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Manhattan D.A. Launches Investigation Into Sexual Assault Allegation Against Rep. Eric Swalwell; Interview With Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA); Now: Face-to-Face Peace Between U.S. And Iran Underway; Chances Of Trump Ally Viktor Orban Winning Hungarian PM Race; Israel Strikes Hezbollah As Iran Demands A Lebanon Ceasefire; Lebanon: 300 Plus Killed In Israeli Strikes This Week; IDF Issues Broad Evacuation Order For Southern Beirut; UNICEF Warns Of Strikes' "Devastating" Toll On Children; Artemis Astronauts Describe Mission In First Public Comments; Marathon Negotiations Underway Between U.S. & Iran In Pakistan. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired April 11, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: The legal battle centers around whether the President has authority to build the ballroom on the site of the former East Wing without expressed approval from Congress.

The case now, back in the hands of the federal judge who initially ruled against it. The White House has argued construction must continue for national security and safety reasons.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

[18:00:23]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

DEAN: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone. I am Jessica Dean, coming to you from Los Angeles, and breaking news tonight, relative to CNN's exclusive reporting on sexual misconduct allegations against Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announcing it is investigating an allegation made by a former staffer who says she was raped by the lawmaker. Swalwell is currently running for governor here in the state of California.

Several prominent Democrats now calling for him to end that campaign. Swalwell has denied the accusations, including in a video he posted late Friday. Here is CNN's Pamela Brown with the latest -- Pam.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST AND CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, as we have learned that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office is now investigating the rape allegation from one of the four women CNN spoke with. I sat down with this woman. She was a former staffer for Congressman Swalwell.

She talked about sexual misconduct in 2019. She says that she was out drinking with the congressman, then went back to his hotel room, woke up the next morning and didn't know what had happened, but said to her it was clear some sort of sexual contact took place. Now, Congressman Swalwell denies the allegation, but she also went on to talk about a more serious allegation in 2024, where she says she again was out drinking with the Congressman. At this point, she was not working in his office. They went out drinking, she says. She went to the bathroom and then came out and couldn't remember what had happened.

She woke up the next morning alone in his hotel room, and he was not there, she says. She was so intoxicated still it was really confusing to her. She had to put the pieces together that she was there in her hotel room, and she called her mother.

We corroborated her story with her mother, with friends. She told her partner. She told also a text message where she says she was sexually assaulted by Eric.

We also obtained documentation from a medical provider in the week after the alleged assault, where that medical provider called her a survivor. She went there for STD testing and pregnancy testing.

Now, Congressman Swalwell, for his part, is denying that sex assault allegation. This is what he said in a social media post last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly.

These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened and I will fight them with everything that I have.

They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California. I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I am a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife. And to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position.

I also apologize to you if in any way you have doubted your support for me. But I think you know who I am. For over 20 years, I have served the public as a city councilman, as a member of Congress, and as a prosecutor who went to court on behalf of victims, particularly on behalf of sexual assault victims. That's who I am and have always been.

This weekend, I am going to spend time with my family and friends, and I appreciate those who have reached out to me to show support, and I look forward to updating you very soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: CNN spoke with three other women who had varying degrees of stories of sexual misconduct from unwanted touching to unsolicited photos of his penis. For right now, Congressman Swalwell is staying in the race, although he is under mounting pressure to withdraw from leaders in the Democratic Party. We should also note two of the women we interviewed received cease and desist letters from Congressman Swalwell's lawyer, but they are standing by their stories -- Jessica.

DEAN: Pamela Brown, thank you so much for your reporting. And we should note, Congressman Swalwell, again, denying all allegations against him.

Before our report, he did say in a statement, "These allegations are false. And come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor. For nearly 20 years, I have served the public as a prosecutor and a Congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and, where necessary, bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies."

[18:05:11]

I would like to bring In California Congresswoman Laura Friedman.

Thank you so much for being here with us. I know you've posted a statement via social media as well, saying that Congressman Swalwell should end his campaign, that Congress should hold a full and transparent investigation of the allegations.

As my colleague, Pamela Brown was just explaining, the Manhattan D.A. now launching a criminal investigation into this and I am curious if you think he should step down from Congress at this point.

