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One World with Zain Asher
A Separate Ruling Could Come Down In Another Criminal Case Involving Former President Trump; European Parliament Calls On Israel To Open Up Land Routes Into Gaza To Let In Urgently Needed Humanitarian Aid; Senator McConnell Calls For Early Elections In Israel; China Slams U.S. House Vote On TikTok; SpaceX Launches Starship Rocket From Texas. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired March 14, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, welcome, everybody. We are following two major Trump legal proceedings today.
GOLODRYGA: ONE WORLD starts right now. Well, it could happen at any moment. A judge says this is the week we will learn the fate of Fani Willis, the
D.A. in Donald Trump's election interference case in Georgia.
ASHER: Also ahead, new details on some of the most terrifying moments in the sky. Passengers on that LATAM 800 flight are finally safe at home.
GOLODRYGA: And do join us for our special coverage of "My Freedom Day". We'll hear from students around the world standing up against child labor.
All right. Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You are indeed watching ONE WORLD. A lot is on the line for Donald Trump today in his U.S. presidential campaign. That's
because right now, we are keeping an eye on two major rulings that could significantly either boost or even possibly derail his delay and deflect
legal strategy.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, Trump is attending a hearing in Fort Pierce, Florida at this hour in his classified documents case. His lawyers are asking a judge
to dismiss the federal criminal indictment charging the former President with willfully retaining classified information after he left office and
then making false statements about it. Trump, meanwhile, claims he did nothing wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I took them very legally and I wasn't hiding them. We had boxes on the
front and a lot of those boxes had clothing and we're moving out, okay? Unfortunately, we're moving out of the White House. And because we're
moving out of the White House, our country is going to hell. But we weren't hiding anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: And any moment now, a separate ruling could come down in yet another criminal case involving the former U.S. President.
ASHER: And a Fulton County judge is deciding whether D.A. Fani Willis can move forward with her prosecution in the Georgia election subversion trial
or whether she'll be disqualified over an alleged financial conflict of interest.
There is so much to get to out of this hour. We've got CNN's Katelyn Polantz, who's joining us live now from Fort Pierce, Florida. We've also
got Nick Valencia outside the Fulton County courthouse.
Nick, let me start with you. The judge gave himself to the end of this week to rule and it appears that he is sticking to that timeline. What more can
you tell us at this point?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, will she stay or will she go? That is the anticipation here. The decision -- this monumental decision from
Judge Scott McAfee, who says that he is on track to make his decision within that self-imposed timeline.
The deadline, of course, is tomorrow, but this decision really could happen at any moment. He said that he's going to make the decision based on his
best understanding of the law. The question is, what is that understanding? Is the threshold for disqualification an actual conflict or simply the
appearance of one?
This is an unprecedented case, and it has been the entire time. Fani Willis securing a historic indictment against the former President and some of his
closest allies. And while it may have seemed the last two months that she is the one on trial, she is not. And she was clear to point that out during
these disqualification hearings, saying that she is insulted at the very essence of these claims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It's highly offensive when someone lies on you, and it's highly offensive when they try to implicate
that you slept with somebody the first day you met with them, and I take exception to it.
UNKNOWN: You started dating shortly thereafter, correct?
WILLIS: That's a lie. That's one of your lies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALENCIA: Defense attorneys are adamant that Fani Willis needs to go. They claim that she financially benefited from hiring Nathan Wade as the lead
prosecutor in this case, being paid for -- being paid on lavish trips -- taken on lavish trips by Nathan Wade. Fani Willis denies those allegations.
But if she is removed, it would be, you know, just devastating for her case. She would be removed, as well as her entire team. The case would then
be handed over to the Prosecuting Attorneys Council, and finding somebody could prove a unique challenge, not just the politics surrounding this
case, but also the safety issues, as well. Zain, Bianna.
ASHER: Yeah, it could actually end up stalling the case for months at least. All right, Nick Valencia, live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Now, let's go to CNN's Katelyn Polantz who joins us outside the courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida. So, Katelyn, as we heard from that
interview with the former President, he says he not only legally took those documents, he very legally took those documents. And this as his defense
team is arguing for the judge in this case, Aileen Cannon, to dismiss the charges. Talk about what we're expected to hear today.
[12:05:00]
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, it's two hours into this hearing here in Florida, and Donald Trump, his attorneys
have been trying to say Donald Trump was doing what he thought he could do. These were personal records that he wanted to keep with him after the
presidency, and he took them.
And they are pointing to other people who have taken records after their presidency, namely Joe Biden, who was investigated by a separate special
counsel who declined to charge him with any crimes.
