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Quest Means Business

FBI Arrests Wisconsin Judge, Accuses Her Of Obstructing ICE; Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Charges; Vatican Making Final Preparations For Pope's Funeral; China Cuts Tariffs On Some U.S. Made Semiconductors; Temu And Shein Raise Prices In Anticipation Of 120 Percent Tariff; Donald Trump's Tariffs Unify Canadian Voters Ahead Of Election; Trial For "Grandpa Gang" To Begin Next Week In Paris. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired April 25, 2025 - 16:00   ET

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

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: The closing bell is ringing on Wall Street. A little bit of a lackluster Friday in the markets. The Dow closing almost

flat there. Those are the markets, though and these are the main events.

A Wisconsin judge is arrested and charged in federal court after allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest.

A Russian general killed in a car blast near Moscow.

And SHEIN and TEMU start raising prices ahead of new tariffs.

Live from Washington, D.C. It is Friday, April 25th. I am Omar Jimenez, in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.

Good evening, everyone.

Tonight, a Wisconsin judge has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest. Judge Hannah Dugan is

accused of misdirecting federal agents away from a migrant in her courthouse. She is facing two charges for obstruction and concealing an

individual from arrest.

Now, the criminal complaint accuses the judge of becoming visibly angry when she learned immigration officers were outside her courtroom to arrest

the man, whose case she was overseeing. She is accused of directing the man through a jury door to avoid detention. She was held in federal custody

this morning before an initial court appearance and has since been released.

But I want to bring in Katelyn Polantz, who is in Washington for us. I mean, Katelyn, what more do we know about what happened and what can we

expect to happen next?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Omar, this is now going to be an ongoing court case where Judge Dugan is the defendant.

That's because she is charged in federal court.

She is a local judge, so a different court system is where she sits and all of this is about what happened on April 18th. That was when she was on the

bench in her courthouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin hearing -- she was set to hear the case of a man from Mexico on domestic violence charges, but the

federal immigration authorities wanted to apprehend him, so they were waiting outside of her courtroom and at that time, she is alleged to have

escorted or at least told him and his attorney to exit the courthouse through a back door to avoid the immigration authorities. They then took

off after this man on foot outside of her courthouse arrested him and then came back.

Today, the U.S. Marshal Service came back to her courthouse today to apprehend her on two charges, one of them being obstruction. So she faces

these charges in federal court. There are substantial allegations here against the judge taking these steps in the courthouse, and a courthouse is

a place where immigration authorities can go to try and apprehend someone they believe is unlawfully in the country. But this is something, now,

Omar, that the immigration authorities and the Justice Department of the United States are trying to make a big deal about to show how much of a

hard line they are taking on immigration.

The Attorney General earlier today saying that it doesn't matter who you are, we will bring charges if you are harboring people related to

immigration somehow encroaching upon the federal government's decision making there.

Judge Dugan, in this case, she hasn't yet entered a pleading, although she did appear in court today. She has been released as well, and there are

many people in Milwaukee, elected politicians there, as well as democrats in Washington, criticizing how the administration is treating this

situation, saying that you shouldn't have people being fearful about going to court. They shouldn't be making some sort of a point out of this case

among all of the types of cases out there.

JIMENEZ: And we have seen tension between the Trump administration and various courts on the topic of immigration, maybe not quite like this, so a

case to watch for sure.

Katelyn Polantz really appreciate the reporting.

All right, meanwhile, Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of stalking and murder. He appeared in court this afternoon to

enter his plea. Mangione is the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Last week, a federal grand jury

indicted him for the December killing.

Now, the Justice Department then filed a notice that it would seek the death penalty, and the incident sparked a lot of debate over healthcare

costs in the United States.

The federal charges, I should note, are separate from the New York state charges Mangione is facing.

I want to bring in CNN legal analyst, Michael Moore, who is with me as well.

I want to start with the Justice Department calling for the death penalty here, because I think that jumps off the page at a lot of people who are

following this case. Do you see that as realistic?

I mean, how do you interpret that sort of as a lawyer when you hear that request coming from a prosecutor?

[16:05:02]

MICHAEL MOORE, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, well, I am glad to be with you. I mean, I think it is really pretty much a political stunt, and you just

don't see it that much in these cases, especially when you have a parallel case involving state authorities.

Remember that New York had already had a case, a murder case against Mangione. And so then, as if somehow, to look strong, perhaps the Trump

Department of Justice came in and said, but we also want a piece of this, and by the way, we are going after the death penalty.