REP. LAURA FRIEDMAN (D-CA): Well, if he steps down from Congress, it is my understanding that the Ethics Committee in Congress won't investigate and I think that these women who, by the way, were incredibly brave to come forward the way that they did deserve a true investigation. They deserve their allegations to be on the record and the body deserves to have a response that's going to stand for the rest of history in terms of the House's response to these allegations.

DEAN: And in the Congressman's response to those allegations, he said a couple of things. He said he is going to fight them with everything he has. He also seemed to draw this line between this California gubernatorial race that he is in right now and the timing of these allegations becoming public.

What did you think about those things?

FRIEDMAN: I don't think that it is up to him or anybody to question when a victim is ready to come forward and what makes them come forward, and I know at least one of the victims has said that she came forward because she wanted to make sure that people knew who they were voting for and I think that's absolutely her right.

But I want to clarify too, Jessica, I listened to his statement today, just like the one that you just played and what I heard was him denying any criminal misconduct. I didn't hear him deny, and maybe I didn't hear it correctly, but I didn't hear him deny clearly, having taken advantage of one of his staffers, of taking advantage of a young staffer. That is outside of the Code of Conduct of Congress, it is an expellable offense and it is something that is abhorrent.

If that's the case, if he took advantage of his young staffer, he should absolutely have to face the consequences and he should not be running for governor.

DEAN: And so for people out there who I think sometimes don't have full faith in Congress, to always do what they think should be done, what do you think should be -- I hear you that you want there to be an investigation. What is a good, honest and fair investigation look like to you?

FRIEDMAN: Well, I think they should look into the allegations -- is he admitting to, you know, having had an affair with a 21-year-old staffer in his office under his -- that he was employing? Is that something that happened? And if so, that is against Congress' Code of Ethics, and if the Ethics investigation comes back and shows that, whether its him and also Tony Gonzales who is going through the same Ethics process right now, I would vote to expel both of them.

DEAN: I want to talk about this race for governor here in California, in your home state. The primary is June 2nd. It is coming up. It is a very crowded Democratic field, and then you have the two Republicans in there as well. There are a lot of people running right now.

As a Democrat, what do you think your party needs to do here? I know you've called again, called on Swalwell to drop out of this race. What do you think needs to happen here?

FRIEDMAN: Well, look, let's keep these two things separate because we have really serious allegations against one of the candidates, allegations of rape, and that's something that I don't want to trivialize by talking about it and the impact on anybody's campaign.

So putting that completely aside and just looking at the California's governor's race as a different issue, I think that as people start to really pay attention to the race, things are going to change. No one has really sent out a lot of mail yet. Nobody has gone to the voters in the intense way we are going to see over the next couple of months.

So three weeks from now, four weeks from now, we could very well have a very different looking race than we have at this moment.

DEAN: And just generally bringing it back to those allegations, to these very, very serious allegations. Again, as a Democrat, what do you think your party and your party leadership needs to be doing? Do you think they are doing enough right now? What do you want to see from them moving forward?

FRIEDMAN: Well, look, this is something that I think all of us as human beings should be looking at. It is not a partisan issue. I think Democrats and Republicans agree that -- or I would hope that they agree that taking advantage of your young staff when you're someone who is in a position of power, whether you're in politics or you're in the movie industry or you're a tech executive, that that should be something that never happens.

The #MeToo Movement showed how pervasive this is in places where you have an imbalance of power. When I was in the California Legislature, I spearheaded efforts to reform our system during the #MeToo Movement, when people came forward with awful allegations about members of the Legislature and three members ended up resigning because of that.

[18:10:07]

This seems to be a pattern when you have these disparities and it is really important that you always have strong workplace protections and that you support victims when they come forward, as in this case.

DEAN: All right, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it.

FRIEDMAN: Thanks for having me, Jessica.

DEAN: Still to come, the quote is "it makes no difference to me." Last hour, President Trump commenting on the negotiations between the U.S. and Iranian delegations in Pakistan, an update on where things stand this hour as talks are well into the early morning hours there.

