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Quest Means Business
Artemis II Conducts Seven-Hour Flyby of Moon; Trump: Iran Could Be Taken Out In One Night; Dimon: Iran War Could Bring Economic Skunk To The Party; Lebanese Christians Celebrate Easter During Wartime; Honeymoon Capital Niagara. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired April 06, 2026 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:19]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: You can see it there, a modest upswing there for the Dow returning from a long weekend. I would say
markets are likely cautious as we head into a very pivotal 48 hours in the Iran War.
Those are the markets and these are the main events: The Artemis II crew is farther from Earth than any humans in history. We will follow the record
setting mission as it prepares to lose contact with NASA.
President Trump says the entire country of Iran could be taken out by tomorrow.
And the honeymoon capital of the world, Niagara Falls, is now caught in the middle of the U.S. and Canada tensions. I will speak with the mayor of the
town on the U.S. side of the border.
Live from New York. It is Monday, April 6th. I am Paula Newton, in for Richard Quest, and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
And good evening to you. As there is history being made in space at this hour. Four astronauts are on their way to see parts of the moon that human
eyes have never seen before. Think about that. The Artemis II crew have now traveled further from the Earth than any human has ever done in history.
Now, during more than 250,000 miles or 400,000 kilometers through space and breaking a 50-year-old record set by Apollo 13, you will want to listen to
this moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We surpassed the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from Planet Earth. We do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts
and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration.
We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear.
But we, most importantly, choose this moment to challenge this generation and in the next, to make sure this record is not long lived.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Well, for this mission, we are into hours now of history-making space travel. Later this hour, we will be getting images from inside that
capsule as the crew continues their historic lunar flyby and will bring you all of those images and any comments that we get as soon as we get them.
Danny Olivas is a former NASA astronaut who flew on two space shuttle missions. So good to have you on board, so to speak, as we continue to be
riveted by all the history being made here.
I mean, can you put this in perspective for us? Because the space missions that have dominated for decades now are those of the space shuttle
missions, the ones that you've done at the International Space Station, and as significant as those have been, you know, this is completely different,
right?
JOHN "DANNY" OLIVAS, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: It is, but it is also kind of the same, right? The same and being that we've been exploring space since
the late 1950s. We have had numerous types of missions. The early ones was in a race to get to the moon, to beat an adversary or political adversary.
And then the International, I am sorry, the space shuttle program to ultimately usher in the International Space Station, which we are all
familiar with, it has been in in orbit since 1998 with human beings living aboard it for the year 2000.
We are at the next step in the evolution of space. So we are exploring the moon next to colonize it, to learn how to live there and work there on the
celestial body so that ultimately we can push on further into the solar system, specifically Mars.
So this is all part of the evolution of space, even though it kind of looks different, but maybe the same, it is very much different.
NEWTON: And different in the sense as well that this is a test flight. Now, as they swing to that far side of the moon in the next few hours, as we
were just underscoring, right, they will see what humans have never before seen. They will be taking lots of pictures.
Do you expect their findings to break new ground? I don't mean literally here. Obviously, that's for later Artemis missions, but in terms of what
they're taking in and what they are documenting.
OLIVAS: Yes, absolutely. Robotic missions provide limited capability. Robots don't think really well on their own. They need ground support to be
able to command them to do things.
Astronauts have the ability to make decisions, split decisions, and use their own intuition to be able to make those split second decisions --
[16:05:10]
-- whether it is recording data, whether it is, you know, making observations that were never really anticipated before, you know, John
Young, who flew to the moon and actually landed on the moon on Apollo 16, he made a comment that, you know, what a robot could, you know, take 30
days to figure out a human being could take 30 seconds to figure out. That's because we have our wonderful brain to process that information.
NEWTON: And the humanity to bring to the moment that we have already seen from this extraordinary crew. Now, as we were just pointing out, we will
continue to get more live views, more pictures, especially as those cameras that are mounted on Orion's solar arrays, they will be taking in so many
views for us.
What specifically will you be looking for?
OLIVAS: You know, so this is one of those things where we are looking for what we are going to learn about Orion and about the spacecraft. The intent
of this mission was a test flight to carry human beings aboard a vehicle which had never carried human beings before to test the life support
system, to understand what works, what doesn't work, and what needs to work better. And I think we are already seeing some of that information coming
back to us.
Now, we are only halfway through this mission, right? We are going to come around the backside of the moon, and the crew is going to make its way back
to Earth. So there is still a lot of things that can happen between now and then.
