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One World with Zain Asher
CNN International: Trump: Every Country Wants To Make Deals With Us; U.S. Markets Up After Trump Softens Tone On Powell, China Tariffs; U.S. Treasury Secy: U.S. Seeking Trade Fairness Globally. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 23, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, HOST, "ONE WORLD": Optimism on Wall Street.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, HOST, "ONE WORLD": One World starts right now.
Stock markets are rallying, and Donald Trump's Treasure Secretary is getting some of the credit. Scott Bessent apparently telling investors that
Washington's trade war with China is unsustainable.
ASHER: Plus mourners pour into St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis.
GOLODRYGA: And Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day begins in a few hours, a time to remember the six million Jews murdered under the Nazi regime. We'll
speak to a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor who was in Poland to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching One World.
I want to start with the markets. Let's take a look and see where things are now. Investors are certainly a little less worried after President
Donald Trump and his Treasury Secretary suggest dialing back the trade war with China. Let's see. The Dow is up 800 points, obviously, green across
the board there.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And you can see the NASDAQ as well, also up nearly four percent, the S&P 500 as well, up nearly three percent, sea of green this
morning as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also reportedly telling investors yesterday that he expects the tariff standoff with China to
deescalate soon. Now, just in the last hour, there you see, Bessent told those gathered at a global outlook forum that President Trump's moves are
aimed at keeping the global economy fair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: In response to President Trump's tariff announcements, more than 100 countries have approached us, wanting
to help rebalance global trade. These countries have responded openly and positively to the President's actions to create a more balanced
international system. We are engaged in meaningful discussions and look forward to talking with others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: We want to take you to the White House now, where President Trump is continuing to speak on the economy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tariffs --
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICASHER: Tariff negotiations are going very well. We're dealing with many, many countries. They all want
to be involved with America. Be careful, folks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President --
TRUMP: They all want to be involved with America. And we have a lot of action going on. We have -- we're making a lot of money, this country. This
country is not going to be losing money on trade anymore. We were losing $2 trillion a year on trade. Now we're going to be making money, a lot of
money. So, that's very good. Every country wants to partake, even countries that have ripped us off for many, many years. China is an example. But,
it's not just China, European Union. They ripped us off for many, many years, and those days are over. We're going to make a lot of money for our
people. We'll be able to lower taxes substantially, and we're going to be proud of ourselves.
We're not going to be a laughing stock that got taken advantage of by virtually every country in the world.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: We're putting up a beautiful, almost 100-foot tall American flag on this side and another one on the other side, two flags, top of the line,
and they've needed flag balls for 200 years. It was something I've often said. They don't have a flag pole per se. So, we're putting one right where
you saw us, and we're putting another one on the other side, on top of the mounds. It's going to be two beautiful poles.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Paid for by Trump.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When are the flags going to be arriving?
TRUMP: They arrive in about a week or so.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you clarify, Mr. President, on China?
TRUMP: Yeah. We are going to have a fair deal with China. It's going to be fair.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you talking to them actively?
TRUMP: We are talking actively. Everything is active. Everybody wants to be a part of what we're doing. They know that they can't get away with it any
longer, but they're still going to do fine. And we're going to have a country that you can be proud of, not a laughing stock all over the world
for many years. In 1913, they traded to the income tax system. We used to be all tariff, and we had no income tax, and we had the wealthiest country
we've had. Proportionately, from about 1870 to 1913, it was all tariffs, and we did -- we had more money than anybody. They had committees how to
spend the money. They had so much money they didn't know how to spend.
Then some brilliant person said, let's go income tax. Let's let the people pay.
[11:05:00]
We're going to be able to substantially lower taxes when this is finished.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Please go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: It looks good. Yeah. No. It looks good. It looks good. We were losing anywhere from $3 billion to $5 billion a day. Think of it. We're
losing billions of dollars a day under Biden and other presidents, frankly, but under Biden, it got really worse. China got out of control. We're
losing a trillion dollars a year, trillion, not a billion, not a million, a trillion, and now we're going to be making money with everyone, and
everyone is going to be happy, but we're going to be -- we're no longer going to be the country that's ripped off by every country in the world.
Thank you very much.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A few words about the Pope, sir.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you talk about where things stand there?
