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Disney Buying Most of 21st Century Fox; Alabama Senate Race; Trump White House; North Korea Nuclear Tension; A Worsening Crisis; Putin's News Conference; How Practical is Bitcoin?; Key Vote to Take Place on Net Neutrality; Fans Hail "The Last Jedi." Aired 8-9a ET
Aired December 14, 2017 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream."
Mickey Mouse joins the Simpsons. Disney agrees to buy most of 21st Century Fox for over $50 billion.
President Trump promises Americans a Christmas gift, but will the fallout from Roy Moore's defeat affect his tax plans?
And "The Last Jedi" (INAUDIBLE) break box office records around the world will allow a review of the latest "Star Wars" movie.
Disney is buying a huge chunk of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, a potential game changer for the global media industry. The $52 billion all-
stock deal combines two of Hollywood's biggest players. Assets include the 20th Century Fox film studio and several major movie and TV franchises
including X-Men, Avatar, and the Simpsons.
CNN Money's Hadas Gold joins us live from Washington with more. And Hadas, wow, it's official. It's happening. A huge deal for Disney. Tell us more
about how it extends even further, it's media and pop culture empire.
HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA AND BUSINESS REPORTER: You're right. We have been hearing about this possible deal now for weeks it seems like and now it's
hard to believe that the day has finally come and it is real. This is a huge deal for Disney and it further cements their standing as one of the,
if not, the largest media company in the world.
It takes away one of the big six studios. This is when you think about the classic era of movies in the early 1900s, 20th Century Fox is one of those.
It combines two of the big six studios into one. This has so many implications not only for Disney's future as they try to compete with the
streaming services but also for the legacy of Rupert Murdoch in this company that he built.
Now, 21st Century Fox will pretty much only focus on news. In fact, it's going to be spun off into a different sort of company, likely it is going
to be recombined with News Corp and it is going to go further into what Rupert Murdoch really specializes which is the news business and less of
the movie and TV business.
LU STOUT: Got it. And Disney chief Bob Iger, what does the deal mean for him?
GOLD: He is extending his contract through 2021. This was a big question, because his original contract was only supposed to go through July of 2019.
So this will help solidify sort of his leadership with Disney as they transition through this. Also those questions about a possible presidential
run for him might be off the table now if his contract is extended.
LU STOUT: We know that Disney had been suffering because of the threat pose by streaming services like Netflix, you know, that --
GOLD: Right.
LU STOUT: -- (INAUDIBLE) like ESPN. Can this deal with Fox counter that trend?
GOLD: That's what they're hoping it will do. Disney is actually planning to launch two new streaming services in addition to the ownership stake that
they have in the Hulu (ph) streaming services. Disney is actually planning to remove some of its content from places like Netflix and move it on to
its own proprietary streaming services.
Now having all these content from Fox, Fox didn't have more content to provide to their customers on their own streaming services, hopefully to
try to peel away customers from Netflix and the likes, those streaming services we expect to see in the next few years.
LU STOUT: All right. A mega deal in the media industry. Hadas Gold reporting for us live, thank you.
And now, also in Washington, President Trump may be just days away from his first major victory as president, but the stinging loss in Alabama is
looming over his top reform agenda. Republican Senate Candidate Roy Moore has yet to concede the special election to democratic rival Doug Jones. Mr.
Trump fully backed Moore, a man accused of sexual misconduct and assault.
CNN's Jake Tapper tells us how the shocking defeat could impact the president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Beyond the primary loss and the general election loss the president suffered, there is a third
possible loss worth contemplating. It's one that could haunt the president if voters choose to see his decision to go all in for Moore as emblematic
of a loss of standards and possibly even a loss of basic human decency.
The president chose party tribalism by backing Moore when no other senior Republican leader was doing so. This was a candidate about whom his own
daughter Ivanka said there is a special place in hell for those who prey on children. By the time Democrats are done with this decision by President
Trump, voters might think that Roy Moore is Donald Trump's running mate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Jake Tapper there. The Alabama Senate election sent shock waves across Washington. Now President Trump is trying to put the focus back on
his tax reform bill. Jim Acosta has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Trying to steer a wounded Republican Party back on message, President Trump touted
the GOP's tax plan, that appears to be on its way
[08:005:00] to final passage.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our current tax code is burdensome, complex, and profoundly unfair. It has exported our jobs,
closed our factories, and left millions of parents worried that their children might be the first generation to have less opportunity than the
last.
