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What We Know with Max Foster
Ceasefire In Question As U.S. And Iran Trade Fire; Police: At Least Two Dead After Car Strikes Crowd In Germany; Intel Report: Kremlin Tightens Security Around Putin; Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak Claims At Least Three Lives; Bessent: U.S. Has "Absolute Control Of The Strait; GameStop Makes $55 Billion Bid For eBay. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 04, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:24]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Missiles fly in the Persian Gulf again.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran teetering on the brink of collapse as the two sides exchanged fire around the Strait of Hormuz.
Here are some of the fast-moving developments we've got for you. Iran launching attacks on some of its Gulf neighbors. The UAE says it
intercepted three missiles. The U.S. says its blown up multiple Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz. And U.S. President Donald Trump tells Fox
News Iranian forces will be blown off the face of the earth if they target American ships in the strait or the Persian Gulf.
Let's go straight to Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi.
How do you read this, Paula?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, that's the key question at this point, everyone is trying to figure out whether or not this is an
escalation in hostilities. That is temporary, or whether this signals something more ominous, that this could be a more sustained return to the
hostilities that we haven't seen since April 8th, certainly here in the UAE. There hasn't been an emergency alert on the phone. There hasn't been
interceptions of missiles and drones since April 9th, shortly after that ceasefire came into place.
Now, what we see at this point is that it was late afternoon, early evening here in the UAE when these alerts started, and they were in a number of
different cities across the country. Now, we have heard from the ministry of defense that they intercepted three cruise missiles. This was over
Emirati territorial waters. And then one of these missiles also fell into the sea.
Now, on the east coast in Fujairah, this is a very key oil industry zone. We do know that there is a major fire that was started by an Iranian
attack, according to authorities there. They say that three Indian nationals have been injured. They have moderate injuries. They were taken
to hospital and the authorities are still trying to battle that fire and to and to bring it under control.
Now, this is a key area, this Fujairah on the east coast, because you don't have to travel through the Strait of Hormuz in order to get the Emirati oil
out of the country and into the rest of the world that so desperately needs it. So it has been an area that was consistently under attack and targeted
by Iranian retaliation when the war was raging.
So, of course, the question here is what does this mean? Is this a temporary return to hostilities? We've heard from the ministry of foreign
affairs here in the UAE. They have condemned what they call the renewed, treacherous Iranian attack, saying it's a dangerous escalation, an
unacceptable transgression -- transgression, also saying that theyre not going to be complacent and they reserve the right to be able to retaliate
and to be able to respond should they feel the need. Theyre calling for an immediate end to these attacks.
Here in Abu Dhabi, for example, there have been four waves of alerts so far, the first three in very quick succession, nothing for at least an
hour, though, at this point. So, of course, we're waiting to see whether or not anything more comes of this.
The UAE has said all schools or universities have gone to distance learning because of course there is. There's no certainty in exactly what is what is
going to be happening in the coming hours, and that will go through till the end of the week. We've also been seeing a number of hostile hostilities
on the waters in the Straits of Hormuz.
And at this point, authorities are watching very closely to see what will come next -- Max.
FOSTER: Paula in Abu Dhabi, thank you.
Well, in an online post, President Trump referred to the U.S. shooting down several Iranian boats in the strait. The president said the only damage
done by Iran today was to a South Korean vessel. He urged South Korea to join the us effort to help guide merchant ships through the waterway.
Kevin Liptak standing by for us.
I mean, Iran saying some of the things the president said are untrue, but there's something going on, isn't there?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Clearly, and I think, you know, the decision now for President Trump is whether to resume a full
scale bombing of Iran, scrap the truce entirely, or try and write off these skirmishes as par for the course as he tries to reopen the strait and still
pursue this line of diplomacy that he is going forward with his representatives and his negotiators.
[15:05:08]
At this point, it's not entirely clear, although I think that Truth Social post that the president put out does suggest that, at least at this point,
he's not interested in resuming the war. You know, he said that the only damage had been done on what he called an unrelated nation, being South
Korea, saying that American ships hadn't been damaged.
And I think that just gives you a sense of his appetite for re reviving the war entirely. Although it should be said that there are people in his ear,
to be sure, who are encouraging him to start bombing Iran again and essentially finish the job that he began at the end of February.
