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Isa Soares Tonight
Aid Ship to Arrive Soon in Gaza; IDF Aiming to Move 1.4 Million Displaced People from Rafah; Trump in Court in Florida; Trump Trying to Get Docs Case Dismissed; Judge Expected to Eule on Willis Disqualification; Three Days of Voting Underway in Russia; Putin Expected to Get his Fifth Term; Vice President Harris Campaigning in Minnesota; Concerns Over Potential Exodus of Migrants from Haiti; White House Considering Using Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as for Possible Migrant Surge; CNN Partners with People Around the Globe for My Freedom Day; Student-Led Action Against Modern-Day Slavery; Israelis Protesting Netanyahu's Administration in Large Numbers; War in Gaza; Soon: Relief Ship Scheduled to Arrive in Gaza; To Enable Marine Assistance Supplies, U.S. Construct Floating Pier; Humanitarian Assistance Being Airdropped Into Gaza by Various Nations; Israeli Attack in Gaza Wounded an American Woman; White House Considering Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as Temporary Solution Over Potential Exodus; Students Worldwide Protest Against Child Labor; Planned Parenthood Clinic in Minnesota Visited by VP Harris; Book by Former CNN Anchor Addresses Search for Identity. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired March 14, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone. I'm Isa Soares.
Tonight, as famine spreads through Gaza, the first ship loaded with food could arrive as soon as this very hour. We are tracking its progress, and
of course, we will keep you updated.
Plus, Donald Trump is back in court in Florida, where he's trying to get the classified documents case against him dismissed.
And then later, CNN partners with young people all around the globe for My Freedom Day, a day of student-led action against modern-day slavery and
bonded labor. We'll be speaking to some activists, in fact, later in the show.
But first tonight, the first ship loaded with desperately needed aid is due to reach Gaza shore soon, perhaps even during this hour here with you.
The European Union's humanitarian aid chief today warned that Gaza is already experiencing pockets of famine. Of course, this can come soon
enough. The ship is carrying 200 tons of food from a port in Cyprus. A charity, World Central Kitchen, plans to distribute the meals. And it
posted these images of the jetty where the ship is expected to dock, telling CNN it was built from the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli
strikes.
Israel, meantime, is giving more details about its planned ground offensive in Rafah. It says it intends to move 1.4 million displaced Palestinians to
"humanitarian enclaves" inside Gaza before the attack begins.
Today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear, it's a question of if, but when. Have a listen,
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I will continue to push away the pressures. We will enter Rafah. We will complete
the elimination of the rest of Hamas' battalions. We will restore security. And we will bring total victory for the people of Israel and the State of
Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: I want to bring in Jeremy Diamond for more. He's in Jerusalem for us this hour. And Jeremy, this aid is, as we said, desperately needed. But
it's also, as we heard from many NGOs here on the show, just a drop in the ocean of the urgent needs right now. So, talk to the size of this aid and
how exactly it will be distributed.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there's no question that it is a drop in the ocean compared to the overall need, but it is certainly a
significant effort, and it is more significance than some of the airdrops that we have seen in terms of the amount of aid that is being delivered in
one go here.
We're talking about 200 tons of food. That's over 500,000 meals, according to the World Central Kitchen, and they've constructed a jetty that is
nearly 60 meters long, stretching into the sea in order to receive this aid. They've got many volunteers, contractors on the ground who are set to
help distribute this, but there's no question that there are major questions about exactly how this aid will be distributed and whether it can
be distributed safely.
We have seen in the past, of course, as these convoys, as these airdrops have been swarmed by desperate and hungry Palestinians, sometimes,
resulting in deaths as well and violence. The Israeli military has opened fire near some of these convoys in the past. There have been stampede
incidents, trampling, et cetera. So, there are significant security considerations about how this aid can actually be delivered.
Now, in terms of the amount of aid, the World Central Kitchen says they're currently prepping another ship in Cyprus that is being checked and loaded
as we speak, containing 300 tons of aid. So, even as this ship is set to arrive, perhaps as early as tonight in Gaza, another one will quickly be on
the way as well.
SOARES: And Jeremy, in the meantime, we have heard, and you and I have spoken about this previously, Netanyahu vowing that a ground incursion into
Rafah is going to happen. It may not be imminent, but it will happen. And now, we are hearing more details from the Israeli military saying that
Gazans will be moved from Rafah, I should say, to what they're calling humanitarian enclaves. What exactly does that mean?
