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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Grave Mistake In Killing Aid Workers; Israel Fires Top Commanders; Israel Reopens Two Aid Gateways Into Gaza; Biden: Humanitarian Conditions In Gaza "Unacceptable"; U.S. On High Alert For Attack From Iran; Annual Rallies In Support Of Palestinians; President Joe Biden Visits Baltimore; Biden Pledges Federal Support; U.S. Jobs Growth Exceeds Expectations; U.S. East Coast Earthquake; Mexico Gears Up For Key General Election; Will The Crowd See Clouds? Countdown To Total Solar Eclipse; Mercer Labs Encourages People To Touch Arts; Final Four Face-Off; All Eyes On Superstar Caitlin Clark At The Women's College Basketball Semifinals. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired April 05, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: You can listen to the show once you get your podcasts. Our coverage continues now on CNN. I will see you Sunday morning
on "STATE OF THE UNION."
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN HOST, FIRST MOVE: It's 6:00 a.m. in Shanghai, 4:00 p.m. in Mexico City, and 6:00 p.m. here in New York. I'm Julia Chatterley.
And wherever you are in the world, this is your FIRST MOVE.
And a warm welcome once again to FIRST MOVE, and here's today's need to know.
A grave mistake. That's Israel's preliminary verdict on the strike that killed aid workers in Gaza as it fires top commanders.
Joe Biden in Baltimore. The U.S. president visits the collapsed bridge and promises the nation will move heaven and earth to rebuild.
A quake shake. New York and other parts of the U.S. East Coast hit by a rare earthquake.
And the Final Four face-off. All eyes on superstar Caitlin Clark at the Women's College basketball semifinals. We'll discuss, plenty more coming
up.
But first, Israel has announced it will reopen two crucial gateways for aid into Gaza following the IDF strikes that killed seven humanitarian aid
workers this week. That's on top of 100 aid trucks set to enter Southern Gaza.
The decision comes after Israel released an internal preliminary investigation into the attacks, acknowledging "errors in decision making."
And two Israeli officers have been dismissed.
An IDF spokesperson spoke to CNN earlier today and had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. PETER LERNER, SPOKESMAN, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: They were convinced these were Hamas because they misread the intelligence that they
saw and they didn't know from the coordination efforts. So, there's coordinating issues inside the military but also together with
international humanitarian organizations that need to be sorted out. But there's also practical issues of engaging and making sure that humanitarian
aid actually gets from A to B.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: And while Central Kitchen responded to Israel's report calling it "cold comfort" and saying that there should be an independent
investigation. For more, we're joined by Nic Robertson from Jerusalem.
Nic, I think you can understand and people will understand the World Central Kitchen's response that they want systemic change because they want
some kind of protections and assurances for their workers and humanitarian aid officials that are working there in the future.
What is interesting about what we've heard from the Israelis, I think even at the preliminary investigative stages, the degree of information about
quite what happened here, even down to the point of suggesting that the drone operators in this case weren't aware that this was a humanitarian aid
convoy. That's a critical break in the chain of command.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It is, particularly when you consider the IDF's actually been at pains as well to say that
World Central Kitchen was doing everything that it should have been doing in terms of following the correct protocols of communication.
So, when you look at what the IDF has to say in this first preliminary assessment of its internal review, this is such a significant breakdown. If
the IDF says the humanitarian group was doing everything that they could, then clearly the onus is entirely on the IDF in this case. And this first
analysis, it gives a breakdown of the timeline of what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The IDF's timeline, a catalog of errors unfolding over 45 minutes, misidentification of the vehicles, misclassification of
the event, culminating in the deadly strikes at 11:09 p.m., 11:11, and 11:13 Monday night.
READ ADM. DANIEL HAGARI, IDF SPOKESMAN: This operational misidentification and misclassification was the result of internal failures.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): This, the IDF's first public report explaining why they killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, admitting a grave
mistake.
HAGARI: The soldiers conducted the strike without any awareness that these were, in fact, WCK vehicles. At the time, they were certain that they were
targeting Hamas.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The investigation found that the forces identified a gunman on one of the aid trucks, following which they identified an
additional gunman. After the vehicles left the warehouse where the aid had been unloaded, one of the commanders mistakenly assumed that the gunman
were located inside the accompanying vehicles.
[18:05:00]
ROBERTSON: In a separate briefing, adding more detail and specificity to the public report, the IDF told journalists that they had misidentified,
something slung over the shoulder of one of the passengers, mistakenly thinking it was a weapon.