And so, where this all goes from here, I think a little bit unclear. You know, I think all of this began with a degree of frustration on the part of
President Trump. You know, you had a conflict that was stopped by the ceasefire. But the Strait of Hormuz remained essentially closed. And the
talks between the U.S. and Iran were sort of at a stalemate. And the president, I think, had been annoyed that there was no sort of forward
movement in any of it. And that's part of what led to his decision to announce yesterday what he's calling Project Freedom. This initiative to
guide tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
At first, it was unclear what guide really meant. You know, officials said that it was not escorting ships. You wouldn't see the destroyers sailing
alongside these oil tankers to try and get out of the Arabian Gulf. The way its been described today by CENTCOM is, quote, multiple layers. So ships
and aircraft essentially creating this coordination cell, providing information to these tankers about what the safest way to get out of the
strait would be. And through their presence in the area, providing some reassurance to the shipping companies and to the pilots of these vessels
that it was, in fact, a safe to transit through.
But of course, that comes with the risk that the Iranians would begin firing on the naval vessels or on tankers, and the conflict would just
begin again in earnest. And I think we're seeing that sort of play out now.
Now, the pressure remains on President Trump to try and get the strait opened. One, you have gas prices in the U.S. today. They ticked up to
$4.46. That is, of course, the highest that we've seen since the conflict began.
You also have what's happening next week, which is the president's state visit to Beijing, highly anticipated. And you'll remember the president
delayed this at the beginning of the war because he didn't want the conflict to be raging while he was there meeting with Xi Jinping,
restarting the war now would lead to the prospect of that happening anyway. And of course, China is the world's top consumer of Iranian oil. And I
think there's a desire on all parts of this to see the conflict, at least on the way to resolution, when the president heads there to China.
And so, a lot of complicating factors that went into this decision. We will hear from here, from President Trump this hour, perhaps expounding on where
he sees this ceasefire standing amid all of this. But for now, I think a lot of uncertainty as this all rages, Max.
FOSTER: Okay, Kevin. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Another breaking story we're following for you this hour. A large security operation underway in Leipzig, Germany, after a car rammed into a crowd.
Authorities say at least two people were killed and two severely injured. They say the driver has been arrested and no longer poses a threat. The
incident happened close to historic sites and the motive is still unclear.
Melissa Bell has been following these developments for us from Paris -- Melissa.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Max, it was just after 4:30 p.m. local time in the very heart of Leipzig, as you mentioned,
that this man drove his car onto a pedestrian street through the pedestrians, killing two people and severely -- severely wounding two
others to such an extent that the 33-year-old German citizen, who's now in police custody and who was arrested still at the wheel of his car, Max, is
now facing two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, but clearly very frightening scenes for anyone who was anywhere close to that
pedestrian street he headed down in his car earlier today.
And there were a lot -- there's a lot of speculation about the number of wounded, but two severely, so others more lightly. What we understand is
that an investigation is now underway. The forensic teams are looking at more from the scene, from the car, to try and figure out what might have
provoked this car ramming attack. They haven't said anything else, Max, in terms of what the man's motive might have been, but they did not when
pressed by journalists, rule out the possibility of mental health issues -- Max.
FOSTER: Okay, Melissa. Thank you.
In Moscow overnight, a drone hit a high rise building in the center of the Russian capital. Moscow's mayor says there were no casualties, and Russian
air defenses had repelled two more drones heading for the city. This comes just days before Russia's victory day parade, marking the end of world war
two.
Now Russians can expect tight Internet restrictions in Moscow ahead of that parade, tech operators have warned customers there could be limited mobile
internet and text messaging during events on Tuesday through to Saturday. The precautions come as a new European intelligence report points to a
dramatic increase in personal security around Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Nick Paton Walsh has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): It is a rare, pointed insight into one of the starkest secrets in Russia. President Vladimir Putin's security protocols, and it, a detailed
intelligence report given to CNN by a source close to a European intelligence agency portrays, predictably, a Kremlin in deep crisis.
