Return to Transcripts main page
Hala Gorani Tonight
Controversy Takes Center Stage at Grammy Awards; Few Female Winners at Grammy Awards; Fitness Trackers Reveal Remote U.S. Military Bases; The Battle of the Beach Chairs; Paris in Flood Alert as River Seine Overflows; More than 100 Killed in Afghanistan Over Nine Days; Kremlin: U.S. Attempting To Meddle With Our Election; Congress Forcing White House To Implement Sanctions; Surprise As FBI Deputy Director Steps Down Immediately; Ireland's Government Meets Over Abortion Referendum; CNN Goes To Front Line With Yemeni Troops; E.U. Lays Out Terms For Transition Talks. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired January 29, 2018 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:13]
HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello there, everyone. Live from CNN London, I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones in for Hala Gorani.
Tonight, U.S.-Russia relations in the spotlight. Today is the deadline for President Trump to impose sanctions on Russia. So, why does the
administration seem in no rush to implement them?
This as the White House says everyone needs to get over Russia fever. Why Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was forced to address the latest shake up at
the FBI?
And running into trouble, how a fitness app accidentally revealed sensitive information about the U.S. military.
Up first tonight, the naming and shaming, today is the deadline for the White House to implement sanctions on Russia mandated by Congress last
year. They are meant to punish Moscow for interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential election.
The Treasury Department is expected to release a list of companies and individuals that face penalties for doing business with blacklisted Russian
entities. Mr. Trump approved the legislation last year, even though, he had called it deeply (inaudible).
The Kremlin is trying to turn the tables today. It calls Washington's expected move, quote, "a direct and obvious attempt to influence Russia's
own election this spring."
Let's bring in CNN international correspondent, Matthew Chance, live in Moscow. Also, we are joined by CNN military and diplomatic analyst,
Retired Navy Rear Admiral John Kirby. Gentlemen, welcome to you both.
Matthew, to you first, this response then from the Kremlin to the sanctions if, indeed, they are imposed, then are saying that this evidence of the
U.S. interfering in Russia elections. Is there any evidence for that?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Obviously, the Russians are playing with words somewhat here and sort of turning the
tables on United States. They themselves, of course, been accused of interfering in the United States elections.
But I think there is also a genuine sense here that these sanctions or these potential sanctions that are being reported on to Congress supposedly
today are designed to undermine the continuing rule of Vladimir Putin.
In fact, that is one of the explicit, explicit reasons for the so-called Kremlin list or the oligarch list of prominent Russians close to Vladimir
Putting who could potentially face sanctions in the future.
That the explicit reason for that is because if Congress decides to crank up sanctions they would do so on these individuals on the basis of that
would undermine support for the Putin regime.
And so, in a sense the Kremlin are correct in the sense that, you know, they fear that the United States is at least considering the possibility of
trying to undermine the political establishment in Moscow.
JONES: Admiral Kirby, to you, the White House and Congress seemed to be in something of a tug-of-war at the moment. What are chances of President
Trump doing what he signed up to and pass this law last August. What are the chances of him doing that and actually imposing these sanctions in a
timely manner and by that, I mean before the deadline ends today?
REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: I think there is a very good chance to that actually. I mean, the White
House has already said that they fully intend to move forward. They are waiting on the Treasury Department to make those announcements. I do not
know when that will come.
But it certainly appears like they will be ahead of their deadline, which was at the end of the month. We are not quite at the end of the month yet.
The real key here is going to be what sanctions they put in place.
The sanctions package that was passed in the law included 12 different options of which the president was required to administer at least five of
them. So, we are going to have to look and see about what five he chooses and there is some speculation here in town that he will probably choose the
least disruptive five options that he possibly could.
Maybe revoking visas and that sort of thing, but we are going to have to see. (Inaudible) based on what he chooses how the Russians specifically
react to that.
JONES: Matthew, back to you then, while we are waiting to find out what sanctions President Trump does choose to impose, we know that it will
affect individuals and some entities as well. How high up the chain does not go in the Kremlin, all the way up to potentially President Putin?