On closer examination, they discovered it was a bag. They also described in harrowing detail how the aid workers had fled from the first vehicle when
it was hit to another vehicle, only to be killed seconds later.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): World Central Kitchen have described the report as cold comfort for the outrageous killing of their staff, whom they say the
IDF acknowledges followed all proper communications procedures. Adding video, the IDF showed them fails to show any cause to fire on our
personnel.
The United States withholding judgment on the report.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're reviewing it very carefully. We'll be discussing its conclusions with Israeli officials and
with humanitarian organizations in the days to come. It's very important that Israel is taking full responsibility for this incident.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Two commanders fired, a major and a reserve colonel. Three others disciplined, triggering pushback from hardline
ministers and pushback from the U.N. secretary-general.
ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL: The essential problem is not who made the mistakes. Fixing those failures requires independent
investigations and meaningful and measurable changes on the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (on camera): Well, independent investigations don't seem to be on the cards at the moment. Although U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
had earlier in the day said that he wanted now an independent investigation. The White House appears to be putting a lot of effort
perhaps dial in that back a bit.
The government here is saying, through the prime minister's office, that there will be more details to come. They're saying this won't take months,
that it should be something that happens over days, maybe weeks, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and we have to wait for that full investigation and the report then to be released. And then perhaps they can have the conversation
with, among others, the aid workers, of course, that have been trying to help there as well.
Nic, we were talking yesterday about the conversation that took place between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the
behavioral changes to provide greater protections and support for civilians and those aid workers and changes that perhaps could take place. How
important is the reopening of the area's crossing to allow aid through into the north of Gaza and perhaps port use as well?
ROBERTSON: Yes, it does seem to represent a shift, a quick turnaround in opinion of the government here. Why? Because we know when Secretary Blinken
was here two months ago, in the beginning of February, he specifically asked for the Erez Crossing to be opened, and the government clearly didn't
do that. Now, they apparently do feel under pressure.
A couple of things to say about Erez Crossing, typically though, this is a crossing that's actually used for people, for Gazans to come and work in
Israel. It's for pedestrians mostly. That's the type of crossing it is. Yes, vehicles can use it. But it's not like the other crossings like Kerem
Shalom that's being used right now in the south of Gaza to access the humanitarian trucks into the south of Gaza, which is better constructed,
more ready-made for big numbers of trucks for them to be checked.
Erez is different. OK, pause that thought. The other thing is that the government is under pressure saying that they'll open Ashdod Port not far
from the Erez Crossing to allow humanitarian aid to come in there. Well, the government said that in January as well, and U.S. flour was brought
into that port, and then it couldn't get out of the port because protesters came and blocked it.
And one of the ministers who those protesters looked towards as a sort of guide, if you will, has been saying the government shouldn't be making this
decision to open the border into Erez because it's only through holding back humanitarian aid will you get Hamas to release the hostages.
So, you know, it sets the scene for a possibility of more protests and this -- whatever food comes into that port still not being able to get to the
Erez Crossing. This is why when we hear from Secretary Blinken and from the White House, they say, look, we hear what the Israeli government is saying,
but we really need to see how it works out on the ground because the track record to now just hasn't been good.
CHATTERLEY: No, no easy decisions here, Nic, thank you for that. Nic Robertson there in Jerusalem.
Now, they've been fears for months that the war in Gaza could trigger a wider conflict across the Middle East. We've learned now that the U.S. is
actively preparing for a possible attack from Iran within the next week.
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The potential targets, Israeli or American assets in the region. That's according to a senior U.S. administration official. It's the expected
response to a strike Monday in Syria, which killed some top Iranian commanders.
MJ Lee joins us now from the White House. MJ, I noticed from this that those senior officials were saying an act of some kind or an attack is
"inevitable" and the Israelis feel the same way. What more do we know about what potentially this might mean?
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The situation right now is that the U.S., according to a senior administration official, is on high
alert and actively preparing for what could be a significant attack by Iran. That could come, we are told, as soon as within the next week.
This Iranian attack, of course, would be in response to that Israeli airstrike in Damascus on Monday that killed top Iranian commanders. And
what we are being told is that U.S. and Israeli officials are now furiously working together to try to prepare for what is to come. This attack could
unfold in a number of different ways, with both U.S. and Israeli personnel and assets in the region potentially being targeted in this attack.
Now, as of Friday, we are told that officials do not know exactly what this attack from Iran will look like. But, of course, I don't have to tell you
what a big threat and how consequential it would be if Iran were to directly strike Israel. This, of course, could lead to a rapid de-
escalation of what is already a tumultuous situation in the region and could prompt the Israel-Hamas war to become a broader regional conflict,
which is something, of course, that the Biden White House has very much wanted to avoid.
