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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump, Netanyahu Meet At The White House; Bill Ackman Urges Trump To Pause Economic Nuclear War On Every Country; White House Admits Administrative Error Led To The Deportation Of A Maryland Father To El Salvador; Markets Plunge Over Trump Tariffs; Palestinian-American Teen Killed By Israeli Soldiers; Unvaccinated Child Dies Of Measles; Deadly Storms Bring Flooding To Central And Southern U.S.; Attenborough Documentary Explores Our Oceans. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired April 07, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
PAULA NEWTON, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: And a very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Paula Newton in for Isa Soares. Tonight, Israel's Prime
Minister is welcomed in Washington. Benjamin Netanyahu becomes the first world leader to visit the White House since President Trump announced his
global trade war.
It comes as the global market chaos continues, and is billionaires now calling the U.S. President to reverse course on tariffs? Then the White
House admits it made a mistake after a Maryland father was wrongly deported to El Salvador. So, why is the Trump administration asking the Supreme
Court to block his return?
Now from the trade war to the war in Gaza. A lot to get to in this next hour. The U.S. and Israeli leaders have a lot to talk about as well as
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House. Mr. Netanyahu arrived last hour, it's the first visit, as we were saying by a foreign
leader there since President Donald Trump announced his massive new tariff plan.
The U.S. is imposing a 17 percent levy on Israeli imports, the war on Gaza, of course, also high on the agenda, with the Prime Minister saying he will
discuss, quote, "completing the victory over Hamas". And we go live now to CNN's Kevin Liptak, who is at the White House. A busy morning to say the
least.
Kevin, we will get to tariffs, but let's get to those negotiations. What is the latest that is on the table, especially given that the Israeli military
really has become much more aggressive in its action in Gaza.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right, and the White House until this point has remained very much behind Netanyahu and behind Israel
in this renewed phase of the war in Gaza. They say that Israel provided a heads up when it resumed the conflict there. But of course, it does put in
tatters the ceasefire deal that President Trump himself has taken full credit for.
And there's no doubt that inside the White House, this is something that Trump and his advisors would very much like to see resolved, in no small
part because he's planning to head next month to the -- Saudi Arabia. And he has said that he wants to see this Saudi-Israel normalization deal put
on the right track.
But of course, that's not going to head anywhere while the war in Gaza is underway. Officially, the White House and President Trump have put the onus
on Hamas for continuing this, fighting for not returning hostages, for not coming to the negotiating table with what they view as a credible plan to
bring the fighting to an end.
But there's no question that I think when President Trump and Netanyahu sit down today, they will want to talk about a way for Netanyahu to bring this
conflict to a resolution. And certainly, we had hoped to hear from both of these men at a press conference in the East Room. They had advised that
last night, the White House had -- they have pulled that down off of the schedule for now.
They say that instead, the two men will take questions from the Oval Office. But of course, that's a far-more limited group of reporters who
will be in there to question the President and to question the Prime Minister. And I think it's just notable on a day when the markets have been
whipsawing, when there are so many questions about how precisely Israel plans to move forward, that, that larger press conference was taken off the
schedule. Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, absolutely. And depending on what happens in the Oval Office, we will obviously bring that to you. To those tariffs, though, as you were
speaking, we saw the Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was meeting with Netanyahu last night. I mean, look, an ally like Israel still was done no
favors by this President or the White House.
It had dropped a lot of tariffs against the United States preemptively, still got slammed with 17 percent in tariffs. What more do you know about
what the White House is doing, even with allies? Is it moving toward negotiation there?
LIPTAK: Well, right now, President Trump does say that he wants to keep these negotiations up. But when you listen to White House advisors, they do
say -- they put this number on it, 50 countries have now approached the White House to talk about trade deals, but that they say that the bar will
be very high for those countries to see the tariffs eased.
[14:05:00]
And I think Netanyahu, in a way, acts as something of a cautionary tale. He tried to preempt all of this by removing the customs duties on American
imports in Israel before the President made his announcement, but he went right ahead and put that 17 percent tariff on Israel anyway. And so, his
success at the White House today, I think will be something of a stage- setter for all of these other leaders who are trying to discern how exactly to approach this situation with President Trump, what exactly they can
bring to the table for those tariffs to be eased.
I think the war in Gaza could be a potential bargaining chip for Netanyahu. It's outside of the economic space, of course, but it is something that
President Trump wants. He wants to see the war come to an end. And so, how all of this resolves remains to be seen. But certainly, Netanyahu will be
seen as something of a forerunner for all of these other countries as they make their own approaches to the President.