ASHER: All right. President Trump speaking there at the White House, outside the White House, essentially saying that trade negotiations are
going very well, that 100 different countries have come to sort of ask the U.S. for some kind of deal. He essentially also said that the U.S. is
losing trillions of dollars on trade, and that those days are over in terms of the U.S. being ripped off.
I want to get some perspective on all of this now. I want to bring in Gillian Tett, a Columnist at the Financial Times, and Provost at King's
College, Cambridge. So, Gillian these comments by Donald Trump just now coming, of course, a day after he reiterated that the trade war with China,
just like Scott Bessent said, essentially was unsustainable. He talked about the idea that these tariffs are going to have to come down
substantially.
Just help us make sense of all of this. Because one of the things we're asking is, what really was the point of all of this? I mean, you have a
situation where there are significant trade imbalances between the U.S. and other countries around the world. Therefore the U.S. assumes that it must
be being ripped off, even though it is the richest country in the history of the world. Explain to us, what was the point of all of this?
GILLIAN TETT, COLUMNIST, FINANCIAL TIMES: Well, the way I see the point of it, it's a bit like the Worldwide Wrestling Federation or wrestling ring,
where Donald Trump spent many years of his life, essentially promoting this and his television shows, which is all about manufactured drama, lots of
agro, whipping up the audience, lots of name calling. I mean, that's sort of what's going on with the trade negotiations right now, because we have
the equivalent of a reality TV show each day, tariffs on, tariffs off. We just don't know.
However, the key point to realize is that markets are rallying now. There is a sense that investors are starting to feel more confident. That's
partly because Donald Trump has drawn back from his attacks on Jerome Powell, the Chair of the Federal Reserve. It's partly because there have
been indications that trade talks are underway, and Trump himself has said that he wants to essentially lower the tariffs in the future.
But, there is another key reason as well, which is that Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, is looking like he is becoming increasingly
powerful within the team of advisors around Donald Trump, and that's giving some reassurance to investors, because he is seen as being a steadier hand
who has more awareness of global markets and finance than some of his colleagues. And just before we've gone the air, just about an hour ago,
there was a very important speech from Scott Bessent about the IMF and World Bank, where he basically said he supports these institutions. He
supports international collaboration. He doesn't want America alone, but he wants it essentially on a, what he calls, a more balanced framework.
Now, that's not what most mainstream economists would want to sit here right now, but it's a lot better than some of the world of statements we've
had in the last few weeks.
GOLODRYGA: Though, he did take a few swipes at both institutions, and also noted that if Trump's trade policies were fully enacted, that the IMF's
projection that the world economy would shrink by 1.8 percent, the U.S. economy also taking a hit, wouldn't be correct, wouldn't be accurate. So, a
bit of sort of having it both ways, taking swipes at these institutions, but also being more of a measured voice.
The question is, Gillian, he should have known all of this, one would have assumed, given his history in the economy, in finance, to know that this
would have been the consequence of these irrational and the irrational tariffs in some of this planning that the President had instituted. There
had also been reporting that the President was spooked from CEOs of Target, of Walmart, of Home Depot's, telling him that within the next few weeks,
you would really see the impact of these tariffs, and you would see empty store shelves, and a real concern about getting some of these goods
actually here to the United States. So, where do we go from here, now that all of a sudden the President does appear to have gotten a dose of reality
about the consequences of his actions?
TETT: Well, Secretary Bessent is trying to throw a very difficult needle, and that he knows perfectly well, how markets will react to these dramatic
threats that we've seen in the last few weeks.
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That will have come as no surprise. However, he is also working for a President who believes in using dramatic threats to build the leverage. So,
in a sense, they're trying for Goldilocks aggression strategy, just enough aggression to really shock and scare everyone into doing what they want,
essentially, but not too much aggression to cause the entire financial system to implode, and most importantly, to cause investors to flee
American assets in a way that's going to drive up bond yields or the market rates of borrowing money. So, Scott Bessent is trying to thread that
needle, to have that Goldilocks aggression strategy, if you like. It's a very, very tough balancing act.
And when it comes to things like his comments on the International Monetary Fund and World Bank just now, again, he is trying to signal that he is
going to be supportive of these international organizations insofar as they play a role in trying to prevent financial crises in the global system. His
red lines are what might be called the three Cs. He wants the IMF to get a lot tougher on China, which is going to be potentially quite hard, and to
basically criticize China over its trading imbalances. He wants a lot more action in terms of the -- what they call the common framework for sovereign
debt restructuring for poor countries. And he also wants both the World Bank and IMF to back away from climate change activism, and that's going to
be pretty unpopular in many quarters.