And for the first time since their historic splashdown, we are hearing from the Artemis II astronauts.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:27]

DEAN: In Pakistan tonight, delegations from the U.S. and Iran are engaged in face-to-face talks. President Donald Trump with a stark message back in Washington about those negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We are in very deep negotiations with IRAN. We win regardless. We've defeated them militarily. They probably have a couple of mines in the water, we have minesweepers out there. We are sweeping the Strait.

In addition to that, we are negotiating whether we make a deal or not, it makes no difference to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: This weekend's talks come amid a fragile ceasefire agreement between the two countries, although there is still no official word from negotiators. A source close to Tehran's negotiating team telling CNN the U.S. has made unacceptable demands over the Strait of Hormuz and several other issues. That echoes the sentiment of Iranian state media reporting, which also hinted at some sticking points.

CNN military analyst and former U.S. Security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, former U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz is here.

General Schwartz, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it.

I want to get to the negotiations in just a second, but just kind of bring people up to speed on the Strait of Hormuz, which frankly, sounds to be one of the biggest sticking points, if not the stickiest sticking points in these negotiations. Can you tell us a little bit more about these U.S. efforts to sweep the mines there in the Strait? What that entails and what that might mean going forward?

LT. GEN. MARK SCHWARTZ (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I certainly see it as a positive sign. So two Guided Missile Destroyers under U.S. Central Command authority started navigating the Strait earlier, you know, today Middle East time that those two Guided Missile Destroyers also have additional capabilities, unmanned, you know, UAVs that work in the maritime domain, so in the water to also help them. It is a very slow and deliberate process.

But the fact that they have successfully navigated the Strait, at least from the last reporting I've seen and are now up into the mouth of the Persian Gulf is very positive. But the intent is to continue to work and really set conditions for an increase in maritime commerce to move through the Strait safely and not be held victim to the conditions that Iran is, you know, putting forth even prior to going into these negotiations over this weekend.

DEAN: Yes, because part of all of the fallout of this, as we've gotten the ceasefire is this idea that Iran has figured out how it can flex its muscle by closing the Strait -- effectively closing it and rendering it inoperable and that that is almost as valuable as any weapon as they can disrupt the global economy.

What do you think about that idea.

SCHWARTZ: Well, you're correct and what they are doing is in complete violation of not only maritime law, but international law, because the Strait itself is in international waters. It is approximately 21 miles off the coast of Iran and so anything beyond, I believe, 13 or 14 nautical miles is considered international water, which is this two- mile corridor, where all the maritime commerce goes through. So I am confident that that is a significant point.

It is probably number two, just below the access eventually, maybe it is by the IEA of the highly enriched uranium, as well as no more enrichment to occur inside of Iran. And then number two is the Strait, I would assume in terms of the negotiating terms that are being discussed today.

DEAN: Yes, and you mentioned the other big one, which is that enriched uranium, their nuclear program. How would you assess that as an issue right now, both in terms of the military campaign that we -- that the United States has forged to try to decimate that and where it is today and what they may be able to get out of a negotiation.

SCHWARTZ: Certainly, their entire program, a nuclear program, is significantly degraded, just given the amount of strikes, you know, going all the way back to Midnight Hammer that took place in June of 2025, up until, you know, all the engagements that began on the 28th of February.

So to be able to reconstitute the capability that Iran had even after Midnight Hammer is going to take a very long time. I haven't -- you know, I have heard a number of different estimates, ten, 15 years. It is all about the will and the amount of emphasis that Iran wants to put on it.

[18:20:10]

But no doubt, it is significantly degraded, but they clearly have the intellectual capital to reproduce it. And if they have friends, whether that's China or Russia or, you know, or others that may want to provide them the equipment necessary to -- or the components, excuse me, to assemble the equipment, that's a real concern.

And i think, you know, the United States leading, but certainly all the all the Gulf States and the international community writ large do not want to see the reconstitution of this capability.

DEAN: And there is also the piece of Lebanon. Is it included in the ceasefire? Is it not? Theres been a lot of back and forth about that. Again, Hezbollah, which is an Iranian-backed proxy group firing into Israel after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran. Israel then firing back at Lebanon and such as it has continued over the last several weeks as this has been ongoing.