ACOSTA (voice-over): The GOP plan is expected to lower the corporate tax rate to 21 percent, trim the top rate for individuals to 37 percent, reduce
the mortgage deduction for homeowners, and repeal the individual mandate and Obamacare. A holiday gift the president claims for taxpayers.
TRUMP: We want to give you, the American people, a giant tax cut for Christmas. And when I say giant, I mean giant.
ACOSTA (voice-over): But the president received an early lump of coal in his stocking in the form of the Alabama Senate race where Democrat Doug
Jones pulled off a major upset of Mr. Trump's endorsed candidate, Roy Moore.
It was a defeat for the president who defied warnings from fellow Republicans who rejected Moore, instead listening to his former chief
strategist, Steve Bannon.
TRUMP: A lot of Republics feel differently. They're very happy with the way it turned out. But I would have -- as the leader of the party, I would have
liked to have had the seat. I want to endorse the people that are running.
ACOSTA (voice-over): President engaged (INAUDIBLE) history, tweeting, "I said Roy Moore will not be able to win the general election. I was right.
Roy worked hard, but the deck was stacked against him." But that ignores the fact that the president put his full weight behind Moore, who has been
accused of child molestation.
TRUMP: He says it didn't happen. And, you know, you have to listen to him also.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Even touting Moore's candidacy just across the Alabama border in Florida.
TRUMP: This guy is screaming. We want Roy Moore. He is right.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Republicans who have clashed with the president were celebrating Moore's defeat.
SEN. BOB CORKER, (R), TENNESSEE: Now we're supposed to cheer for our side of the aisle if you will, but I am really, really happy for what happened
for all of us.
ACOSTA (voice-over): While Democrats argue the Senate should wait for Jones to be seated before earning vote on the GOP tax plan.
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D), NEW JERSEY: I think it's the right thing to do. The people of Alabama have spoken who they want to be representing them.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Others in the GOP pointed fingers at Bannon, accusing the conservative fire brand of leading the party into disaster.
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: It's not a political issue. Almost a moral issue. This guy does not belong on the national stage. He looks like some
dishevelled drunk that wandered onto the political stage.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Bannon's response to Moore's loss, no apologies.
STEVE BANNON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST (voice-over): That's because the Democrats hustled. And, you know, people got to understand. You
don't turn out, they're going to turn out. They did, you know, hat tip to these guys at the DNC.
ACOSTA (voice-over): But the election in the Alabama wasn't the only source of turmoil for the White House as top aide and former star of Mr. Trump's
TV show, "The Apprentice," Omarosa Manigault, abruptly left her position, a reminder of the mountain of melodrama the president has brought to the west
wing that feels like a flashback.
TRUMP: Omarosa has to go. You're fired.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Republican sources close to the White House and up on Capitol Hill tell CNN the president is being warned to stay away from Steve Bannon
heading into the 2018 mid-term elections. In the words of one source, the president has egg on his face because he listened to Bannon.
Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.
LU STOUT: And it looks like President Trump and the top U.S. diplomat are not on the same page when it comes to North Korea. The White House as well
as the State Department say the U.S. is not ready for talks. Just days ago, the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested negotiations can begin
without preconditions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REX TILLERSON, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: Let's just meet and let's -- we can talk about the weather if you want. We can talk about whether
it's going to be a square table or a round table, if that's what you're excited about, but can we at least sit down and see each other face to
face?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: U.S. officials have indicated that there cannot be talks until Pyongyang shows it is serious about changing its behavior.
Now, the nuclear threat from North Korea, it's high on the agenda at talks between the Chinese president and the South Korean counterpart in Beijing.
President Xi Jinping says China will continue to boost communication with the South to ensure peace on the Peninsula. Here is more from Matt Rivers
who is in the Chinese capital.
MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, the pomp and circumstance of the state visit here in China as President Moon Jae-in of
South Korea makes his first official state visit here to Beijing, of course, meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and publicly both
sides are saying, look, the number one issue on the agenda is of course North Korea.
Both sides saying they want to work out a way to solve this ongoing crisis. That certainly is going to be in the discussions. But if you really are
going to boil down what this meeting is about, it is trying to defrost what has become an icy relationship between these two countries over the
deployment of a missile defense system in South Korea in conjunction with the United States.