DIAMOND: Well, there's not a ton of detail, but certainly it is more than what they've said in the past. So, we'll take that at least to start. These
humanitarian enclaves, they say, will provide food, water, shelter, field hospitals for displaced Palestinians who will be evacuated from the City of
Rafah ahead of an anticipated Israeli military offensive.
[14:05:00]
The Israeli military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, saying that it will be constructed a with the assistance of international partners, although he
didn't say which countries exactly. And there are still major questions about the feasibility of moving an estimated 1.5 million people who are
currently living in Rafah ahead of an anticipated military offensive.
I've been told that it will take at least two weeks to carry out that evacuation. And so far, we haven't seen any evacuation orders going out,
nor have we seen any evidence that the Israeli military -- that the Israeli war cabinet, rather, has actually approved plans for an evacuation. And of
course, the United States has been levying significant pressure on Israel about the feasibility of this evacuation and on ensuring that it actually
takes place before any kind of offensive is actually carried out.
So, still some significant questions, some details that need to be filled in as we look ahead to the possibility of that offensive moving forward.
SOARES: And speaking of the U.S. pressure, we heard today, in the last few hours, in fact, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for new
elections in Israel, but he also said that Netanyahu has lost his way. I want to play that, and I want to play some sound from the U.S. Republican -
- Senate Republican Mitch McConnell. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is needed is the only way to allow for a healthy and open
decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their
government.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: It is grotesque and hypocritical for Americans who hyperventilate about foreign interference in
our own democracy to call for the removal of a democratically elected leader of Israel. This is unprecedented. We should not treat fellow
democracies this way at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, Jeremy, how have Chuck Schumer's, words there and rhetoric being received where you are?
DIAMOND: Well, there's no question that these are remarkable remarks from a senior American political leader to be weighing in in this way in another
country's domestic politics, to be calling outright for new elections that, if they were held today, would likely see the current Israeli prime
minister voted out of his prime ministership. It's extremely, extremely significant.
And I have no doubt that the Israeli prime minister will at some point, want to respond to that. He has already, of course, been coming under
increasing pressure from the White House over the conduct of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, and this will only further ratchet up those
tensions between Washington and Jerusalem.
Now, in terms of what effect it will have, that remains to be seen. But I would note that it comes a week after Benny Gantz, a member of the war
cabinet who is also Benjamin Netanyahu's chief political rival, the man who would likely be elected prime minister if elections were held today, just
was in Washington last week, met with Chuck Schumer, met with the White House. And so, I think the timing here is certainly very, very interesting.
We'll see what kind of impact it actually has here.
SOARES: Yes, such important context there. Jeremy, appreciate it as always. Thank you very much.
Well, health officials and eyewitnesses are reporting a new attack on people waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza City. They say at least seven
Palestinians were killed and 86 injured after Israeli troops opened fire on crowds desperate for food.
Gaza's government media offices, hundreds have been killed in similar incidents since the war began. We are also learning more about a deadly
Israeli strike on a food distribution site in Rafah run by the U.N. Relief Agency for Palestinian refugees. Israel says it targeted and killed a Hamas
commander there. Four other people reportedly killed as well, including one UNRWA staff. We'll stay across all those developing lines for you.
Well, it's a big day in a big week for Donald Trump. Right now, the Republican nominee is in a Florida courtroom where judge is hearing
arguments about whether to dismiss the classified documents case against him.
Trump's attorneys claim the former president had the authority to keep the documents at his estate. Trump is being charged with 37 felonies in the
criminal indictment, including willful retention of classified documents, obstruction of justice, as well as making false statements.
Trump's team is also watching for a decision that could come any moment from the judge in the Georgia election interference case. Judge Scott
McAfee is deciding whether District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified. Defense attorneys argue Willis financially benefited from her
romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired.
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The judge has promised to rule on Willis' fate before the end of the week. Let's get more on this. CNN's Kristen Holmes joins me now. And Kristen,
this is a critical hearing here for Former President Trump. What has been unfolding? Give us a sense of what's been happening inside the courtroom.
What have we been hearing?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, essentially, they're trying to get the case thrown out, which is no surprise here. I
don't believe that anyone on Trump's team actually believes that the case will be thrown out. But as we know, Donald Trump's lawyers have tried to
exhaust every opportunity that they possibly have to delay these trials as long as possible.