And so, it is unusual, frankly, to not see some cooperation between the state and the federal authorities, especially since it is the same set of

facts and the same crime. It is unusual to not see one defer to the other. And again, this is when the government came in, and now they are saying,

well, we should have enough for a death penalty. A gun was involved in this case and so we are moving forward.

I just don't think frankly, that it is the kind of serious prosecution that we are used to seeing out of the department. It seems almost like they are

less concerned about public safety and more concerned about sort of the some of the private grievances and political statements to be made through

their cases.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, I think when people look at sort of both of these cases, we heard some reporting earlier from one of our reporters, Kara

Scannell, that talked about the defense exploring because of this request for a death penalty, exploring, trying to get this federal case handled

before the state charges. Is that unusual for a federal case to go before a state one? I mean, how do you see the relationship sort of between these

two, I guess concurrent cases?

MOORE: A lot of times you'll see the jurisdiction that brings the initial case be the one to move forward first. And so, you know, in this case, you

would expect it to be in New York. Here, I think what you're likely here is the defendant's lawyer saying, look, don't put him through a trial in New

York if you're just going to make us go back now through a federal case where he can be put to death. If you're going to get him on a death penalty

case and you want to do the federal case, then let's go back there, and then maybe they can get the state of New York to do some kind of plea deal

if in fact, he were convicted on the federal charges.

You know, this is a different kind of case than when you have a specific set of criminal statutes that are in the exclusive province of one

sovereign or the other. So if you think about, you know, cases where you have civil rights prosecutions, the Department of Justice moves forward on

civil rights claims, even though they may be from the same set of facts, let's say, as a bombing or a murder or a rape or something like that.

The Department of Justice says, well, we have some civil rights because we can show these are, you know, racially related or in some other way related

to the prosecution of civil rights.

Here, you just don't have it, you know, in that type of, with an argument, I think that they would be able to make credibly.

So I think it is not uncommon and perhaps not unprecedented to have the lawyers for Mr. Mangione now trying to have that federal case resolved so

that then they can either try to work a deal with the state case or perhaps even talk the state into saying, look, if he gets the death penalty or some

conviction in federal court, you know, there is no parole in the federal system, even if he doesn't get the death penalty, but if he is convicted,

he could spend the rest of his life in federal prison somewhere.

JIMENEZ: Yes, you know, this is a case that makes a lot of people feel a lot of different things. You know, when we when we get to the process of, I

guess, empaneling a jury, whenever that is. As you know, these things take time. How do you get around that to find one that will be impartial?

MOORE: Yes, you know, we've already seen the judge have to sort of call down the Department of Justice and the Attorney General for making

statements that could prejudice a jury, so the court will try to keep sort of a tight leash on the lawyers from making media appearances or

extrajudicial statements that could ultimately come back to cause some problems as you select an unbiased jury and that's what both sides are

technically supposed to want and certainly a defendant is entitled to.

So, you know, if they can keep out of the news, if they can keep the case in the courtroom, in other words, try the case in the courtroom, don't try

to put your case on Fox News or wherever else, just get in the courtroom and put your evidence up and see what a jury does out to help.

You know, at the same time, the judge will give them as they select a jury and I think you'll see, because of the media attention, in this case,

you'll see a large number of potential jurors called in for the jury selection process.

You know, the judge will give them some latitude on asking questions to decide if those individuals who might be selected to the jury, if they have

some preconceived bias or prejudice, is there some reason they, for instance, if they've had a family member who was denied some health care

treatment and they're blaming the insurance company, is that the kind of person that ought to be on the jury, or will the judge allow them to be

removed for cause? The same thing may happen where you may say, well, do you think that everybody who uses a gun in a case should be, you know,

convicted of murder and get the death penalty?

[16:10:05]

If somebody says yes to that, that's going to give the other side a reason to ask that they be excused and removed from the jury. So it will be an

arduous process. And again, anytime you have a case of any notoriety or any notoriety or any, you know press coverage or otherwise, you just know

you're going to get into sort of a labor-some period of going through a jury selection process and that's what will happen in this case.

JIMENEZ: And before we go, I just want to get your take on what we are seeing out of Wisconsin right now, because over there in the Milwaukee

area, a judge was arrested by the FBI for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest. One, I mean, you've been in countless courtrooms.

Just what is your take on the nature of how this went down, both from what the Justice Department accuses this judge of and how it was actually

handled.