Over the past year, China has expressed its vehement opposition to the deployment of that missile defense system saying that it's nothing but a
thinly veiled attempt to constrain China in the region by using United States military
[08:10:00] influence. They believe that it threatens their national security. Of course, the South Koreans and the Americans say it's purely a
defensive system. But nonetheless, China had punished South Korea in a major way economically and essentially froze major South Korean companies
out of its economy. It really put a dent in South Korea's tourism economy by preventing charter flights with Chinese tourists going to South Korea.
It cost the South Korean economy billions of dollars, according to most estimates. That lasted for while up until late October of this year when
both sides said that they were going to publicly re-normalize, if you will, this relationship because they have this common issue and that is North
Korea.
And as much as China is frustrated and upset over the deployment of this missile defense system, China also recognizes that it needs to work with
South Korea because they have this common problem of North Korea and the ongoing nuclear crisis under the Kim Jong-un regime.
That is the main reason for this meeting. And both sides are looking to smooth over the relationship. However, they did have a bit of a distraction
as a result of something that happened on Thursday morning at a meeting on the sidelines of the official state visit, at a meeting with business
leaders being attended by the South Korean president.
A South Korean journalist was roughed up pretty severely by Chinese security. Actually sent to the hospital as a result of being so severely
roughed up by those security personnel there at the event. Both the South Korean Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed concern
over the incident.
But it's the kind of thing that neither side really was looking to have happened as they try and repair what had become a very fragile relationship
over the past year, because they have a common problem trying to solve that problem in North Korea under the Kim Jong-un regime. Kristie?
LU STOUT: Matt Rivers there. Thank you.
Now the Trump administration says it will provide evidence in the hours ahead that Iran is arming Houthi rebels in Yemen. This is said to include
missiles like the ones recently fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia. At least 35 people are dead after a Saudi-led airstrike in the capital of
Yemen on Wednesday.
Houthi officials say the strikes hit a military police facility in Sanaa where hundreds of prisoners were being held. Another 20 people are missing.
For the past two years, Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
And as the war there goes on, more and more civilians are caught in the middle. Clarissa Ward received rare access to a hospital in the city of
Aden to see jus how desperate the situation is there, especially for children.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yemen is unraveling. In the north, airstrikes pound Iran-backed rebels' stronghold.
Among their recent targets, the presidential palace in the capital Sanaa. In the south, the streets are run by a patchwork of militias. It was
unclear who is actually in control. Some are loyal to their sponsor in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, others to extremist groups. All vying for
control of Aden's port and precious oil resources.
(on camera): Life here is dangerous and chaotic. But surprisingly, it's not the bombs and the bullets that are killing the most people, it's the
humanitarian crisis that is growing by the day as Yemen edges closer to becoming a failed state.
(voice-over): Outside the Sadaka Hospital, medical wastes fester in the hot noon sun. Al-Qaeda graffiti still dogs the walls. Inside, the situation is
hardly better. The hospital is in desperate need of everything from ventilators to basic antibiotics.
Dr. Nahala Arishi started working here 24 years ago.
DR. NAHALA ARISHI, DOCTOR: This is the worst situation now. It is aggravated now.
WARD (voice-over): Because of the war?
ARISHI: Because of the war, yes. We are trying -- we are -- our doctors are trying, but this is our possibilities, this is what is in our hands.
WARD (voice-over): Three-year-old Hazar (ph) has been sick with a serious lung infection for weeks.
(on camera): When did you come to the hospital?
(voice-over): His mother, Jamal (ph), only brought him to the hospital three days ago. She says the journey from her village was too far and too
expensive.
"Life is hard since the war, disease has spread," she tells me. "He's my only child."
Chicago pediatrician, John Kahler, is here to try to help. A rare visitor from the outside world. On this day, he's visiting the neonatal ward.
DR. JOHN KAHLER, PEDIATRICIAN: Where's the soap?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: None.
WARD (voice-over): There is no soap. Just bottled water.
KAHLER: So, in addition to (INAUDIBLE), these babies are jaundiced.
[08:15:00] WARD (voice-over): Jaundiced.
KAHLER: Right. And they're going to get phototherapy.
WARD (voice-over): The newborns have to share an incubator, increasing their risk of infection. Doctors and nurses are also in short supply.
Leaving mothers to step in and lend a hand.
KAHLER: At this point if time, even if we got more beds here, to fill the numbers of patients, we don't have the staff.
WARD: When you look at doctors like Dr. Nahala, who could be overseas, ae you impressed?