Cooks, bodyguards and photographers working with Putin must have surveillance systems installed in their homes, it says. Putin has stopped
visiting military sites this year entirely, it says, in contrast to last year, often spending time in fortified bunkers and keeping clear of some of
his main lavish residences like Valdai, a tactic aided by many of his appearances. And he is in the media a lot, being prerecorded.
His staff cannot use smartphones or public transport, the report adds. Visitors must be searched twice.
WALSH: Not all of this information is new, some of it rumored or evident before, but the mass of detail is striking, as is the decision by a
European intelligence agency to release a report like this. Clearly, an information salvo designed to stoke strife and paranoia at a time of
perceived weakness in the Kremlin.
WALSH (voice-over): The dossier also suggests something staggering that the measures may be designed to protect Putin from a potential coup,
something he had a narrow miss with in June 2023, when mercenary boss and former chef to Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a failed march on Moscow.
The risk of a coup, it says, now is from another former confidant, Sergei Shoigu, once his minister of defense but now secretary of the security
council. He retains significant influence within a military high command, it says. The report says a coup is more likely after coy wire former deputy
and close associate Ruslan Tsalikov, was arrested in march, which it calls, quote, "a breach of the tacit protection agreements among elites".
But the report doesn't provide any evidence or explain why it has made this risk public, warning the Kremlin. It claims the new security measures came
after a series of assassinations among the Russian top brass, likely by Ukraine, at an urgent meeting last year after the killing of Lieutenant
General Fanil Sarvarov in Moscow on December the 22nd.
The release of the report has convenient timing four years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at a time when doubts about Russia's ability to
sustain its war effort and its economic impact, a growing of major internet blackouts, growing internal criticism of Putin himself and continued
successful Ukrainian bombardment of targets deep inside Russia, especially ahead of the May 9th victory day parade scaled back dramatically this year
for security. There are plenty of reasons European intelligence would seek to destabilize the Kremlin, and much of this is hard to corroborate, but it
is rare detail and a confident presentation of a Kremlin in crisis that matches a moment of peaking criticism of Putin internally.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Still to come, fear aboard a cruise ship amid a deadly suspected hantavirus outbreak. The latest on the World Health Organization's
investigation, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:09]
FOSTER: Three people are dead, at least three others are sick after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus aboard a cruise ship. That is according to
the World Health Organization. The vessel, MV Hondius, is now anchored in Cape Verde off West Africa, seven weeks after starting its voyage in
Argentina. The 149 people on board the ship are not allowed to disembark.
Larry Madowo brings us the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A suspected outbreak of hantavirus on board this cruise ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The MV Hondius,
operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina, over a month ago. Details of the suspected outbreak emerged as
it was anchored in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, on Sunday. One American travel blogger on board
issuing this tearful message.
JAKE ROSMARIN, TRAVEL BLOGGER: We're not just a story. We're not just headlines. We're people -- people with families, with lives, with people
waiting for us at home. There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part. All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity, and
to get home.
MADOWO: Cape Verdean authorities have refused to allow anyone to disembark. However, local health authorities visited the ship and assessed
two symptomatic crew members requiring urgent medical care.
Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement there are 17 Americans among the 149 people on board, according to Oceanwide. The company told CNN it is,
quote, currently focused on the health and safety of passengers and crew.
Humans most commonly get infected with hantavirus through contact with rodents like mice or rats, especially their urine, droppings and saliva,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC. Early symptoms include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, as well as headaches,
dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems. Human to human transmission is rare, the World Health Organization says.
DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, FAMILY PHYSICIAN & PRESIDENT & CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP: To have this many people clustered together on a ship, most public
health officials would be looking and looking for human to human transmission. And I'm sure this is going to be investigated tremendously.
But that would be where the arrows are pointing right now.
MADOWO: So far, it's not clear how the suspected infections on the ship occurred.
The first death on board this ship happened April 11th. The body of a 70- year-old Dutch man was taken to the island of Saint Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic, according to South Africa's Department of Health.
His wife later collapsed at an airport while trying to fly home and died in hospital.
At this time, it is not confirmed that these two deaths are connected to the current medical situation on board, the operator said.
The World Health Organization says it is facilitating between member states and the ships operators on a full public health risk assessment, but added,
quote, "the risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions.