And so the crew is staying, you know, on target, on task with the mission continuing to do the work that they need to do, same as the ground control
crew. And personally, I am looking forward to getting them home because as soon as we get them home, guess what? We are getting ready to fly back
again.
NEWTON: And that is what is so exciting for so many that have spoken to us about this mission.
Danny, you're going to be -- you're going to stand by for us, which we are really grateful for as we continue to see if we get more live pictures or
any more developments there from, gosh, if you think about it, that far side of the moon.
Danny Olivas, for now, thank you so much.
Now, U.S. President Donald Trump is doubling down on his threats against Iran unless it meets his Tuesday night deadline for a deal to end this war.
Trump has been demanding, among other things, that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Now, during a news conference, he warned that the U.S. is ready
to strike civilian targets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow
night. Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12:00 tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning,
exploding, and never to be used again. I mean, complete demolition by 12:00, and it will happen over a period of four hours if we wanted to.
We don't want that to happen. We may even get involved with helping them rebuild their nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Kristen Holmes is at The White House for us and Kristen, you know, I saw you in the press conference there and you did manage to get in to the
President, a very pertinent question, you know, and let us know what he told you because you wanted to know from him what does the deal look like
if it involves a ceasefire, if it involves the Strait of Hormuz.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and the Strait of Hormuz has become a really critical question because last week, we heard
him saying that the Strait of Hormuz, in reopening it wasn't really a big deal.
That, for all intents and purposes, they could keep it closed. It would probably automatically open when the U.S. got out of Iran. That is
obviously not what he said in his expletive-laden Truth Social post on Sunday, when he demanded Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
So, the question was, would you be willing to make a deal in which they do not open the Strait of Hormuz? This is a very contentious point, and he
didn't answer directly. He said it is a top priority, but he also said that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is a little bit different than everything
else, and talking about how they can bomb the infrastructure, they can bomb various military sites or oil plants, but that they can't really bomb
inside of the Strait of Hormuz.
He talked about laying mines, whether or not he believes that there are actually mines within the Strait, but he did say at one point that any deal
had to have an open flow through the Strait of Hormuz, at least of oil.
So, that seems to be on the table as part of this negotiation. But I would say, you know, the way that he caveated so heavily, it is possible that
that might not be a point where they meet at.
The other part of this is that he routinely said, repeatedly said that he didn't want to bomb the civilian infrastructures, but that he believed he
had every right to. There are questions as to whether or not it would count as war crimes, because he would be attacking civilian infrastructure for no
reason other than to attack it. He said that the people of Iran want him to be bombing. They want the bombs to keep falling. They want this regime out
of power.
And then he also said that the only war crime or the war crime would be letting Iran get a nuclear weapon. So, clearly kind of turning the tables
there. Of course, we were talking about international law when it comes to those war crimes.
[16:10:10]
I think probably the most on the nose thing he said, and something that we've all been certainly feeling as we've been covering this war in Iran,
is that he was asked the question, is this war ramping up or is this war dying down -- because you have said over the last span of several days and
he said, I can't tell you whether it is ramping up or winding down.
And I am sure, for all of us that have been following this, it certainly feels like that every day, as to whether or not you don't really know which
direction it is going to go in, right now, he is sticking by that deadline of Eastern Time 8:00 P.M. tomorrow night for Iran to come to the table with
a deal saying that he will essentially obliterate the entire country, send them back to the Stone Age is in fact what he said at one point, if they do
not come to the table.
NEWTON: Yes, and with everything you said, we know that it was a very revealing press conference in the sense that the President himself said,
look, the next 48 hours are very critical. Kristen Holmes, thank you.
Aaron David Miller is a former State Department Middle East negotiator, he is now senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and
he joins us now.
Good to see you as we continue to try and parse this press conference. President Trump's newest threat is that he said, in terms of Iran that the
entire country could be taken out in one night and that night might be tomorrow night.
I mean, look, Kristen just laid it out for us, right? He even says look, I don't know what is going to happen. What did you take from his latest
pronouncements on this.
AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I mean, he is a President of the United States and he doesn't know what is going to happen. I mean, I
think what you saw in that press conference is a fascinating juxtaposition.
Tactical brilliance of the American military, extraordinary operations redeemed both aviators. The weapons officer, plus the initial pilot flying
hours in daylight and then under cover of darkness. Retrieval was extraordinary. So on the one hand, you see that.
On the other hand, and forgive me, I mean, I've worked for Republicans and Democrats and voted for Republicans and Democrats, what you also see on the
other hand to me, was a degree of confusions, strategic improvisation and I hate to say it, because I want this administration to succeed in this
effort, strategic incompetence.