KAHLER: I am not just impressed, I'm all inspired by them. This is a passion to them. I did -- the doctors that person these hospitals, those
are the real heroes.
WARD: Heroes armed with little more than determination and resilience.
What goes through your mind when you see a child die because you don't have the right equipment to care for that child?
ARISHI: I can't speak. Also, I am a mother. I am a mom. I have three kids. But this is what is in our hands. This is our facilities. And we are daily
speaking, but no one heard us.
WARD (voice-over): A cry for help, but for Hazar (ph), it is too late. He dies the day after our visit. Another death that could have been prevented
in Yemen's forgotten war.
Clarissa Ward, CNN, Aden.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: It is heartbreaking to see the death of that small child. Clarissa, coming up. She will be introducing us to the families who are
struggling to survive in a place where famine is rampant. Almost a million people have cholera. That is coming up. We will connect the world in less
than two hours only on CNN.
Also ahead right here on "News Stream," Vladimir Putin has finally wrapped up his long epic year-end news conference. What the Russian president had
to say about Donald Trump, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: All right. Coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is "News Stream."
Russian President Vladimir Putin faced the cameras for an end of the year tradition, his marathon news conference. This year, it lasted about four
hours. During one exchange, he was asked about high-level contacts between the Russian government and the Trump campaign.
Mr. Putin says it is normal practice for governments to meet officials from campaigns, and he says Donald Trump's opponents are trying to discredit
him.
Phil Black is in Moscow, and he joins us now live with more on this. Phil, again, this is an annual event, a highly choreographed one.
[08:20:00] Putin is providing some pretty answers about what he thinks about Trump and ongoing Russia probe.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kristie. He was asked to give an assessment of Trump's first year in office. He said that it is not his job,
this is the job for the American people. But he kind of (INAUDIBLE) anyway, and it was something of a glowing response in the sense that he
acknowledged it, something Trump hasn't been able to do.
But he also talked about Trump's major achievements. He talked about the financial markets. The fact that they're up. The fact that's a vote of
confidence in the American economy, and so a vote of confidence in the decisions and the management of President Trump as well.
He also was asked about the context between Russian officials and members of Trump's team particularly during the election campaign. This is what he
said on that point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF Russia (through translator): You know, this is all dreamed up by the people who are in the opposition to Trump, so as to
make sure that everybody thinks that what he is doing, what he is working at is illegitimate.
This is very strange, because it is being done by the people working against the interests of their own country against the duly elected
president of the country, which means working against the interests of the electors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: Putin said he hopes Trump is able to deliver on one of his campaign promises and that is improving relations with Russia, because (INAUDIBLE)
for Russia, good for America, and good for the world as well. Kristie?
LU STOUT: At the beginning, Putin said something interesting. He announced his political intentions for next year. What did he say?
BLACK: Yes. This whole event is always important, always a big deal in the Russian political calendar, if you like, but this time more so because
there is an election for the next presidential term, just three months away, Putin is running.
What he confirmed in this press conference for the first time is that he will be running independently. Normally, he's closely associated with the
United Russia Party, the dominant political party in this election. Today, he says he will be running independently with support from people of all
parties who share his vision, his dream, his agenda for Russia.
It's potentially significant because although he is undoubtedly expected to win this election, there simply isn't another political opponent that can
get near him, that is being allowed to run. What he is trying to do is battle his key opponent in a sense which is voter apathy. He is trying to
broaden his support base as much as possible.
Stay above the fray, if you like, of all the individual parties and their candidates, and portray himself as the man who represents Russia and
inspires as many people as possible to come out and vote for him to try and secure the highest possible turnout, the highest possible Democratic
mandate for what would be his fourth presidential term. Kristie?
LU STOUT: Wow, interesting. Vladimir Putin presenting himself as both president and candidate. Phil Black reporting live for us. Thank you.
Now, you are likely hearing a lot about bitcoin lately. The price of additional currency has risen 17 times since January. Some investors are
still jumping in. But aside from the speculative appeal, what is the use of bitcoin and how exactly do you buy it, sell it or spend it?
For more on that, let's bring in Nicholas Thompson. He is the editor-in- chief of the publication Wired. He joins us now live. Nick, good to see you again.
NICHOLAS THOMPSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, WIRED: Good to see you, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Bitcoin is now safe to say, bitcoin is fully mainstream in terms of, you know, the collective consciousness. We are talking about it. People
kind of know what it is, but there is still a lot of basic questions about how to use it. First, how do I buy bitcoin?