I am curious what your thoughts are in terms of where Israel is on this, and in terms of the ceasefire and where we go from here and where the U.S. is on this, and if you still think that they are in alignment.

SCHWARTZ: We are currently aligned with our government and the government of Israel. You know, just based on the dialogue that has taken place over the last week to get Israel to cease or at least suspend, not maybe cease, but suspend their military campaign, particularly their kinetic strikes that they've been doing. But the threat of Lebanese Hezbollah will transcend whatever negotiation takes place. That's obviously a key point in terms of one of the initial four key points that the United States spoke to -- the President spoke to in his very first announcement, when the military operation started on February 28th is to -- for Iran to stop resourcing both financially equipping and then providing the IRGC advisory to Lebanese Hezbollah and these other proxies.

So I believe that's going to be a continued sticking point, because Lebanese Hezbollah is just not going to go away tomorrow. The IRGC advisors that are still in Lebanon working with them aren't going away any time soon unless they are, you know, killed or captured, probably more likely killed by Israel. So it is going to be a continued thorn in the side of the leadership of Israel, certainly, and frankly, the security and sovereignty of Israel. So it is probably one of the more complex issues. I think the Houthis are less of an issue, Hamas is less of an issue just given, you know, the extensive campaign against Hamas and our ability to, you know attack the Houthis and compel them to stop, you know, threatening, obviously the Bab El-Mandeb and also firing into Israel. They did, I think, one or two engagements late in this ongoing campaign. But they haven't -- you know, nothing in earnest, which is a positive sign.

But I think Lebanese Hezbollah is going to remain a significant issue, regardless of what happens in what agreements are eventually brought forth in these negotiations in Pakistan.

DEAN: All right, General Mark Schwartz, thanks for your time. We appreciate it.

SCHWARTZ: Thank you.

DEAN: And happening now, members of the Iranian diaspora gathered here in Los Angeles calling on President Trump to stay the course in the war with Iran. Crowds there backing a regime change and voicing support for the son of the country's overthrown Shah. Los Angeles is home to the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran.

Let's bring in CNN's Julia Vargas Jones.

And Julia, I know you were there with the crowd earlier. Tell us more about their message.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, their message is quite simple, Jessica, is that they do not want to see a deal with the current government of Iran. They say that they wouldn't trust any kind of agreement with this administration. Of course, we are talking about a diaspora. These are people that have still families inside Iran. They say they don't want to see their country bombed, but that they feel there is really no choice.

And all of this is exacerbated by the lack of ability to communicate with those family members and those friends back in Iran. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATE DEHVASHI, WANTS TO END NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN: As a diaspora here in America or other countries, all we can do is to just echo their voice because they have no voice right now. They are not -- they are disconnected from the whole world.

I do have family in Iran. They can call me; sometimes, I can't call them. I have been talking to them and anyone that I talk to in Iran, they want regime change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: You know, Jessica, I did ask these protesters who are still calling for more strikes on Iran about President Trump's comments about annihilating an entire culture altogether and they said they just don't believe that, and they really do believe that President Trump has the best interest of their country in his mind, as he is carrying these talks out.

[18:25:21]

DEAN: All right, Julia Vargas Jones here in L.A. for us. Thank you so much.

One of President Trump's biggest European allies is fighting to stay in office. What the Hungarian election could say about U.S. influence in that region. We have Harry Enten to run the numbers. That's next. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Tomorrow, Hungarians will cast their ballots for Prime Minister in a pivotal Parliamentary Election. Far-right strongman and Trump ally, Viktor Orban has held that position for 16 years, and he faces off against the leader of the center-right party, Peter Magyar.

Both have been holding rallies and making their final pitches to voters ahead of the polls opening Sunday.

The latest forecast shows Magyar maintaining a double-digit lead over Orban. CNN' s Harry Enten is here to run the numbers on this -- Harry.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Hey there, Jessica. Happy Saturday to you.

Look here on the East Coast, the weather is finally turning in the right direction. But when it comes to Trump's ally, Viktor Orban, the political winds look like they are blowing in the wrong direction.

