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One World with Zain Asher

Al-Shifa Medical Complex Now Permanently Out Of Service; Seven World Central Kitchen Staff Killed In An Attack; Mohammad Reza Zahedi Killed On The Iranian Embassy Compound In Damascus; Russia Says It Has Launched An Investigation After A Drone Targeted The Country's Third Largest Refinery; Istanbul Fire Kills At Least 29 People; One Dead, Two Injured In Finland School Shooting; The World Awaits A Solar Eclipse Happening On April 8th. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired April 02, 2024 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:44]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: All right, tragedy strikes an aid organization in Gaza. An expert tells CNN it's really hard to believe that

this was an accident.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: "One World" starts right now. And Israeli investigators are working to find out why and how a humanitarian

group's convoy was hit by an airstrike. The IDF says it's reviewing the incident, quote, "at the highest levels."

ASHER: And the threat is very real. A New York judge explains why he's broadened a gag order on Donald Trump as the former president returns to

the campaign trail.

GOLODRYGA: Also ahead, Zain, did you know that we are just days away from the last solar eclipse visible from the U.S. until 2044? Meet the 105-year-

old who's been chasing eclipses for decades.

ASHER: All right, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching "One World". Here's the question everyone is asking. How could this possibly have happened?

Global leaders, activists and humanitarian groups want to know the following, a deadly Israeli strike on aid workers in Gaza.

World Central Kitchen says seven of its staff were killed in the overnight attack, even though they had given the IDF their coordinates and were

riding in a clearly marked vehicle. Moments ago, the U.S. Secretary of State addressed the tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The victims of yesterday's strike join a record number of humanitarian workers who've been killed in this

particular conflict. These people are heroes. They run into the fire, not away from it. They show the best of what humanity has to offer when the

going really gets tough. They have to be protected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: World Central Kitchen, which was one of the main suppliers of desperately needed food aid into Gaza, is now suspending its services as

the enclave edges closer to famine. The suspension really couldn't be happening at a worse time for Gaza. The Australian citizen, in fact, who

was killed was on CNN last year talking about her work in Morocco, Poland, also confirming that one of its nationals was killed, as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOMI FRANKCOM, AUSTRALIAN AID WORKER: Hey, this is Zomi and Chef Olivier. We're at the Djerobala (ph) kitchen and we've got the mise en place. Tell

us a little bit about it, Chef Ali. This is the beautiful, fragrant, aromatic rice that will be served today from Djerobala kitchen. Thank you.

DAMIAN SOBOL, POLISH AID WORKER: Hello, everyone. Damian checking in from Cairo (ph). Here, behind me, already loading trucks to Gaza kitchen with

equipment. They already loaded tables, shelves, water system, trash bins, all kitchen equipment, wonderful pots, pots ready to cook 20,000 meals.

Thank you for all donations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: They really are heroes, essentially sacrificing their lives in service to others. The IDF, for its part, is saying that it's investigating

the strike at the highest levels. Prime Minister Netanyahu has already given his verdict, calling it an unintentional attack. But it is important

to note that this is not an isolated incident.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, at least 196 aid workers have been killed in the occupied Palestinian territory since October, this according to a senior U.N.

official in the region. CNN's Melissa Bell joins us live from Jerusalem. Melissa, just shock, condemnation, and heartbreak in response to this

tragedy. Tell us what you're hearing there in Jerusalem from people on the ground. Israel said that it's investigating this attack.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I think Israeli authorities are taking this all the more seriously. That is, getting to the bottom of

exactly what went on, Bianna and Zain, because of their insistence.

Israeli authorities, these last few weeks and months said they're doing everything they can to work with aid organizations to try and alleviate

some of that hunger that's become so painfully obvious inside the Gaza Strip. Now, the United Nations latest figures are that it is 2.2 million

people who are at risk of hunger, but half the population of Gaza that is now facing famine.

[12:05:00]

And that is how dire the needs are. I think what is remarkable about the work that World Central Kitchen has been doing, and this is something

they're famous for around the world. We see them in Ukraine. We see them in various disaster zones -- natural disaster zones over the years, often

getting there before even the journalists do because their aim is to let the U.N. relief agencies do their work while they really focus on getting

food to people who are hungry as quickly as they can. And that's what they've been doing in Gaza.

So, they've been getting around the near total blockade of aid on the land routes. There is some of it getting in, but painfully slowly, as we know.