Larry Madowo, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: So what we want to know is how is the World Health Organization responding to this suspected outbreak?
Joining me now is Dr. Hans Kluge. He's the Europe director for the WHO.
Thank you so much for joining us. I imagine you're very busy with this.
What's the current plan whilst you figure out how to contain the virus? Is it to keep everyone on the ship and certain individuals isolated?
DR. HANS KLUGE, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Well, this is the first reported outbreak of the hantavirus on a cruise
ship, so that's a bit of new territory. But the virus itself is not new. Indeed, it's carried by rodents. People get contaminated through inhaling
particles, mostly from feces or urine.
There are five -- there were five suspected patients or people. Three, unfortunately passed away. Two people on the ship. But are under medical
care by the authorities of Cabo Verde and one laboratory confirmed patient is in the intensive care unit in South Africa. Now, it's very important for
the public to realize that the overall risk to the public remains low. It's very tough to be transmitted human to human, though not impossible.
FOSTER: Well, we're seeing -- I spoke to an epidemiologist last hour, said that the reason for this spread can only be that they all caught it in
Argentina and came on together, or that it is transmit -- transmitting human to human, he says it's very unlikely for them to have caught it
actually on the ship that was infected.
KLUGE: So while it cannot be excluded, I think its very important lesson we learned from COVID-19 to tell what we don't know yet. So the sequencing,
looking at the origins underway with help of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa and also the Institute Pasteur Dakar
in Senegal, for which I would like to express my appreciation.
So at least we the international community is on top of the issue. Connecting data surveillance system, aligning country responses, and we
hope very soon to tell more. But again, the overall risk remains low. But this is being investigated very closely. And we're on top of the issue.
FOSTER: Now, I understand that you're studying it and understand all the data. What I'm trying to understand, which is really worrying people, is
that this could be human to human transmission. And then that, you know, if there's a cluster of it on a ship, which is a contained space, of course,
people are worrying that it could spread more widely. So I'm just asking what you know about that.
KLUGE: So what we know about this is that the hantavirus is not easily transmitted between people. Okay? Even not from the animals to the humans.
But of course, it is possible. So we shouldn't jump on conclusions but doing -- doing what is being done with the help of the laboratories of
South Africa and Senegal and hopefully very, very soon, we have some new knowledge.
Meanwhile, basic sanitary measures have to be in place. It means proper ventilation of enclosed spaces, rodent control, proper handling of dead
animals and cleaning and disinfecting with bleach.
FOSTER: When will people be allowed off the ship?
KLUGE: So there is an international coordination between all the authorities 24/7, which also, by the way, shows why international
collaboration in these times are so important. And new information will be available very, very soon.
FOSTER: So we don't they have no idea when theyre going to be allowed off. I'm just assuming once you get the all clear that everyone's been got
better, they would be allowed to get off. Or is the plan not to allow anyone to get off in case it spreads beyond the ship?
KLUGE: As we speak, the medical authorities of Cabo Verde are on -- on the spot, examining the people making the diagnosis. We're in touch with them.
And immediately, if there is new information, we will share that one.
FOSTER: But they are not going to allow people off, are you? Presumably, until you know
KLUGE: Will the examinations have to be obviously concluded and the relevant authorities are following the protocols? What were doing is
connecting, putting all the data together, but also already making some progress with some medical evacuations of severely ill people.
FOSTER: Because the symptoms don't appear for weeks, do they?
[15:25:01]
I'm just thinking it could be weeks before you know who's got it.
KLUGE: Indeed, the incubation can sometimes take up to eight weeks, and that's why the basic hygienic and sanitary measures are to be put in place.
But it doesn't mean that there will be a waiting time for eight weeks.
So let's do the -- let's say the next update as soon as we have the new information. But give -- meanwhile, I think I would like to stress that
one, that the overall risk to the public remains low. I mean, low risk does not mean no risks. And we are treating the situation as such.
FOSTER: Okay. Dr. Hans Kluge, thank you.
Still to come, the battle to control the Strait of Hormuz. A military expert joins us after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: President Trump says Iranian forces will be blown off the face of the planet if they attempt to target U.S. troops -- ships in the Strait of
Hormuz or the Persian Gulf.