Because it seems to me there is no chance between now and tomorrow midnight of anything that you and I, Paula, or the Iranians would regard as a deal,
no deal and that leaves escalation.
If escalation could change Iran's calculation, it might be strategically valuable, but the last six weeks seem to be proving that it can't, so where
are we left? No deal, more escalation and maybe ground troops.
NEWTON: Yes, and that is something that is in fact, quite unsettling for so many in the region and beyond. To your point, President Trump claims, he
says, we have an active and willing participant in Iran for those talks. Have you seen any proof of that? And I mean, we shouldn't take anything
that Iran says on its face value either, we get that.
But the President is now suggesting things like okay, we are talking about you know, the Strait of Hormuz, perhaps, we need a full deal where you
can't just have a ceasefire. Do you really think there is a willing negotiator on the other side from what you have heard?
MILLER: I think in order to have a successful negotiation, you need to reach your valence of interest. I don't see Iran at this point willing to
make those kinds of concessions and I certainly don't see the Trump administration willing to do so.
So if you want a deal, it has got to be win-win. I am afraid that Donald Trump's view of negotiations, and again, I worked for Republicans and
Democrats, voted for Republicans and Democrats.
Donald Trump's view of negotiation is, I win you lose, and there is no way the Iranians who have demonstrated a resiliency that has surprised many is
going to capitulate and I don't think if Trump destroys the country in four hours, as he claimed he could, why is that going to make them any more
reasonable or compliant? I don't understand the logic.
NEWTON: Or loosen their grip on the Strait of Hormuz, for that matter, the President himself in the press conference admitted that, you know, a few
mines will basically jeopardize any navigation through that Strait, so I ask you again, you know, Donald Trump is clearly talking about the United
States being the winner here and that he will settle for nothing less, and he is also talking about perhaps the U.S. taking tolls from the Strait and
protecting that waterway as oil and other energy resources make their way through.
MILLER: Yes, I know, I saw the press conference and he was asked about the Iranian charging tolls and he turned the question and basically say, you
know, it would be a really good idea if we charged tolls.
[16:16:00]
No, look, if this were ended tomorrow and the President said, we won, I am done, there is no constituency in this country that he cares about that
would do anything other than breathe a collective sigh of relief.
The problem is it will constitute a major strategic defeat for the United States. So he is in a box, Paula, in a box right now with no exit.
NEWTON: Many have indicated that. I do want to get your take on something that last week, Javad Zarif, he is the former Iranian Foreign Minister, he
wrote that Iran must accept that its nuclear technology has not deterred aggression. If anything, it provided a pretext for Israeli and U.S.
attacks. I am not sure that he has any influence over anyone negotiating at this point in time either, but it is one Iranian voice saying, look, there
is room for a deal here.
MILLER: I mean, it is logical. Zarif didn't have much influence when Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader was alive, and he certainly doesn't have any
influence now. But he certainly makes incredible sense.
My concern and fear is that if the regime survives, and getting rid of the regime is the only way, it seems to me, to change Iran's behavior. But if
the regime survives, I think it is going to accelerate Iran's determination to acquire a deliverable nuclear weapon.
Kim Jong-un, the other day or several weeks ago, said validating North Korea's nuclear program as if to say, you see what happens if you give up
your nuclear weapons or don't have them? That's the real problem here, accelerating the very thing the President wants to avoid.
NEWTON: And it has been a harsh lesson in Ukraine as well. Aaron David Miller, we will leave it there for now as we continue to go through the
critical hours ahead. Appreciate it.
Now, the head of JPMorgan says the U.S. economy is on solid footing, but he is warning shareholders that the war in Iran could bring a skunk to the
party. We will explain next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: JPMorgan CEO, Jamie Dimon warns that the war on Iran could bring an economic skunk to the party.
Dimon was mostly optimistic about the U.S. economy in his annual letter to shareholders. He said President Trump's economic agenda would give the
economy a $300 billion boost.
On the other hand, though, Dimon cautions that the war is creating risks of oil and commodity shocks, he says it could fuel inflation and force the fed
to raise rates.
Anna Cooban has been parsing this statement for us. Good to see you, Anna.
I mean, Jamie Dimon strikes really at the very heart here of the risk to markets as we continue to figure out where this war is headed.
