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Soon: IDF Releases Report On Strike That Killed Aid Workers; Trump Suffers Setbacks In Efforts To Shut Down Two Cases; People Scrambling To Make Plans To See Total Solar Eclipse. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired April 05, 2024 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:31:26]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Five-thirty here on the East Coast. A live look at the National Mall and the Washington Monument on this Friday morning. Good morning. Thanks for being up with us. Happy Friday. I'm Kasie Hunt.

Let's get back to a developing story we have this morning. The IDF expected to release its initial report on the Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen.

Let's get straight to CNN's Nic Robertson in Jerusalem. Nic, good morning to you. What are we learning about the Israeli investigation here, and how does this play into everything else that we are seeing this morning with the Israelis saying they're going to open additional crossings for aid?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah. We've been expecting the initial, perhaps limited, report on the global Central Kitchen's aid workers' killings to drop any moment now. As yet, it hasn't happened. The reports have gone back and forth about how quickly it could happen. Could it happen in days? Could it take even weeks to get the full investigation underway?

But the initial impression that was created -- that it would be that initial report would be happening now, it hasn't happened so far. Potentially, in the coming hours.

But what we do know is as a result of the killing of those aid workers, that phone conversation between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu last night did appear to have some effect. The Israeli government announcing that they would open the Erez Crossing in the north of Gaza for aid shipments. This is something they've been under a huge amount of pressure for the United States to do.

And also, allow the Port of Ashdod to -- which is close to the Erez Crossing -- to take direct import of humanitarian aid for Gaza. The intention appears to be, although the details on what the Israeli government has said so far, are very limited. It appears to be that potentially, that aid could arrive at Ashdod, drive for 20 miles, and be inside of Gaza. Secretary Blinken, like the White House last night, saying that today, while he's in Europe -- saying that we should be cautious and judge Israel on the results.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We welcome the steps that have been announced by Israel opening Erez as a new crossing point having shipments go directly from the Ashdod Port, maximizing the route from Jordan. These are positive developments but the real test is results, and that's what we're looking to see in the coming days and in the coming weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Look, and it's really worth -- and the thing that's really worth putting in some context here -- you know, Sec. Blinken was here back in February. He called for the Erez Crossing to be open back then. He called for an increase of aid to come from Jordan back then. It didn't happen.

And if you go back to January of this year, the Israeli government said, we can open Ashdod Port for food supplies coming in. And then what happened? Protesters in Israel blocked those food supplies getting wider distribution and making their way to Gaza.

There is no guarantee that what the Israeli government has said will actually bear fruit on the ground in a substantial and meaningful way to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the north of Gaza. We're a long way from that position right now and I think this is why we're hearing these very cautious words from the White House and from Sec. Blinken as well.

HUNT: So, Nic, we also know Sec. Blinken called for an independent investigation into this incident when he made that appearance in Brussels earlier today.

[05:35:03]

What do you expect to be different in the context of an independent investigation and what we may learn from the IDF and from the Israelis here as we unfold -- as this sort of developing story unfolds today?

ROBERTSON: Yeah. I think it is also interesting that his call for an independent investigation because just a couple of days ago he was calling for an immediate investigation. The language seems to be getting stronger. Independent means something potentially taken out of the hands of the IDF and taken out of the hands of the Israeli government and given to some independent body. This is not something that Israel is given to do easily or readily if a tool in the past.

And it seems highly unlikely that they would allow outsiders to scrutinize the military voice and data traffic surrounding the strikes on these three separate vehicles that family members of the aid workers who were killed say was direct, intentional targeting of those vehicles even though the Israeli government has called it unfortunate -- something that happens inside of war.

So, getting more details I think -- to think that it will be done independently from outside is a stretch at the moment.

HUNT: All right, Nic Robertson for us in Jerusalem. Nic, stay close. I'm sure we'll be back with you if we learn more about what they're telling us here. Thank you very much.

All right, let's now go to this story. Donald Trump suffering setbacks in his Georgia election subversion case and the Florida classified documents case. The judges presiding over both of these criminal trials rejected separate notions by Trump's lawyers to have those cases dismissed.

In the classified documents case, Judge Aileen Cannon did hand Trump a victory of sorts. She is allowing his attorneys to use the Presidential Records Act as an argument of defense, something that the special counsel says is simply not relevant to the case.

Joining me now, Jackie Kucinich, Washington bureau chief at the Boston Globe. And, Julia Manchester, national political reporter for The Hill. Good morning to you both. Thank you so much --

JULIA MANCHESTER, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE HILL: Good morning.