Now, importantly, we are also learning that the U.S. has directly communicated to Iran in the past that it should not target U.S. personnel
and U.S. assets once it did hear from Iran after this Damascus attack.
Now, this is an issue that we know was a subject of conversation when President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This
was an issue that was looming over their conversation as they discussed multiple things related to the Israel-Hamas War, including, of course, the
issue of how those seven aid workers ended up getting killed in Gaza, a mistake, the Prime Minister said, by the Israelis and, of course, also the
very important issue of getting more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Julia.
CHATTERLEY: MJ Lee at the White House there, thank you for that.
Now, countries throughout the Middle East held rallies Friday as part of an annual show of support for Palestinians. It's part of Quds Day, which
refers to the Arabic name for Jerusalem.
In Iran, it coincided with the funerals of seven Iranian officials killed in that consulate strike in Syria. Both the Tehran and Damascus have blamed
Israel.
In a Quds Day speech, the leader of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement Hassan Nasrallah warned that Iran would retaliate. Ben Wedeman has
more from Beirut.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hezbollah's marching band kicks off an event in Beirut marking Yom El Putz
(ph), a Jerusalem day, a day set aside by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini 45 years ago in support of the Palestinian cause.
And while the masked Hezbollah fighters carried the Palestinian flag, when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah addressed the crowd, the focus was last
Monday's Israeli bombing in Syria that killed, among others, two senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
WEDEMAN: In a speech, Hassan Nasrallah said the response to the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus Monday is coming. He said it is
inevitable, he made it clear, that response would be Iranian (ph).
ROBERTSON (voice-over): And the details of that response, he said, are Iran's concern. Where, how, when, the scope, said Nasrallah, well, that's
not our business to ask about or interfere in. That's up to the supreme leader.
If Iran strikes back, it would be the first time since the Gaza war erupted that Iran steps out from behind its allies and proxies and attacks Israel
directly.
For months, Hezbollah, closely aligned with Iran, has been trading fire across the border with Israel. An Iranian strike on Israel would circumvent
the middle militia.
In Tehran, Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, paid final respects to the Iranians killed in Damascus. He has vowed revenge.
[18:15:00]
Tens of thousands paraded Friday through the Iranian capital for Jerusalem Day. It's an annual event where the chants and symbols are predictable, as
Israel and Iran risk careening from strike to counter-strike to full-blown confrontation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Ben Wedeman there. Now, President Biden says he hopes the full channel into the Port of Baltimore will reopen in May. He received an
aerial tour of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge upon his arrival in the city. Biden then participated in a briefing on the response efforts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Calling on every company at and around the port to do the same thing, the same exact thing, commit to stay. And the
customers who use this port, we're coming back. We're coming back soon. Folks, finally, we're going to move heaven and earth to rebuild this bridge
as rapidly as humanly possible. And we're going to do so with union, labor and American steel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: And Kayla Tausche joins us now. Kayla, it was a presidential show of support for the people there and sympathy for those that had lost
loved ones. What was the response from citizens there to the president's visit?
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was a welcome visit, and it's one that's been in the works for several days since the
bridge collapsed early last week. President Biden today extending his condolences to the families of the six workers who were killed when the
bridge collapsed, but also vowing his support for the 20,000 workers whose jobs rely on the business at this port.
He said those jobs are going to stay in place, and he vowed to make the company who owned the container ship that collided with the bridge pay.
Here's the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: My administration is committed, absolutely committed, to ensuring that the parties responsible for this tragedy pay to repair the damage and
be held accountable the fullest extent the law will allow.
But I also want to be clear, we will support Maryland and Baltimore every step of the way to help you rebuild and maintain all the business and
commerce.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAUSCHE: Biden calling on companies like Amazon, (INAUDIBLE), and Domino Sugar that do might a bit of business out of this port to keep those jobs
in place even if they have to temporarily move the operations elsewhere to get goods in and out of a different port.
Certainly, the Army Corps of Engineers, as you mentioned, has estimated that the full channel, the full port will be back open by the end of May,
it's an ambitious timeline, but it would be a critical development for a part of the eastern seaboard that itself is critical to interstate commerce
into the economy of the entire country here.