[16:20:07]
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Yes. And you know, he was painting a very rosy, robust picture of the economy in January talking
about how, you know, we've gone into a pro-business, deregulatory Trump administration, lots of A.I. investment, that that is something that he
thinks can really boost productivity in the U.S., and then a lot of the work that has been done to get the U.S. economy back onto more solid
footing after the past few years is sort of -- will potentially come undone if this war is to last for a persistent amount of time.
And he is -- you know, he spelled out there, he has talked about oil, commodity price shocks, supply chains becoming clogged up like they were
after the pandemic, and the risk of inflation not just happening, but becoming sticky.
So staying high, we saw it over nine percent in 2022. It is now down to over two percent and the fear is that that could go higher. And then the
way that could trigger a recession is it basically causes Americans to spend less, rein in their spending power. Less money goes to companies,
they lay off people and so the cycle goes.
So, Paula, we started January in a pretty strong position, says Dimon and he is worried that all of that good work is going to come undone.
NEWTON: Yes, and again, sobering analysis from him. He also had some interesting thoughts on Europe and where its economies maybe headed.
COOBAN: Well, Europe is very -- a lot more exposed to the inflationary impact from this war. I mean, with the Strait of Hormuz, you get -- Asia is
particularly impacted. Asia gets around 60 percent of its oil coming from the region, but Europe gets some of that, too.
And so, you know, we had an analysis that came out a couple of weeks ago, which basically was pointing to the fact that this inflationary crisis is
going to move westwards from Asia to Africa and Europe, and then to the United States.
The U.S. is more insulated. It is a massive oil producer and a lot of that going to Europe, but it is not insulated from the global market and oil
price shocks and that is something that Dimon was pointing out earlier today.
NEWTON: Anna Cooban, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Now, you don't need to be a Wall Street executive to see that this war could produce some real economic hardship.
Fishermen in Ireland are struggling with higher fuel prices and, say many smaller scale operators are at risk of losing their entire livelihoods.
The Irish Minister responsible for fisheries was among those pushing for E.U. support during a summit last Monday in Brussels. Later in the week, he
met with representatives from Ireland's fishing fleet.
Tim Dooley is with us. He is the Irish Minister of State for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine and he joins us now from County Clare. Good
to see you.
The word you've used to describe the current situation for both farming and fishing, quite frankly, is stark. What can Ireland do right now in the
short term to try and mitigate the effects of this?
TIMMY DOOLEY, IRISH MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE, FOOD, FISHERIES AND THE MARINE: Good evening, Paula, and thanks for the opportunity, and you're
right, the volatility, as a result of the conflict in Iran is having a very significant impact right across the economy, and particularly those that
are dependent on fuel. Fishing enterprises are really challenged at the moment, and as you've rightly identified, the smaller ones.
So the government is obviously looking at how we can put in place a support structure and a mechanism, but that becomes more challenging when there is
no end in sight. There is no certainty here.
We have some experience from managing the crisis that resulted from the Russian invasion of Ukraine a number of years ago and we did put in place
some supports across the sector at that stage. But it is challenging now, as I said, particularly on the fishing side because as well as the catching
sector, the processing sector is also under pressure because they are looking at the potential for spiraling electricity costs and they use so
much energy in their cold stores.
And of course, with no certainty in relation to supply in future months, there are and there does continue to be considerable concern here.
NEWTON: And given the concern that you just outlined, I mean, no one really wants to deal with the kind of shock that you had to deal with in 2022 as
well. But here we are.
When we talk about both timeline and the price of fuel continuing to be elevated, if we are talking about either fishing or agriculture, what does
your timeline look like? I mean, if this goes on for another few weeks, is everything going to be okay? Does your real fear begin if this continues
for months and months?
DOOLEY: Well, on the agricultural side, we are heading into one of the busiest periods within about three weeks, the cutting of silage, which is a
very significant demand on fuel begins. That's going to see, you know, farmers and contractors and that under enormous pressure.
So, you know, any positive news that might come that would indicate a stabilization of the situation there would be helpful and welcome.
[16:25:04]
But I think, you know, the keen observers recognize that even if the hostilities were to end right of way, it is not clear what impact there is
on supply lines now into the future. It is not clear what refineries are operational and how long it will take for the supply lines to get back to
normalization.
So, I think we are entering a period of very considerable volatility that will ultimately, regardless of what supports government can put in place,
because no government can resolve all the cost implications emanating from this. And I think as your previous report identified, you are going to see
a period of some inflation in prices generally.
I think the European Central Bank are looking at the possibility of increasing interest rates again, to modify that upward inflationary
pressures to bring some stability back to the marketplace.
