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Connect the World

Trump to Announce Sweeping New Tariffs Today; Israel Announces Expansion of Military Operation in Gaza; Kremlin: Putin's Senior Adviser May Visit U.S. for Talks; Details of Trump's New Tariffs Remain Unknown; Actor Val Kilmer Dead at the Age of 65. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired April 02, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: This is the scene in Washington, D.C., where the president is gearing up for what he's billing

as America's Liberation Day, a raft of new import tariffs, which he says will take effect immediately. It's 09:00 a.m. in Washington and in New

York, where markets will open in about 30 minutes from now, futures are down as investors brace.

And it's 02:00 p.m. in London. I'm Christina Macfarlane. This is "Connect the World". Also coming up, Israel says it's expanding military operations

in Gaza, planning to take more territory and force Palestinians out in an effort to crush what's left of Hamas.

And Liberal Judge Susan Crawford wins a seat in the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a blow to Musk and Trump, while Republicans hang on in Florida. And as

your stock markets are set to open America and the world are bracing for President Trump's new round of tariffs, he's set to announce them at 04:00

p.m. Eastern Time, just after the closing bell on Wall Street.

The president calls the tariffs Liberation Day, saying he'll -- they'll free the U.S. from what he calls decades of unfair trade practices. The

reality, though, could be drastically different with new tariffs fueling an escalating trade war between America and its top trading partners and

raising prices on goods around the globe.

The European Commission President says the EU has a strong plan to hit back new tariffs, while China is promising a counter attack. The White House

says, whatever tariffs, President Trump announces they will take effect immediately. We've got a lot to cover here. Paula Newton is in Canada,

another country promising to retaliate to new tariffs.

Valeria Leon is in Mexico City. Mexico and Canada show the biggest U.S. trading partners. And Stephen Collinson is bringing us the view from

Washington. Welcome to you all. Valeria, I want to speak to you first. We were just hearing about reaction coming in there, globally.

And President Sheinbaum on Tuesday, said that Mexico is ready and prepared to respond to Donald Trump's tariffs. So, what are we expecting?

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Christina, Mexico's government is avoiding this confrontation with the Trump Administration, playing the long

game. Is the same strategy President Sheinbaum has used since the beginning of the new American Administration. One that has so far saved Mexico from

steep tariffs.

But tomorrow, she's going to present what she called a comprehensive plan that will include a response to all the tariffs from those on metals

already in place to those on vehicles coming into effect. And President Claudia Sheinbaum is a strong advocate of the integration of the North

American economy.

She has said she doesn't believe in an eye for an eye, because that always leads to a bad situation. Also, Mexican authorities are currently loving

for special treatment from the U.S. when it comes to tariffs on products made in Mexico. By using the argument that Mexico exports more than 3

million vehicles annually to the U.S.

And this has spurred our new round of negotiations to try to stem the impact of tariffs with Mexico's Economic Secretary, Marcelo Ebrard having

been sent to Washington to prevent massive layoffs in the care industry. These negotiations are trying to stem the impact of that.

But also, Mexico has done everything that Trump Administration has asked regarding border security, including sending 10,000 additional troops to

patrol the border and a historic extradition of 29 alleged drug kingpins long wanted in the U.S., for which Mexico specs at least some tariff

concessions.

Also, President Sheinbaum spoke about her plans for Mexico's southern border and left the door open to more extradition of cartel figures to the

United States, Christina.

MACFARLANE: Thank you. Paula, turning to you know, Canada has been, well, certainly, a lot stronger in their response to the proposed tariffs from

Donald Trump. I wonder, Paula, has there been any indication that perhaps Canada is willing to team up with Mexico in a sort of coordinated way to --

in a response to Trump's tariffs. What is the mood music there today?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'd say in terms of teaming up, they're doing what they can in terms of consultations, and it is not just

Mexico. It is also trying to coordinate very closely with the U.K. and Europe. But right now, what they're waiting for is the White House to make

its announcement.