CHANCE: That's one of the big unanswered questions at the moment when we come to talking about the reports into which individuals may potentially be
sanctioned in the future. I think it's important to emphasize that this is just a report that looks at the individuals close to the Kremlin.
It does not necessarily advocate in that report the imposition of further sanctions on those individuals that would be something that Congress would
choose to do at potentially at a later date.
[15:05:05] And look it could go almost right at the top. I mean, I've not heard any suggestion that Putin himself would be on that list. But the
billionaire oligarchs around him, potentially their families as well, other sort of business leaders in charge of state-run corporations, they could
all see themselves on that list.
And the big problem, of course, from that point of view is even appearing on this list is in some ways tantamount to being sanctions because
essentially, they would be poisoned by this. They find it hard potentially to attract investment in the businesses that they were at the top of.
Just simply because in the future, they may be subject to sanctions. Just appearing on this list may be viewed as an escalation by the Kremlin.
JONES: Matthew, I want to ask you about this most recent development that we have this evening on a slightly different subject as well and then I'll
come to John Kirby about it afterwards. We are hearing that a Russian military jet has been involved in what's being dubbed an unsafe intercept
of a U.S. Navy surveillance plane. What's the Kremlin's response to this because it is playing out as big news in the states right now?
CHANCE: Right. And big news because according to the U.S. accounts of what happened this Russian fighter jet which intercepted the U.S. Navy
surveillance plane in international air space over the Black Sea, it did so in a reckless way.
I mean, the U.S. says that the Russian jet passed within 5 feet of the surveillance plane, which is a potentially very, very dangerous thing to
do. The Russians for their part have issued a statement not addressing that five-feet claim directly, but saying that all the safety protocols
were observed, and it was just a normal policing of their air spaces. The surveillance plane approached Russian air space they say.
And so again, different accounts from the two sides, but it underlines just how much real tension there is in that region in particular but elsewhere
as well between these two sides.
JONES: OK. Admiral Kirby, your thoughts on this latest news about this intercept of a U.S. Navy surveillance plane and not for the first time we
understand in recent times.
KIRBY: No, it is not. Look, I mean, intercepts are common. Most of them are professional and safe. This one was anything but. It's inexcusable
how provocative and dangerous this was. It was not just 5 feet. Matthew is absolutely right. It was that close.
But this jet flew in front of the P3 Orion, which is a propeller driven aircraft, and put its afterburners on right in front of it forcing this
propeller driven aircraft to fly on its after wash, which could have disabled the aircraft in flight and actually cause -- potentially cause a
crash here. This is serious stuff.
And Matthew is right also, this was international airspace over the Black Sea, which the Russians consider their lake, and they made no bones about
the fact that they do not like U.S. military operations in or above the Black Sea, but all in international airspace completely inexcusable.
I fully expect that you'll see the State Department issue a demarche to the Russian government over this, as they should.
JONES: All right. Well, we wait to see if does that indeed happen. Admiral Kirby in Washington, Matthew Chance live for us in Moscow, thank
you both.
Another big story in Washington happening right now, a big surprise at the FBI, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe abruptly stepped down today. McCabe has
long been a public target of President Trump's anger over the FBI's involvement in the Russia investigation.
Just last week, CNN reported that FBI Director Christopher Ray had threatened to quit himself because of White House efforts to force McCabe
out. Well, today, the White House denied Mr. Trump had anything to do with McCabe's decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The only thing that the president has applied pressure to is to make sure we get this resolved
so that you guys and everyone else can focus on the things that Americans actually care about and that is making sure everybody gets the Russian
fever out of their system once and for all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: OK. So, let's get more details that are now emerging about McCabe's sudden departure. I want to bring White House reporter, Stephen
Collinson, for all the information on this. Stephen, just explain what is the significance of Andrew McCabe, a man many people would never have heard
of before stepping down and retiring just a few months early.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, McCabe is one of the officials in the Justice Department and the FBI who have come under intense
and personal pressure by the president apparently due to his fury about the Russia investigation and claims that there is this deep state of officials
within the FBI and the Justice Department that are completely biased against him.