During a briefing with local officials, President Biden was told by some of those officials that the goods coming into the port here end up in some 27
states. But the first priority, Julia, is removing the wreckage. These officials said that there is so much steel resting on the vessel that is
still here in the Patapsco River. They have 12 cranes, they have 50 divers, and they're going to work on trying to clear the waterway so that this
region can get back to business. Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, getting that clear by May feels like and will be a huge achievement if they if they manage to do it. Kayla Tausche, thank you so
much for that report and battling the wind there in Baltimore.
All right. Coming up, Wall Street traders felt the earth move under their feet in more ways than one on Friday after another strong jobs report and
an earthquake, literally. And unlike James Bond's martini, you could say they were both shaken and stirred. We'll discuss the latest economic
numbers and why immigration may be helping juice the jobs market.
Plus, Friday's earthquake eclipsing talk of next week's eclipse for a few hours at least. The latest eclipse weather forecast just ahead and where
crowds will see clouds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
CHATTERLEY: And welcome back to FIRST MOVE. Congratulations to all our viewers in Asia, you've made it to the weekend. And TGIF to everyone
watching us in the United States, U.K., and Latin America, we're almost there.
Now, an earth-rattling day on Wall Street topping today's "Money Move." Investors rocked not only by Friday's East Coast earthquake, but also by a
seismically strong U.S. jobs report that could add to some of the timing challenges for future Fed rate cuts.
The U.S. added over 300,000 jobs net in March. That was around a third more than expected and with robust gains in sectors like healthcare, government,
and hospitality. The unemployment rate also ticked lower. It's now been below 4 percent for 26 straight months.
One Fed governor now saying the Central Bank might have to raise rates if inflation doesn't improve. U.S. investors seemingly focused on the
positives, however, with all the major averages finishing Friday solidly higher, or maybe they just sold enough this week. Remember, it was still
the worst week on Wall Street so far this year.
Joining us now to discuss economist, Jesse Wheeler. Jesse, happy Friday and a happy Friday looking at this jobs report, bumper gains, and we aren't
seeing excessive upward pressure on wages either in this report.
JESSE WHEELER, ECONOMIST: Yes, absolutely. And happy Friday to you as well. Yes, as you just highlighted there, this really was just a stellar
jobs report all around. It showed a U.S. economy that continues to prove its resiliency, adding hundreds of thousands of jobs every month.
And the question really is, here, whether or not the economy is really overheated, you know, still overheated at this point. And in the
environment where, you know, sometimes that good economic news is bad news in the sense that means the Federal Reserve might, you know, tighten
monetary policy or keeps rates elevated longer, I think it's important to highlight here that there was also plenty in this report for policymakers
worried about inflation to be happy about too.
There's a lot in this report that showed that the U.S. labor market, you know, can still keep adding jobs and do it in a more sustainable fashion
without necessarily adding to those inflationary pressures.
CHATTERLEY: I mean, my ears picked up immediately when you use the word overheated. So, you don't think this is a sign of overheating because, as
you said, actually, it seems that the economy can continue to add new jobs or net new jobs, but without seeing perhaps that pressure on wages that
would then add to inflation, because this is the key.
WHEELER: Not necessarily. So, that headline figure -- yes, not necessarily. So, that headline figure, you know, was, you know, an eye-
popping figure. You know, beat out expectations and means we continue to just add, you know, hundreds of thousands of jobs.
However, I think it's important to look here at the supply side of the equation in the labor market which Chairman Powell has really alluded to in
his recent remarks. And what we're seeing is that the labor force continues to add a lot of new workers.
[18:25:00]
So, while we're adding a lot of jobs, we're also adding enough workers to meet that additional demand. You know, we've been adding, you know, close
to 250,000 jobs for the last six months. However, unemployment rate has hardly moved. And we continue to see wage growth slow over time. And I
think all of those will be very welcome signs for policymakers at the Fed.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, at a time when immigration and migration is a political hot topic in the United States, it's a good story about the benefits of
perhaps immigration getting more and more people to work, keeping the economy going and without seeing, to the bigger point here, upward bridge
pressure that perhaps would cause consternation.
However, there has been an adjustment in the bond markets, with investors perhaps suggesting that it takes until September to stack up enough sort of
potential for a rate cut. Where are you lying at this moment, Jesse, in terms of when you think the Federal Reserve perhaps will be able to cut
rates? And how much do you think -- I know we're going to be data dependent for a while, but how much do you think they can cut this year based on what
you're seeing today?
WHEELER: Yes, we -- the market continues to push out its expectations for, you know, when those rate cuts are going to start and how many we're going
to see this year.
Looking at Fed funds futures, I think we're a 50/50 shot for June and a 50/50 shot that it's, you know, two or three this year. And yes, we saw
yields really shoot up today with this jobs report, even though the stock market, you know, was much more positive on this as you would expect.