So, this hearing is two-part. One, Trump's team, as I said, wants to throw out the case on the basis that the relevant laws are unconstitutionally
vague. The other part of this is that they're basically claiming that Donald Trump, and we've heard him say this before, was able to declassify
these documents or make them his personal documents when he left the White House and took them to Mar-a-Lago.
Well, we've seen the judge, Aileen Cannon, be rather skeptical about both of these claims. One, on the unconstitutionally vague claim, but the other
particularly on this claim that essentially Donald Trump could have declassified them and not, and then we see the prosecutors pointing out
this tape, this recording that we've reported on before from Bedminster, when Donald Trump said that he brought out documents and said, you know, I
could have declassified these when I left office, obviously, indicating there that he knew that he hadn't declassified them and he knew that he
should have if he was going to declassify them.
But really, when you break down what's going on here is that Donald Trump's team is hoping for another delay. Their whole goal in all of this is to
push these trials past the November election with the hope that Donald Trump will win in November and then can dismiss all of these cases and
won't go to trial for any of them.
SOARES: And I think it's important to point out, Kristen, that he doesn't -- Candidate Trump, doesn't need to be in court. So, how much of this is
him campaigning? Is this for his base? Is he doing for his base? Talk to that.
HOLMES: It's partly because of his base. But you have to remember something, this case is a little bit different than some of the others that
we've seen, because Donald Trump is not being seen. There's no camera, there's no microphone, he's not giving remarks afterwards, he's not
throwing a party or, you know, bringing around his base like he normally does in some of these different various cases.
This is pretty much under the radar. He's going, he's going to be in court, no cameras, he's leaving, going back home to Mar-a-Lago. I am told that
part of this is because he wants to participate in his own defense. He has said that he wants to defend his name.
The other part of this is that I'm told he wants to essentially show to the judge that he is a willing participant in his own defense, and that's going
to continue when he faces trial at the end of the month in New York. I am told that even though, yes, it is a criminal trial, he is expected to be
there every day of the trial, that he also wants to be there for some of those procedural days early on, like jury selection, to show the jury that
he is a willing participant in his own defense.
So, now, we're at the point where they'll have to really navigate how to run a general election campaign and not as easy as they had it in the
primary, where he was leading in every state by these huge margins. They know that a rematch against President Joe Biden is going to be incredibly
tight. So, they are trying to already build out their messaging and infrastructure in these battleground states.
But you have a former president who is running, but it's going to be tied up in court most of the week for several weeks of a general election
campaign. So, that's what his campaign is working on now. How do we navigate that? Now, in that case. You are going to see him go to the
cameras. That are cameras set up outside. We expect that. There are no cameras in the courtroom, but any opportunity he gets in that case, we
expect him to take. ' SOARES: Kristen, really appreciate it. Thank you very much.
And jury deliberations are ongoing and going on, in fact, right now in the trial of James Crumbley and we could get a verdict, in fact, at any moment.
The father of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter. In 2021, Ethan killed four students and
injured seven others. Prosecutors argue James Crumbley did not properly secure the firearm which he bought for Ethan just days before the attack.
If convicted, James Crumbley could spend up to 15 years in prison.
His wife, if you remember, Jennifer, has already been convicted on manslaughter charges after their son's shooting rampage. And their son,
Ethan, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. We will, of course, be keeping a close eye on today's jury deliberations. As soon as there are
any developments, of course, we will bring it to you.
Well, three days of voting are just getting underway in Russia's presidential election, and it seems the outcome, well, it's clear,
President Vladimir Putin will get his fifth term in office. As CNN's Matthew Charles reports most opposition candidates are either dead, jailed,
exiled, barred from running, or simply token figures.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In some areas like annexed parts of Ukraine, voting in this Russian election
has already begun, and the outcome, say, observers is inevitable.
[14:15:00]
I'm just happy Russia has accepted us, says this woman in Donetsk. And I love everyone who votes for Putin, she says.
The Kremlin leader has barely campaigned for his fifth term in what observers say is the most vacuous empty Russian election in memory.
Putin's campaign ads simply ask voters who they trust. 86 percent according to latest opinion polls say it's him.
The Kremlin's crackdown down on dissent, makes a mockery of public surveys.
The sudden death in jail last month of Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin's most prominent critic, has left the Russian opposition even deeper in despair.
And with no one, they feel they can support.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe if Alexei will in the election, I will vote for him, but not for anybody now.
CHANCE: So, if Alexei Navalny was on the ballot, you would have voted for him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes. Of course, of course.