So I think regardless of the situation in Iran and hopefully it comes to a conclusion sooner than later, there will be a tailspin from this particular
conflict that I think will remain with us for a considerable number of months.
NEWTON: Yes, a stark outlook indeed as you point out. I want to ask you, sanctions have in some respects been lifted on Russia, Belarus, Iran even
for both oil and fertilizer. I mean, I know you're certainly talking to Europe about having a whole of Europe response here, but, you know, how
long will Ireland support this lifting of sanctions given what was their intended purpose in the first place?
DOOLEY: Yes, I think that's in addition to the very real impact that it is having on the lives and livelihoods of so many people. I think that is one
of the consequences that's particularly negative. The fact that the pressure has now been potentially lifted from Russia.
Russia invaded Ukraine, something that is not accepted at all or conscionable right across Europe and strong European support for continued
sanctions and we don't want to see those lift.
From an Irish perspective, of course, because we don't have oil or gas reserves. We have been making significant leaps forward in the renewable
energy sector. We have a very strong pipeline now of projects off our coastline to capture wind, to future proof ourselves from an energy
security point of view. We want to bring on additional wind resources to generate clean, renewable electricity for the decades ahead.
So if there was any doubt and there isn't in the minds of those of us in government, but there is always detractors around climate change and
renewable energy. But I think once again, when you see the impact that this conflict has had together with what happened when Russia invaded Ukraine,
it signals the importance of energy security and particularly in Western Europe. It is important that we continue our pathway and our journey
towards decarbonization, reduction in fossil fuels and the capturing of clean renewables at close proximity to us and that will help us to power
our economy into the future.
We have some very strong plans around data management, data centers and large energy users in which we expect for the next decade, we will be able
to promote with a clean energy drive.
NEWTON: Yes, and this will continue to be an issue, obviously, and these shocks to the system inevitably, as you say, will change the energy
architecture in Ireland and beyond.
Mr. Timmy Dooley, thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate it.
DOOLEY: Thank you very much.
NEWTON: Now, at any moment now, we should be getting the first pictures of the Artemis II crew carrying out their record breaking lunar flyby. We will
bring it to you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:32:09]
NEWTON: Hello. I'm Paula Newton, and there's more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when popular tourist attraction Niagara Falls has become a flash
point in U.S.-Canadian tensions, we will speak to the mayor of the U.S. side.
And we're waiting for an inside look on the Artemis II crew as they make their lunar fly by.
Before that though, the headlines this hour, U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if it doesn't
fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday night.
At a news conference in Washington, Mr. Trump also said he's not worried that attacks on Iran's critical infrastructure could amount to a war crime.
The crew of Artemis II is getting their close up of the moon right now, they are in the midst of a seven hour fly by that will take them to the far
side of the moon. A short time ago, the crew set a record for distance traveled. They have now flown about 250,000 miles, or 400,000 kilometers
from Earth.
NBC Anchor Savannah Guthrie is back at work for the first time since her mother Nancy disappeared more than two months ago. The "Today" show host
thanked the crowd, viewers and her colleagues for their support. 84-year- old Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31st at her Arizona home, law enforcement officials believe she was kidnapped. She still has not been
found.
And we are getting more on Artemis and the four astronauts in the midst of a record breaking lunar fly by NASA reports, the crew are already feeding
back details of what they're seeing as they travel around the moon's surface.
Tom Foreman is with me now. You've been tracking this so closely. We described how this is a record breaking day, really a departure from what
you and I have seen for decades now in space travel and a return to the moon.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it really is. There's a lot of records being broken that have already been broken by putting the putting deeper
into space, the a person of color, a female astronaut, a Canadian, that was broken back when they left low Earth orbit. Now, all four of them are going
into this the record books with this extraordinary flyby of the moon up here.
It really is a testament not just to technology, but honestly, to mathematics and physics. Because, remember, the moon is moving too. This
isn't just like it sits there and you go out and you circle it, like you see in all the graphics. It's moving too.
So, this is a whole timing thing where they come together and they do this little dance around each other, and it moves on.
And all of that's being controlled, really not by rocket thrusters, but by just gravity and the control of it. They're in the sphere of influence of
the moon right now, and it's gravity, and along the way, they're going to get some looks that people just don't normally get out there, Paula.
[16:35:01]
NEWTON: Yes, it is incredible, and the next few hours are obviously crucial, and it's what exploration is all about. They will see the moon, as
we've been saying, in a way that humans never have. And they've actually studied geology, right, just to kind of really understand what they're
looking at when they're looking at the moon in this way.