His warning comes as both sides fired shots on Monday, testing the fragile ceasefire. The U.S. military says it blew up six small Iranian boats. The
president says it was seven. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard called U.S. reports that two merchant ships successfully transited through the strait
outright lies.
Right now, President Trump is due to be speaking at a small business event at the White House. We'll monitor those remarks in case he does mention the
conflict and bring in those to the show for you. If it happens now, the Trump administration continues to insist the situation is being managed.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News earlier the United States is in full control of the Strait of Hormuz.
[15:30:05]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: The Iranians do not have control of the strait. We have absolute control of the strait. We have blockaded
the ships going into or out of Iranian ports. Their economy is in freefall and everyone says they have a high tolerance for pain. Well, their soldiers
will not have a high tolerance for not getting paid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: What we don't know is, does the United States have control of the Strait of Hormuz?
Joining me now is Matthew Savill. He's director of military science at RUSI, the military think tank.
Thank you for joining us.
I mean, what do you think? Are they in control or are the Iranians in control?
MATTHEW SAVILL, DIRECTOR OF MILITARY SCIENCES, RUSI: Good evening. I'm not sure either side is in control. But of course, this depends on what you
mean by control. The U.S. can I think, exercise a lot of coercive force in terms of turning back ships that are trying to get to and from Iran, but
that might not cover smuggling, or ships that skirt coastal waters and stay essentially outside of the main straight for their turn. The Iranians can
clearly still threaten shipping, but the Americans have got overwhelming military force in the area.
The reality is, is that control of the strait is not a simple question of pure military power. It's a question of confidence. Confidence of the
markets, confidence of insurers and confidence of civilian shipping. And if they have confidence or not, that's largely what determines whether or not
theyre prepared to move through the area.
FOSTER: President Trump has been speaking today saying, and the administration isn't being drawn on whether the cease fire has been broken.
But it does feel as though its at least breaking from today's events, doesn't it?
SAVILL: I think the ceasefire only exists insofar as there are massive airstrikes taking place across Iran from either Israel or the U.S. The
reality is, is that the U.S., in terms of blockading Iran, was conducting an operation or an act that, under normal circumstances would be considered
warlike.
For their part, the Iranians, it seems, have fired again on regional Gulf States and continue to harass or threaten shipping. So there isn't an
absolute cease fire in place. There hasn't been for several weeks. What we don't have is that that open industrial level war, which largely consists
of airstrikes and ballistic missiles and drones going in all directions.
FOSTER: Is there any way of not, making it easier for ships to go through using Omani spaces, for example, or do you have to use that Iranian space
and deal with them if you use it.?
SAVILL: Well, what you have normally is this thing called the traffic separation scheme, which is two large lanes that move through the strait,
and because of how the waters work there, it's so narrow at the narrowest point that you're -- you are moving through, one states waters or another.
But the TSS enables you to effectively conduct that passage because it, it's not the case that the Iranians have a right to control it.
So, shipping that's coming from the far side, if you're -- if you're outside the strait, as you were coming up from the -- from Oman or the
Arabian Peninsula side of things, you can get to there, but at some point you've got to pass within a few miles of the Iranian shoreline, and then
you are vulnerable to these fast attack craft, maybe cruise missiles, maybe mines. I mean, going back a few years when I was involved in Iran policy
for the U.K. government, the Iranians seized an oil tanker and they actually crossed over into Omani territorial waters to do that. So that
water in and of itself isn't going to be protection.
FOSTER: Yeah. Um, obviously a lot of tension between the U.S. and Europe over this whole issue. Donald Trump now talking about pulling troops from
Europe. We heard from the Italian prime minister today that, you know, that reminder we've been hearing from European leaders that we need to beef up
European security.
Where's that going, do you think and do you think the presidents making a mistake? Because obviously it offers him security, having these bases, too.
SAVILL: At the start point for this is the slightly bizarre spectacle of the U.S., having spent a lot of the past 18 months apart. Certainly this
administration telling Europe to focus on Europe and now berating Europeans for not moving out of Europe and sending forces to the Middle East for a
war that the U.S. has started. So there's a problem there from the European perspective that they feel like theyre being judged unfairly.
The forces that are being pulled or possibly not deployed sound like theyre coming partly from ground units.