NEWTON: Yes, definitely a test case, even though its economy is smaller and it is an ally. Kevin Liptak, you'll be keeping an eye on all of this in the
coming hours, really appreciate it. Now, meantime, volatility, whiplash and growing global panic. At this hour, U.S. markets are still fluctuating as
investors search for any sign that Donald Trump's tariffs may be negotiated or even paused.
You see there, the Nasdaq and the S&P in the green modestly, though, stocks initially had opened the day in bear market territory. European and Asian
stocks meantime deep in the red with Hong Kong's Hang Seng recording its worst day since 1997. And more big banks on Wall Street are sounding the
alarm about an impending economic downturn, with Goldman Sachs raising its chance of a U.S. recession now to 45 percent, others have gone higher than
that, even as high as 60.
But despite the mounting outcry, President Trump doubling down, urging Americans not to be, quote, "weak". And he's now threatening to impose 50
percent tariffs, new tariffs, that is, on China. Europe, meantime, says it's ready to negotiate with the U.S. and is offering to remove all tariffs
on U.S. industrial goods in a so-called zero-for-zero deal.
Now, European markets sank again today amid massive uncertainty over the future of U.S. tariffs. Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von
der Leyen said the EU is ready to talk, but that it won't rule out playing hardball as well. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: We stand ready to negotiate with the United States. Indeed, we have offered zero-for-zero
tariffs for industrial goods, as we have successfully done with many other trading partners, because Europe is always ready for good deal. So, we keep
it on the table, but we are also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: CNN's Anna Stewart has been following the developments in Europe. Von der Leyen has been very clear, and yet many are looking to Europe and
the way she handles this specifically, it's trying to keep the negotiations, any kind of negotiations, if possible, on the rails, and yet
really also trying to be tough. Where do you see Europe going now, especially given its vulnerabilities?
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Well, for weeks now, we have had this sort of line that, you know, the EU would like to negotiate, but they stand ready
to retaliate at some stage. It is taking some time for them to get to the retaliation part. Now, interestingly, they are saying they will offer zero
tariffs for U.S. industrial goods.
They made some similar offers when it came to autos, but of course it went absolutely nowhere because the U.S. did hit Europe and every other country
with 25 percent tariffs on cars and car parts, hitting some European nations very hard. So, I think it's unlikely at this stage that this sort
of offer would work.
We've also had comments from White House chief trade adviser Peter Navarro with Vietnam, saying that zero tariffs isn't enough. It's not just about
the tariff figure, it's also about all the non-tariff barriers for the EU. Of course, that would be things like sort of VAT sales tax and also various
other barriers.
So, it remains to be seen whether anything could actually move in that direction. I think it's quite unlikely. European markets very downbeat
today, Paula, the Xetra DAX in Germany actually opened down 10 percent, pulled back a little bit, we're still -- it's still closed around 4.5
percent for all of the major markets in Europe.
NEWTON: Yes, more uncertain times to come there as well, and so much at stake for so many different sectors in Europe. Anna Stewart for us from
London. Thanks so much. Now, some of the richest business leaders are sounding alarms over President Trump's tariffs on Sunday. Billionaire
investor Bill Ackman, who endorsed Trump, laid his worst fears out on social media.
In fact, for the first time, he laid them on the table. He says the tariffs are tantamount to launching an economic nuclear war, and that if Mr. Trump
follows through on his plan, investment will grind to a halt and consumers will pay a hefty price. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says the tariffs
threaten to raise prices, drive the global economy down and weaken America's standing in the world.
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Even Elon Musk, who has virtually been in lockstep, remember with the President on most issues, is saying he wants a zero tariff situation
between Europe and the United States. Senior international correspondent Melissa Bell is trying to follow all of this from Paris. I will say it is
quite a turnaround from these gentlemen. I follow them quite closely during the campaign in terms of how they would interpret this into the best
economic interests.
Why the change of heart now? And I think it does not seem at the moment that the White House or Donald Trump are actually listening.
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It doesn't seem like they're on listening mode. But really, you saw that little bounce in the markets
when there was this rumor that there might be this pause. I think everyone is really watching to see what impact precisely some of those you quote and
their feelings from the real economy, from the markets will have on President Trump, and what room for maneuver, what face-saving mechanisms
there may be to allow him to roll back or take a softer stand.