MOORE: So it is a pretty recent case, and I listened to what Katelyn had to say about it earlier. You know, if in fact, the judge directed the

defendant and his lawyer to escape somewhere down a back staircase, then I think that can be a problem for her. At the same time, I think there is a

zealousness that you're seeing with some of these efforts to remove people and deport people that we haven't seen before and there is a distrust

between state authorities and the federal authorities, some of which I think I would blame or not, some of which, in large part I blame on sort of

misinformation and errors and mistakes and clerical errors and otherwise that we've seen come out of a pretty incompetent process of deportations

through the federal government.

So, you know, it is unusual to see a judge certainly charged, and I think, you know, there will be a tendency to look as to whether or not she

actually had any criminal intent or if she was just trying to make sure that her courtroom and the process and other cases that day were not

disrupted. You know, that certainly is going to be an argument I think you'll hear.

But again, I think this case is a classic example of not really being worried about public safety, because we know that they caught the

individual outside the courthouse and were able to get him and take him away, so this is not a public safety case. There is no question about

somebody re-offending, this is a political statement case and it is state case about personal ideology and political statements and personal

grievances that is being made.

Again, it is not to excuse the conduct that we may hear more about later on if, in fact, she did something wrong. But if you think for a minute that

you've got a judge that you need to make sure that you're locked up and make an example of for risk of reoffending, I suggest to you that's

probably not the issue. You might want to put your people out on the street and worry about things like guns and gangs and, crimes and hate crimes and

White Supremacy movements and all this kind of stuff that I think would be real issues that we typically would have seen from a more academic and more

effective Department of Justice than we are seeing right now.

JIMENEZ: Sure, as we have been speaking, we've been showing some images of protests there in Milwaukee over this case. So a lot of eyes on this.

Michael Moore, partner at Moore-Hall in Atlanta, I really appreciate you being here.

MOORE: My pleasure. Thank you.

JIMENEZ: Meanwhile, President Trump says a Russia-Ukraine peace deal is, "pretty close" as his Special Envoy visits Moscow. Russian state media says

Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin for three hours earlier. A senior Kremlin aide says they discussed resuming direct negotiations between

Ukraine and Russia.

Speaking earlier, Mr. Trump said his administration wants to save lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: That's what my aim is. I want to save 5,000 young men. They happen to be mostly Ukrainian

and Russian. Five thousand young Ukrainian and Russian men and that's a big honor if I can do it. I think -- I think we are pretty close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Now, the Special Envoy's visit comes just after a senior Russian general was killed in a car bombing outside of Moscow. Video on social

media here shows the vehicle on fire outside of an apartment block. No one has claimed responsibility for the incident to this point.

I want to bring in Jeff Zeleny, who is at the White House.

You know, we were just talking about Witkoff and really, no other senior officials being alongside Witkoff as these meetings with the Russian

delegation began here or took place today.

Jeff, do we have a sense of what went into that strategy and what the United States is really looking to get out of talks at this stage.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Omar, that's an open question what they actually are getting out of it. What they

hope to get out of it is you know, really moving along this peace process because the Trump administration, the President in particular, has staked a

lot on this.

He, of course, has flattered Vladimir Putin. He has you know, given his assurances that he wants to make a deal, he wants to make peace. But we've

seen very, very little evidence of that. In fact, one of the deadliest attacks since last summer happened just this week in Kyiv and that led the

President -- the U.S. President to sort of make a personal appeal to Vladimir Putin just on social media yesterday in saying, "Vladimir, Stop."

[16:15:13]

We actually asked the President about that in the Oval Office yesterday, what was he sort of thinking when he wrote that message? And he said he was

very unhappy with Putin for continuing to rain down bombs on Ukraine, but the question is, is the U.S. going to walk away? Is the U.S. going to apply

more sanctions? It is unclear.

But interestingly, today, Omar, there was one senior Republican senator, Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa, who spoke out pretty fiercely and said

that the Trump administration needs to apply new tough sanctions against Russia because of the spate of bombings in Ukraine, particularly the one

that was on Thursday, again, the deadliest since last summer, some 12 or 14 people were killed.

Most of the Republicans have been silent, but for the Trump administration, for the President here, he will have a decision to make. Yes. He says they

are close to a deal. We've heard that before, Omar, and the deal that they are actually talking about actually favors Russia much more than Ukraine.