Right now, I'd say that, you know, thinking about what Powell said about the supply side, where like job growth itself doesn't necessarily mean, you
know, preclude a job cut as soon as, you know, June or July, I'd say that there's still, you know, a strong possibility that it does this, but it's
really going to be data dependent. It's really going to depend on these incoming inflation prints, especially that first one coming in as soon as
next Wednesday.
So, we're going to really need to see, you know, core inflation come down, and that's going to be really dependent on, you know, seeing the housing
segment come down as well. You know, at the same time, we're seeing, you know, gasoline prices and energy prices start to pick up a little bit.
So, there's a lot to concern here, and it really depends on, you know, whether inflation continues to come down, because if it remains elevated,
those rates are going to remain higher for longer.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and I like your point about investors as well. Today, they chose to see the good news in this report, having had sort of a minor
freak out earlier in the week, and obviously stocks overall on the week losing ground. Great to chat to you, sir. Thank you so much. Economist
Jesse Wheeler there.
Now, an aftershock of preliminary magnitude 4.0 has just struck New Jersey. There have been at least 10 aftershocks so far following a rare magnitude
4.8 quake that rattled parts of the northeast United States earlier today, Friday. The epicenter was in Northern New Jersey, less than 50 miles west
of Manhattan. It was the strongest earthquake in New Jersey for more than 240 years.
Now, on a lighter note, take a look at this post on X, which says this is the fastest merch turnaround I've ever seen in my life. My initial thought
was that it may have been A.I.-generated, we'll see. We survived the NYC earthquake. Anyway, Polo Sandoval has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A typical morning in Middlesex, New Jersey, suddenly interrupted by a rare earthquake that
rocked much of the Eastern U.S. on Friday.
A second angle captured the rattling of the walls, violent enough to knock items to the ground. It's one of many videos shared online capturing
stunned and scared residents during and after a 4.8 magnitude quake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this an earthquake? Yo, my house is shaking.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): The epicenter was some 50 miles west of New York City in Northern New Jersey, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which
estimates at least 23 million people felt some degree of shaking from D.C. to New England. Ned Tanner was working at a Manhattan high rise.
NED TANNER, FELT EARTHQUAKE IN NEW YORK: My chair started kind of bouncing a little bit, and as soon as I looked around, I immediately realized that I
wasn't alone. Everybody else in the building definitely felt something. So, it was a feeling I haven't experienced before. It was quite interesting,
and yes, it was a little unnerving.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): The New Jersey quake is the largest to strike that state in over 240 years, according to the USGS. In New York City, a
Security Council meeting on the war in the Middle East forced to pause as the U.N. Manhattan headquarters shook.
[18:30:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was that an earthquake?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you're making the ground shake.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): Critical infrastructure like bridges and the transit system fared well. Many built to withstand seismic events stronger
than Friday's, assured city officials.
MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D-NY): We do not have any reports of major impacts to our infrastructure or injuries. But of course, we're still assessing the
situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Chad Myers is at the World Weather Center for us now. Chad, it's fair to say friends in California are laughing at New Yorkers, I
think, given our response today, but this is unusual. I defend this in that sense.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is unusual.
CHATTERLEY: Yes.
MYERS: It is unusual. Now, North -- New Jersey became a state in 1787. There has not been an earthquake this large since then. Before that, yes,
there was a couple there in the 5.1, 5.5 range, something like that. But this was on a very old font. The front itself or the fault itself is a
significant fault line 280 million years ago, but this is very old.
The Appalachian Mountains are very, very old compared to the Rockies, where these are new faults. And so. these are the ones that really shake and they
shake hard because they're clashing together in a subduction zone out there. But there are still faults along the Appalachian Trail. And so, yes,
that can happen. And we probably will even see maybe another or a series of other more earthquake aftershocks.
Even looking at this, this is the map for 30 days of magnitudes 4.0 to 5.0 across the globe. There are 765 other earthquakes that were about this
strong that happened and received no press whatsoever. And if you take a look at the Taiwan quake, it was nearly 800 to 1,000 times stronger than
what they saw here, because this is not a 4, 5, 6. This is a logarithmic scale as we go higher and higher into the magnitude zone. And if you get
over seven, that is a very strong quake. This was in the 4.8 range.