They've been getting around that by using the maritime route. That is, shipping the aid in from Cyprus. There was a shipment last month.

There was another ship we heard Saturday that had 400 tons of aid on it. It's unclear whether that was able to dock or not at this stage. But what

we have heard from them is that the 100 tons of aid that these seven workers had just delivered to the warehouse was part of that that had been

brought in by sea.

So, their efforts have been remarkable. And all the more important that the needs are so great and the difficulties so important for so many of the aid

agencies that are trying to get to Gazans. And it is in that context, I think, that the Israeli authorities are taking extremely seriously what's

happened.

All the more so that World Central Kitchen have been quite clear about the fact that they say this was a de-conflicted zone. They were clear about

their coordinates. They coordinated with the IDF about this. And so, we've heard not just from Benjamin Netanyahu, but we've heard also from the IDF

directly about the fact that they intend to have the highest level probe into this.

We've been hearing from Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, who's been meeting with IDF chiefs and senior defense establishment officials to

outline the steps they're going to take, not just to ensure that they get to the bottom of this, but that they have the utmost transparency in

delivering this information to the rest of the world. Because, of course, Israel knows that it's being extremely closely watched on this one.

We've heard from the United Nations, as you mentioned a moment ago, relief agencies here in the, or rather that work in the occupied territories,

speaking to the extraordinary toll this war has taken on aid workers, leaving aside Palestinian civilians for a moment.

A hundred and ninety-six, that is, Zain and Bianna, a third higher than -- I'm sorry, more than three times the number of aid workers killed in any

single year in any conflict ever. So, it gives you an idea of the extraordinary toll and the extraordinary lengths these particular workers,

as so many others, were willing to go to -- to try and get help, food, to those who needed it most.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and the consequences of this are huge. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those seven aid workers

tragically killed. But the Food Kitchen now says that they will suspend aid work there, given the incident yesterday. So -- impacting so many people

there that are desperately in need of food. Melissa Bell, thank you.

ASHER: Thank you. All right. In terms of what else is happening on the ground in Gaza, what was once the enclave's largest hospital, really a

place of hope and healing, is now permanently out of service. That's according to the acting director of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, the hospital has turned into a makeshift graveyard. One day after Israeli troops ended their two-week siege there. The World Health

Organization says Al-Shifa is in ruins and can no longer be able to function in any way as a hospital. Now, these before and after images show

the extent of the destruction. A WHO spokesperson says that the loss of the hospital will have devastating consequences for the people of Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGARET HARRIS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SPOKESPERSON: We've had contact with the staff. The directors told us that Al-Shifa Hospital is gone.

Destroying Al-Shifa means ripping the heart out of the health system.

It was the tertiary care center. It was a huge hospital, 750 beds, 25 operating theaters, 30 intensive care rooms. You know, it was the place

people go to for the kind of care that a really good health system provides, that we in all our societies expect to have should we be in need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Now, Israel has described the 14-day raid as an anti-terror mission, and a government spokesperson is referring to the operation as the

gold standard of urban warfare.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVY HAYMAN, SPOKESPERSON, ISRAELI NATIONAL PUBLIC DIPLOMACY DIRECTORATE: I believe that the terrorist takeover of Shifa and the subsequent special

forces operation to clear the hospital of terrorists will be studied by future generations of military strategists at West Point and Sanhurst as

the gold standard for urban warfare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: But our next guest says the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza has killed more children, more women, doctors, aid workers, and journalists

than any other war in our time.

[12:10:00]

Jan Egeland is the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. He joins us live now from Oslo, Norway. Jan, I want to start, obviously, by

talking about what happened with the World Central Kitchen aid workers, seven of them rather tragically killed.

Clearly, it is part of the calculation, right, of aid organizations when you are entering into a war zone that there is some degree of risk. But

there are also certain things that these organizations often do to mitigate the risks. They coordinated with the IDF. The IDF knew their coordinates.

They were in a vehicle that was clearly marked with World Central Kitchen's logo.

A lot of people are asking themselves, how on earth could this have happened? I mean, I'm not really sure what else they could have done to

really mitigate the risks here. I just want to start by getting your reaction to what happened.

JAN EGELAND, SECRETARY GENERAL, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: I think our colleagues in World Central Kitchen did everything that they could to be

safe in a war zone, helping the children and the women and the innocent with food.