[09:05:00]

Just to remind everyone here, Canada is in the middle of an election campaign. Prime Minister Mark Carney, he's only been in office for a few

weeks. He is a political novice navigating all of this. As a former central bank governor, though, certainly has a lot of experience in terms of trying

to deal with these financial crises.

And Christina, when you ask me, what things are like here in Canada, this is basically for the country and for so many businesses, like an

earthquake. And the problem is, the shaking has not stopped. Whether it's businesses or governments here, they want to know when this is going to be

over, in terms of when are we going to know the finality of this, what exactly happened, what are we dealing with?

And then they'll move on from there. So, while retaliatory tariffs, more of them are on the table right now. Prime Minister Carney will make a decision

on that in the coming hours, and at that point in time, at least businesses and the government here will understand what is going on.

I think the bottom line is, there has been a lot of confusion in terms of what kind of negotiation the United States is willing to engage in and what

exactly is the end game. They are still not clear on that. After weeks of Canadian officials meeting with their U.S. counterparts and trying to get

that straight.

Again, I think the announcement has to happen, and then Canada will go on from there. I want to make very clear, though, that this Prime Minister, if

he wins on April 28 has made it crystal clear to the United States and the world that the relationship that Canada had with the United States is now

over, if he becomes prime minister on April 28.

MACFARLANE: Paula, thank you. Stephen, turning to you, there appears to be very little, let's say, cost benefit analysis done by the Trump

Administration as to whether the revenue gained from these sweeping tariffs is actually going to be worth the damage they're inflicting on some of

their core allies here. Do you think the Trump Administration are ready for the retaliation that's headed their way?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: That's a good question, because I think there's an assumption that the U.S. economy is almighty,

and it will be able to face down whatever other countries throw at it. But if you think about it, the situation that could ensue if Trump goes to the

maximum level with these tariffs is that United States will be simultaneously facing reprisals from Canada and Mexico and Europe and

China, all of its greatest trade partners at once.

And all those countries will still be free trading with each other. So, I think the downside for United States in terms of isolation in the global

trading system is actually quite significant, and that is something that's not really been considered all that much, I think, during the run up to

this.

And one reason is this is all happening inside Donald Trump's head. Paula was right about the Canadians not really knowing what the United States

wants. It's not clear that the people in Donald Trump's Administration even know exactly what the president wants.

There are all sorts of inflated claims that this is going to bring in many billions of dollars, that all Americans are going to get richer because of

these tariffs. A, that's not true and B, we really do not know what Trump is planning to do in a few hours.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, I mean, even his closest advisers, by all accounts, don't know what he's planning to do. Valeria, we know that some of these tariffs

were halted last month, being imposed on Mexico, on Canada as well. What role do you think did Mexico's commitment to border security and tackling

the fentanyl crisis play in persuading Trump to delay those tariffs?

LEON: Well, we'll expect tomorrow when Mexico presents this response plan to Trump's tariffs, and what we know at this point is that it might include

some reciprocal duties on U.S. imports, but according to Mexican authorities, that plan will mainly be focused on stimulating national

production to try to reduce dependence on U.S. exports, which currently stand at about 80 percent of all Mexican goods sent abroad, and this has

spurred a new round of negotiations with Washington.

This is the seventh time that Mexico's Economy Secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, has this meeting with his American counterpart, Secretary of Commerce,

Howard Lutnick. And Mexico has done everything from its side regarding trying to avoid this imposition of tariffs, reducing fentanyl and drug

trafficking into the U.S., and also reducing the flow of illegal immigration into the U.S.

So, they hope that this might help in trying to get a new treat with the U.S. and the Trump Administration regarding tariffs.

MACFARLANE: Stephen, back to you, just to go back to what you were saying about you know how much pain consumers are willing to take over Trump's

gamble here.