McCabe's wife ran a state Senate campaign in Virginia before he became a deputy FBI director. Trump used that to argue that McCabe was biased
against him and that was a symptom of the wider FBI attitude towards him. So that is why it is important.
[15:10:08] It is a symptom of this massive campaign by the president, the pro-Trump media and Trump's allies on Capitol Hill to discredit the
findings of the Mueller investigation into alleged collusion between his campaign and Russia, and to shape the political terrain around how its
eventual findings will be received.
JONES: OK, well, another thing that we are going to be hearing potentially a lot about in the coming days is this so-called Nunes memo. What is it
and why should we (inaudible)?
COLLINSON: So, the Nunes memo was written by Republican staffers on the House Intelligence Committee. What it does is it alleges that the FBI has
abused surveillance law basically in getting a warrant for the surveillance of Carter Page, who was a Trump foreign policy official.
That warrant was renewed by the Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein when he took office. And why that is important is because Rosenstein is the
official that is responsible for the oversight in the Justice Department of the Mueller investigation.
Where the president to decide that he wanted to file the special counsel, Robert Mueller, you would have to go to Rod Rosenstein and say you have to
fire the special counsel. Now if he could --
JONES: Apologies, we seemed to have lost Stephen Collinson there, but you get the picture, a lot of pressure on President Trump at the moment,
especially given the fact that the Russia probe is continuing.
Let's turn our attention now to Ireland where the country's cabinet is meeting tonight to decide on a referendum that could radically alter
Ireland's social policy. They are discussing allowing a nationwide vote on abortion that would ask if the Eight Amendment that bans most abortions
should be repealed.
Here is what that amendment says, the state, quote, "acknowledges the rights to life of the unborn, with due regards to the equal rights to life
of the mother." This has been a contentious issue for years in Ireland and of course, many other countries across the globe.
In recent times, there have been large protests over the issue. Abortion in very limited circumstances was made legal in 2013.
Let's get more on this, Phil Black is with me in the studio. Phil, why now? Why the sort of support from the public now to make this significant
change?
PHIL BLACK, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I guess the winds of social change have been blowing stronger, Hannah, in Ireland in recent
years, especially since, you remember back in 2015, there was a referendum on gay marriage equality that passed, difficult very polarizing discussion
to have it at that time.
But Ireland is in every other way a modern, western, liberal European democracy, although traditionally with these links of the Catholic Church,
Ireland is moving on and there is a sense of expectation momentum that this is the next big social issue that needs to be dealt with.
JONES: The pro-life lobby and those who are anti-abortion, are they against abortion in all cases, or is it just the pregnancy gestation
periods, and (inaudible), the 12 weeks that they are opposed to?
BLACK: This is really what's going to be key in the discussion that follows, not just the repealing of that particular clause from the
Constitution which you mentioned there, but what replaces it, what detailed legislation from the Parliament will determine what the regulations, the
degree of liberalization of abortion, if you like is.
Not just liberalizing but liberalizing how much, and what we expect the government to announce in advance of the referendum, once it is made
official, remember the cabinet is meeting tonight. We think we are going to hear this announcement.
But once the campaign gets underway, we expect them to reveal some sort of draft legislation about just what the regulations are that will follow. It
is likely it is thought that it will be something around abortion being available to up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Now that will be too far for some people, for others, it might be enough, but that is the sort of detail that this campaign is going to be fought on.
JONES: Standby, I just want to bring some context to this as well because the debate over abortion rights is not of course just happening in Ireland.
Here is a snapshot of abortion laws in different countries around the world right now.
It's from the Center for Reproductive Rights, this map comes from them. The countries in green allow abortions regardless of the reason for the
procedure. While the red countries allow abortion only to save the woman's life or prohibit it entirely regardless of the reason.
So, you mentioned there about social change and that being the main reason for what Ireland might bring about now. This is a very Catholic country.