THOMPSON: Well, you have to go into one of the bitcoin currency exchanges, so probably your best bet is to walk through and say buy bitcoin and start
working through in your browser or download one of the apps that will allow you to do that. Unfortunately, it's getting more and more expensive by the
minute. We'll see how the price changes.
LU STOUT: And they'll say, I bought bitcoin. Now I want to spend it. How do I do that? What is that experience really like?
THOMPSON: You know, the most interesting thing about bitcoin right now is that it's getting harder to actually spend it because the number of
merchants who are accepting is declining. So, there was this expectation when it was launched that over time, more and more people would accept
bitcoin as a form of transaction, that major retailers would take it.
So for example in the United states, people felt like Walmart would eventually accept bitcoin. But they don't. And they don't for complicated
reasons. One, the bitcoin processing network, the network on which bitcoin runs is pretty slow. So it's actually pretty hard to buy things. Secondly,
there are transaction fees associated with it. Lots of people don't realize that when you spend bitcoin, there are actually transaction fees attached
it to.
So what's happened is that the number of places where you can use it has declined. So special places like Domino's pizza in Brooklyn, you can use
bitcoin and buy a pizza. But it turns out that you can't use it in a lot of places. So really, the reason to buy bitcoin right now is not so it makes
life easier and let you rent a hotel room or buy a plane ticket or buy a pair of pants. The reason to buy bitcoin is because you want to invest in
it.
[08:25:00] LU STOUT: Interesting. So you buy it to hold it, to invest in it. You can't really use it because of the reasons you laid out just now.
You know, the slow processing times, big transaction fees, the fact that you can't really go out there and find vendors. So, if you can't spend it,
I can't buy a skinny latte right now with bitcoin, it basically has no use as an actual currency?
THOMPSON: Well, you know, I guess one of the reasons why you wouldn't buy a skinny latte right now is that you might spend bitcoin to buy the skinny
latte and then, you know, a week later realized that you paid a thousand dollars for that skinny latte.
LU STOUT: Yes.
THOMPSON: So that's another thing that's gone up. So, what might happen is it might happen over time that the bitcoin network improves. And that more
merchants take it and it becomes adapted into the mainstream and that actually bitcoin does become a currency that you can use, which is what it
was intended for.
Most likely, that is not going to happen and we are just going to think of it as gold or silver or something we invest in or something that to a
certain degree gives you power and money. Political power and money.
LU STOUT: Got it.
THOMPSON: When it becomes an important transaction against which other things are guaranteed.
LU STOUT: Yes. Do you think like given just all the headlines and the hype about the value, the surging value of bitcoin that, you know, it kind of
lost perspective about, you know, what it is and what it's not. It's not really a currency, a working currency.
THOMPSON: Yes, I think that's a profoundly interesting point. And people do think of it as a currency. They do think of it like a dollar. Something you
take out of your pocket or you attach your credit cards and you buy things with. And it's not that at all, and so much of it is because the network at
this scale isn't set up to do that.
One example, a processing network a bitcoin is incredibly complicated, which is great because it helps to limit fraud and has helped make bitcoin
grow, but it's super slow. To process is something like three transactions a minute. Maybe you can process up to six. It's slightly improved. Whereas
visa is processing I think 3700. So, the actual capacity of bitcoin to do the stuff we needed to do is extremely limited.
On the other hand, no one thought or very few people thought a while ago that people would be so completely confident in it that they would be
willing to invest as much money in it as they have and that's the bitcoin's credit but it hasn't been as easy to hack and the networks haven't been
shut down and that the system has been resilient.
So there are certain things about the way bitcoin was built, that have made it work better than expected as a stored value. It gets better than
expected as the equivalent of gold. But it's much worse than expected as the equivalent of dollars.
LU STOUT: Got it. It's a resilient system as a stored value but as a working currency, not quite ready for prime time just yet. Nick Thompson,
thank you so much. Always learning something from you. Nick Thompson of Wired. Until next time. Take care.
You're watching "News Stream." Still to come, one of Donald Trump's most vocal supporters on the campaign trail is leaving the White House. And
making its way to the world from a galaxy far, far away. The new "Star Wars" movie arrives in cinemas.
[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines.