Now, in this case, the judge has asked questions, is this the same? But the Justice Department has had their ability to argue so far and has said, no,
this is an entirely unique situation with Donald Trump as a former President grabbing these documents. They were not his. They were clearly
national security records. No way would they be personal. And Prosecutor Jay Bratt told the judge, even with other former presidents, there was
never a situation remotely similar to this one.
The prosecutor even brought up that meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Donald Trump said to people who were not members of the federal
government, who did not have security clearances, talked about a classified document and lamented how he wished he could declassify it. He could have
while he was President. Jay Bratt told the judge today that alone should show you that these were not his records and he knew it. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and this is a situation where the prosecution from day one has argued that the number of times they've asked the President, the
former President, turn the documents were met with obstruction after obstruction.
The question is, how will this judge rule and when will she ultimately rule? Because thus far, she has been seen as very accommodating to the
former President and his team's asks, thus far. Katelyn Polantz, you're covering it all for us and keep us posted. Thank you.
ASHER: All right, let's turn now to what's happening in Gaza. The European Parliament is calling on Israel to open up land routes into Gaza to let in
urgently needed humanitarian aid. The ministers say that while they welcome aid from the sea, they stress that land distribution needs to be the
priority.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, this is the first ship carrying aid is set to arrive in Gaza within a few hours. World Central Kitchen, the group that launched the
ship from Cyprus Tuesday, says that it hopes to launch a second ship soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA ROTH, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN CHIEF COMM. OFFICER: World Central Kitchen is working to get as many boats as we can to participate in this
maritime highway -- where it continues on the jetty. We're working on it 24-7. And so we are confident that when the aid gets to Gaza, there will be
a way to off load it and get into the hands of Gazans who are starving and need this food aid urgently.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Yeah, one of the reasons why this aid is so urgently needed is because the U.N. has warned repeatedly that more than half a million
people, more than 500,000 people in Gaza are on the brink of famine. Video from the enclave shows children lining up for food, holding signs saying
that they are starving.
Meantime, a powerful U.S. senator is criticizing the Israeli Prime Minister and calling for new elections in Israel. Senate Majority Leader and
Democrat Chuck Schumer says that he's known Benjamin Netanyahu for a very long time, but says that he has now lost his way. Schumer says that
Netanyahu is allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel. I want you to listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK SCHUMER, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER: As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me the Netanyahu coalition no longer fits
the needs of Israel after October 7th. The world has changed radically since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a
governing vision that has stuck in the past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Republican leader Mitch McConnell slammed Schumer's remarks, saying Israel was not, quote, a colony of America. Here's what else he
said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH MCCONNELL, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN 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)
GOLODRYGA: So, let's bring in CNN's Manu Raju, who joins us live from Capitol Hill. Quite a moment to see the Senate majority leader, who has
been a stalwart, staunch supporter of Israel throughout this war, not among the progressive voices that have been calling for a ceasefire for months,
speak so harshly on the Senate floor there and call for early elections in Israel.
What led to this speech? And talk about the timing of this. We know that the President is now traveling to Michigan, where he is expected to meet
some of the resistance from some of those voters there who are not happy with how the U.S. has been supporting Israel through this war.
[12:10:00]
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, you can't separate out the fact that there has been growing unrest within the Democratic Party
over the handling of the war with Israel and a push by folks on the left for the President to take a firmer line with Benjamin Netanyahu in pushing
for a ceasefire and all the way to calling for the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu.
And that's essentially what Chuck Schumer just did on the Senate floor. It is also significant because Schumer not only is the highest-ranking Jewish
member really ever in the United States, but also the first Senate majority leader who's Jewish and has been aligned with some of the more hawkish
Israel policies for some time.
Back in 2015, he was one of the most prominent critics of the Barack Obama struck Iran nuclear deal, voting against that at that time as Netanyahu
came to Congress and tried to lobby members to kill that Iran nuclear deal. That time and other times as well, Schumer has been on the side of
Netanyahu.
But at this point in the war, with growing concerns about how it's been waged and fears about that this will just carry on without the humanitarian
relief that is needed for all the people who are suffering now in Gaza, Schumer is hearing a lot from his own caucus, from his own party and the
President, too, as well.
He's mentioned he's going to Michigan as a state that more than a hundred thousand people in the Democratic primary voted "uncommitted", even though
Biden essentially had nominal opposition in his primary. Why? Because of their concerns about his handling with the Israel-Hamas war. The question
now is how will Joe Biden respond?