And the Israelis that deliberately targeted these vehicles, we do not believe that they wanted to attack World Central Kitchen, with whom they

had worked a lot in previous operations to reach people in Gaza. But they deliberately and repeatedly targeted these three vehicles. So, it's very

clear that they are again and again and again targeting without knowing who's inside.

And therefore, it's the worst casualties of any war in recent memory in terms of women, children, the innocent, the aid workers, the doctors, the

nurses, the teachers, any group that have protection under international law. And it's not the gold standard of good warfare. This is a race to the

bottom. And it's happening with American, German and other Western arms.

GOLODRYGA: Jan, in response to this tragic strike, the Israeli defense minister said that Israel would open a joint situation room with

international groups to enable coordination of aid distribution in Gaza with the military.

Now, aside from a ceasefire, which of course would require both sides to agree and for Hamas to also release hostages, do you think this is the

right next step in terms of rebuilding trust and getting more aid, much more needed aid into Gaza, given the dire situation now? And you have the

World Central Kitchen understandably saying they're going to suspend their work there following this tragedy.

EGELAND: They will. And other groups, including my own, have said we will not send convoys north at this time because they are so often targeted by

the Israeli war machine. If they now will have a deconfliction system and notification system with international staff embedded in the Israeli

military high command, it would be a step in the right direction.

I've been an aid worker in many war zones, and we had a system in Afghanistan with U.S. military when the U.S. was there in the Afghan

military high command, and that worked pretty well. We had even in the 2006 war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, we had U.S. military UN staff

in the Israeli high command. We haven't had that in the Gaza war. And partly, therefore, I think there hasn't been a deconfliction system, a

notification system that has protected aid workers.

However, we need really more than anything else, a ceasefire so that this senseless blood shedding can stop. And the second thing we need is all of

the border crossings, including those in the north that Israel has shut down so that we cannot reach civilians in a safe way. We need those border

crossings to halt.

ASHER: Jan, in the absence of a ceasefire happening at any time soon, I just want to get your thoughts on what the consequences are of aid

organizations like, for example, World Central Kitchen, like the NRC, like your own, suspending operations in Gaza, temporary halting operations in

Gaza in certain areas.

It's not just both of your organizations. It's other organizations, as well. You think about the fact that Gaza is on the brink of a catastrophic

famine. In fact, the U.N. says that there already is famine present in certain areas of Gaza.

[12:15:00]

Without a ceasefire, where does the enclave go from here, just in terms of how many people are going to go hungry and continue to go hungry? The

entire population will fall into the abyss because Gaza is like no other place. It's a tiny place. It's smaller than the average Norwegian

municipality. And 2.3 million people are crammed together there. And Israel and Egypt have closed the borders.

So, Israel that is pummeling this civilian population with the most intense bombardment in recent warfare is not enabling them to flee. There is no

Poland or Lebanon or Pakistan as for the other big refugee population.

They are trapped there. That's what we say. Stop it. We need ceasefire now and we need all of the borders to open. If not, there will be a massive

death among the completely innocent that had nothing to do with the 7th of October.

ASHER: Well, I have deep respect for the work that your organization and World Central Kitchen does and continues to do in Gaza. Obviously,

operations have been paused temporarily, but it is really heart-warming to know that there are people out there who are willing to run into the fire

and sacrifice their life in service of others. So, thank you, Jan, for all that you do.

EGELAND: We will continue. We will continue our work as much and as far as we can inside Gaza. But we need protection for both civilians and for our

colleagues. Thank you.

ASHER: Of course.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you, Jan.

ASHER: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, Iran is accusing Israel of attempting to escalate the conflict in the region and is vowing to respond to a deadly attack on its

consulate in Syria. Protesters gathered across Tehran to vent their anger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Iran says at least 13 people were killed in the strike in the heart of Damascus, including seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard

Corps. While Israel has long targeted Iran and its proxies in Syria, this is likely the first time an Iranian diplomatic building has been hit.

GOLODRYGA: A U.S. official says Washington had no involvement or advanced knowledge of the attack. An Israeli military spokesperson wouldn't comment

on the explosion, but said the building was not a consulate or an embassy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL HAGARI, IDF SPOKESPERSON: I want to make sure that according to our intelligence, this is no consulate and this is no embassy. I repeat, this

is no consulate and this is no embassy. This is a military building of Quds Forces disguised as a civilian building in Damascus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Ben Wedeman is tracking the story and joins us now live from Beirut, Lebanon. And Ben, yesterday I spoke with Ronan Bergman, an

Israeli journalist, investigative journalist that has long chronicled these targeted attacks by Israel.