So, as I say, Scott Bessent is trying to thread this very difficult needle, and from the market reaction today, it's going better than it was before,
but who knows whether it's going to last, never mind the next week or month, the next day or two, because we're still living in very volatile
times.
ASHER: Yeah. The thing about the U.S. President is you don't know what he is going to say next. You have literally no idea what he is going to say
next. And just in terms of how we go from just sort of talking about a potential trade deal with China to actually getting one, to actually
signing one, just explain to us that process, because there are so many different facets of a trade deal with China. It's very complex, everything
from the sale of TikTok to Taiwan's sovereignty to intellectual property rights, to the ability or the ease of American companies to do business in
China. There is a whole host of issues that need to be hammered out. So, you can't imagine that this would take weeks. It would -- normally trade
deals take years, right? So --
TETT: Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, there are several big problems with this. One is the fact that, from the Chinese side, they say they often don't know
quite who to talk to, and you don't have in any way a relationship of trust and understanding relationships on which to build.
A second problem is that, in contrast to early administrations, the Trump administration is determined to bundle together economic, financial,
military, tech, and a whole range of issues all as one single negotiating bundle, and that really complicates things dramatically.
A third problem is that the Trump administration doesn't seem to decide at whether it wants to cut off essentially all economic ties with China,
essentially put tariffs on everything from plastic hair clips all the way through to super sophisticated AI chips, or whether it just wants to cut
off or decouple on the security and sensitive technology areas. That involves very different strategies as well.
And then on top of all that, of course, you've got the question about what to do, not so much about the trade, but about the financial links, because
if China was to suddenly withdraw from the American Treasuries market, that could be very damaging for bond yields. It'll push them a lot higher. But,
at the same time, there is a lot more financial links than people realize between the two countries, and it's simply not clear at the moment whether
the Trump administration wants a complete decoupling or not. All of that means that any type of negotiation is going to be very complex.
And the last thing to bear in mind is that what links President Xi and President Trump, or Premier Xi, is that both men hate to lose face. They
both know, for their own domestic political reasons, look tough. Neither can afford to back down, and that makes trade talks doubly difficult.
ASHER: Yeah. The Chinese are actually also saying that, listen, if it comes to fighting, we are going to fight to the bitter end. But, if you want to
talk, our door is open, effectively saying that the ball is in the U.S.'s court in terms of making the first move.
GOLODRYGA: And it looks like we did blink for it.
ASHER: We ultimately said we because I'm now a U.S. citizen.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
ASHER: We said that we wouldn't.
Gillian Tett live for us there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
[11:15:00]
(VIDEO PLAYING)
ASHER: All right. A constant stream of pilgrims are queuing up outside the Vatican to say goodbye and to celebrate the life of Pope Francis.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. The body of the pontiff, who died on Monday at the age of 88, is lying in state at St. Peter's Basilica. It will remain there until
his funeral on Saturday.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
ASHER: Earlier, the coffin was carried from the Chapel of the Casa Santa Marta where he lived to St. Peter's Basilica in a moving procession. At the
Basilica, the Cardinals were given a chance to pay their respects before the doors opened to the public.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
GOLODRYGA: The Italian government has declared five days of national mourning. After the funeral, Cardinals will begin the process of choosing
the Pope's successor.
Meanwhile, mourners are paying their respects to a pontiff, often called the People's Pope, for his humility and compassion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS NATCHER, LOS ANGELES RESIDENT: His legacy is going to show the world to accept everyone and to love everyone. It shows that the church is also
kind of with the times, a little bit too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us now live from Rome, where the crowds, we have read, have been quite large coming to pay their final respects,
Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Bianna and Zain. Just about six hours and 15 minutes ago, St. Peter's Basilica was
open to the public so they could see the body of Pope Francis lying in a very simple coffin. What we have seen since then is massive crowds. I mean,
I have approached this area from several directions. Every street is crammed full of people.
Now, originally, the Vatican said that the Basilica would be open until midnight. Now they are saying because of the number of people who are
waiting to get inside, they'll probably extend that beyond midnight. Tomorrow, the doors will open at 07:00 a.m. local time, and obviously it's
clear it's going -- they're going to be open beyond midnight then. So, all of that until Friday night, because on Saturday morning, at 10 o'clock, the
funeral will be held.