FOREMAN: Yes, they have some of the Apollo. Notably, Apollo 13 got to go to that side of the moon, but they because of the timing of it, it tended to
be in shadow at the time. The dark side of the moon is not dark all the time. It is simply away from us where we can't see it, so we call it dark,
but it has plenty of light on it, but not previously when we've gone by.
This time, they're going by with light there, so they'll get to see a pretty good bit and they have studied well before this, for weeks and
months, ahead of time, the geography of the moon. They've learned about geology, so that when they see things, they can make some sense of it and
say, well, maybe I saw someone with the eye that will help scientists back on Earth make better sense of what happened.
Remember, the part of the moon that faces us on Earth tends to have been more volcanic than the other side, which is less volcanic, but seems to
have a more mountainous terrain.
So, there's a lot to learn there about how the moon was formed and what it can tell us about how the Earth was formed and other parts of the solar
system as well.
NEWTON: Yes, and they'll be in teams of two very observational here. I don't know if you've heard -- I don't know if you've heard the same thing,
Tom, I've spoken to so many young people in the last few days that really are inspired by this and are getting online. The enthusiasm for this is a
departure from what we've seen from the space shuttle. Even though the space shuttle -- space shuttle always had great support, as does the
International Space Station.
FOREMAN: Yes, well, this takes it beyond. And you mentioned the two-person thing. It's really interesting. The window is so small they have to take
shifts as to how often they get to look out the window. So, if you ever think, boy, I didn't have the window seat when my airplane flew over the
Grand Canyon, this is much worse. Yes, so they have to get their time.
But yes, this is the thing. There is no question. I remember when we landed on the moon and the way it just lit up everything in the imagination of
people young and old about what science can do. And this is having something of that effect right now, really lighting up interest in this
sort of thing.
And I do want to point out, as the father of an aerospace engineer, it is really important to remember that space travel, even when it looks easy,
when they make it look easy like this, and they're smiling and giving little heart symbols and everything else, this is really hard stuff. A
million things have to go right in the right sequence and a short sequence to get people into this position and to keep it working properly. And
there's still a lot ahead, including what will be an incredibly dramatic reentry at roughly 25,000 miles an hour in a few days.
So, this mission is far from over, but it is, literally and figuratively at a high point right now.
NEWTON: Yes. And as you point out, so many people in science right now on Earth really pulling in one direction.
FOREMAN: Yes. And important to note, aside from those four astronauts, huge props to the oceans of engineers who made this happen, because they're
heroes too. You'll never know their names, but they're the ones who made it happen.
NEWTON: Yes, they are dedicated -- a dedicated group, as you know firsthand. Tom Foreman for us. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Now, Lebanese state media reports at least 10 people were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli strikes. Overnight, an official from the Lebanese Forces
party, one of Hezbollah's main political rivals, is said to have been killed in those strikes.
Now, the IDF says it was targeting launchers and weapons concealed within civilian infrastructure. The threat of Israeli airstrikes loomed over
Easter celebrations in the Lebanese city of Tyre. Christians there have continued to gather for worship, and yesterday was no different.
But residents of Tyre must grapple with the possibility that an Israeli military occupation could be underway soon. Nada Bashir reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Easter mass in Tyre. For a moment as the church bells ring, the roar of Israeli fighter jets overhead
is drowned out, awoken on Sunday by the news of yet more airstrikes on the southern Lebanese city. These Christian families have not been deterred,
gathering, not only in worship, but in defiance.
BASHIR: You can see the church here is still full for Easter Sunday, despite the evacuation orders, despite the nearby bombings that are taking
place. The Christian community here is still staying put.
BASHIR (voice over): Located south of the Litani River Tyre, has been engulfed by an Israeli military assault with the purported aim of ridding
the region of Iran backed Hezbollah forces. The U.N. says more than a million people. Around 20 percent of Lebanon's entire population have now
been displaced across the country. Homes in the south either destroyed or left empty.
[16:40:13]
Karen Farhat (PH) fled her home in Ghana (PH) with her family. Neighboring buildings said to have been destroyed by Israeli strikes, the threats of an
Israeli advance into Tyre and even a potential military occupation of the South has left their future here uncertain.
KAREN FARHAT, TYRE RESIDENT (through translator): If that were to happen, then that's it. You would have to escape and flee our land. We as adults
could manage that but these are children.
BASHIR (voice over): Others refuse to entertain the thought.
MARWAN AL-JOUNI, TYRE RESIDENT (through translator): I'm a son of Tyre. It's impossible for me to leave Tyle no matter what happens, I am tired,
and I will stay holding on to this place forever, until my last breath.