Does that make me think that perhaps religion is not such an important factor now in this matter?
BLACK: It's a more modern country than it was no doubt. So, traditionally, deeply, deeply Catholic lock step morally with the Catholic
Church. But yes, we've seen a divergence there over time and this is the perhaps the one great big issue from Ireland's Catholic past that it has
not really faced and addressed.
And certainly, the most emotive issue, that's the thing to remember here. I mentioned that the gay equality marriage referendum that was a difficult
discussion to have, but that was essentially discussion about whether or not consenting adults can love and commit formally to a person of their
choosing.
[15:15:14] This will be fought between people who on one hand believe they are fighting for women's bodily rights and on the other, those who believe
very passionately they are defending the sanctity of life. These are groups of people who do not traditionally speak well at each other, more
passed each other really so. I think the tone of this campaign going forward I think it's going to be difficult.
JONES: And the right, of course, to be able to carry out these acts in Ireland where they are citizens instead of as many women do at the moment
having to travel to the U.K. to have such a procedure. Phil, thanks so much for explaining all of this to us.
Now still to come on the program tonight, CNN has granted rare access to the front lines of the civil war in Yemen. We'll get you inside the fight.
And the E.U. tells the U.K. it can't pick and choose what rules it wants to follow during the Brexit transition. The ultimatum from Brussels when we
come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Welcome back. You are watching HALA GORANI TONIGTH. For three years we have been reporting on the conflicts between the Saudi-backed
government in Yemen and the Houthi rebels. A conflict that has created what the U.N. has called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
But what you are about to see is purely rare. CNN's Nic Robertson was given unusual access to the war and gives us an up-close look at Yemeni
troops on the front lines. Here's Nic's report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Yemeni government soldiers are taking us to their front line. It's a bone
crunching slog up mountains just outside the capital, Sanaa.
(on camera): This part of the mountain is so steep, we've had to get out of the truck and walk up for over 2,000 meters, more than 6,000 feet up in
the mountains.
(voice-over): The fight to get here is grinding and unforgiving as the terrain because camps feet wide, clinging to the rock face.
(on camera): The Yemeni military is putting a big show for us here. A lot of soldiers out in force for (inaudible) rockets at the side of the road.
This soldier has a message for Houthi he tells me, he is going to come and kill them, (inaudible) said.
(voice-over): He has good reason to be cheerful. In recent months, the Yemeni Army has been gaining ground, 85 percent of the country's territory
now with the elected government. Only 15 percent with Houthi rebels.
Along the way, we passed a large Houthi military base destroyed during Saudi-led coalition airstrikes. The Houthis are still close. Soldiers
hurry to show us the discovery they have made.
(on camera): Even though the whole base was destroyed by airstrikes, this is -- we are hiding out in a tunnel here, it goes 25 yards into the
mountain. Soldiers are going to show us in.
[15:20:10] (voice-over): They lead us deeper inside passed bedding and tables.
(on camera): It's rigged up for lighting as well. There's a battery here and inverters so that they could run their equipment and it is going deeper
and deeper into the mountain. It's huge.
(voice-over): Inside here, the Houthis sent out the coalition airstrikes and it's what makes the Houthis a tough target today.
(on camera): It's incredibly complex there are breakouts all the way along for different sleeping areas, kitchen area, most sleeping areas up here.
It's a very, very sophisticated cave system built here.
(voice-over): After several hours, we finally emerge at the top, looking down towards the capital.
(on camera): We are keeping low here because we have been told the Houthis might (inaudible) from the valley below. We've been told we are about 10
miles, 16 kilometers from the capital center. Maybe double that to the center of the city. We are being close doesn't made the battle any easier.
(voice-over): It's wind sweat and desolate but vital to push the Houthis from the capital and retake control of the country.
(on camera): So, I can see a small town down here. Are there Houthi in this town?
(voice-over): The commander in charge up here tells me he plans to hold this high ground, but he does not want to send troops into the capital
because he wants to avoid civilian casualties.