Now, we spoke to one of the people who was among the first group to enter St. Peter's Basilica, a man, part of a group of pilgrims from the Virgin
Islands. They had originally planned to leave Rome on Monday, but of course, that was the day when Pope Francis' death was announced. So, they
decided to stay at least until the funeral. This is what he said. It was a very emotional moment when he was able to get inside the Basilica.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FATHER LOUIS KEMAYOU, VIRGIN ISLANDS PRIEST: When I saw his body, I was so humble to get closer to the body of the leader of the church and the leader
of the whole world, because he is not just the leader of the church. He is the leader of the faithful, and men and women of goodwill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: And what I've noticed -- I was here for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, who was very much a cold warrior, very popular in his native
Poland and Eastern Europe, and back then, we saw lots of people coming from there, Eastern Europe and Poland and other parts of Europe to bid farewell
to John Paul II. What I've noticed this time around with the death of Pope Francis is there are many more of the faithful coming from Asia, from
particularly his native Latin America, Africa as well. So, there really is a much more diverse crowd of people coming to pay their respects to Pope
Francis. Zain, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Living up to how he was referred to, as we noted, the people's Pope.
Ben Wedeman, thank you.
ASHER: And we'll have much more on the Pope's life and legacy in our next hour. We will speak to Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, the Editor of Our
Sunday Visitor magazine, who will join us live from Rome,
GOLODRYGA: Still to come for us, a pretty bizarre situation. That's how one official is describing the increasingly prominent role the Defense
Secretary's wife now has at the Pentagon. We'll get the details ahead.
ASHER: Plus, America's top diplomat pulls out of talks in London aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine. We'll look at the sudden change of plans,
next.
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[11:20:00]
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GOLODRYGA: Concerns are growing about what exactly is going on at America's largest government agency, amid reports of chaos and dysfunction at the
Defense Department.
ASHER: And there is new reporting that Pete Hegseth's wife is playing an outsized role at the Pentagon. Sources tell CNN the Defense Secretary has
become increasingly paranoid about potential leaks to the media and now depends on a small group of advisors, including his wife, Jennifer.
GOLODRYGA: Hegseth, meanwhile, is blaming anonymous smears after it was revealed that he shared sensitive military operations on a second Signal
group chat that included his wife from his personal phone.
Natasha Bertrand has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Secretary Hegseth has become increasingly isolated and paranoid about media leaks, we're
told, especially over the last month, and his inner circle has shrunk pretty dramatically as well. It now basically includes just his wife, his
personal lawyer, and his senior -- or his junior military aide, I should say, someone who just retired recently, in order to become a senior advisor
to Secretary Hegseth, we're told. But, it really shows the extent to which he is trying to narrow the circle of people who could possibly have access
to any information that he may have about military operations, because he has been extremely angry over the last several weeks about leaks to the
media.
Now, we're also learning some new details about the Signal-Gate (ph) episode where he disclosed sensitive military operations in a second group
chat on Signal, which also included his wife, his lawyer, and his brother. That was set up in order to coordinate media appearances and talking
points, we're told, but Secretary Hegseth took it to a new level, surprising members of that chat when he started disclosing sensitive
details about military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
Now, ever since that story broke, Secretary Hegseth has been trying to change the subject, trying to distract from the fact that he shared this
information on a commercial messaging app by focusing on the firing of the three senior officials last week who he has accused now of leaking to
undermine him. But, those former officials have come out as well and said that they never leaked anything and that they are devastated by the way
that they have been treated over the last several days.
Meanwhile, the former Pentagon spokesperson who served as Secretary Hegseth's Press Secretary until just about a week ago, is coming out and
saying that Secretary Hegseth has caused, quote, "chaos here at the Pentagon." That has also been noticed by the White House, which has been
asking around about whether or not Secretary Hegseth is up to the job. For now, it seems, though, that President Trump is standing behind Secretary
Hegseth, and he is safe, at least for the moment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Many thanks to our Natasha Bertrand for that report.
All right. Elon Musk, the unelected billionaire, who President Trump put in charge of slashing the U.S. government, says he plans to step back at least
partly from his high-profile role at DOGE.