So as the President -- the U.S. President heads to Rome, he is still in flight, flying over to Pope Francis' funeral, one question is, will he meet

with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of that funeral, if you will, will they bump into each other? That certainly is a possibility -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: And what concessions may be on the table from the United States' perspective in regards to foreign policy over the last ten years?

Jeff Zeleny, really appreciate you being here. Thank you.

ZELENY: You bet.

JIMENEZ: Coming up, the Pope's funeral is just hours away. We are going to discuss the final preparations already underway. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: Final preparations are underway as the Pope's funeral is set to begin in just under 12 hours. You're looking at live pictures of Saint

Peter's Square, now virtually empty. The Basilica is now closed to the public.

Two hundred fifty thousand people paid respects to Pope Francis during the three days of his body lying in state. His coffin was expected to be sealed

earlier. The procession following the funeral will pass Rome's historical landmarks, including the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.

Clarissa Ward is in Rome for us right now.

[16:20:02]

Clarissa, can you just give us a sense of -- I mean, I see how empty it is behind you. Just what the pulse is there on the ground and how people are

feeling now, just hours away from the start of this funeral.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Omar, it is kind of surreal, honestly, because we've been here all week, obviously, and this

place has been bustling around the clock. And now you can see, I mean, you could pretty much hear a pin drop that entire area in the Saint Peter's

Square has been cleared out. The Vatican saying that 250,000 people roughly came over the last three days to pay their last respects as Pope Francis

was lying in state.

And you could see over here, it is a slightly busier picture. A lot of volunteers, a lot of municipal workers. Youve got police, you've got

ambulance workers. You can probably see that large scaffolding there. That is where journalists will be watching, the entire funeral from us, among

them.

And so everybody now preparing these last minute activities essentially ahead of the funeral, which is going to start at 10 A.M. local time. So

that's about 4:00 A.M. Eastern. There will be dignitaries, there will be kings, there will be queens, there will be presidents.

We know, of course, President Trump will be attending, President Zelenskyy, President Putin notably will not. Most European leaders will be in

attendance and just leaders from around the world, more than 130 official delegations, 12 reigning monarchs, more than 50 world leaders, and all of

them will be sitting back there in that area. Most of the service is out in the open after the Eucharist. The Pope's casket will be moved inside the

Basilica, and then it will begin this solemn procession to his final resting place at the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore.

So a lot of anticipation here, a lot of preparation underway, a lot of security, as you can imagine, given the scope and scale of that guest list,

as people around the world prepare for this historic event -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: Just hours away at this point, Clarissa Ward, I know you'll be there. Thank you for the reporting as always.

Meanwhile, the priest at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City says Pope Francis used to provide nightly encouragement to his community. The Pope

used to call them every night to ask if they were okay. Most of the calls lasted about 15 minutes, but Father Carlos Ferrero told Christiane Amanpour

what it meant to Gaza's small Christian community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATHER CARLOS FERRERO, GAZA PRIEST WHO USED TO SPEAK TO POPE FRANCIS: I tell you that for all of us and for the people, it was a big encouragement

to know that the Pope himself is calling us every day. People came to say when it was reaching 8:00 P.M. local time, they would say, this is the hour

of the pope, the hour of the pope, and try to come close to the priestly house to hear something about the call.

And sometimes in the video calls, we also greet the Pope. We showed the people, the people were greeting the Pope and the Pope greeting the people

and things like this many times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: I want to bring in Bishop Paul Tighe. He is the Secretary of Dicastery for Culture and Education at the Vatican. He joins me now.

Thank you, Bishop, for being here. I know it is just a matter of hours until the funeral begins. I wonder how you're feeling right now?

BISHOP PAUL TIGHE, SECRETARY OF DICASTERY FOR CULTURE AND EDUCATION AT THE VATICAN: It is as your correspondent said, it is a strange moment after the

busyness of the last few days, I am also up in my office, looking down on an empty piazza, and it is a kind of a quiet moment. It is time for

reflection, time for interior preparation as well as I think the main work is all done. It is now up to each of us in our own way, to prepare for our

own role tomorrow, whatever that might be.

JIMENEZ: And I know, you know, you mentioned sort of the quiet that is there, the relationship among bishops, archbishops, some come back from all

different parts of the world. I just wonder, among the busyness of the past few days, what has been the sort of prevailing sentiment among some of your

colleagues there at the Vatican over what this moment sort of means?

TIGHE: I think it has been a moment in which people have been sharing their memories of Pope Francis, talking about stories about him, sharing stories

about him, sharing their own personal recollections. It has been a moment where people have been giving tribute to him.