For now, no hint of that, of course, as you've been explaining over the course of the evening, Paula. But just as to Elon Musk's comments
specifically, he was speaking to a meeting, the Italian far-right over the course of the weekend. Now, we've also been hearing from European trade
ministers who gathered here in Luxembourg for an extraordinary meeting to discuss all of this, the European response.
And as one of them went in, one of these European ministers, he spoke directly to that, saying, look, those comments by Elon Musk smack of either
fear or desperation, and it is time maybe to speak to his own President about what he's doing. For now, as Anna was just saying, of course, the
European Union's message, both from Ursula von der Leyen, but also coming out of that trade ministers and economy ministers meeting earlier in
Luxembourg is very much this.
They're offering their zero-for-zero tariffs on cars, industrial goods. But Ursula von der Leyen pointed out this had been a longstanding offer. This
has nothing to do with being strong armed into this position. It is something they've been offering for some time to the Trump administration
well before these latest so-called reciprocal tariffs were placed.
The Europeans are no longer calling them that. They say horizontal because they don't believe that they are reciprocal at all. There is a two-pronged
approach emerging from Europe this afternoon. Paula, first of all, that offer of zero-to-zero tariffs, the idea that negotiation is still possible,
but also, as Ursula von der Leyen said, we are now laser-focused on trading partners outside of the United States, pointing out to the 83 percent of
the global trade that is done without the U.S.
And she believes that this will, if it stands as it is, further isolate the United States since trading blocs like the EU are simply going to be
looking elsewhere. She mentioned Mexico, India, Indonesia, the Indo- Pacific, and that is the other part of the European response to this, even as they hope that Washington will engage and negotiate real back.
And remember that the big day for us here in Europe will come on Wednesday when that 20 percent will come into effect. So, all eyes very much on that.
Well, what that will mean for the biggest trading partnership that there is between the EU and the United States. Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, and so right that they point out that, look, this was on the table. Other countries did negotiate with the EU to try and get closer to
zero tariffs in a free trade zone. The U.S. declined to take them up on that offer. Melissa Bell for us from Paris, appreciate it. Joining me now
is Sarah Kunst; she is Managing Director of venture capital fund Cleo Capital.
And it's good to have you with us on what, you know, we should say is a chaotic day. But many are not surprised, given what the President announced
last week. I want to ask you, if we move away from the market chaos, though, for a moment, when we talk about the real economy, what small,
medium and large corporations are doing right now because most of them are in the crosshairs. How do you believe they will respond, especially given
your experience in things like venture capital?
SARAH KUNST, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CLEO CAPITAL: Yes, you know, my companies in the U.S., they really have been stockpiling inventory. The ones that are
more consumer-focused since the election, since the win. There was an understanding really quickly that Donald Trump is a man of long-held,
passionate beliefs on things like tariffs.
And he was very clear that that's what he wanted. And so, I think a lot of companies that could afford to have been preparing for this now,
unfortunately, when they prepare, that means that they're not necessarily doing as much hiring. They're not necessarily, you know, expanding as much
as they otherwise would.
They have to save a ton of money and have a ton of inventory that's already here in the U.S. landed. And that's been unfortunate, but I think a lot of
companies are decently well prepared.
NEWTON: When you say they're decently well prepared, though, how long can they hang on? And again, as so many have written on social media and
otherwise, America first cannot be America alone.
KUNST: Yes, absolutely, right. This isn't something that any of these companies would choose. There are very few people globally who would choose
this or think it's a great idea, as we've seen today. But the reality is that it is here.
[14:15:00]
And so, I think companies are also thinking about, hey, what can I do with my supply chain? Some companies like the Apples of the world, they can't do
much. You can't make an iPhone in the U.S., but other companies can, right? If you're saying, hey, you know, we were -- we were making clothing and we
were importing fabric from France or from Spain.
Maybe you have to if it was already being made in the U.S., maybe you have to go source that fabric locally, right? Or I think you'll see a lot of
creativity from companies, not because they want to, but because they have to get through these next few months until there's more certainty and
hopefully some tariff relief.
NEWTON: How fearful are companies of all descriptions and sizes of a recession, or even a dramatic slowdown in growth? I mean, again, inflation
is still there. It is not completely in the rear view mirror. And on top of that, you've got these increased costs.
KUNST: I think everyone is concerned about a recession. I think -- and maybe even some people aren't concerned in D.C., they think it's OK, but
very few people are looking at this and thinking, hey, it's going to be business as usual. We're seeing that already, and everything from huge
Fortune 500 CEOs, you know, my peers in the venture capital space as I've been talking to them today, most people agree that this is not looking
good.