CHANCE: But now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But now. Maybe I'll write this name.
CHANCE (voice-over): Of course, officially, there's a choice, like voting for the candidate Nikolai Kharitonov (ph) and his vision which few Russians
share for a return to a glorious socialist past.
So, we've all played the game of capitalism, he says, and now that's enough.
Leonard Slutsky was once at the center of sexual harassment allegations. He denied any wrongdoing, later apologizing for the stress he may have caused.
But he's now a presidential candidate and extremely reluctant to criticize the man currently in power.
CHANCE: Do you think you would be a better president than Putin? A better president than Vladimir Putin?
LEONID SLUTSKY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER: This is a decision of our population.
CHANCE: What do you think? You're standing against him? You don't think you're going to be better? Why would you stand against him?
SLUTSKY: For me, now, if you are leader of political party, it's necessary to check, to participate in election.
CHANCE (voice-over): And participation without criticism of Putin is what this entire Russian election is all about. Independent election observers
describe Vladislav Davankov, the Loki final candidate, as trying not to attract undue attention, focusing on internal problems and development
tasks.
And against the backdrop of a costly war in Ukraine, which Russia calls its special military operation, neither the Kremlin nor the candidates allowed
to stand in this presidential election seem interested in genuine debate.
Criticism in Russian politics it seems has become a thing of the past.
Matthew Chance, CNN Moscow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, the U.S. vice president is campaigning today in Minnesota. The location she chose, making a clear point about
reproductive rights. We'll have a live report on that.
And then later in the hour, we'll be back in session for the 8th annual My Freedom Day. Hear how young people are standing up to force labor both in
and out of school. Both those stories after a very short break. You are watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: And we want to bring you some pictures from Minnesota where U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is making a stop, as you can see there, at a
Planned Parenthood clinic. She's making history there.
This is the first time a sitting U.S. president or vice president is believed to have visited an abortion provider. The Biden Harris campaign
has made reproductive rights a priority. And this is the vice president's sixth stop on a nationwide fight for reproductive freedom. Senior White
House correspondent MJ Lee joins me now.
And like we said, I'm MJ, I mean, this visit right here to Planned Parenthood is pretty historic. Talk to the significance, but also the
political aspect of this.
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yea, it's incredibly significant for the reasons that you just mentioned. You don't see a
sitting president or a sitting vice president visiting an abortion provider clinic like this, and we are about to see the vice president make remarks
so that visual is incredibly striking.
As we know the White House and the Biden campaign are set on making the issue of reproductive rights a central issue in the 2024 election. We have
heard, you know, Democrats talking about the fact that they believe reproductive rights is a galvanizing and mobilizing force for voters and
that they think they can point back to the recent midterm and off year elections as proof of that. And all of this, of course, coming on the heels
of the Supreme Court here in the United States, overturning Roe v. Wade.
And if you look at some recent public survey, including a recent survey from KFF, you see that about half of registered voters say that they
believe that the 2024 election is going to have a major impact on access to abortion. So, that gives you a little bit of insight into how a lot of
people are thinking about this issue as they get ready to vote in the elections upcoming in November.
Now, as you suggested, the vice president has become a very high-profile voice and face of the administration and campaign on this issue. She
launched this Reproductive Freedoms Tour back in January, and this is her sixth stop on that tour. As she and the president are really on a travel
blitz in recent days to make sure that they are hitting up every single battleground state here in the United States in light of the president's
State of the Union remarks last week.
So, a very busy time for this campaign. And again, we are just seeing, very vividly, how much this issue of reproductive rights is one that Democrats
are banking on to help them get voters out to the polling stations come November.
SOARES: And I was noticing that Minnesota is the fifth state the vice president has visited, MJ, since the president's State of the Union
address. And I know it's been called the March -- Month of Action, but it hasn't been, I understand, without hiccups. Talk to that.
LEE: Yes, you know, this is a month that the campaign says they are trying to just showcase the infrastructure and the campaign working to get ramped
up ahead of November. You know, they are talking about opening up some 100 offices, hiring 350 additional staff across the country, launching a new ad
campaign.
But in terms of the hiccups, I mean, we're seeing pretty much every day, not just here in Washington, D.C., but as you travel with the president,
the vice president and really other White House officials, how much the anger and frustration about the Israel-Hamas war and the president's
handling of that issue is factoring in. And you can see that on vivid display.