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GOLODRYGA: Yeah. It comes after Tesla said its auto-related revenue was down 20 percent during the first quarter of the year on Tuesday, while
adjusted income plunged 39 percent. Musk said the time he devotes to DOGE will be scaled back, but he will continue to advise the President, if
asked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: Starting probably in the next month, May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly. I think I'll continue
to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as long as the President would like me to do so and as long as it is useful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Musk's role at the White House has set off worldwide protests at Tesla dealerships, and some have tied the slump in the company's profits to
his controversial politics.
GOLODRYGA: Well, the Executive Producer of CBS News iconic show "60 Minutes" is resigning, citing a loss of journalistic freedom. In an
emotional memo, Bill Owens said he was no longer allowed to have control of the program and could not make his own independent decisions based on what
he felt was right for the show.
ASHER: Yeah. It comes a CBS' response to ongoing attacks from the U.S. President and its owners contemplate selling a multi-billion dollar
settling, rather, multi-billion dollar lawsuit from Donald Trump. His complaint focuses on an interview "60 Minutes" did with then-Vice President
Kamala Harris last fall.
GOLODRYGA: Well, new developments in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. London talks on the conflict have suddenly been downgraded. The U.S. Vice
President has issued an ultimatum to both Moscow and Kyiv.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it's time
for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process. We've engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on the
ground work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: J.D. Vance speaking there from India. As we learned, the U.S., Secretary of State won't attend planned London peace talks today. The State
Department cited logistical issues. The UK says a meeting of lower-level officials is going ahead, however. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg will attend
for the U.S.
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, Ukraine says at least nine people were killed and dozens wounded in a Russian drone attack on a bus in southern Ukraine.
ASHER: All right. In the next hour of One World, we'll be talking about those downgraded peace talks and the Vance ultimatum with Alina Polyakova.
She is the President and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis, and she specializes in Russian foreign policy.
As thousands line up outside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, we will have more on the passing of Pope Francis, including a look at a very
unlikely friendship.
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[11:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back to One World. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Here are some international headlines for watching today.
ASHER: U.S. stocks rally after President Trump and his Treasury Secretary, both signaled a potential-U-turn on the high tariffs on China. The
President said the tariffs could come down substantially, but, quote, "it won't be zero".
GOLODRYGA: U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is skipping a major meeting in London on the war in Ukraine. Envoy Keith Kellogg will attend in
his place. Now, it comes as the U.S. Vice President issues an ultimatum, threatening the U.S. will walk away if Russia and Ukraine don't sign on the
U.S. proposals.
ASHER: India's Defense Minister is vowing there will be a loud and clear response after gunmen killed dozens of people in a popular tour as
destination in the Himalayas on Tuesday. At least 26 people were killed in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir. A military group calling itself
The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack.
GOLODRYGA: Thousands of people are filing into St. Peter's Basilica to say their goodbyes to Pope Francis, two days after his death at the age of 88.
The pontiff's body was brought to St. Peter's earlier today and will lie in state until his funeral. Italy has declared five days of national mourning.
ASHER: Former Cuban President Raul Castro says he will forever carry the Pope's legacy in his heart.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann joins us live now from Havana, Cuba. So, just talk to us about this unlikely friendship, because they refer to him as Papa
Francisco. He traveled to Cuba. He met with Raul Castro. Just talk to us about the bond that these two men had.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An unlikely bond, because even though they were both heads of state from Latin America, from the same generation,
they had very, very different life paths, to say the least. Raul Castro came to power at the point of a gun, of course, and the Pope was someone
who preached his entire life the importance of forgiveness and mercy.
So, you would think they would not have that much to bond over, and yet they did. This was something that we saw the people who covered Pope
Francis' two visits to Cuba that these men just seemed to hit it off and smiled and laughed. You had this really unique moment after the first
moment -- first meeting in Rome, where Raul Castro said, then head of -- then-President of Cuba, said that he was making -- thinking of going back
to the church, back to praying after meeting Pope Francis. And we're talking about a lifelong atheist, Raul Castro, someone who was a senior
member of a government that essentially tried to push the Catholic Church out of Cuba for many, many years. It made it very, very hard for people of
faith here.