Both he and the coalition that back him are accused by the U.N. and others of not doing enough to prevent civilian casualties. In the safety of his
command post, a cave cut into the mountainside, he explains more.
With a little more equipment, we could take the capital in a week, he says, but that is a decision for our political leaders. We were taken and
pillaged by the Houthis. Until that decision comes, these soldiers will be toughing it out on the mountaintop toiling up and down these tortuous
tracks. Nic Robertson, CNN, just outside Sanaa, Yemen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Nic, thank you for that report. Now the European Union is ruffling the feathers of Brexiters with a hardline on transition talks. European
chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, says London can't be confused to what it wants. Brussels says the U.K. must allow for the free movement of people
that must abide by European law including changes to that law.
The European Court of Justice will apply in the U.K. and Europe wants the transition to end on December 31st, 2020. Now that is several months
earlier than the British Prime Minister Theresa May wants.
Let's go straight to Bianca Nobilo live in Brussels for us. It seems then that the E.U. is saying to the U.K., abide by our rules, but you won't be a
beneficiary of any law deals.
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN REPORTER: That's precisely what the E.U. was saying for the period of transition whether that somewhere between 21 and 27 months
the E.U. is saying to the United Kingdom that you have to accept all of the E.U. rules and regulations, but you could have no decision-making power.
Now also according to the E.U. need to accept the oversight of the European Court of Justice. These are all things that as you mentioned are really
going to aggravate Brexiters in Britain who want to see the U.K. regain full sovereignty as soon as possible.
They've criticize what the E.U. is wanting here saying it would make Britain essentially a vassal state having to take all of these rules but
having no input in designing them.
JONES: Bianca, viewers here in the U.K. would have seen this extraordinary interview between President Trump of the United States and (inaudible),
which aired last night here in the U.K. In it, President Trump said first of all that he would do -- would have done Brexit differently, whatever
that might have been.
But he also talks about the pecking order, who is at the front of the queue or the back of the queue when it comes to making deals in a post-Brexit
world. What kind of impact would that have had on those doing negotiating in Brussels?
NOBILO: The impact of that interview has certainly rippled across the channel because today we heard from the chief spokesperson for the European
Commission who had something to say about Trump too namely that Trump would have taken this tough stance on the Brexit negotiations than Theresa May
have.
But also, the fact that Trump said that deals between the U.S. and the E.U., which amounts to about $1 trillion a year was very, very unfair. He
had a few critical words for the way that the E.U. approaches that negotiations.
The E.U. responded that if the U.S. implied any form of restrictive trade measure in the future they would respond swiftly and appropriately. It was
quite an unusually stilly response from the European Commission.
[15:25:03] It might not sound like a couch in those terms, but it was so it's certainly something to watch and Trump has said that the U.K. will
very much be at the front of the queue for striking trade deals in the years to come.
JONES: So, some good news there and potentially for Theresa May if indeed she is still prime minister when it comes to striking any deals with the
United States. But in the meantime, she is facing something of a revolt back home starting with her own cabinet?
NOBILO: This has been the case really since the election started not to go her away in June 2017. So, the issue in the cabinet is split very markedly
between those who want to see a little divergence as possible like the Chancellor Philip Hammond between the European Union and Britain because
they think that the best way to preserve jobs and the economy.
And of course, you have Brexiters and they are getting to be increasingly well organized (inaudible) who thinks that the prime minister might be
softening her stance and diluting Brexit. That's their number one fear. They've been prepared over the last few months to (inaudible) a little bit
of watering down.
Keeping their eye on that end goal of leaving the European Union, but now it looks like the U.K. to be a vassal state as they are calling it in the
period of transition, they're becoming a little bit grumpier.
We are hearing more and more in the papers about the fact that they are not willing to support the prime minister if she is going to do that. So, the
support of the Brexiters of Theresa May is really conditional.
If they see Brexit not going the way that they wanted to then there really will be even more question marks over the prime minister's authority --
Hannah.