Now, Israel hasn't taken credit or responsibility for this, but it is largely believed to have been directed by Israel. He said this was a very

significant strike yesterday and the consequences may reverberate for days and weeks to come. What more are you learning?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's correct. This is really the most significant strike on a senior IRGC official since

the U.S. assassination of Qasem Soleimani at the very beginning of 2009. What we're seeing is that one of these people who was killed in Damascus,

his senior commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was the man who basically was overseeing IRGC activities in Lebanon and Syria.

And for him to be killed on the compound of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus is indeed a serious escalation. And what we're hearing from senior Iranian

officials is that it's not a question of them responding. It's a question of when or how they will respond.

We heard from, for instance, Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian President, saying that this crime will not go unanswered. Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of

Iran, said that Israel will regret this attack. And we saw that the Iranian foreign minister summoned the Swiss charge d' affaires in Tehran.

The Swiss, of course, represent American interests in Tehran, to convey a message to the United States that the United States will be held answerable

because of its close relations with Israel for the attack on the diplomatic complex in Iran, in Damascus.

[12:20:00]

Now, the question is, what can or will the Iranians do? Now, it's worth pointing out that after that strike on American forces in Jordan near the

Syrian border in late January that left three U.S. service personnel dead, that was a strike by Iranian-affiliated groups in Iraq. Since then, it

appears that the Iranians have sent out a message to their affiliates, certainly in Iraq and Syria, to cool it, to lower the number of attacks on

American forces.

Now, this could change as a result of the strike in Damascus yesterday, given that, of course, the Iranians do hold the Americans, even though the

Americans have denied any knowledge or involvement, they do hold the Americans indirectly responsible for Israel's actions in the region.

At the same time, clearly the Iranians don't want to become involved or rather see a major escalation beyond what we're already seeing on the

border between Lebanon and Israel, in Yemen with the Red Sea and whatnot. But certainly, they're under a certain amount of domestic political

pressure to respond and respond strongly to what we are almost certain is the Israeli attack in Damascus. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Ben Wedeman for us. Thank you.

ASHER: All right, the Biden administration appears ready to green light the sale of 50 American-made fighter jets to Israel. Sources say the deal is

expected to be worth more than $18 billion.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, the largest U.S. military sale to Israel since the start of the war nearly six months ago. The jets haven't yet been built and would

likely not be delivered for about five years. The U.S. is also expected to notify Congress soon that it plans to sell Israel equipment for guided

munitions.

ASHER: All right, still to come here on "One World", a drone attack targets an oil refinery deep inside Russian territory. We'll talk about what this

means in Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. We'll have a live report for you just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Well, Russia says it has launched an investigation after a drone targeted the country's third largest refinery.

[12:25:00]

ASHER: And one of the reasons why it's so significant is because it happened deep inside Russian territory in the Tatarstan region. Other sites

in the area also came under attack, as well. Russian authorities are saying that several people were injured.

GOLODRYGA: A source tells CNN that this was a, quote, "Ukrainian defense intelligence operation. Kyiv has heavily relied on drones since the

beginning of Russia's full scale invasion more than two years ago." So, let's bring in CNN's Nic Robertson, who joins us live from London.

Nick, if there's one thing we can count on in terms of Ukraine strikes against Russian in Russian territory, whether it's Crimea or Russia proper,

it is via drones. And once again, we see yet another attack so deep inside the country. Tell us more about this incident and the threat that this

really poses to Russia.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, look, I mean -- I mean, drones have redefined the war in Ukraine and they're redefining it

here over the borders in Russia, specifically because drones themselves are just being continually improved and upgraded.

Look, one of the ways to defeat drones and the Ukrainians are using it to stop -- to try to prevent drone attacks, Russian drone attacks on them and

the Russians use it to try to defend their airfields and other places they think might be targets from Ukrainian drones is to jam the navigation

systems.

They jam it by radio frequencies so they lose connection with the ground. They jam it by jamming the GPS that they use either through disrupting the

signals from the satellites, disrupting the signals from ground stations.