[15:35:04]
That would be a kind of a standard army brigade and what's called a multi- domain task force. And that brings with it a lot of capabilities, sensors, the ability to move data around long range strike weapons that Europe
doesn't have in abundance or at all. So it's problematic for European deterrence. It exposes a gap that people knew existed. But the Europeans
are several years away from being able to fill. But I think it's a small number of troops, but it doesn't send a particularly positive message if
you are interested in keeping Russian threats away from the rest of Europe.
FSOTER: Okay. Matthew Savill, thank you.
It's the final moment of trade on Wall Street. Stocks are tailing off pretty badly. The Dow started in the red, and the losses have only got
worse as the session has gone on down more than 1 percent.
Crude oil exports from Kuwait fell from a million barrels a day to zero last month. That's according to Iranian media. The Iranian Students News
Agency says Kuwait continues to pump oil, but is moving some of it to storage as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.
Elon Musk tried to settle his lawsuit against OpenAI just days before it went to trial. That is according to a new court filing from OpenAI. Musk,
who helped found the company, is suing over how it moved from being a nonprofit organization to a for-profit one. OpenAI attorneys say he's only
doing so to attack a competitor.
GameStop is making an audacious bid to buy eBay, even though the auction website is nearly four times its size. The offer is worth more than $55
billion, and GameStop says it would create a legitimate competitor to Amazon. Investors aren't so sure, with GameSstop shares down more than 10
percent.
Clare Duffy joins us now.
I mean, it is fascinating the strategy here, not just taking a much larger company, but the idea of taking on Amazon. But perhaps, you know, eBay has
got the structure to be able to do that.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN PODCAST HOST, TERMS OF SERVICE: Well, yeah. And GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen is known for taking these sort of bold moves. But this is
definitely an interesting move given the fact that, as you mentioned, Max, eBay is four times the size of GameStop. It's valued at around $46 billion,
while GameStop is around $11 billion. And then you have this $55.5 billion offer. And you have to ask where exactly is that money coming from.
And I'll tell you what we understand from GameStop. So it'll be all of their stock $11 billion. They have $9 billion in cash on their balance
sheet. They've gotten a confidence letter from TD Securities which would be a loan of $20 billion.
But then there's still a $10 billion gap. And CEO Ryan Cohen of GameStop had a sort of contentious confusing interview on CNBC this morning. But he
said that the one option is for the company to issue additional stock. Of course that could potentially devalue the stock that existing shareholders
hold. But that is one way they could get to this $55 billion number.
So that I think is one of the big outstanding questions here as we look at this deal. But the strategy here is interesting. Their thought is that you
could take GameStop's existing brick and mortar stores all across the country and use those for intake and authentication of goods that people
want to sell on eBay, again, trying to make this larger e-commerce player that could take on Amazon.
Of course, I think there are a number of steps they would need to take to get there. Most of the goods that are selling on eBay are used goods. Most
of the things selling on Amazon are new. You would have to figure out how theyre going to work that out.
But these are two companies, GameStop and eBay, that target fairly niche communities and people who are really passionate about the products that
they buy at these places. So you could see where this tie up could potentially make sense if, Max, they can figure out the numbers here.
FOSTER: Yeah. And there's a feeling, isn't there, that eBay has lost its way a bit. It was one of the giants, wasn't it, of the early Internet. And
it gave away a lot of its business. But you know, it does have, I guess an older base, you can make it younger to appeal to more people?
DUFFY: They have taken a number of steps, too, in the last few years towards that vision. They acquired Depop, the online resale marketplace for
clothing that is very popular among young people. They have been making moves in the A.I. space to make it easier for people to list and buy
things.
So eBay has been making some improvements, but GameStop thinks that between combining this brick and mortar footprint with eBay's e-commerce site,
plus, he says running the company more efficiently could make for a more successful firm as this combined company. And eBay's board did say that it
is reviewing this offer.
FOSTER: Fascinating. Clare, thank you so much.
Still to come, the man accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump is back in court. When we come back, we'll tell you why a federal
judge is apologizing to him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The federal judge is calling out the us department of corrections over the treatment of the man accused of opening fire during the White
House correspondents dinner. A hearing just a short while ago. The judge said he has never seen a defendant treated the way Cole Allen is being
treated. Allen was placed on a suicide watch and has been fully restrained by a five point shackling system.