Of course, Orban, his party up for reelection this Sunday in Hungary, not election day here in the States, but election day over in Hungary.

In fact look at this, J.D. Vance was actually campaigning with Viktor Orban earlier this week, of course, Trump endorsed Viktor Orban earlier this week as well, but if you're looking right now at his odds, they look too hot to trot.

[18:30:31]

Take a look here at the Kalshi prediction market chance, Orban is Hungary's prime minister after the 2026 election. You look back in January 1, it was about 50-50 split, 48 percent chance. But down Orban's chances go, down only about 28 percent at this point.

And more than that, I will note, Vance's visit earlier this week did not really help with anything. Orban's chances have actually slid, slid a little bit since Vance's visit. Now, Vance's visit is part of what I would argue is a larger political problem for the Trump administration. That is that the American public believe that -- believes that the Trump administration has taken its eyes off of the ball, focusing too much on foreign policy and not enough on domestic policies such as the economy, which, of course, was the reason that Donald Trump was reelected back in 2024.

And you can see it quite well here. Take a look here. The Trump administration is focusing too much on foreign matters. Look at this, Jessica. We're talking about three in five Americans, 58 percent. That includes 66 percent of independents. How about this? The inverse, focusing too little -- too little on domestic matters like the economy. You can see it here. 60 percent of Americans believe the Trump administration is focusing too little on domestic matters.

And again, this number includes about 66 percent of independents. Of course, Hungary is not the only foreign policy issue that the Trump administration, perhaps the American public, believe is focusing too much on. But of course, the war in Iran as well, which right now, of course, we're in the middle of a ceasefire of.

And of course, the Iran war is part of a larger foreign policy portfolio. And even though the American public believes that the Trump administration is focusing a lot on it, they don't think that that focus is doing the Trump administration and the American populace at large any good. What are we talking about? Take a look here.

Okay, Trump's net approval rating when it comes to foreign policy. You know, back in January of 2025, not too bad. Look at this. Two points above water. But again, down -- down goes Trump when it comes to foreign policy. Look at this, 27 points underwater. My goodness gracious. This is just not a very good number at all.

And among independents, Jessica, you can see it here in this little note to myself. 42 points underwater. That puts Trump in a position you don't want to be on an issue that is becoming larger and larger in the minds of the American public, given how much the Trump administration they believe is focusing on it.

Again, we'll have to see and wait and see what happens over in Hungary. But at this point, it looks like the Trump administration going 0 for 3, at least according to the data that I showed you here today. Jessica, again, happy Saturday. Back to you.

DEAN: Always good to see Harry and in his spring colors, no less. Thanks so much, Harry Enten.

Growing up or coming up, a growing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon continues strikes, driving up civilian deaths, overwhelming hospitals and forcing mass displacement. And up next, I'll speak with a representative from UNICEF who's on the ground in Beirut about that situation. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:38:03]

DEAN: Israel's continued attacks on Iran-backed proxy Hezbollah putting strain on the U.S.-Iran ceasefire with this agreement over whether Lebanon is included in that truce. The IDF saying it struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in the past day, while today Hezbollah launched several drones and a barrage of rockets at Israel. Lebanon's health ministry saying more than 300 people were killed in a

wave of Israeli airstrikes Wednesday, and Israel says that they were targeting Hezbollah military sites. CNN's Nada Bashir reports now from Beirut.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice over): The pained cries of one of Lebanon's youngest casualties. She was injured after an Israeli airstrike hit a college in Beirut, where she and her family had been sheltering. We are not identifying them as they have requested privacy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR (on camera): This little girl is one of the hundreds of wounded patients that were brought into hospitals across Beirut following Wednesday's devastating attack on the city, but her mother considers her one of the lucky ones. She was able to survive the attack, but there were more than 300 who were killed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through interpreter): When I heard the first strike, I ran out screaming, "My daughter! My daughter." I couldn't see anything. Just black everywhere. I could hear her voice. She was calling for me. "Mama, mama." I was digging through the debris with my hands. I could just see her face, her head. I pulled her out with my hands and carried her. I was in shock.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR (voice over): At just three years old, her daughter has now lived through two wars between Israel and Lebanon. Israel claims it is targeting Hezbollah forces, but across the country, civilians are paying a heavy price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through interpreter): What have our children done to deserve this? What have they done? Why should my daughter have to cover her ears from fear of the sound when she goes to sleep?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR (voice over): Doctors and nurses here at the Makassed Hospital say they were inundated with casualties.