But this is new tech that's being put to use here. It's a A.I. tech, right? So, we know it's going to get better. We know there'll be more of it. And

the drones get a certain distance with the traditional navigation. And then they switch to basically muscle memory or machine memory, if you will.

They switch to an internal understanding of the ground underneath them that the drone has effectively memorized. It doesn't need to know where it is.

It knows where it is. It can see where it is. And that's why they can be so effective hitting specific parts of these refineries. The -- some of the

most, you know, vulnerable parts of the refineries, specifically parts of the refineries that will need Western tech to help put them right.

This is a vulnerability of Russia at the moment, not just the output and production and the money it gets from its oil, but how to replace and

repair those particular facilities. So, Ukraine has really thought not just long and hard about the tech, but the best way to go after Russia on this.

President Zelensky has indicated that Russians now understand they have vulnerabilities.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Drones are very nimble, relatively cheap. And we see that they have been quite effective for Ukraine throughout this war. Nic

Robertson, thank you.

ASHER: All right. The Council on American Islamic Relations has just released its annual report on civil rights, and they say that it confirms

their worst suspicions.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, CARE says complaints of anti-Muslim bias rose 56 percent in the U.S. last year. That's largely fueled by the Israel-Hamas war that

began in October.

ASHER: Yeah, their researchers are saying these findings represent the reality on the ground for Muslims who have been subjected to Islamophobic

and anti-Palestinian rhetoric in virtually every sector of American society. This is actually the cover of that report.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Up next on "One World." Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail. We'll tell you the issue that he's planning to hammer home

as he visits two key swing states today. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:32:16]

GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Donald Trump is doing something today that he hasn't done in more than two weeks. He is on the campaign trail.

GOLODRYGA: That's right. He is staging rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin, Midwest swing states, that he won in 2016 but lost in 2020. He's expected

to hammer Joe Biden on crime and border security. His campaign calling the theme of the rallies, quote, "Biden's border bloodbath."

ASHER: Trump hits the trail after a couple of major legal developments on Monday. There's a long list, actually. But first, he did pay the $175

million bond in a civil fraud case, allowing him to appeal without risking his properties being seized. And he got slapped with an expanded gag order

in the hush money trial, prohibiting him from publicly talking about family members of the judge or the D.A. in that case.

Alayna Treene is with the former president in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Alayna, thank you so much for being with us. So, Donald Trump hit the

campaign trail in two major battleground states. I mean, this is interesting because the trajectory of his presidential campaign is

obviously going to be interrupted because of all these legal hurdles. He's set to be on trial starting within two weeks. Just take us through it,

Alayna.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, that's right. And it's interesting, as well, Zain and Bianna, because we really haven't seen much of Donald Trump

ever since his Super Tuesday win a couple of weeks ago. He only held two campaign events in that time. Meanwhile, we did see a surge of political

activity from President Joe Biden, who also recently visited both Michigan and Wisconsin.

And I think seeing Donald Trump really kick off his general election campaign in earnest today before his hush money trial begins later this

month is very noteworthy. He wants the campaign as much as he can before having to spend so much time in a courtroom. But look, both of these states

are so critical for both Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Trump won both Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016, but lost the states to Joe Biden in 2020. And so they're really trying to see if they can make up some

of that ground here today and throughout the campaign trail before November. And as you mentioned, there are two big themes that Donald Trump

is really going to be focusing on in both of his speeches, immigration and crime.

And these are both things that helped propel his success in these states in 2016. Now, part of that part of that messaging is that Donald Trump has

actually invited the family of a woman named Ruby Garcia to his Michigan event. Ruby Garcia was recently killed in Michigan by an undocumented

immigrant.

And police enforcement say that it was a domestic dispute. But Donald Trump, like we've seen him do many times in the past when talking about

these issues, he really tries to highlight the alleged violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in this country.

[12:35:00]

And that's why you're seeing him reach out to Ruby Garcia's family to have her here. But look, again, I think it's very significant to note that he is

kicking off his campaign here in earnest in these two swing states as his trial looms ahead of him. And he's going to be confined to that courtroom

in just a couple of weeks. Zain, Bianna.

ASHER: All right, Alayna Treene, live for us there. Thank you so much.

GOLODRYGA: Well, a new ruling by the Florida Supreme Court will soon make it extremely difficult for women to get an abortion in that state. Justices

voted Monday to uphold the state's ban on abortions after 15 weeks. Their ruling will also allow a six-week abortion ban to take effect in 30 days.