I want to bring in Katelyn Polantz.
I mean, is this normal, this system? I mean, how's the rest of America looking at this?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the way the D.C. jail described it is that Cole Allen was placed on suicide watch after
he was brought in, apprehended following the White House correspondents dinner, because what was came out in the hearing was that he was assessed
to have, obviously a death wish, believing that he may be killed by Secret Service as he attempted to shoot the president, allegedly at that dinner.
Now, his attorneys had complained multiple times about how restrictive a condition he was in at the D.C. jail. And this is the third time Cole Allen
has been in court since last Monday. Previously, it was about him remaining in jail as he awaits trial. That is still happening, Max. But here this was
a magistrate judge checking in to make sure that this man is not being restrained in a way that is too much in jail.
The Judge Zia Faruqui, he's a magistrate judge in D.C., he spends a lot of time himself over at the jail working with detainees there. And he said in
court today he can be both kept safe and be treated with dignity. And he apologized directly to Cole Allen in the courtroom, saying, "Whatever
you've been through, I apologize for that now."
He made sure that the D.C. jail is going to put Cole Allen on less restrictive conditions, so he's not going to be in solitary confinement
anymore. He's not going to be wearing a padded vest or a straight jacket, or restrained in various ways. He's going to have access to a chaplain, a
bible, his lawyers. It's going to be a different situation for him going forward.
[15:45:05]
This was also an opportunity where the judge wanted to make a point that January 6th attempt, defendants who had also been arrested for violence
toward police and political violence, that they were not treated in the exact same way. It's a different set of charges, but the point was not lost
in the courtroom. Judge Faruqui making sure that Cole Allen wasn't too restricted.
Now, this is also a moment where the U.S. attorney has been out there talking about this case over the weekend, saying that she does not believe
that Cole Allen had a psychotic break before this, and instead she believes and others working on this case believe, that he had an intent to kill.
Here's a little bit more from the U.S. attorney speaking to Jake Tapper on Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: We now can establish that a pellet that came from the buckshot from the defendant's
Mossberg pump action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: It is definitively his bullet?
PIRRO: It is definitively his bullet he hit at that Secret Service agent. He was -- had every intention to kill him, and anyone who got in his way --
on his way to killing the president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POLANTZ: So you see there, Max, the U.S. attorney attempting to put to rest the questions around whether or not Cole Allen actually managed to get
a shot out of the shotgun as he tried to storm the ballroom. She says he definitively did fire off that shotgun toward the U.S. Secret Service agent
who was hit and who ended up firing back. She also said to Jake Tapper on CNN yesterday that there's more surveillance video that the Justice
Department has. There's clearly much, much more to come in this case, and that we would be likely to learn as the evidence is continued to be
collected and the Justice Department continues to investigate.
Back to you.
FOSTER: Katelyn, thank you.
Former New York City mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani is being treated for pneumonia. A spokesperson for Giuliani says the 81 year old is being
treated in hospital. He is said to be in critical but stable condition. Giuliani was previously diagnosed with restrictive airway disease after the
9/11 attacks in New York.
And we have some new stunning video just in to CNN. And the warning, what you're about to see may be disturbing because a small plane crashed into a
building in southeastern Brazil today. Both the pilot and the copilot died in the crash. Other passengers on board are said to be in serious
condition. Authorities say they do not yet know what caused that crash.
Still to come, the legendary designer of Dior are the focus of a new exhibit. And you don't have to go to Paris or New York to see them. Lynda
Kinkade will give us a look
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:50:31]
FOSTER: The Met Gala returns to New York City in just a few hours. The fundraiser often attracts the year's most dramatic looks. This evening's
dress code is fashion is art. Museums director, and "Vogue's" Anna Wintour announced that tonight's gala has raised a record $42 million for the
costume institute. This year's party may also be the most controversial yet.
All eyes are on Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, who are the main benefactors and honorary chairs. Protests have
popped up nearby. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned on income inequality, is actually skipping the event this year. Now, if you've
ever wondered how some of these small, memorable outfits come together, a new exhibit in Atlanta is offering a rare glimpse at some of the legendary
designs from the World of Dior, where past and present meet the red carpet.