[18:40:02]

Civilians, they tell us, poured into the hospital, many of them in a critical condition.

SABEEN ABOU AWDEH, EMERGENCY ROOM MANAGER, MAKASSED GENERAL HOSPITAL: There were like very, very bad injuries and of course, our own psychological needs were not met as well. We had no time to see if our parents are okay. We didn't know where the blasts were. It was all over Lebanon. There is no place safe anymore. Like the last war, there were known targets. Now, we don't know where -- where there is going to be a bombing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR (voice over): Nurse Sabeen Abou Awdeh has reason to be fearful. The military has accused Hezbollah forces of using ambulances for cover, warning that they too could be targeted. And now, an expanded evacuation warning in Southern Beirut has placed the nearby Rafik Hariri University Hospital in the line of fire.

Doctors here say they have received dozens of bodies, many of them still waiting to be identified by their inconsolable families.

Mohammad Naser al-Din (ph) tells me his friend, Abbas (ph) was killed in a strike which hit a local grocery store. He was just 19.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMAD NASER AL-DIN (through interpreter): We pulled him out from beneath the rubble. We only found him today. He was under the rubble since Wednesday.

He is a martyr. What can we do?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR (voice over): Nada Bashir, CNN in Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right. Nada Bashir, thank you so much for that.

And we're joined now by Christophe Boulierac, chief communication and spokesperson for UNICEF in Lebanon.

Christophe, thank you so much for being here with us. We really appreciate it. You are there in Beirut, as that locator says right now. Describe to people what you're seeing, specifically when it comes to children and families there.

CHRISTOPHE BOULIERAC, CHIEF COMMUNICATION & SPOKESPERSON, UNICEF IN LEBANON: No, thank you. The -- the -- the latest from Lebanon is -- is achingly sad, shocking and -- and deeply alarming. You know, since March 2, children were already paying the highest price for -- for this new conflict. 600 children were killed. But what happened three days ago, especially in Beirut on April 8, is unprecedented. In -- in a -- in a few seconds, in a few minutes, over 100 airstrikes in -- in the country. And in Beirut, only dozens, 10s of airstrikes, which killed dozens of children. It was not just intense, it was overwhelming. And, you know, these airstrikes against very densely populated areas in Beirut, in some neighborhoods that had never been targeted before. It was impossible for -- for children and families to -- to -- to escape, to survive.

And I was in the hospital, you -- you show in your report, and the -- the -- the consequences are horrific for -- for children and for families. You know, fractures, burns, head trauma, hematoma, multiple body injuries. The list is very long. And there is -- there is really a need, an urgent need for the guns to be silenced. And for -- you know, there is a need for -- for -- for a political way forward in this crisis so that the nightmare of civilians and especially children can stop.

DEAN: And let's talk about the -- the -- you talked about the hospital, the medical supplies, basic necessities. How would you assess the stockpile of that? How much supply is left? And -- and I know UNICEF has been working to scale up emergency care there, too.

BOULIERAC: Yes, you're correct. You know, the public services in Lebanon are such under extreme pressure, extreme strain. So, our -- our work is really to support the -- the national authorities because the -- the emergency response is led by the Ministry of Social Affairs so that the public services do not collapse. You mentioned health. We give -- provide medicines to primary health centers, to hospitals. It's -- we support hospitals who do trauma injury and make sure that the hundreds of thousands of displaced children as well who are not -- who are not injured can also access health.

There is a -- there is a -- a -- a very -- this is a very dangerous time for children. They need to be able to be provided the health care, their needs. And they lost -- totally, their normalcy and their safety so we are also very worried for their mental health. Let's not forget that this is the second time in 18 months that children, hundred thousand children, 390,000 children had to leave their room, their -- their home in fear, in panic and this is extremely, extremely traumatizing for some of them.

