several lawmakers, including some of Trump's most ardent supporters, are calling for more transparency on the matter. President Trump called them weaklings falling prey to Democratic B.S. He says he wouldn't be opposed to more documents being released to clear up the confusion.
Now echoing those comments is House Speaker Mike Johnson, also calling for all credible information to be released. He's just one of several Republicans who don't think the subject is ready to be dropped. CNN's Manu Raju has more details on the growing rift between Republican lawmakers. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now there is this divide within the GOP about whether or not to move ahead on this Jeffrey Epstein matter. Some of them want an investigation, some of them calling for some key witnesses to come before the House or Senate Judiciary Committee or at least to try to press the Justice Department to release more information.
But then there are some Republicans in positions of power that don't have an interest in pressing ahead and are okay with the way the Justice Department has handled this so far. But one of those senators, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, indicated to me that the Judiciary Committee on which he sits should be pressing for answers on this matter.
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): I think it's maybe a little difficult to believe the idea that DOJ and the FBI, who prosecute cases related to this, don't have any idea who Epstein's clients were and that he had no record of it, of the clients. I don't know, I find that kind of hard to believe. I mean, my view is make public everything you can make public.
RAJU: Should the Judiciary Committee investigate this?
HAWLEY: Well, I saw that, I never know how to pronounce her name, but Max, his associate, I think she said that she would be willing to testify. I mean, why not? Why not put her under oath?
RAJU: Do you guys look into this Jeffrey Epstein matter, given how much controversy there's been?
UNKNOWN: We trust you to do that.
RAJU: Should the House Judiciary Committee investigate Epstein?
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): I have total confidence in the President.
RAJU: And that last comment comes from Congressman Jim Jordan, who is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who has not been afraid to use his investigative power during his time as chairman, but indicating there, suggesting at least, that he would not press on this going forward.
Now, this all comes as there has been a legislative effort to try to force a vote in the full House on this issue. Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican, is trying to circumvent Republican leaders by using a procedure to actually force a vote on this issue in the full House. He would need a majority of the House to do that, meaning four Republicans would need to join all Democrats to vote to move ahead.
It's unclear, though, if he'll be successful or if Republican leaders will try to figure out a way to block that effort.
Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: President Trump says Coca-Cola has agreed to make the American version of its trademark soda with cane sugar, just like Mexico, instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Coke switched to the syrup decades ago to save money. Coca-Cola hasn't confirmed the change, but said they, quote, "appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm."
Trump has a well-known taste for Diet Coke, which is made with an artificial sweetener, even has a button on his desk in the Oval Office to signal someone to deliver one.
[03:50:04]
Former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are speaking out together for the first time about speculation they were getting a divorce. They joked about the rumors during an episode of her podcast released on Wednesday.
CNN's Arlette Saenz has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY, AND CO-HOST OF "IMO" PODCAST: It's my husband, y'all.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Barack and Michelle Obama, one of the world's most famous power couples, are taking on the rumors about their marriage with humor.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: It was touching, y'all, for a while.
CRAIG ROBINSON, HOST OF "IMO" PODCAST: It's so nice to have you both in the same room together.
B. OBAMA: I know.
M. OBAMA: I know, because when we aren't, folks think we're divorced.
SAENZ (voice-over): For months, speculation about their marriage has run rampant, fueled in part by the former president's appearances without his wife by his side, including President Donald Trump's second inauguration.
M. OBAMA: People couldn't believe that I was saying no for any other reason that they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart.
SAENZ (voice-over): Now, for the first time, the Obamas are speaking out together on the former First Lady's podcast to shoot down those rumors of divorce.
B. OBAMA: These are the kinds of things that I just miss, right? So I don't even know this stuff's going on.
ROBINSON: Right.
B. OBAMA: And then somebody will mention it to me, and I'm all like, what are you talking about?
ROBINSON: Yes.
M. OBAMA: There hasn't been one moment in our marriage where I thought about quitting my man. And we've had some really hard times, but we have had a lot of fun times, a lot of adventures, and I have become a better person because of the man I'm married to.
B. OBAMA: Okay, don't make me cry. Right at the beginning of the show.
SAENZ (voice-over): The Obamas met in 1989, working at a law firm in Chicago. They married three years later and had two daughters.
I love you, Daddy.
SAENZ (voice-over): Their marriage thrust into the public spotlight as his political ambitions carried them to the White House.
B. OBAMA: I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next First Lady.
SAENZ (voice-over): But between the dancing and the kiss cameras, the couple also has spoken about their struggles.
B. OBAMA: She wasn't the one who chose this life. We went through our rough patches.
M. OBAMA: I don't want people looking at me and Barack like hashtag couples goals. And not know that, no, there are some broken things that happened even in the best of marriages.
SAENZ (voice-over): And over the years, the Obamas have shared tips for making their nearly 33-year marriage work.
M. OBAMA: I was one of those wives who thought, I'm taking you to marriage counseling so you can be fixed, Barack Obama. Because I was like, I'm perfect.
But marriage counseling was a turning point for me, understanding that it wasn't up to my husband to make me happy.
B. OBAMA: I was in a deep deficit with my wife. So I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things.
SAENZ (voice-over): Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Electronic music fans have been gearing up for a major festival in Belgium, but two days before its scheduled kickoff, a huge blaze tore through the main stage. That story coming up. Stay with us.
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[03:55:00]
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(VIDEO PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: Fire has gutted the main stage of a major music festival in Belgium two days before it was set to begin. About a thousand staff members were there when the blaze broke out on Wednesday, but officials say no one was injured. This is how one witness described what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN HERMANS, WITNESS: We just heard like fireworks going off, which was a bit weird because the festival only starts tomorrow. So we went outside and there was just a big cloud of fireworks and smoke, yes, very near us. So that was a bit scary.
It's one of the biggest in a year because like also our town is very small, so to welcome people around the entire world, it's crazy. And it's so much fun. And so it's a big deal, so everybody in Boom was a bit terrified for a few seconds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Organizers say the campsite near the venue will open today as scheduled, but they're still trying to come up with plans for the main event.
At least two tornadoes apparently touched down in Wisconsin. Videos posted online showed an apparent twister in towns in the southern part of the state, which the National Weather Service is investigating. Besides the threat of more tornadoes, storms came with damaging wind gusts and hail the size of quarters.
And a volcano erupted in southwestern Iceland on Wednesday, the latest in a series of outbreaks near the nation's capital. Smoke and glowing hot lava rose into the air, but flights at Reykjavik's airport weren't affected. Icelandic officials say this was likely a relatively small eruption, the 12th in the area in four years, experts say the outbursts could recur for decades or even centuries.
All right, thanks so much for watching, I'm Kim Brunhuber. "Amanpour" is next, then stay tuned for "Early Start" with M.J. Lee, starting at 5 a.m. in New York, 10 a.m. in London.
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