Lynda Kinkade popped along.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the Dior exhibit at SCAD, one of the top fashion schools on the planet. And it brings together decades of
design that continues to shape what we see on the red carpet today.
I'm joined by the creative director, Rafael Gomez.
Explain how this silhouette launched the Dior brand and why it was so controversial at the time.
RAFAEL GOMEZ, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SCAD FASH MUSEUM OF FASHION AND FILM: Well, it was a revolutionary silhouette. It was the new look because it was
just after World War Two. And it was such a time of austerity. There were barely any materials for civilians to be used.
This was fabric enough for more than 20 skirts. It was after this time of austerity, you could feel like a woman again. This is what everybody
wanted.
KINKADE: Quite extravagant for that time.
GOMEZ: It was, it was. Yeah.
KINKADE: And that idea of pushing the boundaries continues to play out on the Met Gala steps.
And this, of course, was one of the most memorable Met Gala moments.
GOMEZ: Absolutely. This is the Revenge Dress. Originally, it had a corset inside, and Princess Diana herself cut the corset out, really resembles a
nightgown. And it was quite a sensation at the time.
KINKADE: I love this room and how it is inspired by the flowers where he grew up, the gardens of Normandy and you can see it throughout his designs,
right?
GOMEZ: Exactly. He was very inspired by flowers, by garden. In his house in Granville, he would, as a child, always sketch in the garden, learn the
name of flowers. So, this was a great source of inspiration for Christian Dior himself. And so, it was also for the other designers that came after.
They would take inspiration of flowers or gardens.
For example, here, we have a beautiful piece from Maria Grazia that is created with 3D silk flowers.
KINKADE: So, Dior wanted to dress women head to toe, including the accessories.
GOMEZ: Absolutely. Yes. He would create everything that the heart would desire, from head to hosiery to bags to shoes.
And in this room, we have something very special. They are Lady Dior bags that were created in collaboration with artists. And it's fantastic because
the House of Dior gave the artist carte blanche. Design whatever you want here you can see a lot of stitching.
KINKADE: Maybe I can borrow one for the weekend.
GOMEZ: We have a blue one here that will suit your dress.
KINKADE: Perfect.
(LAUGHTER)
KINKADE: So, Dior began his career selling artwork by the likes of Pablo Picasso, but ended up dressing some of the most famous celebrities in the
world.
GOMEZ: Exactly. Here we can see amazing haute couture dresses worn by so many celebrities like Natalie Portman, Lady Gaga, Marilyn Monroe. We have
Rihanna, Lupita, and we have an incredible last piece here that is Elle Fanning, also here from Georgia.
KINKADE: What sort of trends do you think we might see at the Met Gala this year?
GOMEZ: It will be all about art meeting fashion, and I can't wait.
KINKADE: Any insight as to what Dior will be presenting?
GOMEZ: Not really, because it's top secret.
KINKADE: Okay.
GOMEZ: Yeah.
KINKADE: You tell me off camera.
(LAUGHTER)
GOMEZ: I don't know, really. They keep it top secret. They keep it top secret.
(MUSIC)
GOMEZ: Here we have almost 80 years of fashion history, and it's a great instrumental tool to teach our students and visitors alike about fashion
for the last 80 years.
KINKADE: Amazing. Thank you for the tour, Rafael Gomez.
GOMEZ: I thank you so much. Thank you.
KINKADE: So from the post-war revolution of fashion to the designs we see on red carpets around the world, Dior continues to make a splash.
Lynda Kinkade, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Still, after that handbag. Finally tonight, after the carrier went out of business, one Spirit Airlines pilot had his retirement flight
canceled, but Southwest Airlines made sure he still received a memorable send off. The plane carrying Captain John Jackson was received with a
traditional water cannon salute. Jackson was forced to travel home as a passenger on a Southwest flight, along with his son Chris, a Southwest
first officer.
Before landing in Baltimore, the southwest staff heard the story from his son upon arrival, southwest made sure Captain Jackson was honored with a
proper retirement celebration. How lovely.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.
END
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