We know how Republicans are responding. You heard Mitch McConnell there. And right now at this moment, the Speaker of the House called a hastily
arranged press conference, Bianna, to rail against Chuck Schumer. So, this is rallying Republicans. Will it rally Democrats? That's another question.
We'll see how the White House and others respond to this call for Netanyahu's removal. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: All right, Manu Raju, thank you. Well, to help us sort through all the political news today, let's bring in Nathan Gonzalez. He is the
editor and publisher of "Inside Election". So, we heard this last minute, a rather surprising speech from the Senate majority leader, followed by Mitch
McConnell, as well. And as noted, you have the President traveling to Michigan today. Should he address the protest vote directly? And if so,
what should he say?
Well, I think Biden needs to because Michigan is one of the five most critical states in the upcoming presidential election. He -- Biden won
Michigan very narrowly in 2020, and he can't afford any slippage heading into this set of elections. And so, if there's any sort of unrest within
the Democratic Party and some of those voters either don't vote or choose to vote for Trump, then that will hurt Biden's ability to win Michigan and
win the presidential race overall.
And it's not just about, though, the Democratic Party. I think it's independent voters who see the videos and the pictures that are coming out
of Gaza, and they're concerned, as well. So, Biden, I think, to not say something, I think, would be a mistake. He would be missing an opportunity.
ASHER: I mean, it's interesting to see the contrast here between the two nominees. You've got Donald Trump in a courtroom. You've got President
Biden on the campaign trail going to Michigan. Obviously, Donald Trump's legal woes is political red meat, essentially, for his supporters. They
sort of see him as a martyr.
But when you think about how independents are viewing this -- independents viewing Donald Trump in the courtroom, whereas Biden on the campaign trail,
how -- what is their perspective on both those two things?
GONZALEZ: Yeah, I think that it's just -- we should not assume that just because the court cases and the legal issues helped Trump in the primary,
that it's going to help him in the general election. Now, I think right now he believes that the legal issues are benefiting him. That's why he doesn't
miss an opportunity to show up in a courtroom.
He is leaning into this because he can play that victim card. But for independent voters, like you were talking about, I think this should be a
concern for Trump because it gives voters pause. And do they really want to give Trump a second term?
Right now, a majority of Americans are not satisfied with President Biden. They're looking for change. But if they don't like the alternative,
particularly an alternative that has 90 plus indictments in four different cases, then that will hurt Trump's ability to pull off this victory.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, we shouldn't normalize the fact that a presumptive party nominee is facing 91 felony charges. Nathan, let me ask you also, in
addition to the President traveling today, we have the Vice President really doing a first traveling to Minnesota, where it's the first time
we're going to have a Vice President or President visit an abortion clinic.
And it's significant that it's in Minnesota, a state that has codified abortion rights there. What do you think, in terms of effectiveness, this
visit will mean as Democrats try to once again highlight the issue of reproductive rights and how that will weigh on voters' minds in November?
[12:15:00]
GONZALEZ: There are no accidents when it comes to a politician's schedule, particularly the President or the Vice President. This is very intentional.
It's just more evidence that Democrats are going to make abortion access front and center in this campaign.
It's not only an issue that energizes the Democratic Party, but it also helps with independents, because again, going back to voters looking for
change, but if they believe that Republicans, if they don't trust Republicans to be in power and trust what laws Republicans might make with
regard to abortion access, then that's going to help the Democratic Party.
And so this is just, I think it's a historic moment because of her visit, but this is just the beginning or a continuation of hearing Democrats talk
about this issue.
ASHER: President Biden had, I would say, a somewhat successful State of the Union address. He was witty. He was sharp. He showed strength. But that
doesn't mean, of course, that the age issue has gone away. Obviously, we are eight months out into the election. How does the President continue to
prove that his mental acuity is not an issue going forward come November?
GONZALEZ: Yeah, he needs to stay active, but he's not going to convince people that he's young, right? I mean, I think we saw moments during the
speech and after the speech where he is embracing his age, but also showing that he's up for the job.
And even if his numbers don't dramatically increase over the next week or so, I think it gave energy to the Democratic Party. But Democrats should
want, they need this election to be about a broader range of issues. They need it to be a choice between Biden and Trump, because if it's just an
election focused on Biden's age, then the President is going to lose.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah and it's one of the reasons not only that the President speaks out about his age and does acknowledge that he is old, but he does
the same with his predecessor, as well, something that he mentioned at the State of the Union address just three years younger than President Biden --
Donald Trump. Nathan Gonzalez of "Inside Elections". Thank you so much.