[18:45:03]

DEAN: Yes, and so to -- to your point there, we know more than a million people have been displaced in this latest round of fighting. That represents about 20 percent of the Lebanese population. Where are they going and -- and -- and what does the support system look like right now for those -- for those people?

BOULIERAC: The vast majority of them are almost host communities but in a very crowded way. We hear some families and people who live in -- 10 people in one room. Another part are currently, as we are speaking, in one of the 666 shelters which are -- most of them are schools, unfortunately. Why -- why in schools? Because this is where you find toilets, water, because water is so important to avoid disease. And this is, of course, obviously very difficult for them, because, you know, the -- there is a lack of intimacy, privacy. And there is a third category of children, families, who are blocked in remote areas.

I was there last Wednesday in a remote village in southern Lebanon and we organized a convoy to bring them with water to bring life-saving emergency supplies. But, of course, this remains very challenging because the violence continue and because international humanitarian law is not respected because children are not protected, because infrastructure, civilian infrastructure, like hospitals and schools are not enough protected. DEAN: Right. Christophe Boulierac, thank you for your time. We really -- we really appreciate that.

BOULIERAC: Thank you very much.

DEAN: Still to come, bringing moon joy to Mission Control. The Artemis II crew speaking for the first time since they splashed down. The emotional moments of gratitude. That's next. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:51:25]

DEAN: After 10 days out of this world, a standing ovation met the four Artemis astronauts when they arrived in Houston this afternoon. The crew speaking publicly for the first time since their spectacular return to Earth. And here's part of what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REID WISEMAN, ARTEMIS II COMMANDER: Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, we are -- we are bonded forever. And no one down here is ever going to know what the four of us just went through. And it was the most special thing that will ever happen in my life. Before launch, it feels like it's the greatest dream on Earth. And when you're out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends. It's a special thing to be a human and it's a special thing to be on planet Earth.

VICTOR GLOVER, ARTEMIS II PILOT: And I'm afraid to start even trying. When this started on April 3rd, I wanted to thank God in public. And I want to thank God again.

CHRISTINA KOCH, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: What struck me wasn't necessarily just Earth. It was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbingly in the universe. I may have not learned, I know I haven't learned everything that this journey has yet to teach me. But there's one new thing I know, and that is planet Earth, you are a crew.

JEREMY HANSEN, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: What you saw was a group of people who loved contributing, having meaningful contribution and extracting joy out of that. When you look up here, you're not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And although they were in great spirits, it will take weeks, maybe even months for the crew to fully adjust to being back here on Earth. NASA already preparing for the next lunar missions, including next year's Artemis III and Artemis IV, which plans to make a Moon landing in 2028 for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Eva Longoria is also back. This time, she's going to France, exploring

that country's rich history and cuisine in the newest CNN Original Series, and here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Foreign language) ...

EVA LONGORIA, CNN, "EVA LONGORIA: SEARCHING FOR FRANCE" HOST: (Foreign language) ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Foreign language) ...

LONGORIA: Okay.

(Foreign language) ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

LONGORIA: I need to work up an appetite.

Now, I'm not as strong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...

LONGORIA: Okay.

Workout complete. Laura whisks the cooked potato into a pan of hot milk before revealing the guilty secret to the perfect pommes puree.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Foreign language) ...

LONGORIA: Oh, my god. (Foreign language) ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Foreign language) ...

LONGORIA: It's too much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

LONGORIA: That's over a pound of butter. This is not your mom's typical recipe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through interpreter): That's what gives us a beautiful, smooth mash.

LONGORIA: Oh, okay. It's taking everything out of me not to lick this whisk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Wow, that is a lot of butter. "Eva Longoria: Searching for France" premieres tomorrow at 9 P.M. on CNN and the next day on our CNN app.

Just ahead, it is a tradition unlike any other, and defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy is looking to hold on to his lead this time around. We're live from Augusta National. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

DEAN: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean in Los Angeles.

We do have breaking news tonight from Pakistan, where it is just past 4 A.M. there. Marathon negotiations between the United States and Iran are still underway. These are the highest-level face-to-face negotiations between Washington and Tehran since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979.