So, Pope Francis, of course, got criticized for not speaking out more strongly for human rights in Cuba. But, there was this relationship that
developed. They said they were very close to each other. They got along, and there was a quiet diplomacy that became born out of that. Pope Francis,
of course, pushed for the U.S. and Cuba to mend relations, and he pushed for Cuba to release some of the people considered to be political prisoners
here. And just this past January, we actually saw dozens of people being released because of Pope Francis, at the behest of Pope Francis. So, it was
a quiet diplomacy that, while often criticized, it did seem to pay off.
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, Patrick, how are Cubans, regular citizens there, remembering the Pope and his passing?
OPPMANN: Well, the Pope was the only Pope to have visited Cuba twice, and of course, as a native Spanish speaker, he was someone who just connected
with people here in a way we've not seen previously. And so, flags are at half-staff across this island, something remarkable, considering they're
honoring a religious leader, and Cubans, starting today, are going in signing a book of condolences at the (inaudible), and then tomorrow, we
will see a large mass held just about a half a mile from me at Havana's Cathedral, and that is expected draw, truly, hundreds of people.
[11:35:00]
This is a Pope that talked about the importance of religion in tough times, but honoring migrants and about the importance of family. So, these were
themes that just struck a chord with Cubans, and certainly he'll be a Pope, a religious leader that will be remembered, that helped push forward the
church here, despite headwinds, despite official resistance, and someone who just seemed to be able to bridge divides to make a friendship, not only
with Raul Castro, unexpected friendship there, but also just to connect with regular Cubans in a way that I don't think anyone has ever seen here
before.
ASHER: All right. Patrick Oppmann live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: We'll be right back.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Pope Francis was known for his kindness that he showed to people he met all over the world, and some of the times, we will remember most of
those that he shared with children.
CNN's Randi Kaye reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pope Francis welcomed the world with open arms, especially children. When this boy walked on stage during
mass, Pope Francis visibly chuckled, and when the boy's mother tried to wrangle her son, the Pope told his audience, the boy is mute, but knows how
to express himself, then joked he is Argentinian and unruly, before telling the boy to stay.
The Holy Father welcomed this young girl when she interrupted mass too. Let her stay. God speaks for children, Francis said. Instead of excluding
children, Pope Francis embraced them and encouraged them. When this little boy wandered up to the Pope, the Holy Father stood by, allowing the boy to
climb into his chair and hug the pontiff's legs. The Pope tenderly patting the child on the head. As the boy examined the Pope up close, touching and
kissing his cross, the Pope couldn't have been more pleased. When another boy wouldn't leave the Pope's side during mass, the Pope asked his head of
protocol to give the boy his chair.
[11:40:00]
Over the years, there were countless hugs and kisses and blessings of babies, plenty of selfies too taken around the world. During a visit to
Ecuador, Pope Francis posed for a selfie with this child in a wheelchair before offering his blessing. The Pope often gravitated to children with
disabilities. When he met this little girl from Ohio at the Vatican, she was going blind due to a genetic disorder. He kissed her, touched her face
and blessed her eyes. The tender moment brought a smile to her face. The Holy Father was so moved by this cancer survivor with Down syndrome on a
family trip to Rome that he stopped and kissed the boy's head, then suddenly offered him a ride in his popemobile.
Even when Francis was hospitalized and recovering from abdominal surgery in 2023, he made sure to visit children in the cancer ward of his Rome
hospital. Perhaps, though, it was this event where the Pope gathered with more than 7,000 children from 84 countries. That truly illustrates Pope
Francis' fondness for children. He told his young audience, he is happy when he meets children because they teach him something new every time, and
remind him of how beautiful life is in its simplicity.
Randi Kaye, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: So many beautiful moments there with the Pope.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
ASHER: All right. A powerful earthquake shook Turkey on Wednesday. The 6.2 magnitude quake struck just west of Istanbul, making it the strongest quake
to strike the city in recent years.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. A CNN Turk anchor was live on air when it happened, and you can see the studio visibly shaking right there. Reuters reports dozens
of people were injured when they jumped from buildings in a panic, but it says, none of them, thankfully, and none of those injuries, are critical.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted, as firefighters battle a massive blaze in southern New Jersey.
ASHER: Yeah. The fire started in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Ocean County, and then exploded across 8,500 acres on Tuesday. More
than 1,300 structures are threatened. At last report, the fire was 10 percent contained.