It has been a moment to when I think deep down, many of us are kind of want to give thanks for the extraordinary person that he was and the

extraordinary way he lived his life right up to the end. I think it is about people wanting to think about how we are going to honor his legacy,

how we are going to keep alive his values and his commitments.

[16:25:10]

And also a moment when we are hoping that, you know, we will have somebody like him again who can capture the public imagination, who can speak a word

of hope to people in a world that is so much in need of that hope.

JIMENEZ: Yes, you know, as you can imagine, there is a lot of speculation over who the next Pope will be. I am not going to ask you to speculate, but

I wonder, how do you balance the outside world, so to speak, and its interest in the Pope with honoring the Pope and all the procedure and

tradition that comes with honoring him in the right way. How do you find that balance, knowing there is so much outside attention on what you're

doing?

TIGHE: Yes, I think we have to do what we are doing with its own integrity. Tomorrow is a solemn moment. For many people, it is a spectacle of watching

something that gathers so many global leaders, but fundamentally, it is a Catholic Christian funeral. You know, we are taking a person, first place,

we are entrusting them to God's mercy. Second moment, we are giving thanks to God for his life, and finally, we are praying for the community that he

leaves behind.

So it is a moment that in the midst of it all, we want to capture that sense of the mystery of what is going on here, that we are entrusting this

man to God, recognizing that he spent his life trying to pronounce the word of God, and maybe hoping that even tomorrow's ceremony, in its simplicity

and in its solemnity, will be able to touch human hearts and remind them that there is a ground for hope, for belief in our world.

JIMENEZ: Look, losing the Pope means so many different things to so many people across the world. Youve known him for some time at a variety of

levels, but what does it mean to you to lose Pope Francis?

TIGHE: In a funny way, I met Pope Francis for the last time in early February, and he was very weak and I had a feeling in myself that I was

saying goodbye to him and there was a sense of sadness in that. But there is also a sense of, he is 88 years of age. He had had 12 wonderful years.

he has made an enormous contribution, and I wouldn't have wanted to see him suffer any longer.

He wasn't a man that was ever going to resign. He wasn't a man who was ever even going to do convalescence. He wanted to live life, live his life in

service of his message and of his mission. And I am pleased that he got that opportunity right to the end.

And deep down, I always remember some of his kindness to me, some of the words of encouragement he gave me. One particular instruction when he was

appointing me a bishop, he said, look, I want you to get out. I want you to get outside beyond the church and try and engage with our world to meet the

people who feel long, far and distant from us.

JIMENEZ: I think it goes without saying, Pope Francis really, really wanted to indulge in the people and trying to celebrate as many as he could.

Bishop Paul Tighe, I really appreciate you taking the time at the late hour that I know it is there and I wish you the best tomorrow during the funeral

proceedings.

TIGHE: Thank you very much and good night.

JIMENEZ: All right, good night to you.

And join us here on CNN for special coverage of Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday. That starts at 8:00 A.M. in Rome, 2:00 A.M. in New York.

Meanwhile, TEMU and SHEIN are known for selling low cost goods, mostly from China. They are raising prices, though, before a crucial tariff loophole is

closed next week. We are going to discuss the de minimis exemption after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:31:47]

JIMENEZ: Welcome everyone. I'm Omar Jimenez, there's more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when Donald Trump says countries have until July to

make a trade deal or face steep tariffs.

Temu and Shein are raising their prices with a key tariff exemption set to expire next week.

Before that, the headlines this hour. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to push for a Ukraine peace

deal. Now, a Putin aide says they discussed the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Sources say though, U.S.

President Donald Trump is growing frustrated with how long it's taking to broker a deal.

U.S. federal agents have arrested a judge in Wisconsin, in an escalation of the Trump administration's clash with the judiciary over immigration

enforcement. The judge is accused of trying to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrests at a courthouse. She's scheduled to enter a plea

next month on charges including obstruction.

And disgraced former U.S. Congressman George Santos has been sentenced to 87 months in prison. Santos pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and

wire fraud charges in connection to his 2022 midterm campaign. The judge ruled Santos must surrender by July 25th, he also must pay $373,000 in

restitution.

U.S. President Donald Trump says countries have until July to make a trade deal, or they will face steep reciprocal tariffs. He made that announcement

on Air Force One this morning, saying he probably won't grant another pause, though, time will tell, that gives countries facing his so called

reciprocal tariffs about 90 days to reach a deal.