GONZALEZ: Thank you. Good to see you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, coming up -- coming up for us after blowing the whistle on concerns he had at Boeing, John Barnett died. You'll hear what his
lawyer has said about his client.
ASHER: And a little bit later on in the show, Prince William and Prince Harry are both set to appear at a ceremony honoring their late mother but
not together. A report from London for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. The LATAM Airlines plane that had a mid-air incident this week is actually back in Chile right now.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, the cockpit voice and flight data recorders have been taken out of the Boeing 787 and will be studied by Chilean aviation
investigators. The plane was near New Zealand when it experienced a sudden midair dive, injuring about 50 people and frightening many, many others.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLIE ADDISON, LATAM FLIGHT 800 PASSENGER: The plane just dropped really suddenly out of the blue. Everyone started screaming, crying. People were
launched out of their seats. There was like blood pouring from people's faces.
GABRIEL FELIPE DE OLIVEIRA ADAIME: When the plane actually dropped suddenly, yeah, I saw like a lady with a baby hit the ceiling. You know,
everything was flowing and breakages, you know, in the back was, yeah, blood, as well. So, it was a pretty full on experience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Can you imagine?
GOLODRYGA: No.
ASHER: I mean, I hate roller coasters for that very reason. Okay, that is just one of the problems with Boeing jets recently, some brought to light
by this man, John Barnett. He actually died of apparent suicide and was in the midst of a deposition in his whistleblower retaliation case related to
safety concerns that he raised. Barnett's lawyers said that coming forward took a lot of courage.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ROBERT M. TURKEWITZ, LAWYER FOR JOHN BARNETT: He had the courage to do the right thing. And unfortunately, at the end of the day, it's costing the
ultimate price. So, does he have a target on him? I don't know the answer to that, hopefully not. But, you know, I know that there are -- I'm sure
there were people who are angry at him blowing the whistle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Well, all this, as U.S. investigators say, Boeing has not given them the information they need for their probe into one of those incidents.
You'll recall last month, a door plug flew off an Alaska Airlines flight. Boeing says the information just doesn't exist.
ASHER: Yeah and in another incident, a student pilot has been arrested for allegedly trying to open the cockpit door on an Alaska Airlines flight.
Nathan Jones was restrained after trying to open it three times. If he is convicted of interfering with a flight crew, he would face about 20 years
in prison.
All right, let's bring in CNN's Aviation Correspondent, Pete Muntean. So Pete, just if you think about it, obviously, the idea of a student pilot
trying to open the cockpit door, that is a separate incident. But if you look at Boeing's recent history, just in terms of the door plug flying
open, for example, the LATAM Airlines plane dropping several feet in the air, terrifying passengers, obviously, all the issues with the Max Jet
planes, as well.
This has been a really difficult few years for Boeing. And when you think about the CEO, who was brought in to clean things up, that clearly hasn't
happened. A lot of people are asking at this point, how does he still have a job? How does Dave Calhoun still have a job at this point?
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: There is a lot of activity going on at Boeing, and they describe it to me there as a bit of an iceberg. You
can only see what is above the surface. Below the surface, there is a lot going on, all the way down to the workers on the factory floor there in the
737 Max factory in Renton, Washington.
The big question, though, is whether or not there will be change at the top. And you astutely point out that Dave Calhoun was brought in after the
2018 and 2019 737 Max, eight incidents abroad that killed 346 people that led to a change at the top. And there's been no real executive change so
far at Boeing.
So, many are wondering if there will be change there. The only person who has left since the 737 Max-9 door plug blowout at Boeing is the man who was
in charge of the 737 Max program, a guy who is not really a household name. And so, many are wondering if that person was simply a scapegoat and if
there needs to be larger change at Boeing. It has been a tough time for several years, as you mentioned.
And now there is this, the woman leading the probe on Boeing is putting them on blast again. Jennifer Homendy heads the National Transportation
Safety Board, and she says Boeing's lack of a paper trail is hampering the investigation into the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout back on January
5th. Here's what the NTSB said in its preliminary report.
"Boeing did not reinstall the four critical door plug bolts before this 737 Max-9 was delivered to Alaska Airlines. The bolts were removed at the
Boeing factory for corrective work on a different part of the plane." And the NTSB says Boeing has not been able to produce that paperwork that
details that work.
Here is what Homendy just said in her new update to senators on the Committee overseeing aviation. She says, "The absence of those records will
complicate the NTSB investigation going forward."
[12:25:00]
She also underscored that Boeing has been unable to locate the security footage of that work and that it has been overwritten. Boeing has
responded, saying it has supported the investigation from the start and will continue to do so. But Zain, as you so astutely point out, there is so
much pressure on Boeing right now at every level.