Disney is buying a huge chunk of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox and a potential game changer for the global media industry. The $52 billion all-
stock deal combines two of Hollywood's biggest players, as it includes a number of major movie and TV franchises including X-Men, Avatar, and the
Simpsons.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are meeting in Beijing. North Korea is a major focus. China says it will
continue to boost communication with the South to ensure peace on the Peninsula.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has wrapped up his year-end news conference over about four hours. He answered questions on a range of
issues including allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign. Mr. Putin says President Trump's opponents are simply trying to
discredit him.
Meanwhile, as we heard earlier, another high-profile advisor is leaving the White House. The official word is that Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned.
But as CNN's Randi Kaye reports, word is her departure had the drama you would expect from a reality show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her departure can only be described as abrupt. The official White House line is that presidential
aide Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned to pursue other opportunities. But there may be more to it. Turns out, she was escorted off the campus of the
White House Tuesday evening.
The secret service denies they were the ones to remove her. In a statement, White House Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders saying simply, "Her departure will
not be effective until January 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service."
Omarosa, one of Trump's most high-profile African-American supporters, joined the administration as director of communications for the White House
Office of Public Liaison.
TRUMP: Omarosa is actually a very nice person, nobody knows that.
KAYE (voice-over): To call Omarosa polarizing would be an understatement. Her White House job, at least on paper, was to rally support for the
president's agenda.
OMAROSA MANIGAULT NEWMAN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE POLITICAL AIDE: The president made a commitment. He made a promise. And he will keep that promise.
KAYE (voice-over): But once General John Kelly took over as chief of staff, there were more questions about her role.
(on camera): There was no organization, no calendar, nothing, one former official told Politico. And in The New York Times recently, one person
close to the White House compared the Office of Public Liaison to the island of misfit toys. A dumping ground of sorts for Trump allies, says
Politico.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No one has known what Omarosa's duties were.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here, she is making $180,000 of taxpayer money, and no one knew what she was doing.
KAYE (voice-over): What also reportedly got under Kelly's skin was Omarosa's impact on the president's mood.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The president will be on a good mood, they say, and then she would go in, and point out an article or something, a news piece,
and would turn the president's mood.
KAYE (voice-over): This certainly wouldn't be the first time Omarosa has been fired by Donald Trump.
TRUMP: Omarosa, you're fired.
KAYE (voice-over): The two first met around 2004 when she became the star villain on Trump's hit show, "The Apprentice."
NEWMAN: Being disrespectful is not good leadership.
KAYE (voice-over): She also worked on his campaign. But in the White House, Omarosa found trouble. The New York Times says she was on what's called
General Kelly's no fly list, a list of aides unfit to attend serious meetings. Yet, she reportedly showed up anyway, and was on the phone with
the president late at night offering advice. And senior aides will never forget how she showed up at the White House in April with her 39-person
bridal party for a wedding photo shoot in the Rose Garden.
Media reports say the White House banned her from posting any of the photos, citing security concerns. "The Apprentice," it turns out, was a
good lesson for Omarosa, no job is safe, not even at 1,600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And Omarosa has spoken about her exit from the White House, but she is not giving away too much just yet. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[08:35:00] NEWMAN: When I have a chance to to tell my story, Michael, quite a story to tell. As the only African-American woman in this White House, as
a senior staff and assistant to the president, I have seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and
emotionally, that has affected my community and my people. And when I can tell my story, it is a profound story that I know the world will want to
hear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Intriguing words there from Omarosa Newman as she prepares to leave her job at the White House.
In the coming hours, a key vote takes place in Washington that could determine the future of the internet. The U.S. Federal Communications
Commission is to decide whether to revoke net neutrality rules. A repeal will allow internet providers to slow down or block access to certain
websites and apps. They can also charge more for faster access.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee is a major critic of the move. He says that he is taking action to protect consumers in his state. He explained why to
(INAUDIBLE).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. JAY INSLEE (D), WASHINGTON: If any internet provider can block your message because it doesn't meet their ideological demands, if they can slow
down your speeds because you weren't willing to pay the charge that they want to extract from you, if you can't communicate, you can't speak.
Communication itself, a system of communication, is necessary to speech. So this is both a speech issue and a freedom issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: All right. Washington Governor Jay Inslee there. If the FCC votes to repeal net neutrality, the issue could head to the courts next.
This is "News Stream." Still ahead, a show of force for "The Last Jedi." Fans and critics alike praise the latest "Star Wars" film.
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LU STOUT: All right. Coming to you live from Hong Kong. This is "News Stream."