So, yes, 7,000 people felt some strong shaking, 171,000 people logged into USGS and said, yes, I felt it. So, it was a moderate quake at 4.8, not big,
but it was very shallow. And so, this was a jolt kind of shake. When you saw the pictures, it wasn't the rolling, oh, look, I'm in bed, my -- or my
pool is sloshing. No, this was bang. This was a P-wave, like a -- the primary wave and not that secondary wave that goes off like this out in the
west and all along that ring of fire out there.
So, yes, seismic waves go farther in the east than in the west. There are so many faults out in the west that it attenuates and doesn't go as far. In
the east, there are fewer and there are harder surfaces. So, these not attenuating as much as you get out in the west. Probably another couple
aftershocks, maybe even approaching three, 3.8, that's not out of the question. I think now, though, after the 4.8, didn't see any significant
damage and no major injuries, I think a 4-0 would be OK.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I mean, that --
MYERS: It's just a little nerve wracking.
CHATTERLEY: -- perspective, though, 800 to 1,000 times smaller than what Taiwan just went through.
MYERS: That's exactly right.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. That's the figure. Chad, happy Friday. Thank you so much.
MYERS: You too.
CHATTERLEY: Chad Myers there.
Next, the nation decides. We head to Mexico to look at some of the big issues voters are facing ahead of June's general election.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to FIRST MOVE.
And a look at more of the international headlines this hour. Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks targeting Russian military airfields in
what appears to be one of Kyiv's biggest air attacks of the war. A Ukrainian source says the strike successfully destroyed fighter jets and
killed a number of Russian service members. Russia, meanwhile, launched its own strikes against the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least
three people and injuring 19.
Taiwan has begun recovery and demolition following Wednesday's 7.4 magnitude earthquake. 10 people were killed, while nearly 700 people still
remain stranded. Search and rescue operations are set to resume Saturday after being suspended due to poor weather conditions.
Taiwan's semiconductor reiterating its full-year earnings guidance Friday, easing fears in the global chip community that the quake might impact
supply. The world's largest chipmaker says production has largely recovered after some initial disruptions. A.I. chip giant Nvidia also saying it
doesn't expect any supply impact from the quake either.
OK. Let's turn to Mexico now in a shocking outbreak of violence in the run- up to the country's general election. Bertha Gisela Gaytan, a mayoral local candidate for the city of Celaya, was shot and killed while campaigning
earlier this week. A second local candidate, Adrian Guerrero, has also thought to have been killed in the same attack, but was then later found
alive. Political violence often surges around election season in Mexico, with this year's contest set for June 2nd.
Now, as well as issues around public safety, other key topics ahead of the vote include migration, relations with the United States, and the prospect
of a historic female presidency. Gustavo Valdez has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: (Speaking in a foreign language).
GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): Claudia Sheinbaum wants to make history as Mexico's first female president.
SHEINBAUM: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES (voice-over): She has a comfortable lead in the polls running as the candidate of the ruling party, Morena.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES (voice-over): Her main challenger is Xochitl Galvez, who represents a coalition of opposition parties. Jorge Alvarez Maynez, a former
congressman, is in a distant third place. Whoever wins the June election will shape the future of the Mexico-U.S. relationship.
DUNCAN WOOD, MEXICAN INSTITUTE, WILSON CENTER: There is no bilateral relationship in the world that matters more to the lives of Americans than
the relationship with Mexico.
VALDES (voice-over): Duncan Wood is senior advisor of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington. He says it's not surprising that
border-related issues, like, trade and drug trafficking are key, with migration being top of the list.
WOOD: Making sure that Mexico continues to be a good partner on migration will be very, very important and absolute priority.
SHEINBAUM: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES (voice-over): Claudia Sheinbaum makes no secret that she would continue the leftist, nationalist, populist policies of current President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
SHEINBAUM: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES (voice-over): Favoring coordination over subordination. But Wood says Mexico's cooperation with the United States has not been the best in
recent years.
WOOD: U.S. government officials feel as though there has been an under- investment in the relationship by the Mexican government over the past six years.
[18:40:00]
XOCHITL GALVEZ, MEXICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES (voice-over): Xochitl Galvez believed that the Mexican president has used migration to blackmail the United States, threatening to
facilitate the transit of migrants who wants to get to the states whenever American officials say or do something he doesn't like. She vows to engage
in meaningful negotiations with the White House.
WOOD: We're looking at a much more open approach to bilateral relations, a return to a more institutional approach.
VALDES: Also in play, the future relationship of Mexico with China as Beijing continues to increase its investments in Latin America.
WOOD: And it offers an opportunity for Mexico, perhaps, to diversify a little bit away from the United States. It presents a risk, perhaps, to
Washington as well, and it's being observed very closely here.