[14:25:00]
You know, here at the White House, we can often hear, from where we are on the North Lawn, protestors protesting the issue and really calling on the
president to call for a permanent ceasefire, which of course, he hasn't done yet.
So, again, this is just one of the many ways, I think, in which we are seeing the political fallout of this war for the president. And of course,
this is one of the main reasons and one of the biggest reasons why we know the president has been so steadfast recently in calling for that temporary
ceasefire in the war. Right now, those negotiations, of course, do appear to have stalled.
SOARES: Yes. And of course, we heard Chuck Schumer's words today, very strong words today.
LEE: Yes.
SOARES: We'll see how that resonates and how it plays out. MJ Lee. Appreciate it. Thank you very much.
And still to come tonight, concerns over a potential mass exodus of migrants from crisis-ridden Haiti. We'll have more on one option, the U.S.
is considering. We'll explain what that is, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. I want to show you some pictures coming to us right now from Tel Aviv. Israelis, as you can see, they're protesting
against Netanyahu's coalition government. Reuters is reporting that they are demanding an end to the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from
compulsory military service.
And you can see large crowds gathered there. You can't hear any audio from that, but you can see just how large the crowds are.
[14:30:00]
And approximately, just for context here, but approximately 24 percent of recruitment and aged Israelis or 66,000 people or so are ultra-Orthodox.
But, you know, they are the ultra-Orthodox Jews, and I think this is important, they view religious study as fundamental to the preservation of
Judaism, and for many of those who live in Israel, that means study is just as important to Israel's defense as the military. But what we have heard in
the last week or so is one of Israel's two chief rabbis speaking to CNN, saying -- threatening, basically, that his followers will leave the country
if drafted into the military.
We have also heard from Itamar Ben-Gvir, who, as you well know, is the extremist national security minister who said, we do not believe -- and I'm
quoting him here, "We do not believe in forcing the ultra-Orthodox public to enlist and things should be done out of understanding and love." We
will, of course, monitor these pictures. We can see applause there. and of course, if there are any more developments, if it does get any larger, we
will bring that to you.
Now, a reminder of our top story. We are waiting for the arrival of an aid ship in Gaza, and it could reach the jetty, really, any time. The ship is
carrying 200 tons of food, desperately needed, of course, by people facing starvation after months of war. But aid groups warn it's no replacement for
faster and cheaper deliveries of aid by land. The United States is building a floating pier that will help bring shipments of aid into Gaza, but says
it could take two months before it's truly fully operational.
Our Nada Bashir has more now on the plight of people in Gaza as seen through the eyes of an American woman living there for years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Small, but vital pockets of peace above war torn Gaza. Yet another round of humanitarian airdrops from
international donors. Civilians on the brink of famine, desperately scramble to see what has arrived today. Yet amid each delivery, the war
continues. More homes destroyed. More people killed.
Deborah, an American woman living in Central Gaza says she has lost count of the number of wars she has lived through in the besieged strip. But this
time, she almost did not survive. An Israeli strike, she says, left her crushed in the ruins of her home for hours. Rescued and treated without
anesthesia, she now wants answers.
DEBORAH DROLL, AMERICAN CITIZEN LIVING IN GAZA: I'm not throwing bombs. I'm not shooting anyone. Why did they come and target me? I need an answer
for that. Joe Biden, I need an answer. Why are you letting them target Americans in Gaza?
BASHIR (voice-over): The English teacher says, there is nowhere safe left in Gaza. Some of her neighbors being buried as she speaks.
DROLL Yes, I could run. I could go back to America, but I would feel like it was not right to do that. I should stand beside them. I should try to
help them.
BASHIR (voice-over): A voice of solidarity with those in Gaza trying to survive the unthinkable.
Nada Bashir, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, concerns are growing over potential exodus from Haiti due to rampant gang violence, and the White House is discussing ways to respond.
One option they are considering is using Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a temporary solution. The center has been used for years to process migrants.
It is separate from where terror suspects are held.
While a lot of people may be looking to get out of Haiti, the problem remains of getting aid in. The U.N. has announced it will open an air
bridge between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, aimed at getting crisis management personnel into the country, which of course is critical.
Carlos Suarez is following the story for us from Miami. And Carlos, what are you hearing, first of all, about how the White House and plans to use
this notorious prison, this infrastructure?
