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Early Start with Rahel Solomon
Man Accused Of Setting Fire To Governor's Home Denied Bail; Mark Zuckerberg Testifies On First Day Of Meta Antitrust Case; Number One Draft Pick Paige Bueckers Headed To Dallas Wings. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired April 15, 2025 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
ERIC FARNSWORTH, VICE PRESIDENT, AMERICAS SOCIETY AND COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS: Protected status for El Salvadoran citizens in the United States. That remains to be seen. Perhaps tariff relief on tariffs that have newly been put on El Salvador and other countries worldwide. So that remains to be seen.
But there is a big agenda here if the presidents have choose to pursue it.
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah. Speaking of the sort of economic considerations at play here I want to also play for you something that treasury secretary -- well, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is Argentina -- is in Argentina, but I want to play for you a clip of something the president said there after his meeting with Bessent. Take a listen.
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JAVIER MILEI, ARGENTINE PRESIDENT (through translator): At the commercial level we understand the proposals of reciprocal tariffs that President Trump has worked on, and we are ready to sign a trade agreement along these lines which will undoubtedly benefit the U.S. as well as Argentina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: So Eric, it's interesting because sort of the backdrop of all of these conversations is tariffs, right? It's the sort of economics of it all. And I wonder from your perspective how big of a role the China of it all is playing in these backdoor conversations. Notably, Bessent made those comments after this meeting about China that China slammed as maliciously slandering and smearing. Your thoughts?
FARNSWORTH: Well, absolutely right. The tariffs issue has landed like a bomb in Latin America, particularly for countries that have free trade agreements with the United States. They thought perhaps they might be immune from some of the worst tariff rates that might be put on them. And, indeed, Latin America broadly did relatively better than areas like Asia, et cetera, but everything is relative. The Argentina case is special though because Argentina doesn't have a
free trade agreement with the United States. And this is something President Milei has actually requested and put out there. And in that context the tariffs issue could be a driver toward a closer economic relationship between Argentina and the United States.
And so that's one of the countries in Latin America, perhaps, that could benefit from this. But it's not necessarily a replicable, you know -- or example for the rest of the region. It's a country that has a separate agenda and a clear reform agenda that requires the support of the United States. And, indeed, the visit of the Treasury secretary indicates the U.S. is fully supportive of Argentina's reform program.
So this could be a continuation of that. Will they end up with an actual free trade agreement? I think that's a long way away but perhaps toward that could be taken. And frankly, I think that would benefit both countries -- Argentina and the United States.
SOLOMON: Yeah. I take your point that there are some sort of special considerations for Argentina or maybe even El Salvador that can't be replicated.
But one thing that I -- that I have thought is really fascinating is how nations around the world are sort of trying to figure out, strategize, and understand how best to work with this administration. And I'm wondering if there are lessons or things that Bukele has done well, Argentina has done well that may serve as a template for other nations around the world struggling to understand how to work with this administration.
FARNSWORTH: Well, it's really a good question and frankly, it's the question that most leaders around the world are struggling with. How can they advance their own agendas in a way that will be comfortable for the United States? But at the end of the day they're the leaders of their own sovereign countries and they're trying to promote their own interests.
You'll notice that President Milei and President Bukele are two of the leaders that are closest politically to President Trump, and those leaders have really curated those relationships since well before the inauguration of the U.S. president. There are others in Latin America that have tried similar. Perhaps the president of Paraguay and some others as well. But most presidents aren't in that category and so they are going to have to find ways to really advance their agenda in a way that is mutually convenient.
But it's the ones who have that close political relationship that take visits to Mar-a-Lago, that have been part of the CPAC agenda that have moved forward politically with President Trump. Those are the ones that are finding themselves with White House visits and real support from the U.S. Treasury and others. And whether that's replicable or not I don't know, but it's clearly a category in Latin America that others are taking a look at.
SOLOMON: Yeah, it's interesting. You think about Milei and Argentina, and Elon Musk and the chainsaw, and sort of how that came back around more recently.
Really interesting to watch and great to have your perspectives and insights this morning. Thank you. That's Eric Farnsworth. I appreciate the time this morning.
FARNSWORTH: Thanks so much.
SOLOMON: Yeah.
All right. And still to come, there will be no bail for the man accused of setting fire to the Pennsylvania governor's mansion. We'll have the latest on his first court appearance after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:39:05]
SOLOMON: Welcome back.
The man accused of setting fire to the home of the Pennsylvania governor has been denied bail over safety concerns. Thirty-eight-year- old Cody Balmer did not enter a plea during his arraignment and will remain in jail for the time being.
The local district attorney says that the target of the attack is clear.