[09:10:00]

We know that there is actually a Senate vote happening right now to potentially reverse Trump's tariffs on Canada, and it appears to be gaining

some Republican support. I just wonder what impact you think this is going to have on his base and on that Republican support, especially when you

know so many of his sort of Republican border states rely on the flow of goods from Canada.

COLLINSON: Well, this will be a symbolic vote, because it won't be able to force Trump to change course, but I think it is significant that you're

getting a number of Republican senators signing on to this, because Republican senators almost never contradict the president, such as his

strength within his party.

You're seeing, for example, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, whose economy has really been hit hard by Canadians staying away. She's one of the

leaders of this effort. She is facing what is an increasingly tough reelection bid in the midterm elections in 2026 but it's not just border

states.

Rand Paul, for example, a Republican from Kentucky, he has spoken out against some of these tariffs, perhaps because some of the industries that

are being targeted by retaliatory tariffs are being picked because they can hurt Republican areas, like Kentucky whiskey, for example.

So, I think it does show us that there is political movement below the surface on this issue. Perhaps that's something that will weigh into

Trump's mind as he faces warnings, not just about the political impact of this, but of the widespread economic damage that could take place if he,

for instance, goes for 20 percent tariffs across the board on all imports coming into the United States.

Remember, Americans are very frustrated with the continued high prices of groceries and other key items. So, there is political reverberations around

this. Right now, though it's unclear whether that will change the president's mind about the intensity and the breadth of this effort.

MACFARLANE: All right. Stephen Collinson, Valeria Leon, thank you both for now, much to come in the hours ahead, but appreciate it. Now, Israel has

announced that it plans to seize large areas of land in Gaza in a major expansion of its military's operation. It comes even as mediators have

scrambled to save the shattered ceasefire in past days.

The Israeli operation would involve the seizure of large areas of land that would be, quote, incorporated into Israel's security zones. It would also

include the quote, large scale evacuation of Gaza's population from combat zones. Residents in Rafah area were ordered to leave their homes and move

north Tuesday night.

Meantime, hospital officials say more than a dozen Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in an overnight Israeli strike there in

southern Gaza. Elsewhere, Gaza, Civil Defense says 19 bodies were recovered following Israeli airstrike on an UNRWA clinic in northern Gaza.

Salma Abdelaziz is joining us now and said this is a major development this morning. What more are you hearing about this move to seize large areas of

Gaza? What do we know about what's happening on the ground?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very little detail has been provided so far by the Israeli military, but already you can see how this is going to

deal a major blow to those diplomatic efforts that you mentioned in recent days.

Egypt and Qatar, of course, the mediating forces have been pushing to restart a ceasefire that was shattered by Israel just a couple of weeks

ago, but those attempts now, of course, are scattered by this announcement that the Israeli military will expand its offensive in Gaza.

It says that it wants to take large scale areas, large areas of land, and use those as security zones. Again, that's Israel's military language. It

says that a large number of Palestinians will be evacuated. They did not provide the specific locations or timeline for those evacuations, but we

know very well that there is absolutely nowhere in the Gaza strip that is safe.

You mentioned those overnight air strikes, two separate strikes that you mentioned there, again, many of those who lost their lives, who were

victimized in those attacks were families that had already been displaced many times before. The U.N. says one of their facilities was hit, and

that's what we're also hearing from officials in Gaza that say a U.N. facility that was being used to shelter families in place was struck, and

that several women and children were killed in that attack.

We're also hearing from the families of hostages, who say they were horrified to wake up to these views of again, Israel's military expanding

its offensive in Gaza, their concern, their fear, of course, is that this only jeopardizes the lives of those hostages.

[09:15:00]

Further, the families of those hostages also released a statement asking essentially for Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu, of course, and the

government to stand up publicly and explain how this move, how further expanding their offensive in Gaza would ensure that these hostages come

home.