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa. So, the U.S. government has, as you noted, used this naval base in Guantanamo to hold and process
migrants before the facility's proximity to Haiti really makes it easier to stop and return migrants. It's only about 200 miles off of the Haitian
coastline there. And the discussion to expand capacity really gets at the security concern as all of this unfolds.
In recent years, federal officials in South Florida, here in Miami, as well as in the Florida Keys, they have had trouble processing large numbers of
migrants. We're talking about boats with hundreds of people arriving all at once. As you can imagine, that kind of situation puts a strain on local law
enforcement, which often has to hold migrants until federal officials can take custody of them.
[14:35:00]
So far, the U.S. Coast Guard tells me they haven't seen an increase in the number of Haitian migrants since the violence broke out, trying to make it
here to the U.S. They put the number since October at about 131 Haitian migrants, Isa.
SOARES: Carlos, appreciate it. Carlos Suarez there for us in Miami. Thank you.
And still to come tonight, CNN takes you -- well, back to school, whether you like it or not. And it's for a celebration. We are live in the lecture
hall to learn how students are marking My Freedom Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And learn about what is it like to work in a sweatshop workshop every day in my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: While students around the world are teaching us valuable lessons for the eighth annual My Freedom Day, both in the classrooms and on social
media, students are speaking out on what freedom means to them. It's a student-led day of action against modern day slavery and a celebration of
freedom. This year the focus is on combating forced labor.
In the U.S. state of Georgia, students made a video debunking myths surrounding human trafficking. We'll go now to our Lynda Kinkade who has
been spending the day at the Atlanta International School. Lynda, great to see you. What have you been hearing from them -- from the students? What
have they been telling you?
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Isa. Good to be with you. About a thousand students from kindergarten to 12th grade participated, taking action for My
Freedom Day. And as you mentioned, there was a film festival, not the Sundance Film Festival, but it was pretty impressive.
And these are two students who participated. We've got Georgina and Sophia. And look at this poster they put together. This is their film. Tell us
about your film.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, our film was debunking the myth that all people who are trafficked, all victims always are trafficked by a stranger,
somebody that they don't know. And our film aimed to represent that that's not the case, because 41 percent of all trafficking victims are trafficked
by people that they do know that are their guardians or their family.
[14:40:00]
KINKADE: Exactly. And I -- we do have a short clip of that film, let's just play it for our viewers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rich and famous, that's my dream. But how do I know I'm safe traveling alone though?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't worry, I'm your uncle. You really think I would put you in danger like that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're right, I trust you. I'll fly out tomorrow. Thank you so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: So, there were half a dozen films shown and they were all judged and critiqued by people in the film industry. Just tell us how long it took
you to put this film together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It took us about a month to put the film together, including writing the script, making that production and animating it. I
think the script and the animation took the longest. The script took about two weeks to make. And the animation about a week.
KINKADE: Well, you guys did a fantastic job. Well done. Well done.
I want to go to Joanna who's the director from Freedom United. This is an organization that works globally. But here in the U.S., it helps to end
child exploitation. Just, Joanna, explain for us what your organization does here.
JOANNA EWART-JAMES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FREEDOM UNITED: We're an anti- trafficking, anti-modern slavery community of people who are all concerned about what's happening out there in the world, and we're coming together,
bringing power for change.
KINKADE: And why is it important to be here today? And how many children in the U.S. are vulnerable?
EWART-JAMES We're here today for My Freedom Day to highlight a petition that we have to stop the child labor law rollbacks. In 14 states that have
either enacted or are passing legislation that would weaken child labor law protections.
So, children are working longer hours, they're working in more dangerous conditions, and this is a real concern. We know there are about 250,000
migrant children have entered the U.S. in the last two years, and these children are particularly vulnerable.
There were really shocking cases, for example, a 16-year-old from Guatemala who was sucked into a deboning machine in a meat processing plant last
summer. And those are the kind of experiences that, if anything, we should be increasing protections and not weakening them. The Department of Labor
itself noted that there's been a 37 percent increase in child labor law violations.
So, we are calling together with our petition. We can come together as a voice to try and stop these labor law rollbacks and strengthen protections
so that the U.S. can be a safe place for children.
KINKADE: Excellent. Thanks, Joanna.
Really, really crucial work there. And good to share that message with students right across the school here at the Atlanta International School.