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FRANCIS CHARDO, DAUPHIN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: All his actions were geared towards getting at the governor and causing harm to the governor. And he was methodical, and his actions were well planned out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: We're also getting a better idea of how the suspect may have gained access to the grounds. Police say that he climbed over a fence, broke into the building, and started the fire with a homemade Molotov cocktail.
CNN's Danny Freeman has the latest on the arson investigation.
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DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The pictures are haunting. Part of the Pennsylvania governor's resident burned in an attack by an alleged arsonist. Light fixtures, plates, a piano, couches -- the fire damaging part of a dining room where Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family had only hours before celebrated the first night of Passover with a seder.
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Among the charred items pages of a Haggadah, the Passover prayer book used by Shapiro's family. GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO, (D) PENNSYLVANIA: This type of violence is not OK.
This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. And I don't give a damn if it's coming from one particular side or the other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reporting a large fire in the dining room on the first floor. They can see fire out the windows. They're currently working on getting everybody evacuated. There's about 25 people inside.
FREEMAN (voiceover): Police say just before 2:00 a.m. Sunday as the governor and his family slept, this man, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, hopped a fence at the mansion armed with a hammer and beer bottles filled with gasoline.
LT. COL. GEORGE BIVENS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: I will tell you that he clearly had a plan. He was very methodical in his approach and moved through it without a lot of hurry.
FREEMAN: State Police said that bomber evaded security as he made his way over the fence from this part of the grounds of the residence to this particular building. There he broke a window and threw a makeshift Molotov cocktail inside. Then he broke another window, climbed inside himself, and threw another Molotov cocktail.
BIVENS: That was all playing out over a period of several minutes. It was a very quick event that occurred. And again, troopers were actively searching for him at the time.
FREEMAN (voiceover): Yet despite public praise for law enforcement's quick response, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN that the incident is seen by many in the Pennsylvania State Police as a security failure.
The bomber escaped but ultimately turned himself in to police on Sunday and admitted to the attack, according to court documents. He told investigators he'd harbored hatred towards Shapiro. According to an affidavit obtained by CNN, when asked what he would have done had he found the governor inside, Balmer said he "would have beaten him with his hammer."
SHAPIRO: If this individual was trying to deter me from doing my job as your governor rest assured I will find a way to work even harder than I was just yesterday for the good people of Pennsylvania.
FREEMAN (voiceover): While Balmer hadn't posted much on social media in recent years CNN found posts that he had made in 2021 criticizing then-President Joe Biden. And the police have not released any more information as to why Balmer may have carried out this attack. Shapiro said his family would not be terrorized for their Jewish faith.
SHAPIRO: No one will deter me or my family, or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly.
FREEMAN: Now, at an arraignment Monday evening a judge denied bail to Balmer. The judge said while she appreciated that he turned himself in she still recommended he be imprisoned for the safety of himself and the community.
Balmer currently faces charges of attempted homicide, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault. His next court date is expected on April 23.
Danny Freeman, CNN, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: All right. Still ahead for us, the federal government takes Meta to court for allegedly creating a monopoly. When we come back, the landmark antitrust case that could shake up a social media empire.
The Trump trade war is starting to take a toll on merchants in New York's Chinatown. How they're responding and preparing for now even more tariffs.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:48:00]
SOLOMON: Welcome back. I'm Rahel Solomon. And here are some of the stories we are watching for you today.
President Trump says that he is considering short-term tariff exemptions for automakers. His administration is also preparing to look into tariffs on imports of semiconductors and pharmaceuticals in connection with national security concerns.
Hamas says that it is studying an Israeli ceasefire proposal and will respond as soon as possible. A Hamas official says that the deal calls for the release of 10 hostages from Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The framework for a 45-day ceasefire is also on the table.
Chinese President Xi Jinping laid at wreath at the mausoleum of the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi earlier today. Vietnam was the first stop on Xi's state visit to Southeast Asia. He's also traveling to Malaysia and Cambodia as he looks to strengthen economic partnerships in the region.
And it comes around so fast every year -- April 15. It is tax day here in the U.S. Of course, the deadline to file your tax return.
Yesterday, Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for The Washington Post, had this advice for those still needed to file.
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MICHELLE SINGLETARY, PERSONAL FINANCE COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: If you owe, definitely file on time. And even if you don't have the money to pay all your tax or only just part of it you should still file because there's a huge penalty when you don't file on time and you don't file when you owe. So there's a penalty for filing late. There's a penalty for not paying what you owe on that date. But again, if you owe, the IRS has payment plans. But you want to get that return in regardless. Uncle Sam going to get his money, so you better file.
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SOLOMON: "You better file" being the headline there.
All right. Tech leader Mark Zuckerberg is expected back on the witness stand in federal court today. The Facebook founder spent Monday testifying in defense of his company's social media trifecta in a landmark antitrust case against Meta.
The Federal Trade Commission argues that Meta's multibillion-dollar purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp were made to quash competition, designating them as a social media monopoly.