Now, Israel has, at times, said that it would maintain a permanent presence in Gaza until some 24 hostages, believed to be alive, are released. But

now, of course, those mediation efforts, those attempts to bring those hostages home, those attempts to bring the bombs and bullets to a close are

ever more dire considering this expansion again, jeopardizing those talks.

MACFARLANE: All right, Salma, an important development, but for now, we will leave it there. Thank you. Now coming up a $90 million showdown in one

of America's battleground states, we'll have a report on that and the results just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: We're following two high profile state elections in the U.S. with very contrasting outcomes. In Florida, CNN projects Republicans won

special elections for two House seats, but with slim margins in a heavily Republican state, Jim Patronis will win the seat that once belonged to Matt

Gaetz.

And Randy Fine will fill Mike Waltz's vacant seat after Waltz became the national security adviser. And in the battleground state of Wisconsin, the

Supreme Court keeps its liberal majority. CNN projects that Democrat back, Susan Crawford won Tuesday's ballot despite Elon Musk spending $20 million

to campaign for her conservative Brad Schimmel. Well CNN's Arlette Saenz has the latest from Madison, Wisconsin.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christina, Wisconsin voters offered the first real electoral pushback against President Trump and his

top political ally Elon Musk by electing the Liberal candidate Susan Crawford in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

Crawford had put Musk at the center of her strategy after the tech billionaire and groups aligned with him spent more than $20 million in the

race. That money helped contribute to make this the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history, with outside spending totaling more than $90

million.

Now, Crawford, in her election night remarks, told supporters that this shows that elections can't be bought.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE SUSAN CRAWFORD, SUPREME COURT AT WISCONSIN: Today, Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy, our fair elections,

and our Supreme Court and Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now Democrats are riding high off after this victory, I spoke with the Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair, Ben Wikler, last night, and he told

me that this shows that Democrats can get up, off the mat, fight back and win elections.

[09:20:00]

He also argued that Elon Musk will continue to be a liability for Republicans unless they begin to distance themselves from him. For

Democrats, there will be a lot of conversation about whether this election can offer a blueprint for their candidates going forward in this year's off

year elections and the 2026 midterms.

And there will also be a lot of discussion about what this means for President Trump and his and Elon Musk's political operation, as they have

signaled potentially getting involved in other races in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, Christina.

MACFARLANE: Thanks to Arlette Saenz there. Now the Kremlin says one of its top negotiators is planning to visit Washington D.C. this week. Kirill

Dmitriev is a close advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He met with American officials in Saudi Arabia in February to discuss a deal to

end the war in Ukraine.

His trip to Washington would be the first by a senior official from Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Just a few days ago,

President Trump said he was very angry with Vladimir Putin and threatened to place more sanctions on Russia.

Well CNN's Alex Marquardt has been tracking this meeting, Alex coming at a time of mounting frustration over Russia's refusal to accept the ceasefire.

So how significant could this meeting be in the peace negotiations ahead?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's significant in that he is the first top Russian official to come to

Washington since the war began. It's significant in terms of the timing, because so far, we have seen Russian reticence to sign on to this ceasefire

that the Trump Administration announced several weeks ago.

They wanted an immediate ceasefire all along the front line, the Russians have quibbled with that, and we have seen this frustration from the Trump

Administration rise as a result. So, Kirill Dmitriev is not just close to Vladimir Putin and a senior adviser. He's head of the sovereign wealth

fund.

The Kremlin has been a bit coy about this trip, but we do understand. My colleagues, Jennifer Hansel, Alayna Treene, and myself are told by three

different sources that Dmitriev is expected to come here. He is expected to engage with the Trump Administration, specifically with Steve Witkoff, the

top Trump envoy who has gone to Russia several times to meet with Vladimir Putin himself.

And what Dmitriev and Witkoff have in common is they, not only we believe want to see this war in Ukraine to end, but they believe that there is

great potential for the two countries in terms of economic and financial relationships. So, they will be discussing not only the potential for a

ceasefire in Ukraine, but for that longer term relationship as well, very important to know, Christina, that Dmitriev is under sanctions.