Trump also says he won't drop China tariffs unless Beijing makes what he's calling substantial concessions, and it appears China has made at least

one. The country has quietly rolled back reciprocal tariffs on some U.S. made microchips in semiconductors. CNN's Hanako Montgomery explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China's rollback on retaliatory tariffs targeting integrated circuits made in the United States is very

telling, given the fact that over the past few months, Beijing has exuded this air of confidence of strength in its ability to withstand a brewing

trade war with the United States.

Also, this rollback comes just a few days after the U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at a potential You-turn on his trade war with China. Here's

what the U.S. president said on Tuesday in the Oval Office.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 145 percent is very high, and it won't be that high. It will come down substantially, but it won't be

zero.

MONTGOMERY: Now, this is a pretty significant shift in tone, given the fact that over the past few weeks, we've seen tensions really escalate between

these two competing economies.

Though, it's important to note that earlier on Friday, China confirmed yet again that the U.S. and China are not in trade talks at the moment.

Now, according to the experts that CNN has spoken to, it's unlikely that China decided to roll back its retaliatory tariffs specifically in response

to the U.S. president's most recent comments, they say that if that were the case, then China would have likely announced this rollback in public.

[16:35:09]

But so far, it hasn't made a public announcement and it also has not responded to CNN's request for a comment.

Instead, though, experts suggest that it goes to show how significant integrated circuits are to China, to the Chinese economy, and how it cannot

make these integrated circuits at home or source them elsewhere.

Now, just for some context, integrated circuits, otherwise known as microchips or semiconductors, really power a lot of the things that we use

in our everyday lives. They power our phones, computers, cars, medical devices, you name it. It's hard to imagine a world without microchips.

That's how crucial they are.

But critically, China actually lags behind other global leaders when it comes to making microchips. That's why they need to source it from the

United States, from other countries, and which is why many experts believe they're rolling back these specific retaliatory tariffs so as to aid their

own country, to aid their own country's economy and its own tech industry.

Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Zzz Really appreciate it, Hanako.

People in the U.S. got a lot more pessimistic about the economy overall in April, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index plunged eight

percent this month. It's now at the fourth lowest level on record. That's going back to 1952.

Now, the survey director says consumers are worried largely due to the uncertainty around the trade policy.

Now, the cheap goods that Temu and Shein, for example, are known for selling just got more expensive. The two companies raised prices today on

many items in advance of 120 percent tariffs set to take effect next week.

Now, Temu and Shein source most of their products from China. U.S. customers have been able to avoid paying tariffs because of an exemption on

shipments worth less than $800. That exemption, known as de minimis is expiring on May 2nd.

Elisabeth Buchwald is in New York for us, so I guess let's just start there. Why are Temu and Shein some of the first companies to start raising

consumer prices in response to this tariff exemption expected to go away?

ELISABETH BUCHWALD, CNN BUSINESS ECONOMICS REPORTER: Yes, well, thanks for having me on. They are a low margin business, so kind of think of them like

a McDonald's. They rely more on volume, and so when you have a low margin business, you don't have as much wiggle room to deal with tariffs, and you

have to pass that on to consumers more.

Zzz And you know, I think when people look at this, you know, Temu and Shein, their popularity rose a lot in the United States, just trying to

find a place where you could buy lower and maybe still maintain a perceived sense of fashion quality, I guess, is the way to put it.

But when you look at maybe the end of these exemptions, is this the end of ultra-cheap, fast fashion and other goods? I mean, how should this be

interpreted?

BUCHWALD: Yes, it's an interesting move, because if you look at and I tracked a lot of these items in advance, I knew that Temu and Shein, they

had announced that they were going to do these price increases today.

So, yesterday, I went ahead and I looked at several different items. So I'll give you one example of bathing suit yesterday was listed for $4.39,

earlier this morning, it was 8.39, I checked minutes before coming here and it was 9.51, so that's 117 percent increase.

Now I think most women, including myself, would tell you that $9.51 is still fairly cheap for a bathing suit, but you're seeing these things get

more expensive. And there's not exactly a bottom to all of this, or a top, whatever you want to call it, but they can keep getting more expensive

these tariffs.

Zzz Elisabeth Buchwald, really appreciate and yes, I'm glad you did that math and you had done it beforehand, because I was not going to do the math

live here. Elisabeth, really appreciate you being here.

BUCHWALD: Thank you.