And speaking about child labor, we know worldwide, according to Human Rights Watch, about one in 10 children are in forced labor. You three girls
are working on a station that offers fair trade chocolate. Can you explain the petition that you're getting students to sign today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I can. So, the chocolate is actually -- chocolate industry is one of the most exploitive labor industries in the
globe. And there are 1.5 million cases of child labor exploitation on Ghana and the Ivory Coast alone. So, this petition is towards enacting a
legislation that will hold chocolate companies accountable for their supply chain.
KINKADE: And do you have any indication of how many students have signed here today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have now around 330 people who have signed the petition and we're expecting more as the hallways go by. We're hoping for
how many do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe 400 or 500.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 400 or 500 is our goal.
KINKADE: Excellent. And once they sign the petition, they get a piece of chocolate, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
KINKADE: It's a win-win. Well done. Excellent initiative.
And of course, finally, Isa, this very, very colorful display now of students throughout the school have been, as you can see, we stand hand in
hand against child labor. And these three girls are going to explain this beautiful mural.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, this hand activity that we did really signifies how we were standing together against child labor. And we did this activity
with kids of all ages, all the way from four years old to 17. And it really prompted everyone to think about the freedom that they have that other kids
in the world don't have. So --
KINKADE: And how many kids participated in this activity?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got quite a few. We did all ages, all the way from about three to 17 at AIS. So, yes, we got quite a few.
KINKADE: And finally, what does My Freedom Day mean to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me, My Freedom Day means that to let everyone have the freedom that they deserve and -- so everyone can live freely. And
it's just a great way to spread awareness on human trafficking, which is a very big issue all around the world. So, it's a really important day for
me. And I love to use this day to spread awareness.
KINKADE: Excellent. So, a lot of awareness. A lot of education. And certainly, a lot of creative activities here today, Isa, at the Atlanta
International School. For our viewers back home, just in case they don't know what the day is, what is it?
CROWD: It's My Freedom Day.
KINKADE: I'll send it back to you, Isa.
SOARES: Thank you very much, Lynda. Appreciate it. Thank you very much for that.
I want to go back to Minnesota. We were there, if you remember, about 10 minutes ago, where we saw Vice President Kamala Harris make a stop at a
planned parenthood clinic. I was speaking to MJ Lee.
[14:45:00]
She has been speaking. We listened to what she said. Have a listen to what the VP said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Risk for providing health care. So, I'm here at this health care clinic to uplift the work
that is happening in Minnesota as an example of what true leadership looks like, which is to understand. It is only right and fair that people have
access to the health care they need, and that they have access to health care in an environment where they are treated with dignity and respect.
And please do understand that when we talk about a clinic such as this, it is absolutely about healthcare and reproductive healthcare. So, everyone
get ready for the language, uterus. That part of the body needs a lot of medical care from time to time. Issues like fibroids, we can handle this.
Breast cancer screenings. Contraceptive care. That is the kind of work that happens here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: VP Kamala Harris there, making -- speaking some very honest truths.
We're going to take a short break. Be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone.
Well, many of you will recognize the name Hala Gorani from our network, and indeed from this very show. Hala, whose reporting spans decades and
continents, has chronicled her lifelong search for identity in her new book that you can see there, "But You Don't Look Arab: And Other Tales of
Unbelonging."
Well, I sat down with my former colleague to discuss her book and what it means to be a citizen of everywhere and nowhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HALA GORANI, AUTHOR, "BUT YOU DON'T LOOK ARAB", JOURNALIST, AND FORMER CNN ANCHOR: The problem with coming from nowhere and everywhere is that no
matter how people describe you, even if they show tremendous goodwill and curiosity, you still feel mislabeled, misunderstood, sometimes even
reduced.
SOARES: At what point did you start feeling this way?
GORANI Gosh, I -- for as long as I can remember, to be honest. Because my family -- and I wanted to tell this universal story of displacement, of
migration. My family was an Arab-Syrian family in the U.S. Midwest, you know. And so, very early on, you realize your name is different. You
realize your parents speak another language. They eat different food.
[14:50:00]
And it's not just Arabs who live in the U.S. who feel this way. It's -- you know, it could be Latinos. It could be people of a different religion or
ethnicity. When they are the minority, I write in my book, you belong, sometimes, to a tribe of one because you're the only kid of that background
and the only one who is -- you know, whose parents country of origin is so different from where they have ended up settling.
SOARES: Did you -- then, in that case, did you ever feel that home -- you couldn't find a home, you didn't feel at home anywhere?
GORANI: Yes.
SOARES: When you belong to so many strands, you have so many identities.