Consumer confidence in the U.S. was already relatively shaky. It had been going down even in the last administration when, you know, jobs were up,
the economy was up, but the vibes were off. And now, not only are the vibes off, but everything is getting so much more expensive.
NEWTON: Do you have any belief that anything that you're saying will reverberate at the White House, that it will echo, that when they listen,
perhaps to their constituency, which may be made up more of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, that they might listen and have a reprieve
here.
KUNST: I don't know if the White House thinks that the average American is their consistent constituency, or if that they need to answer to them
directly on sort of a piece-by-piece decision-making basis. I do think that senators and Congress people feel that way. I think that they are going to
be hammered when they do town halls if they do them, their phone lines, their e-mails.
They are hearing from these people all over the country, many of whom voted for the current President, but who are getting really hurt by this and
needed to stop and wanted to stop. I mean, we saw that in the protests this weekend, we have been hearing that from places like the Nebraska farmers,
Michigan where I'm originally from is really going to be hurt by this.
People are very loud about the fact that they are not happy, but at the end of the day, this is something that isn't coming through a congressional
representative who has to run again every two years. It's coming from a President who's pretty clear that he does not mind taking action that
everybody else disagrees with.
NEWTON: And that's certainly the message from the White House and from the President himself so far. Finally, before I let you go, as I said, you deal
in venture capital and the engine of growth in the United States, a lot of times come from this kind of entrepreneurial spirit. How concerned are you
that so much of that money is going to freeze up now?
KUNST: You know, the way that venture works, we are long duration, and so people write us a check, they invest in funds and they can't really get it
back. It will make capital calls harder. It will make raising new funds harder. But that tends to be a couple quarters out or even next year thing.
I do think that unfortunately when the economy is contracting, people are usually slower to write checks.
On the flip side, you know, as the stock market goes down, as layoffs happen, all of that, you do sometimes see people leave their companies to
start new ones. And so, as a venture capitalist, I have to be optimistic about entrepreneurship in America, and I am, even though it's probably
going to be pretty tough for a while.
NEWTON: Yes, pretty tough to underscore what so many business people are going through today and beyond. Sarah Kunst, for us, thanks so much, really
appreciate it.
KUNST: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, still to come for us tonight, the case of a man deported to El Salvador by mistake has reached the Supreme Court. Now, lower courts have
ordered he be returned to the United States by the end of today, but the Trump administration says it can't do that. And a new anger erupts in the
West Bank. Why questions are being asked about the death of a Palestinian- American teenager.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
NEWTON: President Trump is doing all he can to stop a man from returning to the United States who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Now, Mr.
Trump has filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court over Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. Now, just minutes after the request, a federal
appeals court ruled it wouldn't lift the order requiring Abrego Garcia's return to Maryland by the end of today.
Now, the administration admitted it mistakenly deported him because of, quote, "an administrative error", but has said the issue is somehow out of
their hands because he's now in Salvadoran custody. CNN correspondent Priscilla Alvarez joins us now from Washington. You have been following
this so closely.
And what we're curious about are the timelines that we're looking at now, right? We've got this deadline, and yet we have more court action. And then
if he isn't returned by midnight, what happens? What are the consequences?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, it's certainly been a dizzying 72 hours of will they or won't they, when it comes to the return
of Abrego Garcia. Now, as you just mentioned, there have been additional filings both over the course of the weekend, but also today, of course, the
Fourth Circuit weighing in after that appeal from the Trump administration, essentially denying the administration's request to put -- or to put a stay
on the lower court order.
What that means is essentially that the administration is still expected to return Abrego Garcia. But the X factor here is that the administration also
put a filing with the Supreme Court, essentially asking the Supreme Court to weigh in to put this lower court ruling on hold. And we're still
awaiting the Supreme Court's decision on this very issue.
But what we have seen in the filings are two things in particular. One, the administration is maintaining that they cannot return him because he is in
Salvadoran custody, therefore, the U.S. has no control over him, and they disagree that a federal judge can direct the government to return him.
But what we're also seeing is that the courts are highly skeptical of what the administration is saying because, again, the administration did say
that they made an administrative error with this deportation. There was a procedure that had to be followed here to terminate a protected status that
Abrego Garcia had, that essentially kept him from being deported to El Salvador, and that was flouted in the process.
And so, the courts have essentially been saying that there hasn't been any attempt to facilitate the return, as far as they can tell, and also that
the administration has already admitted that they made an error in this case. Now, there has been a good bit of whiplash.