HUNT: -- for being here.

Jackie, let me start with you. Aileen Cannon has come under intense scrutiny. The special counsel has basically came out and issued this filing that was pretty surprising, going after her for not moving this case alone. On the one hand, we got her to say OK, this specific motion is denied. However, as noted, she did kind of acquiesce to a big chunk of the president's attorney's arguments.

What do you see here?

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE BOSTON GLOBE: And you're also seeing, as you mentioned, the -- Jack Smith really pressuring her to move forward.

Listen, in both of these cases, what we're seeing is what the former president does best when it comes to legal situations. He is delaying it, trying to push it. Trying to delay it. And with Aileen Cannon, this is a federal case. This is something that should he become president he could potentially dismiss Georgia as a very different situation because that is state-based.

So, really -- but still just trying to kick these down the road and get them past the election and not have to be in court in multiple jurisdictions. That's what we're -- that's what we're looking at here. That's what he's trying to do.

MANCHESTER: Yeah, absolutely. It's the delay, delay, delay tactic. And he doesn't want this -- to have to have these trials before the election because that could potentially impact the election, how he's viewed, and how he's seen not only by his base but by other independent voters. And I guess after this -- if this were to happen after the election, like Jackie said, in those federal cases he has more control over that.

But, in general, either way, I don't think this is a good look for Donald Trump. I mean, he has these setbacks and it weakens him. And we're seeing him really start to go off on these judges. Off on those going against him in these legal cases on Truth Social, and that's an issue for him.

HUNT: Well, Jackie, he, on Truth Social, praised Aileen Cannon who, of course, is the --

KUCINICH: Yes.

HUNT: -- judge that he appointed. This comes a few days after he attacked the daughter of the judge in his New York hush money case in a way that's got federal judges speaking out in a pretty rare way --

KUCINICH: Yeah.

HUNT: -- to say hey, this is -- this is creating violence.

KUCINICH: Well, right. I mean, you had this Reuters report at the end of December that says -- or excuse me, end of February -- that said that this -- it has upticked quite a bit -- these threats against federal judges since I think 2015. You've seen quite the increase, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. And he is not -- I mean, they had to increase the gag order.

This is a feature. It is not a bug when it comes to the former president. It's part of intimidation. It's part of him trying to get his way. And right now, you have a bunch of judges that aren't -- that aren't taking it. They're pushing back and they're using, in some cases, these gag orders -- legal mechanisms to do so. He doesn't want to pay any fines. That's what going to happen if this keeps pushing.

HUNT: So, speaking of payments, fundraising is something where Donald -- is an area where Donald Trump has been running behind --

KUCINICH: Yeah.

HUNT: -- Joe Biden -- President Biden in ways that -- you know, big and small, and significant and petty, in some ways.

[05:40:06]

The former president -- his aides say and Axios reports that they're on track to raise $43 million at a fundraiser in Palm Beach, which would be more than the -- was it $23 million or so that President Biden said that they raised at that glitzy fundraiser in New York? Reporting suggests that former President Trump was jealous of that and wanted to really make a show with this Mar-a-Lago fundraiser and personally was making calls, according to this report.

He obviously, in many ways, needs more money than President Biden. He's got less but he needs more because he not only has to run a campaign, he also has to defend himself on all these legal fronts and he's got to pay those legal bills.

MANCHESTER: Absolutely. And it comes at a time when you've heard people at the RNC talking about how that money is going to be distributed -- you know, whether it's going to be for campaign stuff and legal bills.

But it's a big risk for Donald Trump and I would argue down-ballot Republicans.

KUCINICH: Right.

MANCHESTER: I mean, normally, you have these committees in the presidential campaign -- which is at the top of the committee, essentially -- raising money down the ticket. It's harder for Donald Trump and the Republicans to do that.

HUNT: Yeah.

All right, Jackie Kucinich, Julia Manchester. Thank you guys both very much for being here this morning. Have a great weekend. Happy Friday.

KUCINICH: You, too. Happy Friday.

HUNT: All right.

Special glasses, check. Viewing location, check. Coming up, everything you should know to be properly prepared for Monday's solar eclipse.

Plus, we are just hours from tip-off in the Women's Final Four. The Bleacher Report up next.

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[05:46:03]

HUNT: The countdown is on. Just four more days until the total solar eclipse across America. The rare celestial event will offer millions of Americans the chance to see the afternoon sky temporarily darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun. NASA estimates that more than 31 million people live within the path of totality where the total solar eclipse will be visible.