He was sanctioned by the Biden Administration three years ago because of the invasion of Ukraine. The -- he is the head of the sovereign wealth fund

the Biden Administration, the Treasury Department, said that he was instrumental in raising funds for that sovereign wealth fund for Vladimir

Putin and his cronies, as the Treasury Department put it.

But he will also be coming here to smooth out the frustrations in this relationship. Right now, we have President Trump, who is very impatient. He

really wants this war in Ukraine to end. We have seen President Trump lashing out against President Putin in the last few days, saying that,

following their call last week, that he was pissed off.

In his words, he was angry with how Putin was talking about the Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I have spoken with a source who has said

that President Trump has mused out loud whether Putin is telling him the truth or not. Of course, there are many people who would tell President

Trump he absolutely is not telling trump the truth, and that, in fact, he does not want a peace in Ukraine.

So, Dmitriev is going to come here to assure the United States that they do want a peace deal to move that conversation farther along, but also talk

about what the potential for a longer-term relationship could look like between the U.S. and Russia, a very notable visit, Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and after this, Alex, presumably the pressure pendulum will swing back to Ukraine, because we know that Trump has been similarly

frustrated with President Zelenskyy over his refusal to try and back out of these raw minerals deal. Do we know if there's been any communication on

that or any development since that deal was tabled?

MARQUARDT: Well, lots of frustration to go around. You're absolutely right, but there's no guarantee that Dmitriev is going to be coming here to tell

the United States exactly what they want. What we heard last week was that after the White House announced that the ceasefire would expand to the

Black Sea, the Kremlin then turned around and said, well, actually, we need sanctions to be lifted. We need other conditions to be met. And that is

what has really led to the U.S. frustration.

[09:25:00]

So, we're really looking closely to see whether President Trump will, as he threatened a few days ago, add more sanctions to the Russians if they don't

follow through on this expansion of the ceasefire. And the Trump Administration has repeatedly argued you need a ceasefire in place before

you can actually talk about a peace deal.

As for the Ukrainians, it's true, the framework deal on the minerals deal, the framework was not signed, and so the negotiations continue on the deal

itself, and President Zelenskyy has accused the U.S. of changing the terms. We've heard this anger from the Trump side as well. So, they are going back

and forth.

It is the Treasury Department here in the U.S., here in Washington, that is leading those negotiations, and it is certainly viewed as a key point for

the Trump Administration. Trump certainly feels like this deal needs to be signed in order for Ukraine to continue getting U.S. support, Christina.

MACFARLANE: All right. Alex Marquardt, we appreciate your reporting. Thank you. Now, after the break, I'll speak to a market strategist on how he's

advising investors as we wait for Trump's big tariff announcement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Welcome back. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London, and you are watching "Connect the World". These are your headlines. Israel's Defense

Minister has announced a major expansion of the military's operation in Gaza. He says the IDF will seize large areas of land that would be, quote,

incorporated into Israel's security zones.

He also said it would mean the large-scale evacuation of Gaza's population from combat zones. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to unveil a new round

of tariffs today. Details remain unknown. The White House says the tariffs will address decades of unfair trading practices.

Economists warn they could raise prices around the globe and tip the U.S. economy into a recession. And a major win for liberals in the U.S. State of

Wisconsin, CNN projects the liberal majority will be maintained in the state's Supreme Court with Democrat back Susan Crawford winning Tuesday's

special election.

It's a setback for President Trump and Elon Musk, who spent $20 million campaigning for Crawford's conservative opponent.

[09:30:00]

And there it was, the opening bell as investors are looking to the big White House address in just over six hours' time. U.S. President Donald

Trump is expected to announce his sweeping new tariffs from the Rose Garden, and that is slated for 04:00 p.m. in Washington just after U.S.

markets closed.