[14:25:00]
We did get a hearing -- I'm sorry, a statement from Abrego Garcia's wife, she's a U.S. citizen and she said this, quote, "my children, family and I
will continue praying and seeking justice. Now that the court has spoken, I ask again that both President Trump and President Bukele stop attempting
any further delays. They need to follow the court's order now. My children are waiting to be reunited with their father tonight."
Now, they have three children, she was in court on Friday, there was a moment of relief when the federal judge had ordered his return by the end
of the day today, but certainly it appears there is still a long road ahead. It may be hours, it could be longer than that. The big question here
is what the Supreme Court decides to do.
But again, what has been clear in all of these filings is that the administration continues to concede error, but their point is that the
courts can't tell them what to do when it comes to returning someone to the United States. Meanwhile, the courts are saying, if you made a mistake, you
need to correct it. Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, we are looking like we have yet another legal confrontation there. Priscilla Alvarez, grateful to you to keeping on top of this and
will continue to update the story. Now, still to come for us tonight, global markets continue to react to the Trump administration's new tariffs.
We'll have a live look at Wall Street and what could happen next.
Plus, a high stakes meeting at the White House. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the first world leader to meet in person with
President Trump since his tariffs announcement. I discuss with a columnist for Israel's "Haaretz" newspaper.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
NEWTON: Now, welcome back. We continue to follow markets right around the world, and of course, on Wall Street. Here's a live look at where we are.
Of course, a volatile day, but it will surprise you, we are off the - bottoms, which is obviously good news. Japan now says it's willing to
negotiate with the United States. Mexico says it's still open to the idea of reciprocal tariffs meantime, although, it's trying to avoid that.
Another bright spot was the reaction to news from the E.U.'s Ursula von der Leyen, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: We stand ready to negotiate with the United States. Indeed, we have offered zero for zero
tariffs for industrial goods as we have successfully done with many other trading partners, because Europe is always ready for a good deal. So, we
keep it on the table. But we are also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Vanessa Yurkevich is at the New York Stock Exchange. I hope you don't have to hang onto that railing any longer. It seems to be coming off
the worst of the lows here. But obviously, an incredibly jittery market and for good reason.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly. Listen, when the markets opened this morning, I mean, wow, they were in the
red, really coming off of last week's incredibly volatile week. But in the recent hours, we've really seen sort of shoots of green throughout. And as
you mentioned, the volatility today really came around 10:00 a.m. when there was sort of a rumor floated around social media that President Trump
was pausing tariffs for 90 days, except on China.
When I was here, we heard a loud cheer from the traders on the floor. I mean, this is the news that they were hoping for. But ultimately, the White
House squashed that rumor really quickly, calling it, quote, "fake news." Since then, markets have been sort of flirting, you know, with up and down,
in the green and the red. You could see there on your screen. NASDAQ up. S&P was just up a little bit, pretty much flat now.
But I think what I'm hearing from folks on the floor and traders here today is they're trying to understand where this is going. And I don't think
anyone knows where this is going, which is the problem. They point to certain social media posts. President Trump posted on Truth Social saying
that he would retaliate against China with a 50 percent tariff on top of what he's already put in place. So, that would be a more than 100 percent
tariff on China if they do not remove their reciprocal tariff of 34 percent.
But in that same post, he said that he was lining up meetings waiting to negotiate with other countries. So, there's a bit of an escalation
happening and then maybe a de-escalation happening at the same time. And within one social media post that investors are really just trying to get a
grasp on where this was going.
I spoke to one trader shortly after that 10:00 a.m. spike when there was that big rally and he said that he expects this to be a bumpy road. I asked
for how long, he said several weeks probably, Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, that -- if it lasted just a few weeks, I think some people would be OK with that. The problem is, as you said, no one really knows. It
could in fact go longer than that. Vanessa Yurkevich for us at the New York Stock Exchange. Appreciate it.
Now, a Palestinian-American teenager has been shot and killed in the West Bank. Palestinian officials say Israeli soldiers fatally shot the 14-year-
old boy and wounded two other teenagers. The Israeli military says soldiers opened fire during a counter-terrorism operation. They claim to have seen,
quote, "three terrorists" hurling rocks toward the highway endangering civilian.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond is tracking the story for us. He's in Tel Aviv. You know, this is another incident, and of course, always in question is
Israel's use of proportional response when there is some type of a threat. Can you tell us more about this incident and what Israel is saying about
it?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Certainly not the first time that we have seen Israeli soldiers shoot a child for
throwing rocks. Also, not the first time that we have seen incidents involving Palestinian-American citizens in the West Bank who have been
harmed by Israeli troops or by Israeli soldiers.