Zzz Of course. Meanwhile, Canada is gearing up for a national election on Monday, we're going to talk about how U.S.-Canada relations are actually

having an outsized role in the contest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:42:21]

Zzz Herds of saiga antelope have roamed the earth since the times of wooly mammoths and saber toothed tigers. Recently, they have come close to

disappearing.

Today, on Call to Earth, we meet the conservationists in Kazakhstan who have helped bring this distinctive creature back from the brink.

(CALL TO EARTH)

[16:46:34]

Zzz And let us know what you're doing to answer the call with the #CalltoEarth. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Zzz Welcome back. Canadian voters are zeroing in on the country's relationship with the United States ahead of Monday's national election.

Some are even switching parties in hopes of securing a stronger response to tariffs and threats from Trump.

CNN's John King visited Ontario to hear what voters are saying there.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Rock Maple Lodge spans 200 acres, more than 2,000 maple trees, 11 miles of lines to

carry the syrup back to be boiled, filtered, and bottled.

PETER HAMILTON, CANADIAN VOTER: There we go.

KING (voice-over): This is Peter Hamilton's business and his escape.

HAMILTON: Every year we've got to drill another hole.

KING (voice-over): He also farms wheat, soybeans and corn, sells some timber.

HAMILTON: So to be here 54 years and absolute just thrilled that we're able to do this.

[16:50:03]

KING: Sounds like you're working harder now though.

HAMILTON: I would like to go back one more time to play some hockey.

KING (voice-over): A proud Canadian now more than ever. Yes, a lifelong Conservative but Canada first is Hamilton's motto as voters here pick a new

parliament and a new prime minister.

HAMILTON: The bottom line is the Liberals and the Conservatives got to work together here. They can't be nit-picking and arguing amongst each other. We

have to work together to make this country go ahead.

KING (voice-over): Work together he says because suddenly the United States feels so far away. Rock Maple Lodge is in Ontario just 65 miles from

Toronto. It's just 100 miles to the border and Buffalo, but it doesn't feel that close with Donald Trump in the White House.

HAMILTON: There is no friends, no more. The biggest thing in Canada is we have friends all over the world. How many friends does Americans have right

now?

KING (voice-over): The Trump effect on Canada's election cannot be overstated. You see more Canadian flags now. More of these signs too.

Federal elections here are often defined by East versus West. Urban versus rural. English versus French. Liberal versus Conservative. But Trump versus

Canada defines this one.

Just weeks ago, some of the flowers here at Lola Blooms came from the United States. Not anymore. Sisters-in-law Lindsay Smith and Kaitlynn

Strain are buying elsewhere now. Their answer to Trump's threats of tariffs or making Canada the 51st state.

LINDSAY SMITH, CANADIAN VOTER: It's more Donald Trump. I feel like he's a bully in this situation. We're supposed to be allies. We thought we're on

like a friendship level.

KING (voice-over): Some of the vases and other hardware still come from the states. But Smith and Strain are looking for alternatives.

KING: And when you hear him call your Prime Minister Governor or say that, you know, this would make a great 51st state, what's that make you think?

KAITLYNN STRAIN, CANADIAN VOTER: Very insulting.

SMITH: We need a strong leader who won't stand up for bullying.

KING (voice-over): They both traditionally support the Green Party but both are leaning Liberal this time.

KING: If the Liberals are going to win or the Conservatives are going to win, you want them to win by what? A healthy enough margin --

STRAIN: Exactly.

KING: -- so that they're viewed as a strong leader?

SMITH: Yes.

STRAIN: Yes, very much.

SMITH: You put your vote where it counts a little more in this situation.

KING: And is that just because of Donald Trump?

SMITH: Yes.

STRAIN: Yes. Unfortunately.

SMITH: Yes.

KING (voice-over): Canadians see this as much bigger than who gets the most seats in parliament and gets to pick a prime minister. It's about spending

more in the military.

Buying local. Finding new markets and new partners. Dropping any thought the ruts with Trump can just be smoothed over.

TOBY GORMAN, CANADIAN VOTER: I put up a flag myself. I never thought I would put up a Canadian flag. But I think when it comes down to crunch

time, Canadians really gather up.

KING (voice-over): Toby Gorman is an environmental journalist and author and a pickup hockey player in the Canadian Beer League. Passionate about

the climate crisis but likely to pass on his top choice this election in hopes he can help Liberals win a big enough mandate to counter Trump.