This will be the last total solar eclipse in the U.S. until 2044 and people are scrambling to make last-minute decisions about where to set up to see it.

Joining me now is Adam Frank. He's professor of astrophysics at the University of Rochester. Adam, good morning. I'm so happy to have you here.

I really enjoyed your piece in The Atlantic that gave us not only an accounting of how to watch this eclipse but why it is that we have such a special place in the history and time and space of the universe that we get to see these events. Tell us about it. ADAM FRANK, PROFESSOR OF ASTROPHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER,

AUTHOR, "THE LITTLE BOOK OF ALIENS" (via Webex by Cisco): Yes. So, an eclipse occurs in the universe anytime a moon passes in front of its planet or between its planet and the sun. So eclipses, in general, are not rare cosmically.

But the Earth has this very, very weird accidental arrangement where the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun but it's 400 times closer. And so that means it's almost a near-perfect alignment on the sky of how big the sun and how big the moon are. So the moon, when it gets in front of the sun, perfectly hides its disc and then allows the outer atmosphere -- the shimmering corona to show up.

And, you know, this really freaks people out quite a bit throughout history. Now, we can predict exactly when it's going to happen.

But that perfect alignment is so stunning that empires would fall, basically, when there was an eclipse. So it's quite a cosmic accident.

HUNT: Yeah. I was fascinated by that -- that this was something that could derail the rule of kings and queens because people were so alarmed kind of in their -- in their town squares. Just really, really I had never thought about it that way and it's really fascinating to me.

In terms of people planning to see this one, have you looked at the weather reports? Because it seems like there were a lot of people who plan to go see it in Texas because they thought well, it's spring. The weather is going to be the best there. The Northeast might still be cloudy. But perhaps that's reversing itself.

What should people be thinking about in terms of the best way to see this?

FRANK: Well, first of all, the glasses. You've got to have the glasses. Do not look at the sun without those glasses. You could do real damage.

And then -- you know, I have friends of mine -- I'm in Rochester, New York where, you know, Rochester, in April, it can be pretty cloudy. But right now, the weather says maybe a 50 percent chance that we're going to get a partially sunny day.

So I think what people might want to do is even the night beforehand consult the weather and then perhaps drive -- plan on driving to their best bet. And if you'll even -- unless it's super cloudy and raining dark rain -- even if it's cloudy the sky is going to go dark, you know? It's going to suddenly get nighttime for a little bit.

So even if you don't get to see the sun -- and I hope we all get to see that amazing total eclipse -- but it will still be a really remarkable event to have the sky go dark.

HUNT: Yeah, really absolutely remarkable.

Adam, can you explain -- Professor, I should say -- I'm sorry. Can you explain what it is that you are actually seeing when you look at the solar eclipse through your glasses, as we should point out -- that ring? What is it and why can we not normally see it?

FRANK: Well, what happens is the sun is a giant ball of super-heated plasma and the out -- it's got an atmosphere. It's got an extended region of, like, million-degree gas which normally is too faint for you to be able to see during the day. So that corona is invisible.

[05:50:00]

But when the moon passes in front of the sun, now it's dark enough that that outer halo -- the light from that outer halo, which is constantly shimmering and changing, can show up. So that's what makes the eclipse so -- just to be able to see both the corona.

And sometimes you can see these red blotches, which are fiery explosions on the surface of the sun called prominences. You can see those as well. So it's one of the things that makes an eclipse so -- a total eclipse so stunning.

HUNT: Yeah, for real.

So do you know how long this one is going to last? Is it possible to understand that? And what is it that affects how long these go?

FRANK: Yeah. So this one, I think, is going to be on the order of about three minutes and 20 seconds I think -- somewhere around there. And it all depends on how far away the moon is in its orbit because the moon actually is not a perfectly circular orbit. So that changes when we're catching the eclipse. When the shadow is passing. So there's a number of things.

And you can predict exactly -- science was born, in some sense, because of eclipses because people needed to make these predictions. And it's that accuracy that you find that we can predict exactly when the eclipse is going to happen is why science is so powerful for predicting, like, climate change or what's going to happen in a surgery, or --

So this is really the cool thing about an eclipse. It's where the birthplace for human beings of science and that ability to predict the universe.

HUNT: Yeah. I will say I did not fully understand that some of our earliest understanding of the heavens and the patterns of the heavens was generated by people -- governments who were afraid of being thrown out of power because they couldn't predict the next solar eclipse. Really remarkable stuff.