In this case, the Israeli military is insisting that these -- that there were three what they describe as terrorists who were throwing rocks at
Israeli vehicles on a highway below. You can see in this kind of blurry black and white video that the Israeli military released that there is
indeed one individual who appears to be throwing something. We don't know from that video what it is or what he is throwing it at. But shortly
thereafter, you see him kind of fall back, which could be the moments that he was shot by Israeli forces.
Now, those two other individuals, if that video indeed represents this incident, they are Palestinian-American boys who are 14 and 15 years old as
well. We do not know, you know, the -- their current condition, although one of them was in quite serious condition as a result of having been shot.
[14:35:00]
You know, in the past we have seen previous U.S. administrations, including the Biden administration, raise concerns about the incidents like this one,
issue formal protests even. We have heard nothing so far from the Trump administration on this incident, and there's no indication that this is
something that President Trump will bring up in his meeting with the Israeli prime minister.
NEWTON: You know, Jeremy, I know how closely you follow these kinds of incidents. And while they may not bring it up during this meeting, usually
there is a formal process by which Americans that are killed or otherwise harmed, there is an investigation, right, that can be launched by American
authorities.
DIAMOND: That's right. We have indeed seen that happen in the past. And of course, you know, most famously, one of the incidents was the killing of
the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. There was an investigation by the State Department into that killing. The Israeli
military, you know, ultimately, did not carry out a kind of full-scale investigation that the U.S. had been calling for.
Certainly, again, these have been incidents that have happened in the past and we saw even earlier this year, another Palestinian-American who had
been wounded and killed in the West Bank as well.
NEWTON: All right. And it's something we'll continue to follow. Jeremy Diamond for us live from Tel Aviv, appreciate it.
Now, as we have been saying, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at the White House this hour, meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, as he
tries to negotiate a tariff deal. That's among other things. The gathering comes as the U.S. slaps 17 percent tariffs on Israel. Also on the agenda,
of course, the threat from Iran and the war in Gaza.
Joining us now is Gideon Levy. He's a columnist for Israel Haaretz newspaper. He was also an adviser to the former Israeli Prime Minister
Shimon Peres. It is good to see you as we believe Netanyahu is sitting in the Oval Office with Donald Trump at this hour. I will get to the issue of
any kind of a ceasefire or negotiations on the table. But before I get there, how closely are Israelis watching this issue of tariffs?
GIDEON LEVY, COLUMNIST FOR HAARETZ NEWSPAPER: Look, it's -- by the end of the day, it might affect the life of everyone, us Israelis and everyone
over the globe. But I'm not sure that that's right now because the effect will be not immediate. So, therefore, I'm not sure that this is in the top
of the agenda of Israeli public opinion.
NEWTON: And in terms of what is top of the agenda for Netanyahu, as I said, he sits in the Oval Office. What is his priority right now? What does he
want from Trump? Because you know, he's come with a list, but what would be the top priority?
LEVY: Sure, sure. First of all, it's the worst time to make prediction when everything will be exposed in few minutes, I guess. But that's my fate, so
I'll try to go through it. For Netanyahu, Iran is the top of his desires. He would like to see the United States participating, encouraging an attack
over Iran, over the nuclear facilities.
I'm not sure how serious it'll be discussed today. No idea. But if he had to choose, this would've been his choice. His last choice is, right now, to
put an end to the war in Gaza. He hopes that Trump will not put pressure on him. And unfortunately, I must tell you that the recent weeks Trump gave
Netanyahu the feeling that he can do it, Israel can do whatever it wants in Gaza, there are no limits anymore, no moral, no legal, nothing. And that's
very, very -- obviously very, very frightening and threatening because Israel is going wild in Gaza and there is no one to stop Israel right now.
NEWTON: When you say it's going wild though, and I go back to what you've stated in the last few weeks, you say that after the deaths of hundreds of
Israeli soldiers and tens of thousands of Gazans, Hamas remains, you state that and we see it. You know, you say it's a destruction on the scale of
Dresden. You know, you note that, how can you say that -- and I'm asking you now, how can you say that Hamas is something that Israel has to
continue to deal with, given the repression that Hamas has showed towards its own people?
I mean, you say that Netanyahu is going wild here, but it is stated, right, can it really allow Hamas to continue right now?
LEVY: And if Netanyahu goes wild, do you think that Hamas will disappear? He tried. So -- and Israel tried. So, for the last 18 months and the
outcome, we can all see it. Yesterday, Hamas launched rockets at Israel, 10 rockets as if there was no war. So, that's not the way. It's not by choice.