VALDES (voice-over): But Mexican voters are not the only ones who will decide the future of the binational relationship. Whoever wins the November
elections in the United States and his personal relationship with the next Mexican president will be also a big factor.
Jorge Martinez, professor of economics at Monterrey Technical Institute says that one thing is perception and another reality. He says perception
is that Trump would have a more adversary relationship with Mexico given his rhetoric, but he managed to negotiate a new trade agreement with Mexico
and Canada. In the end, the tone of the binational relationship might be defined by the personalities of the next presidents.
Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: And our thanks for that report. We'll be back after this. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to FIRST MOVE.
The total solar eclipse over North America is just days away and eclipse mania is well underway. Millions of people are gearing up across Mexico,
the United States and Canada to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon. It will be the last one in the United States until 2044. That's why we're making
such a big deal of it.
And local governments across the eclipse zone are making preparations too for their residents and for the influx of visitors they're expecting. The
eclipse will be experience by people in 13 U.S. states assuming that bad weather, of course, doesn't get in the way.
Kristin Fisher has more on the building excitement.
[18:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. HAKEEM OLUSEYI, ASTROPHYSICIST: It's the most amazing terrestrial thing I've ever seen.
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi is one of the diehards, an eclipse hunter and astrophysicist
who's hoping to see his sixth total solar eclipse on Monday.
FISHER: What makes an eclipse so special?
DR. OLUSEYI: Yes. You don't have to ask that question if you see it, right? It's -- you know, it's like bringing space and the cosmos to your
lap. This is when you know, hey, I live in a solar system that's in a galaxy. It's surreal.
FISHER (voice-over): A total solar eclipse happens when the moon moves in between the sun and the earth, aligning so perfectly that it completely
blocks the face of the sun.
DR. OLUSEYI: And now, the corona, which is a billion times dimmer, becomes visible. It just appears.
FISHER: This is the moment of totality?
DR. OLUSEYI: This is the moment of totality. Totality this time is a long totality. It's about twice as long as the 2017 total solar eclipse.
FISHER: Oh, wow.
DR. OLUSEYI: This is a four-minute totality, that is --
FISHER (voice-over): Nearly 32 million people in the United States, from Texas to Maine, live within the path of totality. Millions more will be
traveling to get there, and roughly 450 couples will be getting married during totality. At two mass wedding events, "Elope at the Eclipse" in
Arkansas and Ohio.
JENNY HARRIS, GETTING MARRIED DURING ECLIPSE IN ARKANSAS: We wanted to -- like, again, we wanted to do something unique, but we didn't necessarily
need to be up front and center. And it's something that will bond everyone who does it that day together forever.
FISHER: What is it about an eclipse that makes it kind of romantic?
CARLOTTA COX, GETTING MARRIED DURING THE ECLIPSE IN OHIO: There's, like, a story about the sun and the moon, and they fell in love, and then when they
finally kissed, that's when the solar eclipse happened.
FISHER (voice-over): A cosmic kiss. It's similar to what the Navajo people have believed for centuries.
EVELYN BAHE, NAVAJO NATION DEPARTMENT OF DINE EDUCATION: That it's a time of, you know, intimate relation between sun and the moon. This is the time
when you don't look at them, too, you know, having an intimate relation, so -- but --
FISHER: You want to give them the moon and the sun some privacy?
BAHE: Yes, to give them time for privacy.
FISHER (voice-over): Looking directly at the eclipse, like President Trump famously did back in 2017, is not safe without protective glasses. But the
Navajo people won't even look at it with glasses.
BAHE: During the eclipse, we have to get back into our dwelling, close the curtains, make it really quiet.
FISHER (voice-over): It's a sign of respect, a way of honoring a sacred alignment between the sun and the moon. And it's something that's been
captivating humans for as long as we've been alive.
DR. OLUSEYI: Not so much what you see, which is amazing, but it's also what you feel. The first time -- I'm telling you, you feel it when you see
this. It is not a -- it is not any experience you've ever had.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: He's making me feel it. Join us on Monday for complete coverage of the solar eclipse. We'll track it as it travels from Mexico
through the eastern U.S. and into Canada with a healthy dose of both science and excitement along the way. Our special coverage starts at 12:00
p.m. eastern and that's 5:00 p.m. in London.
Now, coming up. For a huge night for women's basketball here in the United States and superstar Caitlin Clark is in the spotlight once again. That's
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to FIRST MOVE.