GOLODRYGA: Pete, can I just ask you, we know there are two major plane manufacturers. You've got Boeing in the U.S. and Airbus in Europe. We don't
seem to be hearing these types of situations and episodes when it comes to Airbus, at least as of late. I'm just wondering, is there a reason in terms
of management or how they conduct investigations as to why?
MUNTEAN: Let's be clear. The 737 MAX-9 issue, that incident back on January 5th, that was something that was specific to systemic problems at
Boeing. That exposed a quality control issue that Boeing is now scrambling to fix.
The other incidents, like the LATAM 787 issue, like the wheel falling off of a 777 leaving San Francisco just last week, another 777 operated by
United Airlines trailing hydraulic fluid as it was leaving Sydney this week, those things are primarily one-off incidents.
And so, it does seem to be that there is a perception problem that the public has when it comes to thinking that Boeing airplanes are constantly
and consistently the only airplanes that have issues. A lot of these things happen on other airplane types all of the time without much fanfare, but
now they have risen to the top because of this one really significant, really dramatic, really dangerous issue back in January, and now Boeing is
scrambling to course correct here. That will take some time.
But aviation, to point out, is so incredibly safe, especially here in the U.S. The last time that there was a fatality onboard a U.S. commercial
airliner was back in 2018. That was one person in a freak accident on a Southwest Airlines 737 when part of the fan blade of the engine came off,
hit the cabin, and killed that woman on board.
The last time there was a fatal commercial airplane crash where everybody died in the U.S. was back in 2008, the Colgan Air crash, which led to
really significant changes when it comes to pilot training and experience requirements.
So, there has been so much that has changed, and aviation is so incredibly safe. I would say to passengers who are worried about what they see right
now, sure, these things are freak incidents, sure, it is interesting to look at, but it's really not a big change. There's been no major sea change
in aviation. It's not really gotten much more dangerous in recent times.
ASHER: Yeah, there is probably nothing more terrifying than a door plug flying off a plane --
MUNTEAN: No doubt.
ASHER: -- in the middle of -- however, I'm so glad you said that, Pete, that aviation is incredibly safe. We haven't seen any sort of major
fatalities in terms of a plane crash since, as you point out, at least 15 years, right? So it is -- it is --
GOLODRYGA: Important perspective. Yes. Thank you.
ASHER: All right, Pete Muntean, live for us there. Thank you so much.
MUNTEAN: Anytime.
ASHER: All right, still to come -- end child labor now. Students from around the world are showing their support for "My Freedom Day". I want you
to hear what children in the Ivory Coast are saying about what freedom means to them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: To me, freedom is not judging people and having equity and equality.
UNKNOWN: To live my life without any limitations.
UNKNOWN: The ability to express myself authentically.
UNKNOWN: To me, freedom is the ability to freely express yourself without any hindrance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Class is in session, and today's subject is freedom. This is the eighth annual "My Freedom Day". It's a
student-led day of action against modern-day slavery and bonded labor.
ASHER: Students from more than 100 countries are speaking out and taking part in various projects and activities. This year, the focus is on the
fight against forced labor, which sadly is actually on the rise.
The U.N. estimates that about 50 million people around the world are living in modern-day slavery. That includes situations, by the way, of forced
labor, of sex trafficking, and forced marriage.
We see students across the world sing songs for freedom, put on plays about forced labor, and make pictures to help raise awareness. Here's what one
little boy at a school in Japan said about his project.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: My name is -- and I'm from Ghana school in Japan and I know that Ghana and -- is because two of the most largest -- and I really just want
to tell that child labor -- that just by doing that we'll work on the awareness so I hope my -- will be aware of child labor and the child labor
industry. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, let's go now to CNN's Lynda Kinkade at the Atlanta International School. Lynda, so good to see you. So, I was watching you
earlier speak to children, as I understand it, as young as five and six years old, talking about the rights of children around the world and what
freedom means to them. Just talk to us a bit more about where you are now. I understand that there is a film festival going on. What are the students
there saying?
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: There is a film festival. And as you can see, this is a packed auditorium, Zain. There are 12 to 18-year-olds who have
participated in this film festival, debunking the myths around human trafficking. And 17-year-old Alex did one of the films. You produced it.
You helped write it. You starred in it. Just tell us about the film, Alex.
ALEX: So, I would say this film is about kind of the nuanced relationships often trafficking victims have with the people trafficking them. And it
also is kind of a reminder to the audience to, you know, recognize the signs that could be, you know, within, that you could see in your class, in
your school. And so, I think it's kind of a -- it's sort of a wake-up call to the audience.