[14:40:00]
I mean, Hamas by far is not by choice and shouldn't be the choice of the Palestinian. But Hamas is there. And what is much worse than this, there is
no alternative to Hamas. Let's say that Hamas vanish, disappears, Israel succeeds to exterminate all Hamas people, and then what? And then what? Who
is going to govern Gaza, who is going to take care of 2.3 -- replace people without anything on the --
NEWTON: But it certainly isn't Hamas -- but, Gideon, it certainly isn't Hamas who is going to do that.
LEVY: But Hamas is the only sovereign right now in Gaza. It might like it and we might not like it. Who else? The P.A. is not going to neutralize --
I mean, I wish I could bring an American team to run Gaza or a Swiss team to run Gaza, but that's not realistic.
NEWTON: But how about just another Palestinian Authority, not the Palestinian Authority, but a technocratic government led by Palestinians?
Why is that so farfetched at this point in time, given the fact that we know that Hamas itself represses its own citizens in Gaza?
LEVY: Because you cannot ignore Hamas. Hamas is there, and Hamas will be there also, if Israel will continue with its (INAUDIBLE). And you cannot
bypass Hamas right now. That's the reality. Hamas is the strongest power in Gaza, even today, after 18 months of killing and destructing Gaza. So, we
have to face it and try to go for something which will be less worse than continuing this bloodbath.
NEWTON: Before I let you go, what do you believe will be any kind of a red line that Trump puts in front of Netanyahu if there will be a red line?
LEVY: I doubt. I wish there will be a red line, but I don't think that Trump will put any red lights to Netanyahu. Trump's mind is now far away
from Gaza. Maybe even far from Iran. Trump is facing huge, huge, huge challenges right now with his policy, and I'm not sure that Gaza or Iran
are the top of his priorities.
NEWTON: OK. Gideon Levy, as we continue to watch this meeting at the White House, we'll see what comes from it. Appreciate it. Thanks so much.
LEVY: Sure.
NEWTON: Now, still to come for us tonight, the measles outbreak in the Southern United States claims a life of another child as U.S. government
officials push even harder for vaccines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
NEWTON: Now, it's taken some time to get there, but the top health official in the United States now says vaccinations are the best protection against
measles. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went to Texas on Sunday to attend the funeral of a school age child who died from measles. The eight-year-old
girl is the second unvaccinated child to die in the current Texas outbreak.
Kennedy's statement that vaccines are the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is in fact the change of tone for him. He has been
accused of downplaying the severity of the outbreak. There have been more than 500 measles -- cases of measles, pardon me, in Texas and nearby
states, largely among people who have not had the measles vaccine.
I want to bring in our CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell with the latest on this measles outbreak. And you've been following this so closely.
And one of the things you have been following, of course, is the public health guidance. So, how significant is this change of tone and what is the
scope of the problem when it comes to those in the United States who are now unvaccinated for measles?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this has been a growing problem. We're seeing rates decline of measles vaccination. So, the fact
that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who, in the past, has been tied with spreading the misinformation that's contributing to this decline in measles
vaccination, the fact that he's coming out as health secretary and saying the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine is the most effective way to prevent
spread of measles is significant.
However, public health authorities, experts, epidemiologists, doctors would like to see him go farther than that. He also needs to emphasize the safety
they say, which has been proven for decades as well as to tell people that they should get vaccinated in order to help stop this outbreak. This is, of
course, centered in West Texas. That state now seeing 481 recorded cases, the expectation is that we're seeing these two deaths and one in New Mexico
as well. There are likely many more cases out there that have not been recorded. Possibly when epidemiologist estimates up to 3.000 cases.
We're seeing cases in nearby New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas as well that are likely tied to this outbreak. And 98 percent of kids in this are people
who've been infected in Texas are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status.
And just looking nationally at the number of babies who've been vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella by 15 months, and typically, this is
something that's recommended by around 12 to 15 months. It's fallen from 77 percent in 2020 down to 68.5 percent in 2024. So, that's more than 30
percent of babies who are not getting that first shot by the age of 15 months, leaving a lot of kids vulnerable if this is spreading to their
area.
NEWTON: Yes, it's extraordinary. And yet, we've seen this happen also in other countries, which also raises concern, Canada right now also dealing
with measles outbreak. So, the question then is, how much of a risk is this to the larger population? I've read certain things online about even if
you're vaccinated, you might still be vulnerable.