BASHIR (voice over): But as this community, like so many in the south, puts its trust in faith, there is also a growing call for the world to stand
with the people of Lebanon. Archbishop Georges Iskandar (PH) says this is about protecting innocent lives and the history of this ancient city.
GEORGES ISKANDAR, ARCHBISHOP MELKITE GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I don't think the world should just stand by watching this
tragedy unfold. The international community is one family. They should intervene to protect the innocent who are unable to defend themselves. We
are peaceful people, as you can see, we do not have weapons. We don't have fighters.
BASHIR (voice over): Across the South, many Christian villages have so far been spared the worst of Israel's aerial assault, but here in Tyre
communities live side by side. You don't have to go far to feel the full impact of this war. CNN obtained permission from Hezbollah to report in
these areas.
BASHIR: This building was completely destroyed in an Israeli airstrike just 24 hours ago. This was a nine-story building now completely turned to
rubble. Of course, the Israeli military says it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, but we can see around us the residential buildings, the
homes, the shops, the hospital just meters away, a reminder that there are simply no safe spaces for many of these families who are coming under
almost daily bombardment now.
BASHIR (voice over): Remnants of people's lives lay scattered on the ground, children's toys, clothing. This area is largely empty now, those
who stay say they have no choice.
JAWAD AL-SALEEM, TYRE RESIDENT (through translator): Where can we go? If you want to leave, you need money, you need lots of things. My family is
here, but we can't believe this is our land. We can't leave it behind.
BASHIR (voice over): The connection people here feel to this city, to their land, is hard to overstate. These church bells have been ringing entire for
centuries, withstanding walls and even a three-year Israeli occupation in the 1980s.
With no end in sight to this latest conflict, the future of this historic city and its people lies uncertain.
Nada Bashir, CNN, entire southern Lebanon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, Niagara Falls has been often called the honeymoon capital of the world, but of late, it's come to symbolize the divorce between the U.S.
and Canada. We will speak to the Niagara Falls mayor that is from New York in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:46:10]
NEWTON: Niagara Falls, known as the honeymoon capital of the world, is at the center of the growing cross border divide between the U.S. and Canada.
The city has shown has seen its iconic bridges grow quieter as Canadians increasingly avoid trips to the United States. Many of them describe a
general animosity towards visiting America, citing safety concerns and President Trump's threats.
Now, tourism operators describe fewer hotel bookings, thinner crowds, and less back and forth traffic between the two sides of the falls, the numbers
back that up. Overall trips to the U.S. by Canadian residents were down 25 percent in December, year over year.
Robert Restaino is the mayor of Niagara Falls, New York, and he joins us now. I grew up just about a 45 minute drive from where you are. I remember
as a child, you could cross without a passport, practically, with no I.D. We go on either side of the falls, for people who haven't been there and
didn't know what it was like before.
So, tell us what it's like today. I'm sure it's something you could not foresee and that it's changed the entire complexion of your economy.
ROBERT RESTAINO, MAYOR OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK: Yes, you know, there have been it's good to see you, Paula. It's been difficult to sort of
recalibrate what we're doing here in Niagara Falls.
One thing I can say it's true that, in terms of the country of Canada, we've had fewer visitors and guests here, but the one thing that stays
consistent is those of us that live close to the border, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Niagara Falls, New York. Some of that hasn't changed. An example
of that is my wife and I were out this past week for dinner. Went to a familiar restaurant of ours, and many of our Canadian friends were there.
So, in terms of close to the border, not so much difficulty, but truly as you examine, you know, Canadian traffic as a whole, very much tariffs have
impacted us, especially impacting some of our smaller businesses, bakeries and print shops that relied on supplies and other items that would cross
the border that's impacted us greatly.
So, yes, it's just been a difficult and strange time for us. Strange time for sure.
NEWTON: And Mayor, I ask you what now? Because I think few people, either in Canada or the United States, could envision how long this has gone on.
It is significant. So, I'm kind of thinking that you need to really retool your economic strategy here.
RESTAINO: Yes, one of the things that we have done is we've worked at -- and it kind of got -- we sort of got a little bit of a training session in
this with wit h the pandemic. We are retooling a lot of our marketing efforts to more of a Great Lakes regional perspective, so going into the
tourist seasons in an effort to sort of build up what we're losing in terms of cross border traffic. That's where our focus really is has turned.