Now, from the the world wide web to galaxies far, far away, "Star Wars" fans are praising the new movie "The Last Jedi." The film sees Rey team up
with Luke Skywalker as the Resistance prepares to battle the First Order.
Critics are praising the movie almost unanimously. Rotten Tomatoes saying "The Last Jedi" honors the saga's rich legacy while adding some surprising
twists. Some critics are even saying this could be the best "Star Wars" movie since "The Empire Strikes Back."
Frank Pallotta is in New York. He joins us now. Frank, thank you so much for joining us. You are one of the lucky ones. You saw the movie already.
How was it?
FRANK PALLOTTA, CNNMONEY MEDIA REPORTER: It's a very good movie. I have been drinking the "Star Wars" cool aid since I was eight years old, so I
kind of went into the movie with these high, high expectations. But I tried to watch it as someone who is not a huge fan. And I still enjoyed it as
much as many other movies this year. It's projected right now to bring in around $200 to $220 million domestically this weekend. And it has 94
percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, the review said that you were talking about.
LU STOUT: Yes.
PALLOTTA: So this looks to be a very interesting, fun movie.
LU STOUT: The reviews are out there. They're really, really strong. But, from some corners, some fans were saying, I was expecting a little bit
more, it was a little slow in the middle.
[08:40:00] How do you explain that kind of slight range of reaction?
PALLOTTA: What happens with "Star Wars" is that it's such a success that it kind of has to deal with its own kind of massive amount of popularity. So,
people are always underwhelmed by the hype because it's so, so big.
LU STOUT: Yes.
PALLOTTA: When I saw the movie on Monday night in New York, people were cheering. It's funnier than the last movie, which is "Force Awakens."
People even got a little emotional. I teared up a little bit during the movie. It's just a really kind of transportational entertainment that
during this time in the world, it's kind of nice to just sit in a theater with a bunch of other people for about two and a half hours and just have a
really good time which is what the movie does.
LU STOUT: I am going to tear up when I see Carrie Fisher. I mean, this was her last (INAUDIBLE) performance. Without giving anything away, how does
she make her mark (ph)?
PALLOTTA: It's one of her best performance as much as Mark Hamill's one of his best performance as Luke Skywalker. It's really interesting that after
the last movie which was like an introduction back into this world, we really get to understand these characters. And Leia has some incredible
moments. It's a great tribute to her for her final role as iconic Princess Leia.
LU STOUT: A wonderful, wonderful year. Now, separate but related, I got to ask you about the Disney-Fox deal. It's out. It's official. What does it
mean for "Star Wars" fans?
PALLOTTA: Well, what's interesting about this is that Fox originally produced and distributed "Star Wars". So it doesn't really change "Star
Wars" all that much. They will get back some of the rights of older films. Where this really has an impact is on Disney's Marvel Studios and it's
upcoming announced streaming service.
Marvel should be able to get "X-Men," "Deadpool," "The Fantastic Four" to go along with "Iron Man," "Captain America," and "The Avengers" and the
streaming service that was announced over the summer that will come out in 2019 is going to have all of this different concepts from "Star Wars" to
Pixar to now a full slate of Marvel films. It's going to be incredible to see just how big of a vault Disney is going to have now.
LU STOUT: Yes, a massive vault. Frank Pallatto live from New York for us. Snow in New York. Thank you so much for joining us. Take care.
And while fans may soon be captivated by what happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a lot more recently and much closer to home, there
was excitement of a different kind for those gazing at the stars. Let's bring up some images of a meteor shower.
This is caught on a time-lapsed camera. This dazzling display graced the skies of Jilin in Northeast China. While there are no spaceships or lights,
it is perhaps a gentle reminder from our own universe of just how spectacular it can be.
And now it's time to say goodbye to a dear friend, Ravi Hiranand. He is the senor producer of this show, of "News Stream." Since we first went live
seven years ago, Ravi has managed this incredible team behind the show. Ravi, it has been such a privilege to work with you. You are creative. You
are whip smart. You are always cool under fire, especially during breaking news.
Yes, we had our differences. You believe that pizza is one of the five main food groups. I say animated gift, you say animated gif. But let's put all
that aside for now. Ravi, I hate seeing you go. From all of us here at "News Stream," may the force be with you. Take care.
And that is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout. Don't go anywhere, "World Sport" with Christina Macfarlane is next.
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[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
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