KINKADE: And for our audience, Zain, let's just play a little bit of that clip from Alex's film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: They would, but my parents are friends with the head school people, so I get excused pretty easy.
[12:35:00]
ALEX: Well, why do they take you out so much, though?
UNKNOWN: Well, I mean, it's just like kind of complicated.
ALEX: Lauren, you're okay, right?
UNKNOWN: Yeah, I'm fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: So, these films are really well made. How much time did you have to put these films together? And what lesson do you hope students will
learn from it?
ALEX: So, I had about a month to put this together. And I would say filmmaking is a pretty arduous process. It takes a lot of planning. It
takes a lot of -- it takes a lot of work just to get the shots you want and to create the effect you want to an audience. Because it's very complicated
when you're making pieces of art that are this, you know, that are as immersive as a medium of filmmaking.
So, I would say to the audience, if you hope to, you know, try to spread a message, you know, whether it be about human trafficking or some other
social justice issue, then it's -- I would say it's very important that you, you know, plan meticulously but also have passion for the medium and
also passion for the issue your film's about.
KINKADE: Excellent. Well-done, Alex. Passion and planning is key. And, of course, these are two organizers, Zain. And we've got Szechuan (ph) and
Macie (ph) who helped plan this event. Just explain what it took to pull off an event like this -- a film festival at school.
SZECHUAN (ph): Yes. So, it took a lot of planning. We started planning in August and we had this idea. We wanted to find a creative way to raise
awareness about this issue. So, that's when we first had the idea. And then we've been working on it and then e-mailing a lot of people one by one,
step by step.
We've been able to achieve this goal, which is amazing, I think.
KINKADE: And it's excellent. And Macie, what film stood out to you?
MACIE (ph): I think Alex's film really stood out to me just from, like, the cinematography was really good, but also just, like, the aspects on
human trafficking, like the girl missing school or him calling the human trafficking hotline when he was worried about the girl. And I think it was
just there's a lot of subtle cues and signs that he picked up on throughout the film. So, I think it was really helpful and impactful on learning more
about human trafficking.
KINKADE: Excellent. And not only are the student entries impressive, you also got judges here from the film industry to critique these pieces.
Killian (ph), just quickly tell us what you're looking for.
KILLIAN (ph): Well, we're looking for students who went about their information in a creative way, but also stuck to the prompt. I think
there's something to say about being an individual, but also telling the right message and the right information.
KINKADE: Excellent.
KILLIAN: Yeah.
KINKADE: And Killian (ph) is a former student and now in the film industry. These are the judges that will be looking at six of the films
today. The winners will not only help the students here take away a very important lesson, but the winner will also take away some fair trade
chocolate. Zain and Bianna, back to you.
ASHER: Yeah, Lynda, the answers of the students, they were incredibly mature and incredibly thoughtful. Lynda Kinkade, live for us there. Thank
you so much. Time now for The Exchange and a look at just how pervasive modern day slavery has become.
Joining us live now is Kevin Bales, a professor of contemporary slavery at the University of Nottingham and director of its Rights Lab. Kevin, I
watched your TED talk and it was so deeply moving and inspiring. I learned so much.
You've obviously gone undercover and just sort of learned so much about modern day slavery around the world, just in terms of embedding with slaves
and slaveholders, as well. What does the world need to know? Have we lost Kevin? It looks as though -- we have you back. We lost you for just a
moment there. But this is an economic crime of the worst degree. What does the world need to know about modern day slavery? Because it is hiding in
plain sight.
KEVIN BALES, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM: Yes, that's right. And I think the most important thing and the things that we've been learning the
most about, recently, is how slavery connects with other very serious global issues.
For example, slaves, if they were a country, the 50 million people in the world who are in slavery, if they accounted for to being a country, they
would be the third largest emitter of CO2 on the planet as a country after China and the United States.
In other words, slave labor is also being used to destroy the environment and to fill the air with CO2. And we also know that slavery is now taking
place since -- in almost every conflict that has occurred around the world. We know that for certain since 1989.
So, since the end of the Cold War, slave labor has been part of almost every conflict -- eighty seven percent of all conflicts, which is something
like 350 conflicts in that time period. So slavery and conflict are inextricably linked. Slavery and environmental destruction are inextricably
linked.
And those things, when we understand them, helps us to understand that we can begin to confront one thing like slavery by addressing environmental
change as well or reductions in conflict.