Now, at most museums, touching the artwork is a taboo. Well, at Mercer Labs in downtown Manhattan, it's actually encouraged. The Immersive Art Museum
is Roy Nachum's latest work. You might know him as the artist behind the cover of Rihanna's "Anti" album. He says that at Mercer Labs, the visitors
are all part of the art. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROY NACHUM, ARTIST AND FOUNDER, MERCER LABS: We redesigned this place 50 times till we find the right layout and the right energy and the right
message behind every step and everywhere you go in the space.
MICHAEL CAYRE, FOUNDER, MERCER LABS: Each room touches your sense in a different way. The whole goal is for people to really walk through,
experience those things, the sight, the smell, the touch, the feel.
NACHUM: The main hall, we have 26 projectors. So, this room can be transformed to anything we want. You can see a film in 360. You can
experience sound in a completely new way. Coming in, you are part of the installation. You are part of the art by walking in the space. I try to
create a space that you're standing there and you don't know where is the ceiling -- you know, where is the sky and where is the floor.
We encourage people to come and touch the work and experience everything. You can touch everything. It's -- that's the difference between what we are
doing right here and other museums as well. I feel like today people need a little escape. I try to do something that can give hope.
CAYRE: Roy has about 50,000 pieces of content that he hasn't released yet, so I think he has enough to keep his place exciting for the next thousand
years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: And it's Caitlin Clark o'clock. Yes, time to discuss America's basketball sensation once more. The University of Iowa is set to face the
University of Connecticut in the semi-finals of the College Basketball Tournament in a few hours here in the U.S. Over 12 million people watched
her incredible performance on Monday, according to ESPN, and that's more viewers than the average MLB World Series, baseball, by the way, or an NBA
final last season and that's men's basketball.
I'm just translating. Coy Wire joins us now and he's at the men's final four in Arizona. Coy, that's a disaster of monumentous proportions. You're
in the wrong place. But I'm sure there's a lot of excitement there about the women as well as the men.
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: I am having a great time here. And as you mentioned, though, it's almost Caitlin o'clock. I love that. Listen, she is
like the Taylor Swift of college basketball. She's packed arenas, home and away all season long. She has shattered records, inspired the next
generation of kids. She's one of the best three-point shooters we've ever seen, women or men. But she knows, Julia, that her journey is about so much
more than just her. Here's what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAITLIN CLARK, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA GUARD: This is exactly what we wanted for women's basketball. But also, I feel like, you know, it could have been
a thing a long time ago. There's been so many amazing stars in our game and there's been so many amazing people to support our game. It doesn't get old
seeing so many people talk about women's basketball. Like for me, I think that's the greatest thing. And I know it will only continue to grow more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: All right. Caitlin will chase that elusive first national title for her. And she's going to have to do that through the iconic UConn program.
They have Paige Bueckers also known as Paige Buckets, it's going to be a heavyweight clash and incredible game to see. So, after this hit, I'm going
to go catch that, Julia.
But listen, on the men's side, you have UConn versus Alabama. Alabama has never been to a final four before. UConn is looking to become the first
team to repeat as champs in 17 years. And in the other match-up is two teams overcoming a lot of out of adversity to get here. Purdue became just
the second team ever last year to lose in the first round as a one seed. But now they are back. I asked their Coach Matt Painter how that has helped
the mental make-up of this year's team. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT PAINTER, PURDUE HEAD COACH: It's difficult. You got to sit in it. You know, anytime you have that kind of adversity, you want to turn around and
play a game three days later. You don't want to wait seven months to play a game, but you also want the NCAA tournament to start in November.
[18:55:00]
You know, you don't want to now go five months of playing to get to this point. So, we've had to wait a long time. We've had to wait a full year,
but we've also got ourselves back in there as a one seed again, and then obviously we played better. So, there's a little bit of relief there.
There's no question about that. You have a little bit of relief, but we've stayed process-based, and we've stayed strong to our convictions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: All right, we'll see if Purdue can continue their run against NC State, who's on again, their miracle run. But enough about the men, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes.
WIRE: It's almost Caitlin o'clock. We've got to catch that Iowa game. We've got to catch that going against UConn. You know, UConn's coach of the
women's team, he's compared this Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers match-up to the 1979 title game between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. That's how big
this is. They're going to shatter viewership records yet again, that's what I feel.
CHATTERLEY: And I'm going to be one of them. I love watching her, and all of them actually. There are some incredibly powerful women out there. It's
very exciting. Caitlin Clark o'clock. Yay. Coy Wire, great to have you with us there. Thank you so much and enjoy the games.
And that just about wraps up the show. Thank you for joining us. Have a great weekend. We'll see you next week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