GORMAN: If it was any other election without the U.S. situation, without, you know, the crisis we had going on, I would probably go with green.

Just push it.

KING (voice-over): Gorman says he is hardly alone here in rethinking everything.

GORMAN: We're just sick of him, you know? And it's only been three months into the term and, you know, he's getting to an excess, he wants to crush

us economically. I think, at first, it was kind of like losing your best friend or it's like, you know, what just happened, like, what's happening.

But now, I think, we're at the point where it's like, well, we can move on.

KING (voice-over): That's a big shift.

This election defined by the belief Canada and the United States are suddenly more rivals than neighbors. Suddenly no longer skating in the same

direction.

John King, CNN, Cordis (ph), Ontario,

(END VIDEO TAPE)

Zzz Thank you, John. Now in a 2020 interview, Kim Kardashian publicly reflected on the moment she feared for her life when she was robbed at

gunpoint in a Paris apartment. As the long awaited trial begins, her words underscore the lasting impact of the ordeal. CNN's Saskia Van Dorn has more

on the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM KARDASHIAN, CELEBRITY: Because I didn't know who he was, and I'm like, what is happening? Are we going to die? Just tell them I have children,

like I have babies. I have a husband, I have a family, like I have to get home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kim Kardashian West was held at gunpoint.

SASKIA VAN DORN, CNN PRODUCER (voice over): She built an empire on fame and luxury, but one night in Paris left scars that lasted years.

Now, nearly nine years later, Kim Kardashian will soon face the men accused of tying her up and robbing her at gunpoint. Disguised as police, they

allegedly made off with about 10 million in cash and jewels. The men most over 60, now nicknamed the grandpa gang. Three of them escaped on bicycles.

Kardashian spoke about the violence on "Keeping Up With The Kardashians."

KARDASHIAN: And he duct tapes my face, I think, like my mouth, to get me to, like, not yell or anything. And then he like, grabs my legs. And I

wasn't, you know, I had no clothes on under.

[16:55:04]

VAN DORN (voice over): But not everyone felt sorry for Kardashian.

KARL LEGERFELD, FASHION DESIGNER: You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you.

VIRGINIE MOUZAT, LE FIGARO JOURNALIST: There's just one expression that comes to my mind, fame fatale.

VAN DORN (voice over): Journalist Patricia Tourancheau wrote of the robbery in her book.

PATRICIA TOURANCHEAU, JOURNALIST (through translator): In France, it's still very badly perceived when people flaunt their wealth so much. And

what was heavily criticized, for example, is Kim Kardashian selfie. So, they knew she had jewelry on her, but she's showing off, and her way of

exhibiting her wealth in France is quite insufferable.

VAN DORN (voice over): That selfie now entered into evidence. According to court documents, the thieves tracked Kardashian social media and knew

exactly when and where to strike.

In a strange twist, one of them Yunice Abbas has since turned the heist into a publicity tour. Now 70, he wrote a memoir titled I kidnapped Kim

Kardashian, and promoted it on French television.

GABRIEL DUMENIL, ABBAS LAWYER, YL AVOCATS: Since his arrest and his imprisonment, he read such nonsense about the case, such violation of his

privacy, that he felt that he had to speak his truth.

VAN DORN (voice over): Abbas has downplayed the crime, and some in the French media have portrayed him more as a cheeky antihero than a criminal.

He's pleaded guilty to armed robbery but denies kidnapping.

YUNICE ABBAS, ALLEGED ROBBERS (through translator): I'm very happy for her. I ask her to forgive me. If she can't, too bad I'll live with that.

VAN DORN: After years of delays, partly because of big cases like the Paris attacks, the trial will open here on Monday. 10 suspects are facing charges

of kidnapping, armed robbery and more. They're not in custody, though, because of detention limits, and many are in poor health. Most say that

they will plead not guilty, but if convicted, some of them could face up to 30 years behind bars. Saskia, Van door

Saskia Van Dorn, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Zzz All right. Thank you, Saskia. Now, before we go, we want to end and extend a heartfelt congratulations to a member of our own QUEST MEANS

BUSINESS team. Our producer Winston takes on the London Marathon this weekend. It will be his sixth marathon in six months.

So, if you're watching from the couch, you need to get up and go do something. He's raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

As of last weekend in Boston, he has now successfully run all six marathon majors, an incredible accomplishment, and still smiling after running those

marathons. I would be making some sort of facial expression, smiling might not be one of them, but congratulations.

This is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Omar Jimenez. "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END