The most aggressive option being put forward is a 20 percent tariff across the board on all U.S. imports. Some analysts say anything short of that

could actually lead to a short-term rally in the markets. So how should investors be navigating all of this uncertainty and upheaval?

For more on this, I'm joined by Art Hogan. He's the Chief Market Strategist at B. Riley Financial, who says investors are bracing for a sledgehammer,

not a scalpel. Good to see you Art, thanks for being with us. So, as I've been saying, at this time of deep uncertainty, investors are casting about

at the moment for any calm port in a storm, I think. What are you telling your clients to do right now?

ART HOGAN, CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST AT B. RILEY FINANCIAL: I think that makes a great deal of sense in terms of how defensive this market has been

this year. You certainly if you look at the S&P 500, the three best performing sectors fall into the very defensive consumer staples and health

care and energy.

And the worst performing sectors are the probably the riskiest of the sectors, things like technology, consumer discretionary and communication

services, which encompasses all of the Mag 7 stocks. We've also seen an all-time high in gold and certainly the U.S. Treasury market is a haven for

safety for investors.

So. we've seen the yield on the U.S. 10 year move from 4.8 percent down to 4.15 percent this morning. So. you've got a lot of defensive posturing, now

to that point, if, in fact, the worst-case scenario is that the market's been pricing in over the course of the last month and a half, don't come to

fruition, meaning something less than a universal 20 percent tariff on everything that's imported into United States.

I think the market is poised and very coiled for significant bounce back. It just, it's yet to be determined how long that might last. But I

certainly think that long term investors should continue with their diversified portfolios and try to sort of navigate through the noise here,

because there's really no signal yet.

We don't really know what the goal post where the goal posts are on this trade war. We certainly don't know what the end results will be.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, and the White House is saying, of course, that these tariffs will be effective immediately. How is that going to work exactly?

And do you expect a quick rollback like we've seen before?

HOGAN: Well, I certainly think that the ability for the White House to implement these immediately is one thing, but for us to understand what the

goal is, meaning is there some concession that our trade partners can make that ameliorates some of these tariffs?

So, you know, in the instance of Canada, Mexico, part of the logic behind this is to help secure our borders and stop fentanyl from crossing the

borders and things of that nature, and that got them in a reprieve for about two months, but now this is going back into effect.

So have they moved the goal post to something else, or is it, you know, if certain countries bring down tariffs or sign trade deals, and there's some

talk that there may be a trade deal negotiated with India, or a renegotiation of the trade deal that we have with both Canada and Mexico on

a trilateral basis.

So those are the unknowns. We don't know what makes some of these tariffs go away, and that's the most important piece of this. It's not necessarily,

you know this 15 or 20 percent tariff across the board. It's how long is that going to last? Is this forever, or is there some -- is this the

beginning of a negotiation period, which I think investors are hoping is the end result?

MACFARLANE: Yeah. And on that point, I guess we can't rule out the possibility of a Trump whiplash or Trump reversal. What signs will you be

looking out for to try and decipher what may stick and what won't?

HOGAN: Well, I would tell you this, I think that you know, after this announcement, I think you listen to we've had constructive conversations

with fill in the blank leader from fill in the blank country, and assume that means we're getting closer to a point where those tariffs will be

removed, and the announced win or victory in this negotiation process will come from the White House then.

And I think that's what you're going to look out for. You know, who's meeting with who, and at what level of these discussions happening, and

what are the concessions that we're actually for? So that's all in the sort of after tomorrow's business, you know, in the here and now we have to wait

till four o'clock today.

Luckily, the market will be closed, so we have plenty of time to disseminate what we've learned overnight and into tomorrow. And if there is

a modicum of good news in any of this, the market will likely reverse some of the selling pressure we've seen over the course of the last six weeks.

[09:35:00]

MACFARLANE: Yeah. Gosh, tomorrow is going to be a busy day, isn't it? Art Hogan, we appreciate your analysis for now, and we wait with bated breath.