Remember that six weeks is actually, mostly before many women even know that they're pregnant. So, this is significant.

GOLODRYGA: But we should also note that the court is allowing Floridians to have their own say on this issue. In November, Florida voters will cast

ballots on a proposed amendment to the state's Constitution that would protect a woman's right to an abortion. If approved, it could potentially

undo both bans.

So, time now for The Exchange. We want to talk about both the abortion debate in America and the state of the presidential race. Joining us is CNN

Political Commentator Alice Stewart. She is also a Republican Strategist.

Alice, good to see you. So, let's start in Florida, especially given that third measure, where essentially the court is putting abortion on the

ballot. We saw what's happened when courts have done that in the past, specifically in Kansas, another red state, and voters turned out. And in

loud majorities and said that they don't want the courts deciding what they will do in terms of a woman's rights to choose.

I'm just curious to get you to respond to what someone like Christina Reynolds, an executive for EMILY's List, said in response to this. And she

said, "It had the potential to pull out more voters, and those voters are more likely to be with us than the other guys." Your thoughts.

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, Bianna, that's absolutely true. And, look, as you've mentioned, every time the issue of abortion

alone has been on a state ballot or a referendum or initiative, it has gone in the way of the pro-abortion or the pro-choice crowd because this is a

very galvanizing issue for them, and protection for reproductive rights is very strong for them. And if it's a standalone issue, it generally goes in

their favor.

And let me just say this from many Republicans and those in the pro-life community. The first ruling from the Florida Supreme Court upholding the

Florida ban, many in the pro-life community view that as a victory for fetus, fetal babies that can feel pain and have a heartbeat, and protecting

and saving those lives.

But the order from the court to put this back on the ballot, that is a real political battle for Republicans because they realize this is going to

galvanize Republican voters and galvanize even some Republicans and certainly independent voters who want to protect the pro-choice issue.

And, look, Republicans are going to have to really work hard on taking some of the focus in Florida off of the abortion issue and putting it on other

issues in Florida, like the economy and immigration and national security.

And they're banking on what we're seeing in a lot of these state-by-state polls that while abortion is a big issue and sometimes a single issue for

some voters, higher on the list are these economic and pocketbook issues. So, Republicans are going to have to realize, let's put the emphasis on

that as opposed to the abortion issue.

ASHER: But for Democrats, they're looking at this as really the winning issue, right? The issue that is going to get people who otherwise wouldn't

ordinarily vote to come out and vote in November, hopefully, obviously, in their favor.

Trump, in the past, has said that he isn't sure or he hasn't decided whether or not to support a national 15-week abortion ban. Obviously, he's

going to continue to get asked about the six-week ban in Florida between now and November.

He knows that this issue could cost him politically. I mean, where do you think he's going to go just in terms of how he's expected to respond to

this? Do you expect him to continue to be mute on this and not say anything? What is the smart way strategically to handle this?

STEWART: Look, I think you're exactly right, Zain. He understands this is a political liability. On one hand, former President Trump pats himself on

the back with Republicans, certainly in the primary, that he nominated three conservative justices that helped lead to the Dobbs Decision

overturning Roe v. Wade, and that is something that many Republican voters praise him for and say that that is another reason for him to be re-

elected.

But he also understands the flip side of that is, again, when this issue is on the ballot, this really galvanizes and energizes those on the left and,

again, also some Republicans, suburban women, and independent voters. And the fact that he has walked back his previous steadfast support for bans

goes to show that he may take a different tone.

[12:40:00]

I think Nikki Haley, when she ran for president, the former South Carolina governor, she had a more reasonable response on the abortion issue, saying

that we need to pull back on conversations about abortion bans and let's talk about abortion limits. And there are widespread support against late-

term abortions, and that's something we can certainly agree on. Let's talk about limits and not bans.

She also said it's important to make sure there are exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. And these are aspects of the abortion issue

that Republicans and Democrats can agree on. That's where the conversation needs to go, and less on outright bans on abortion.

GOLODRYGA: I'll believe it when I see it, though, that the former president endorses Nikki Haley, specifically her policies, but you're right. I mean,

she was the one who came out and laid out exactly where she stood on what issues instead of going back and forth and vacillating the way the former

president has, on the one hand, embracing that Roe was overturned because of him, but at the same time distancing himself from any rulings that are

viewed as far too extreme.