GORANI: Absolutely. Some people will say I feel at home everywhere, because I feel at home nowhere. But I felt at home nowhere. And I still
feel at home, really, nowhere. People ask you, where are you from? Where would you like to live if you had your choice of cities and money was no
object? And I would have to think long and hard and think, I really don't know.
And I think what I realized in the book, again, hoping that this is a universal story that can appeal to people outside of my own small group is
that in the journey you find your home, which is why you choose journalism sometimes.
SOARES: Yes, yes.
GORANI: I think a lot of people choose journalism for that reason because they want to keep searching for reflections of themselves and the stories
of the -- of -- that they tell of the people who they cover.
SOARES: I wonder if you can talk about the moment, because I know you as Hala Gorani. We all know you as Hala Gorani, but you're actually Hala
Basha.
GORANI: Yes.
SOARES: You spoke three languages -- you speak three languages, but you changed some details of your CV and you used your mother's name instead of
your father's.
GORANI: Yes.
SOARES: Talk to that.
GORANI: Yes, and that was a very deliberate move on my part. When I was in my 20s -- so this was the '90s in Paris. I just graduated from a pretty
elite university in France, thinking, OK, this is kind of going to be an easy journey now from now on.
I've proven myself. I've ticked that box. I've gone to the right school. I have two years of journalism experience behind me. So, I put together my
resume, and on the resume, there was, you know, my name, Hala Basha. My dad's last name was actually Ibrahim Basha. Removed the Ibrahim early on,
my family did because that was kind of a mouthful, as many immigrant families do, by the way. They modify their name. They anglicize it or they
-- whatever westernize it.
And I had Arabic as a spoken language. And I wasn't getting any callbacks. And so, one of my friends from school said listen, I would recommend that
you remove the Arabic because, you know, in France, it's a society where there is institutional racism and certainly discrimination against members
of that minority. And that's proven in numerous experiments where fictitious resumes are sent with an Arabic name versus a Western name, and
the Arabic name gets a lot less traction.
So, I removed that. I took Gorani, which was a Western sounding name. I added a photo, blonde and blue eyed, don't look Arab. And I removed the
fact that I spoke Arabic, which is grotesque because it's an asset.
SOARES: Yes.
GORANI: It should not be seen as a liability.
SOARES: I mean, it is a story about -- it's a journey about your identity, but also, about lots of aspects of history, history of the Middle East.
GORANI: Mm-hmm.
SOARES: You covered the uprising in Egypt, Tunisia, parts of it as well. There's one little snippet. And the -- my favorite part, you really take us
into Aleppo. And I wonder if you can read, Hala, this bit for us, up to here.
GORANI: Today, as I read my notes, I feel a quasi-physical pain knowing that the hopes of the university students I interviewed that day were
likely never realized. The country's youth would later be betrayed, shot, imprisoned or exiled. They were sacrificed.
SOARES: Obviously, you've got a personal connection to Aleppo and to Syria. How hard was that moment for you seeing -- you know, hearing their
dreams and then what came after and what still is occurring right now?
GORANI: Listen, I call it a quasi-physical pain because in 2005 there was that brief window when the new regime decided that they were going to kind
of loosen the leash a little bit, and there was real hope. And these young people were, for the first time, starting to say things like we need, you
know, a transition of power, and we need to be able to express ourselves freely.
And you really felt -- and this was a time when investment was going into Syria. When you really felt like the country was maybe on a path that was
finally positive, of openness and freedom. Then 2011 happened, and immediately you saw that these regimes cannot survive unless they have
total control. And in the most brutal way, they shut that down.
[14:55:00]
And what I describe in the book is that for me, the death of -- well, the death is too harsh a word, but that the suffering of Syria is like losing a
family member, because I don't go there anymore, and it's like seeing a family member ill, you know, in bed.
SOARES: I mean -- given that, I mean, how much is writing this book? How much do you think is a cathartic process? Not just for you, but also for
your mother, who you dedicate this book to.
GORANI: Yes. I think, I -- unfortunately, it didn't really heal the wound because the wound is still there, because it's what still makes me feel
emotional in all of the -- of all the experiences I had. The Syria -- the death of the Syria I knew is still what really, really saddens me.
Definitely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And my thanks and our thanks, of course, to my former colleague, Hala Gorani, and of course, former CNN anchor.
That does it for us for this evening. Thanks very much for your company. "NEWSROOM" with Jim Shooter is up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Have a
wonderful day. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