Let's bring in Meteorologist Derek Van Dam, who joins us live now from the Weather Center in Atlanta. Derek, the pictures are stunning. I mean,
they're really shocking, some of these images of this blaze in New Jersey. Just walk us through what more you can tell us.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. This is pictures and video that you would pretty much get used to seeing out west, over the western parts of
the U.S., not on the east coast of the U.S., not in New Jersey, right? But, seems that we do have a wildfire threat in this part of the country. And in
fact, we've got new, updated numbers as of 11:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. This fire known as the Jones Street fire, this is actually up to 30
percent containment, but it has already scorched over 11,500 acres. That's roughly 4,500 hectares. And you can see some of these flames just making
their way high into the sky.
Look at the billowing smoke as well, and a massive firefighting effort, as this continues to burn in this part of the state. A lot of this is state
forest, but there were several hundred structures that were at least threatened at the beginning of this wildfire, which began yesterday,
roughly midday. You can actually see the wildfire from space. This is an incredible, incredible satellite image.
So, what you looking at here is southern New Jersey, the state of New Jersey. This is the Atlantic Ocean. The white here is actually clouds
moving from west to east. That is, of course, the fire erupting in size. And you can actually see the direction of the wind, coming from a westerly
direction, taking that smoke and billowing it out into the open Atlantic Ocean. Kind of that gray, almost brownish smoke.
So, here it is from the ground. This is Ocean County, New Jersey, southern portions of the state. Look at how the wildfire continues to whip up well
above the tree line, and look at all the smoke as well. So, this area plagued by drought. It desperately needs rain. We've got moderate to severe
drought even across the areas that have been impacted by this wildfire activity lately. So, these have been fanned by stronger winds. Fortunately,
today, they have relaxed a bit, and they anticipate the winds to not be a factor going forward, because there is actually a cold front that's going
to come through. Increase the relative humidity. That means more moisture in the air. What this does is it allow firefighters to really get a handle
on the wildfire going forward, and then, of course, we need to see the rain drops fall from the sky, and that's just what this cold front will do.
Look at this. As we head into Friday and Saturday, this is when we anticipate a front to come through, bring us the beneficial rain, help
quell the forest fires, and hopefully get the situation 100 percent contained. Again, remember the newest numbers, 30 percent containment, but
several thousand hectares have already been burned. Zain, Bianna.
[11:45:00]
ASHER: Yeah. That's important to note, just the fact that, yeah, 30 percent contained. But obviously, there is still a long way to go, and really
important what you said there, Derek, about the fact that we're used to seeing these pictures out west --
GOLODRYGA: Yeah.
ASHER: -- not in New Jersey, where I live.
Derek van Dam --
DAM: Yeah. Not on the East Coast. Exactly.
ASHER: Not on the East Coast.
GOLODRYGA: That cold front can't come soon enough.
ASHER: Derek Van Dam live for us. Thank you so much.
We'll be right back with more after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: The first round of the NBA playoffs continued last night. The best- of-seven series has eight teams from each conference battling to advance.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Last night, the Indiana Pacers never trailed in their second game, beating the Milwaukee Bucks and taking a 2-0 lead in the
series. The Oklahoma City Thunder also have taken a two-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies. It was another convincing win for the Thunder. And how
about Lakers who pulled out a win against the Timberwolves.
Let's turn to our Coy Wire with CNN World Sports, who has all the details of the playoffs. Lakers are sighing some breath of relief here --
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- following that win.
WIRE: Yeah. They're fans. They needed their players to rally. Good to see you, Bianna and Zain.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said that he wasn't so sure his team was ready physically in the first round loss to Minnesota. That's code four. You got
your butt whipped, boys. Well, this time, they came out to play against Minnesota, looking to even their series. Look at that, Luka Doncic.