[12:40:00]
GOLODRYGA: Kevin, something I was really struck by, according to the U.N., is that more than half or 52 percent of all forced labor and a quarter of
all forced marriages can be found in upper middle income or high income countries. For example, in the U.S. alone, over 82,000 cases of human
trafficking and 164,000 thousand victims have been identified in the human trafficking hotline since it was established in the U.S. since 2007. Why is
that?
BALES: Oh, it's because it's a growing and booming industry with insufficient levels of enforcement. We've got a pretty good law in the
United States, but we don't have necessarily the extension or the capability within both the judicial system and the law enforcement system
to -- to address it. Other things are seen as being a higher priority, even though, you know, I think for you and for me, slavery is about as high as
you can get as a priority.
Indeed, you and I are alike in our views there. This does need to be a much higher priority. Thank you so much for everything that you do. Kevin Bales,
thank you.
ASHER: Thank you, Kevin.
GOLODRYGA: Well, make your voice heard on "My Freedom Day". Post your message to join the fight against forced labor using the #MyFreedomDay on
social media and then go to cnn.com/myfreedomday for more information. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, Princess William and Harry will both be paying tribute to their late mother in the coming hours, but their appearances will be
separate as they take part in the Diana Legacy Award.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, established to honor the late Princess, Royal Watchers say their refusal to fully join forces highlights their ongoing rift. CNN's
Anna Stewart joins us live now from London. I mean, Anna, it is sad, right? It is really sad that these two are still not able to appear together in
public, even virtually at an event honoring their late mother. It really shows you just how damaged this relationship potentially is.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It possibly does. And I think it also points to the scrutiny there is on the royal family right now, with King
Charles working from home, with the Princess of Wales still recovering from surgery and all the sort of excitement that brewed over the weekend from
the photo that was Photoshopped.
Clearly, there's something of a royal vacuum and people want to get a little bit more royal news. And today that is the Diana Legacy Awards. And
you're right. Prince William and Prince Harry are attending separately. Now, they have had that rift.
[12:45:00]
Perhaps it speaks to that, but perhaps it also speaks to the fact that they are living on different continents. You know, Prince Harry in the U.S.,
Prince William in the U.K. And actually, they've done something similar, but vice versa with Prince Harry attending in person and Prince William
appearing by video call. Perhaps the only part of the message from the Press Association is just the part that says that Prince William will leave
before Prince Harry is due to speak on the video message.
Last year, this ceremony was held virtually and both brothers appeared virtually and not together. I would say that sometimes commemorating
Princess Diana is one of the events that has brought them together, even since the rift. The last time I can think of it was actually 2021 when
together they unveiled, as you can see, the statue of Princess Diana in Kensington Palace Gardens.
But really, since then, it's been perhaps crossing paths at a funeral, at a coronation, very, very infrequently. But part of that is they live on other
sides of the world. That said, there is a royal vacuum. So, of course, we are all very interested. Zain
ASHER: I mean, it is hard, as you point out, to know whether we're reading too much into it. But we do know that there has been a rift and we do hope
that these two, at some point, at least do heal their relationship. Anna Stewart, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, still to come --
what's at stake for some of TikTok's creators and users if the app is eventually banned? We'll take a closer look for you after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, China is slamming the U.S. House vote on TikTok, calling it the opposite of fair competition. The House voted Wednesday to force
TikTok's Chinese parent company to divest within six months or face a ban. Lawmakers who support the bill say that TikTok poses a national security
threat.
GOLODRYGA: The U.S. Senate Majority Leader says his chamber will review the legislation. Now, it's worth noting Beijing blocks most U.S. social
media apps, such as Google, YouTube, X, Instagram and Meta, just to give you some perspective here. But China says the storm over TikTok is
different. Here's what they say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANG WENBIN, SPOKESPERSON, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY (through translator): If so-called reasons of national security can be used to arbitrarily
suppress excellent companies from other countries, then there is no fairness and justice at all. When someone sees a good thing another person
has and tries to take it for themselves, this is entirely the logic of a bandit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[12:50:00]
ASHER: A staggering 170 million Americans use TikTok and a few of them mounted this protest on Capitol Hill. Just to note, TikTok actually funded
their travel to Washington and also paid for their accommodation, as well. Many social media influencers say the app, though, has given them a lot of
opportunities. Josh Sanders from our Philadelphia affiliate shows us what's at stake for some of TikTok's creators and users.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LILA JONES, TIKTOKER: We're just two women out of Philadelphia who we get kids out the system and we shower them with love.
JOSH SANDERS, AFFILIATE, KYW PHILADELPHIA (voice-over): Two years ago, Lila Jones joined TikTok as a way to invite others into her blended family
and something unexpected happened.