Let me ask you, Alice, about how this impacts Florida, because there was a time when Florida was seen as a potential place where Democrats stood a

chance, perhaps a purple state many years ago that doesn't seem to be the trajectory or the case right now.

But given the court's ruling, the Biden campaign's own spokespeople say that this perhaps is an opening for them, that Florida can now be in play.

What are you hearing from Republicans? Are they worried?

STEWART: They're certainly concerned, and they're certainly not taking this for granted, and also hearing, as we've heard from the Biden campaign and

the Democratic National Committee, they're putting untold millions of dollars into the state of Florida and on this issue alone, and they realize

that there is a large return on the investment for campaigning on this issue.

But what Donald Trump and Republicans have in their favor going into this election is the key issues that galvanize voters, again, as we've talked

about, the economy, inflation, immigration, and national security. These are important issues for the state of Florida, not to mention the fact that

Joe Biden --President Biden, is losing a tremendous amount of support from Hispanics and African Americans.

There's a large Hispanic community in Florida. They are frustrated with the policies of the Biden administration, not the least of which is on

immigration. So, Republicans are banking on the fact that the low approval rating for President Biden, the fact that he's losing amongst the key

voting electorate in Florida, and the economy not doing as well as they say, Republicans are banking on those to help push Donald Trump across the

finish line.

GOLODRYGA: Alice Stewart, appreciate the time today.

ASHER: Thank you, Alice.

SREWART: Thank you.

ASHER: All right, one last note on Donald Trump. He might be feeling a little bit lighter in the wallet today.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and that's because shares of his media company plunged 21 percent on Monday. The Trump Media and Technology Group reported a huge

loss and minimal revenue. The stock selloff knocked about a billion dollars off of Trump's net worth.

ASHER: But the stock is bouncing back today. It's currently up about four percent or so.

GOLODRYGA: All right, still to come for us, we'll introduce you to a 105- year-old who has been chasing solar eclipses for decades. So, quite a story to tell if you want to hear it, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:46:11]

ASHER: All right, at least 29 people have been killed in a fire in Istanbul. Turkish state media reports the fire broke out during renovation

work at a nightclub. Istanbul's governor says all the victims were construction workers. State media reports eight people have been detained

in connection with that fire.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, another tragic news. Finland's prime minister is calling a school shooting near Helsinki earlier on Tuesday deeply shocking. Police

say one child is dead and two are in the hospital after a shooting at a school just outside of the capital.

ASHER: Authorities say the suspect is just 12 years old. Worth-noting that Finland's gun ownership rates are among the highest in the world, but

school shootings there are extremely rare. CNN's Sebastian Shukla has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN INTERNATIONAL FIELD PRODUCER: Really disturbing scenes today north of the Finnish capital, Helsinki, at the Viertola school

in the Vantaa district of the Finnish capital, where a classmate, a 12- year-old boy, turned on his other classmates, also 12 years old, where he killed one and severely injured two others. The classmate and the boy has

now been remanded in custody, but he will be questioned by social services rather than the police, given the age of the boy in question.

It is not clear just yet what exactly the motive is behind this, and the police are still trying to establish that. The Finnish prime minister, who

spoke publicly about this particular incident, described it as being deeply shocking, and that the authorities are still working to determine the story

behind this tragic event.

But he also acknowledged that one incident is one incident too many, even in a country like Finland, which is incredibly rarely sees incidents like

this compared to other nations in the world, such as the United States. Finland's last school attack or school shooting of this type came in 2008,

where a student who was slightly older turned a weapon on his other classmates.

This, though, seems to be very much an open case at the moment and a deeply shocking and disturbing one, particularly as children were returning to

school after the long Easter holiday break. And I'm sure that there will be more to uncover in this story as the police continue their investigation.

Sebastian Shukla, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right, the FBI is searching for a motive after a man drove an SUV into the entrance gates of the bureau's field office in Atlanta. On

Monday, officials say the man was trying to follow an employee's car through the gate when he hit a metal protective barrier, and that's when

the suspect got out of his SUV.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, he was then placed under arrest. The man reportedly didn't say anything as he was taken into custody. Law enforcement sources say he's

a U.S. Navy veteran from South Carolina.