Again, in The Atlantic. I highly commend it. You are also, Professor Adam Frank, the author of "The Little Book of Aliens." Thank you so much for being with us, sir. I really appreciate it.

And CNN's special live coverage of the "ECLIPSE ACROSS AMERICA" starts Monday at 1:00 p.m. Don't miss it. All right, time now for sports. The Women's Final Four tips off

tonight with a showdown between two of the most exciting players in the country.

Carolyn Manno has a preview in this morning's Bleacher Report. Carolyn, good morning.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. It's kind of like sports' version of the solar eclipse. I mean, college basketball is just on this upward trajectory. We haven't seen anything like it thanks in large part to Caitlin Clark who is really one of a handful of elite women in the sport right now that are showing what they're capable of.

And tonight, she faces UConn, another one of college basketball's generational talents in Paige Bueckers for the berth in the national championship game on the line. This will be only the second time that they will meet in their collegiate careers but this rivalry goes back to when they were teammates on stacked junior Team USA squads.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAITLIN CLARK, GUARD, IOWA HAWKEYES: Since I've known her since she was in middle school, she's always worked that same way. She's always had that fire. She's always been a great leader. And I really honestly couldn't be happier for her and the year that she's had.

And the way she's led this team back to the Final Four when they've kind of been dealt a tough hand as a program, and they never made excuses. And to me, I think that's something you just really admire as a competitor more than anything. So I think it's really cool.

PAIGE BUECKERS, GUARD; UCONN HUSKIES: She's just a competitor. She wants to win. She has just intangibles of the game. She knows how to play. A great I.Q. But I think the biggest thing about her -- she competes and she's just a winner. She wants to win at all costs. So I know going into that it'll be a great matchup.

But I'm excited. It's great for the game and to be at this level on this high of stakes to see where we were in AU competing against each other, it's just really cool to see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: Iowa and UConn tipping off at 9:30 Eastern. After that, number three NC State taking on top-seeded, undefeated South Carolina at 7:00.

The top-seeded UConn men's team set to take on Alabama in their Final Four matchup tomorrow, but their schedule has been thrown off by some brutal travel issues. The reigning national champion Huskies didn't arrive in Arizona until 3:12 in the morning on Thursday.

Head Coach Dan Hurley says his team won't let those woes be an excuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAN HURLEY, HEAD COACH, UCONN: Once kind of that edge wore off you start -- lucky to be here. We're lucky to get an opportunity to come play in the Final Four. And who doesn't deal with problems with the airlines? I mean, people deal with it during the holidays and it's just -- it's something that you've got to get through. But it sucked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: And you can catch the Men's Final Four on our sister channel TBS tomorrow. NC State taking on Purdue just after 6:00 Eastern, followed by Alabama-UConn. The winner is going to play for the national title on Monday night.

Stop what you're doing real quick and watch one of the best goals you will ever see. This is Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko banking one off of Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin's mask and into the back of the net. Social media saying this is the most disrespectful goal of the NHL season. That tied the game at two -- incredible. But New York had the last laugh, going on to win 4-2.

[05:55:00]

Meantime, the New York Mets finally have a notch in the win column and it took until the bottom of the ninth against the Tigers to do it. Pete Alonso led off the inning with a home run over the left centerfield wall to tie it at one. Seen that movie before. And then three batters later, it was Brett Baty who would end up scoring the winning run on a walk-off single by Tyrone Taylor.

The Mets (INAUDIBLE) to 0-6 for the first time since 1963, which was their second year of existence. So, hopefully for Mets fans, they're starting to turn things around.

The Yankees delaying Monday's game against the Marlins for four hours because of the celestial event that Kasie was just talking about. This game is supposed to start at 2:05 Eastern, which would be during the solar eclipse. So instead, the first pitch is now going to be just after 6:00. And the first 50,000 fans are going to get a Yankees solar eclipse t-shirt. So everybody is jumping into this, Kasie.

I was fascinated to learn because I also was wondering what is this? How does it work? So your last guest was interesting to me. And sports fans will be paying attention, too, on Monday.

HUNT: Yeah, apparently. I mean, because no one, let's be real, is going to be watching the game as that goes -- as that goes on. So, smart move by the Yankees. I don't normally say nice things about the Yankees just for the record.

All right, Carolyn. Thank you very much. Have a good weekend.

MANNO: Sure. You, too.

HUNT: All right. Coming up next, part of a construction crane crashing down on a busy Florida bridge. Plus, we're standing by for Israel to release the first findings from their own investigation into the IDF strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza.

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