JONES: I got on TikTok with my family and it went viral. At that time, I just had my wife's biological two kids and then we had one, my four-year-
old. He was our first child. It went viral. Then our story went viral.
SANDERS (voice-over): Her TikTok "Legendary.Always" gained two million followers. Together, she and her wife have six kids. Four of them were
adopted from foster care.
JONES: Just showing, like, a different side of the foster care system and of these babies and a positive side and just trying to be the role models
we can be for the city.
SANDERS (voice-over): Jones is a teacher and says TikTok has provided extra income for her family.
JONES: We're about to go to Disney World fully on TikTok, so it's creating a nice, nice vision for our kids.
SANDERS (voice-over): But now she and other influencers using TikTok may have to look for other avenues to share content if Congress passes a law to
ban the platform.
KATTY KAHN, TIKTOKER: Eagles just signed New York City Giants running back SaQuad Barkley. I know what you're all thinking. Who is SaQuad Barkley and
what is running back?
SANDERS (voice-over): Katty Kahn teaches 11th grade in Philadelphia but also provides sports comedy to her 153 TikTok followers under the handle
Katie Always.
KAHN: I've come to actually depend on, like, that, like, extra money for, like, whatever random stuff maybe I wouldn't have been, you know, spending
money on before. It's kind of like fun. If it were to be actually banned, there are other social media platforms, you know. I would -- I would hope
that the community I've built would just follow me to Instagram or follow me to YouTube.
SANDERS (voice-over): As Jones and Kahn wait to see if the bill passes the Senate, they say they will continue to create content on TikTok, bringing
love and humor to others.
GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Josh Sanders from our affiliate KYW in Philadelphia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: Booster will start to do its flip and then move into the boost back burn, setting it up for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
GOLODRYGA: Well, this was the joyful scene at SpaceX as it launched its Starship rocket earlier today from Texas. Unfortunately, SpaceX says it
lost the Starship during its atmospheric reentry.
ASHER: Yeah, despite the setback, SpaceX says the mission was still a major success. The unmanned rocket made it further into a test flight than
any of the other previous Starship flights.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, joining us now is CNN Space and Defense Correspondent Kristin Fisher. So, Kristin, is this just SpaceX saying, you know, listen,
we're still calling it a success, even though perhaps behind closed doors there's disappointment? Or is this viewed across the board as quite an
accomplishment?
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: This is now, I think it's safe to say, an unequivocal success. Even Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk's big
rival and the CEO of Blue Origin, one of SpaceX's big competitors. Even Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin are calling this a success and congratulating
SpaceX. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is congratulating SpaceX and calling it a success.
So, you have these outside independent entities, even competitors now saying job well done. And the reason why is SpaceX always intended to lose
Starship on this mission. It was always going to be lost, so to speak. The ultimate target was for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Instead, it just
broke up slightly above the Indian Ocean. But it made it so very close to that pie in the sky target.
And, you know, I think it's important to point out that when you're developing a flight plan for a test flight, you have to have it end
somewhere, even if that's not the primary objective. And the primary objective of this mission was for Starship to reach orbital velocity, to
reach the speed that's needed to get it fully into orbit.
And Starship did that. The booster was able to make it almost back down to Earth. It performed much better than it did during those first two flight
tests. And then Starship -- we were able to watch it as it made, you know, made it halfway around the globe. And then we got to watch this incredible
footage in HD video that's so rare of Starship on reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, essentially.
[12:55:00]
You got to see the plasma building up, this red glow heating up around Starship. I've never seen video like that ever. So, from a cool factor,
that was pretty remarkable in and of itself. And then there were some other mission objectives that SpaceX says were completed along the way, don't
know fully how much of a success they were just yet. And that is the first cryogenic fuel transfer in space.
Essentially, they're transferring propellant from one tank to another tank within Starship itself while it was in space. And that's really a critical
demonstration that NASA was hoping to see. And if it is proven to be a complete success, NASA is going to give SpaceX just over $50 million for
that.
And why are we talking about NASA here? Because SpaceX is, of course, a private company. Well, the reason is Starship is critical, the centerpiece
of the Artemis program. It's the spacecraft that NASA hopes will return American astronauts to the moon for the first time since Apollo. Back to
you guys.
GOLODRYGA: This was the third launch, and there's a teachable moment here. Keep trying, keep trying, keep trying, and you will succeed. Kristin
Fisher, thank --
FISHER: Third time's the charm.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, exactly. Thank you so much, Kristin.
ASHER: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Thank you so much for watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