Thank you.

HOGAN: Thank you.

MACFARLANE: Now there has been a massive wave of job cuts as at the U.S. health agencies, they include 3500 workers at the Food and Drug

Administration, 2400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1200 at the National Institutes of Health, and 300 at the

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Some workers got early morning emails that their jobs were eliminated and some were unable to get into the building when they arrived at work on

Tuesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., says the changes will make fighting chronic disease the priority and reduce what

he calls bureaucratic sprawl.

But one employee at the FDA calls it a bloodbath. All right. Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.

An astonishing rescue happened five days after the deadly earthquake struck in Myanmar. Officials say this man was pulled from the rubble of a hotel

more than 100 hours after the massive 7.7 magnitude quake.

It's not clear if you have access to water or how he managed to survive. U.S. forecasters predict a tornado outbreak later today for portions of six

states in the country's midsection. Forecasters also expect life threatening flash flooding across that area where up to 15 inches of rain

could fall over the next five days.

And U.S. Justice Department plans to seek the death penalty for accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione, if he's convicted on federal capital murder charges.

The 26-year-old faces life in prison without parole if he's convicted on state charges for allegedly shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson

in New York in December. Mangione has pleaded not guilty. OK, you're watching "Connect the World" still ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman, not because I have to be now, because I choose to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Remembering Val Kilmer, who died on Tuesday. We'll have a look back at his illustrious career.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Actor Val Kilmer has died at the age of 65. His daughter released a statement saying he died of pneumonia. Kilmer was best known for

his roles in films like "Top Gun", "Tombstone" and "The Doors". CNN's Stephanie Elam takes a look back at his career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From a quirky spy in the 1984 cult classic top secret.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys really are cowboys --

ELAM (voice-over): To the intense fighter pilot in Top Gun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe.

ELAM (voice-over): Val Kilmer, film career took flight in the big 80s, but the slick performer trained at Juilliard, honed his acting chops on the

stage and saw his craft as a serious means of exploration.

[09:40:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you ever turned down something you regretted?

VAL KILMER, AMERICAN ACTOR: No, I don't really think that way. I just look forward and also what you know in a personal way, would it gain from acting

the opportunity to experience things that certainly you'd never do in your own life?

ELAM (voice-over): In the 1990s, Kilmer explored the mind of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's "The Doors". Critics praised him for nailing both the

look and the sound of the late singer. Two years later, he played the pasty yet poised gunslinger Doc Holliday in "Tombstone", and later a desperate

construction engineer hunting lions in "The Ghost and the Darkness".

Along the way, Kilmer co-starred with some of Hollywood's heavyweights like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the bank robbery movie "Heat" and play the

super hero chicks love the car as Batman in 1995. But it was an earlier collaboration on the set of the 1988 movie "Willow", where Kilmer met co-

star Joanne Whalley.

They were married almost eight years and had two children. Later in his career, Kilmer returned to the stage playing Moses in "The Ten

Commandments: The Musical". He also wrote and performed the one man show "Citizen Twain", taking on the persona of the great American storyteller.

But under the makeup the actor was dealing with grave health concerns. Kilmer downplayed cancer rumors, but then later said he had beaten the

disease, which required a tracheotomy and left him with a raspy voice. In 2022, he reprised his role as Iceman in the "Top Gun" sequel, "Maverick".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's the better pilot? You or me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a nice moment. It's not ruining.

ELAM (voice-over): Like the actor himself, his once boisterous fly boy character, subdued by illness, still commanded respect and even awe on the

silver screen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: And tributes for Val Kilmer already coming in from across Hollywood. Friend and fellow actor, Josh Brolin posted online saying, in

part quote, you were a smart, challenging, brave, Uber creative firecracker. I hope to see you up there in the heavens.

Our thoughts with his family, and that is it for this hour. "World Sport" is up after this short break. And I'll be back in 15 minutes with more

"Connect the World". See you then.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

END