TIRRELL: Yes. You know, we have seen a few cases in people who are vaccinated and typically, the description of those cases is they usually
have a milder course of the disease. They're not as contagious, they're not expected to be shedding so much virus that they're spreading it to other
people. Really what you worry about in terms of measles are the people who don't get enough protection from vaccines. They're immunocompromised, or
babies who are too young to be vaccinated.
I hear a lot of anger in the parents' groups around, even in my neighborhood, about worrying that their babies are too little to be
vaccinated and measles and other things might be coming back, and that leaves them unprotected. That's why we all get vaccinated to provide herd
immunity to protect those who don't get the protection from vaccines.
NEWTON: Yes. And such a reminder as there are now two families the mourning deaths -- you know, likely the senseless deaths, of these two children. Meg
Tirrell, thanks for all the information. I appreciate it.
Now, heavy storms and nonstop rain pounded the Central and Southern United States, devastating so many communities. Much of that deadly rainfall has
subsided now, thankfully. But look at those pictures. Officials are warning the danger from flooding remains. Kentucky at this hour under a state of
emergency due to overwhelming historic levels of water. Some areas have been urged to evacuate while emergency crews continue carrying out those
rescues.
Over the past two weeks, a line of violent storms has swept from Texas right through to Ohio producing tornadoes in some cases. At least 19 people
have been killed across seven states.
Now, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the season's first major storm has turned deadly. Health officials in the capital Kinshasa say about 30
people have died as a result of flooding there. You can see here the rising waters have washed away cars and filled entire streets, even homes have
been swept away, while others are without power and access to clean water. Kinshasa's governor says the city's water infrastructure has been affected,
but access will hopefully be reinstated in the coming days.
[14:50:00]
Still to come for us tonight, a new documentary from a well-respected naturalist, David Attenborough, takes viewers on a voyage of our oceans.
We'll have more details on that just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: So, an African giant poached -- pouched, pardon me, pouched rat has just set a new Guinness World record. Ronin's super sense of smell helped
him set a record for detecting the most landmines by a rat between August of 2021 and this past February. Ronin uncovered 109 landmines and 15 other
pieces of unexploded ordinance. He did it in a Northwestern region of Cambodia. Rats use their high intelligence speed and a keen sense of smell
to find explosives. Plus, they are too light to trigger landmines. Ronin was actually born in Tanzania and deployed to Cambodia on his mission. Yes,
I, for one, will never look at rats the same way again.
Now, one person who has dedicated his life to recognizing the beauty and strength of our natural world is Sir David Attenborough. His latest film
explores the voyage of ocean discovery. Here's a clip from the trailer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, HOST, "OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH": After living for nearly a hundred years on this planet, I now understand the most important
place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.
Through the course of my life, we have been on a voyage of ocean discovery. Only now are we understanding what it means for the future of our world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, the "Ocean with David Attenborough" documentary is launching to coincide with his 99th birthday, and congratulations to him, on May 8th.
The naturalist strikes a hopeful note, thankfully, realizing that, quote, "the ocean can recover faster than we've ever imagined."
Attenborough isn't the only one making big moves. At around a century old, an elderly Philadelphia resident has become a first-time mother at nearly
age 100. The catch, she's a reptile. The new mom and her partner are actually a pair of endangered Galapagos tortoises. The father, also around
a hundred years old. They're the oldest residents of the Philadelphia Zoo, and they've welcomed four hatchlings. The zoo has been around for more than
150 years, and these are the first Galapagos babies ever born there.
[14:55:00]
I cannot believe these dates. The mother arrived at the zoo in 1932 to celebrate the historic births. The zoo will debut the hatchlings on April
23rd and plans to hold a naming contest. Wow. Congratulations to everyone there. Including, of course, the tortoises.
Now, it takes the phrase hanging tight to a whole new level. Look at this. This video shows the moment a French parachutist was left dangling after
getting caught on the roof a stadium. I'm getting caught -- something caught in my throat here, just before a Champion's Cup rugby match. He was
reportedly meant to fly in to deliver the game ball, but had to be rescued by firefighters after his parachute got stuck during a pre-match display.
I just want to give you a quick look at the markets here. Let's see what they are doing now. As you see there, down, but not as down as they had --
they bounced off their lows. That is for sure. Some of that in keeping with Mr. Bessent, treasury secretary, who says they may be beginning
negotiations with Japan.
I want to thank you for watching this evening. I want you to stay with CNN. Newsroom with Erica Hill is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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