ASHER: All right, we'll be right back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:51:45]

GOLODRYGA: Well, spring in the northern hemisphere is bringing some unstable weather to parts of the U.S. The Storm Prediction Center reported

more than 85 storms across the central part of the country late Monday. Three tornadoes were reported in Texas, in addition to more than 50 reports

of large hail.

ASHER: Yeah, residents in the Ohio River Valley should be on the alert for flooding and cold air is bringing April snowfall across the Great Lakes

today and into the interior northeast on Wednesday.

GOLODRYGA: Well, the story we've been waiting for. Eclipse Mania, is in full swing.

ASHER: How many days now? Six? Six days.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and it's full swing here at CNN, too. Wait till you see what we have in store for you next week.

ASHER: Special coverage.

GOLODRYGA: But to this story, first. Many people are finalizing their plans for the celestial event on April 8th. It's less than a week from now.

ASHER: Right. The rare total eclipse will be seen in Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. More than 30 million people could actually get a chance to see it,

as long as clouds don't get in the way. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking the sun's rays and

causing the sky to darken.

GOLODRYGA: Well, one Texas man has spent decades chasing total solar eclipses around the world --105. That's right. One hundred and five-year-

old Laverne Biser's passion started back in the 60s, and six decades later, it's just as strong as ever.

ASHER: Yeah. Here's Reporter Ken Molestina with affiliate KTVT-TV with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEN MOLESTINA, REPORTER, AFFILIATE, KTVT-TV (voice-over): When you step into Mr. Laverne Biser's Fort Worth home, it's impossible to not notice how

much he loves eclipses and taking pictures of them.

LAVERNE BISER, CHASED SOLAR ECLIPSES FOR DECADES: That was a real excellent position to take a picture.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): This 105, soon to be 106-year-old amateur astronomer has been chasing them for more than six decades. You've seen

eclipses since 1963 was your first one, and your last one was last year.

BISER: Last year, right here in Fort Worth. I've seen 12 eclipses. We've traveled all over the world to see them. Well, I was lucky I had money back

in those days.

MOLESTINA: Good thing for him, April 8th's eclipse will happen right overhead.

BISER: I could go walk out the door here and look up and see it. You don't need to go anywhere.

MOLESTINA: His obsession with the cosmos, he says, began as a high school student in Ohio.

BISER: My science teacher -- I loved, I enjoyed all my science classes.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): From there, he'd go on to graduate with a mechanical engineering degree from The Ohio State University in 1942. He

moved to Fort Worth after and helped design airplanes at Carswell Air Force Base for the rest of his career. But it's the thrill of eclipse watching,

he says, is one of the greatest passions he has.

BISER: You see one, you want to see them all. They're so pretty. When it goes total and the corona comes out, everybody goes, holy, look at that,

holy mackerel, look at that. And cameras start clicking and everybody's yelling.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): His favorite one so far, the solar eclipse of 1979 in Williston, North Dakota, where he snapped this picture.

MOLESTINA: This is your pride and joy right here.

BISER: That's my pride and joy, because it's hard to take. You have to lay your camera up to a blank sky up there, the sun's down here. You hope you

got it pointing in the right direction.

MOLESTINA: When you realized you had captured this picture, what was that like? You must have been really excited.

BISER: Oh, I said, oh, I'm glad it worked.

[12:55:00]

I got it.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): He showed us around his shop.

BISER: I made the whole thing. I made this, I made that. I ground the mirror.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): Where some of his handmade telescopes sit, this one was made almost 60 years ago. And with his 13th eclipse fast approaching,

Mr. Biser says he knows just how special this one will be for him.

BISER: I'm a hundred and six. I don't see them, but they don't come for one or two or a couple of years. I may not see any more. I may not see any more

eclipses.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): I'm Ken Molestina, CBS News, Fort Worth, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Gosh, and just to think about his reaction when he realized he'd captured something monumental looking at that photograph. Incredible. Well,

we have special coverage for you next week. We'd love for you to join us on Monday for the total solar eclipse as it travels from Mexico across the

U.S. and into Canada. Experience the total eclipse from several locations with plenty of science and lots of excitement along the way. Our special

coverage here at CNN starts at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, Eastern Time.

GOLODRYGA: And I want to go back to Laverne Biser after and see what he thought of that.

ASHER: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: How this experience compared to all those in the past.

ASHER: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: What an incredible story. Well, that does it for this hour of "One World". Thanks so much for watching. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Amanpour is up next. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END