[11:50:00]
He looks to the Wolves bench, and he had a game high of 31 points. LA had a 19-point lead after the first. Now, Luka also had game highs in rebounds,
with 12, in assists, with nine. That pass there to LeBron for three of his 21. But, look at this pass right here, Bianna and Zain. No look, filthy, to
Finney-Smith. Luka, LeBron and the Lakers bounce back to win 94-85. The series now tied at one, heading on the road to Minnesota, and Luka knows
that might be a problem.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUKA DONCIC, LOS ANGELES LAKERS GUARD: Going into the -- to Minnesota is going to be a war. The fans are going to be cheering like crazy. So, no
matter why we campaign, we got to stay together and that's me and LeBron to keep the team together. We want to win. It's nothing better to be but to
win, but we want to win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Bucks pacers in Indiana (ph). Milwaukee looking to even their series with the help from Dame Time, their superstar, Damian Lillard, back after
missing time with a blood clot in his calf, he went for 14 points, including a huge three to bring them within two with a couple of minutes to
go. But, Pascal Siakam and the Pacers playing pumped up on some offensive fire power and with some snark (ph). Siakam out of team I-24, but watch
Tyrese Haliburton mocking Lillard's Dame Time celebration. How dare you. He didn't like that. Bobby Portis didn't like that either. Look at him chipper
in words at Siakam. Pacers win 123-115. They now have a 2-0 series lead, and it sets up for a juicy game three in Milwaukee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TYRESE HALIBURTON, INDIANA PACERS GUARD: I had to sit here and act like, you know, it's any secret. We don't like them. They don't like us, and
that's just what it is. And I think we -- they live for this. We live for this. So, I could care less. I'm out here just trying to help my team win
games. So, there has got to be a little bit back and forth. There has got to be a little back and forth, but I'm here to win.
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS FORWARD: I really don't care about what people think, or what they think or what we think. I really don't
care. I just -- my mindset right now is game three. I know the (BEEP), man. I just know the deal. I know what I got to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: I think, as he said, I know the funny deal there, Oklahoma City, where John Moran, the grizzly got whooped in game one, one of the worst
playoff losses in NBA history, blown out by 51 points by OKC. Game two is more the same. They missed their first 10 shots. Their star, John Moran,
didn't make a field goal the entire first quarter. They got blown out by 19 this time. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder with just too much SGA-
led, all scores with 27 points. OKC wins 118-99, taking a 2-0 series lead, and that means we have three more playoff games tonight, including
someone's favorite, the Houston Rockets facing --
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
WIRE: -- the Golden State Warriors. Can they get her done tonight? Let's see, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: They need a W, Coy. I asked my son, when are they playing next? He said, tonight. So, we'll be watching. You know what we're going to be
doing.
WIRE: Yes, girl.
GOLODRYGA: They need a win.
WIRE: All right.
GOLODRYGA: They need a win. Coy Wire, thank you.
WIRE: You got it.
ASHER: Thank you, Coy.
All right. From Russia with love, an exclusive look at a portrait of Donald Trump, which was a gift from Vladimir Putin.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. The painting captures the moment after an assassination attempt on Trump, raising his fist in the air, a smear of blood across his
face, with a steely look of defiance, as he gazes into the distance. Little wonder why Trump liked it.
Our Matthew Chance spoke to the artist.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIKAS SAFRONOV, ARTIST (Interpreted): It was very important to me to show the blood, the scar and his bravery during the attempt on his life.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the first glimpse of what we're told is a portrait gifted to President Trump by
Vladimir Putin in March. You can see, the Russian artist, who we met in Moscow, was pretty kind, showing Trump looking heroic, even trim.
SAFRONOV (Interpreted): He didn't break down or become afraid, but raised his arm to show he is one with America and will bring back what it
deserves.
CHANCE (on camera): The painting handed to Trump envoy Steve Witkoff was clearly meant to flatter, as Trump and Putin discuss ending the Ukraine war
and rebuilding ties. And apparently, it worked. Witkoff said Trump was touched at what he called the beautiful portrait. Well, Safronov is one of
Russia's most famous artists, and has painted dozens of world leaders before, the late Pope Francis and of course, Vladimir Putin. The Trump
painting, he told me, was commissioned by a patron he suspected was the Kremlin.
SAFRONOV (Interpreted): I realized this could bring our countries closer.
CHANCE (on camera): Later, he says he was contacted by President Putin himself, who told him the flattering Trump portrait was an important step
in Russia's relationship with the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Matthew Chance reporting there from Moscow.
[11:55:00]
All right. And finally this hour, the Executive Director of the Texas Lottery has resigned. This comes during multiple investigations into some
mysterious jackpot wins.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. In 2023, a group apparently based in Europe, won a $95 million prize by purchasing more than 25 million tickets, covering almost
every possible number combination. Now, they used a Texas-based courier company to do it. The company denies any wrong doing, and so do lottery
officials.
All right. Stay with us. We'll have more One World after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