You know, the other, the other problem with all of this too, are some things that are really just part of the economy. You know, the disparity
between the Canadian dollar and the U.S. dollar has made some of that travel that used to be commonplace a little more difficult or a little less
reasonable for some of our Canadian friends.
But I'll say this about our opportunities as well. We've had some Canadian companies come over to the United States, to Niagara Falls, New York, to
set up shop. And I think some of that also has to do, believe it or not, with the whole tariff situation, it's easier to move about if you have a
U.S. based company, and so we have had the benefit of some of that manufacturing.
[16:50:05]
NEWTON: I believe it. And Canadian business owners have noted that, obviously the Canadian loss is in some ways, the U.S. gain. But for a town,
a city like Niagara Falls, where it was normal to just kind of see the falls from one end, spend some money in Canada. See the falls from the
other end. Spend some money in the United States, if you were Canadian or traveling from wherever. I mean, do you wish the President would tone it
down a little bit? Would that help a little bit here, because, as you know, the animosity is real right now. Canadians really do not feel like even a
one hour trip to your town is worth it at this point.
RESTAINO: I would agree with you. You know, we have family, like many people who live along the river. We have family that are in Canada, and
they've expressed to us the general distaste with the way in which our federal government has approached their country.
And you know, I have said over and over again, while there are ways in which you can have business and economic conversations with allies and
friends. They don't have to become testy, and they don't have to become name calling, and they don't have to become those kinds of commentary. They
really don't lend itself to the great, long, lasting relationship that we have had with our Canadian neighbors and guests.
NEWTON: And I'm glad that you mentioned the familial connections there. And you know, really sometimes communities on either side of Niagara Falls,
they're inseparable, right? My family included.
Mayor Robert Restaino, we'll continue to check in with you. Thanks for being here.
RESTAINO: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, when we come back, an update on the Artemis mission on the far side now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: I want to go back to our top story, the four astronauts hurtling through space on their way to see a side of the moon human eyes have never
witnessed before. Astronaut Victor Glover is one of the crew aboard the Orient spacecraft, and he describes what he's been seeing since they began
to circle the moon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICTOR GLOVER, NASA ASTRONAUT: The Terminator right now is just fantastic. It is the most rugged that I've seen. It from a lighting perspective. There
are little islands. There are islands of terrain out there that are completely surrounded by darkness, which indicates some real variation in
terrain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[16:55:02]
NEWTON: I want to bring back our retired astronaut, NASA from NASA is at Danny Olivas, and we're listening in now on what the crew has been doing.
We did get an update of sorts from NASA saying that the crew, as you just heard the description now they're talking about nuances, right shades of
blue and brown.
And also, NASA is telling us that there actually could be scouting landing positions for future missions.
OLIVAS: Yes, absolutely. What I will tell you is that from space, without the pollution of the atmosphere, even from low earth orbit, when you look
at the moon, you can see the ejecta from the craters. It is just absolutely breathtaking. And that's from low Earth orbit. I can only imagine what the
crew is seeing right now on Orion, and looking back at the -- at the moon.
And, I mean, you know, this is one of the reasons we send human beings, because there's no way that a piece of equipment like a robot can take
photographs that can bring not just back the image, but also the sense of awe. And you could certainly hear it in Victor's voice.
NEWTON: You really can through all of their scientific work, it has been quite emotional. I mean, the crew kind of hugged it out. They were looking
at a crater, and they named it after the commander's wife, Carol. It will be known as the Carol crater. And can you describe to us the kind of
bonding that goes on on a trip like this, especially one that is so history making already, and they're only halfway through.
OLIVAS: You know, it's really easy to think of human space flight as being science and engineering and machines and whatnot, but the fact of the
matter is that this is a human endeavor. We as human beings were meant to explore. We have since the dawn of time. We've always looked over the
horizon to wonder, you know, what's over there, and then pushed ourselves to and against our fear to go and explore the unknown.
And that's exactly what this crew is doing. It's setting a pace for the Artemis program, which will return human beings to the moon, we'll colonize
the moon, and then eventually on deeper into the solar system. Destination next would be Mars, but this is an absolutely historic mission. I'm so
proud of the crew, so proud of NASA, so proud of what the entire program has done to bring us to this point.
NEWTON: Yes, and I know that former astronauts like you, as well as being a bit envious of them on crew have been so supportive, so many of you showing
up to really show that you're all behind them.
Danny Olivas, we will leave it there for now, but thanks for standing by for us for the hour as we continue to witness history. Appreciate it.
OLIVAS: You bet. Thank you very much.
NEWTON: And that does it for QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Paula Newton, "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