[05:50:07]
Meta's lawyers contend that there is still plenty of competition and that they are not a monopoly.
CNN contributor Kara Swisher looked at how the government built its case.
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KARA SWISHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, MEDIA COMMENTATOR: Well, Google has already lost in court over some issues around their monopoly status. And so it depends on what happens. It depends on how much of a case that the -- that the FTC is making here. It's not as strong a case as some others some people don't think.
The idea that there isn't competition is a pretty strong defense that they -- that Meta is making, such as TikTok and many others. There's a lot of competitors in the social media space.
That said, there are a lot of emails showing that when Zuckerberg bought these companies, and especially Instagram, he was doing so in a buyer bury strategy, which was to get rid of competitors that wouldn't post a threat to them.
So it's a -- it's a big bar for the FTC to reach but it's still an important case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: Meta's former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg is also expected to testify in the days ahead.
Now, if Meta loses, they could be forced to sell off Instagram, one of their most lucrative assets.
The Trump administration says that it will be taking a closer look at semiconductors and pharmaceuticals for its next round of tariffs. The U.S. has already imposed 145 percent levies on Chinese goods and Beijing has responded with 125 percent tariffs on U.S. goods.
In New York's Chinatown merchants say that they are already feeling the impact from the trade war and bracing for things to get even worse.
CNN's Ryan Young reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): New York City's Chinatown is home to vibrant Asian community and culture. Many shop owners in the popular tourist destination sell Chinese-made goods -- goods that are being impacted by the U.S. tariffs on China, which U.S. President Donald Trump raised to 145 percent last week.
Shops like this one rely almost entirely on inexpensive imports from China.
GEORGE MA, MAMA GROUP OWNER: I think, especially in Chinatown, you know, like our shops will be a little in very trouble because 90 percent-95 percent is from China.
YOUNG (voiceover): Mama Group sells trinkets, incense, lucky cats, and shirts with labels reading "Made in China." George Ma worries that the rising tensions between the U.S. and China could severely disrupt his business, which relies heavily on spending from tourists. He says his customers will ultimately bear the burden of higher prices from tariffs.
MA: China pays some or supply pays some, we pay some, or, you know, everything come to the -- finally we come to the customer.
YOUNG (voiceover): Many U.S. companies stockpiled ahead of the Trump tariffs, which has led to a surge in U.S. imports from China. But some companies now are hitting pause on Chinese imports in hopes of lower tariffs in the future.
Ma says his supplier is already trying to get shipments delivered before May 2, but he worries there will be a halt if their trade issues continue. The fate of his store will follow U.S.-China trade regulations, which remain a pressing issue for Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We lost with China over the Biden years trillions of dollars on trade. Trillions of dollars. And he let them fleece us, and we can't do that anymore. And you know what? I don't blame China at all. I don't blame President Xi. I like him; he likes me.
YOUNG (voiceover): But the people who don't like it at all are the ones trying to run a business in Chinatown.
Ryan Young, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: Still ahead, WNBA draft night. The number one pick and the team that scooped her up.
(COMMERCIAL)
[05:58:12]
SOLOMON: Welcome back.
And check out this video from the San Diego Zoo. There was a minor earthquake in Southern California yesterday and in this video, you can see elephants at the zoo -- you see the shaking there -- reacting to the shaking. But then watch what happens here. The elephants form what's known as an "alert circle" surrounding and protecting a young calf in the middle of the herd. There was no damage reported at the zoo, but how cool.
The magnitude 5.2 quake was centered just outside San Diego with much of Southern California experiencing light shaking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it was a pretty good shake.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard it first and then when I heard it, I felt it. And when I felt it, I was, like, I have to get the baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a six-foot-three guy and nothing really scares me that much, but to hear the entire earth rumble like that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Loud. Like thunder loud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Hmm.
It wasn't just adults. Take a look at this. This baby jolted awake by the quake. Now, the baby doesn't appear to be hurt but apparently after the shaking does stop the baby starts to cry.
I'm glad everybody's OK.
The number one pick in the WNBA draft has been revealed and now she knows where she's headed.
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CATHY ENGELBERT, COMMISSIONER, WNBA: With the first pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, the Dallas Wings select Paige Bueckers, University of Connecticut.
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SOLOMON: UConn superstar point guard Paige Bueckers was the top pick fresh off winning her first NCAA Women's Basketball title. The Minnesota native is now the sixth Huskies player selected number one overall in the WNBA draft.
The 2025 National Player of the Year called the experience "super surreal," adding that she's ready to start her next chapter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAIGE BUECKERS, NUMBER ONE WNBA DRAFT PICK: You don't ever want to assume anything in life. Nothing is guaranteed. So for this moment to be here and it actually happened, it's nerve-wracking.