JONES: Testing times to come indeed. Bianca Nobilo live for us in Brussels. Bianca, thank you.
Now still to come, tonight, should politics and music mix? The Grammy Awards take on a distinctly political tone and not everyone is amused.
We'll explain all next.
Plus, the Larry Nassar case shocks the world. Now, U.S. lawmakers are set to take action. The details on that coming up.
JONES: Welcome back. The Grammy Awards are a sleek, big budget celebration of the music industry's major names and this year many
celebrities use the event to showcase serious political issues, from immigration to sexual harassments.
As Brian Stelter now reports some high-profile viewers thought that struck the wrong chord.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He had a long- time fear of being poisoned, one reason why he like to eat at McDonalds --
[15:30:00] BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary Clinton making a surprise appearance in the Grammy Awards skit
featuring celebrities doing dramatic readings on the tell-all book "Fire and Fury."
SNOOP DOGG: Trump did not enjoy his own inauguration. He started to get angry and hurt. The stars were determined to embarrass him. I wasn't
definitely there.
CARDI B: Trump was not happy his 6:30 dinner with Steve Bannon then more to his liking, he was in bed by that time with a cheeseburger. Why am I
even reading this (BLEEP).
STELTER: The skit prompting backlash from Mr. Trump's allies. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley tweeting that the skit ruined the award show. And
the president's son going after Clinton, calling the opportunity to read and asked her from the book a great consolation prize for losing the
presidency.
Trump's denigrating comments toward immigrants from African nations which he reportedly called shitholes coming up repeatedly.
LOGIC: Bring us your tired, your poor, and any immigrant who seeks refuge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blessed are the (BLEEP) countries, for they gave us the American dream.
STELTER: Prior to U2's performance, Cuban-Mexican immigrant singer, Camila Cabello paying tribute to Dreamers.
CAMILA CABELLO, AMERICAN-CUBAN IMMIGRANT SINGER: Tonight in this room full of music's Dreamers, we remember that this country was built by Dreamers,
for Dreamers, chasing the American dream.
STELTER: A number of artists also honoring the #MeToo movement wearing white roses in solidarity.
JANELLE MONAE, AMERICAN RECORDING ARTIST: We come in peace, but we mean business. And to those who would dare try to silent us, we offer you two
words, Time's Up.
STELTER: Singer Kesha who has been tied up in a legal battle with her producer over alleged sexual abuse with the moment of the night given an
emotional performance of her hit song "Praying."
KESHA, AMERICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER: I hope you find a peace falling on your knees, praying.
(CROWD CHANTING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, CNN ANCHOR: Brian Stelter with that report. But let's get more now from the CNN's entertainment reporter, Chloe Melas.
Chloe is in New York for us now. What's the feeling here then Chloe? Is this the idea that artists just simply oversetting the mark in talking
politics and all their fans want them to do is perform?
CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I think that there's only -- it's very small amount of people that feel like politics shouldn't have a role
at the Grammy Awards., At the end of the day, musicians are -- their goal is to either sing about things that have happened in their personal lives
or to talk about things that have happening in all of our lives and politics and the MeToo movement, especially here in the student states has
played such an emphasis, especially over the past few months. Things are getting so heated on both friends. So for them to address these things at
the Grammy Awards shows that they're doing their job. Had they not addressed any of this, you would have seen backlash on that, that they
hadn't gone hard enough on Donald Trump or that they hadn't addressed the MeToo movement. They did both of those things and I think that they did
what they needed to do and they did it well.
There are some scenic though out there who was saying that this is just a fad that people -- celebrities and artists are just on the back of it,
simply because -- when truth comes down to it, there were very few if any women who actually took home a golden gramophone last night at the Grammys.
MELAS: OK. Well, those are two separate issues. So, yes, there was not - - there weren't many females that wanted the Grammy Awards. It all comes down to representation having more female nominees. The recording academy
president today, Neil Portnow came under fire for an interview where he did, where he said that it all comes down to women having to step up to the
plate and to do more. But we already have a lot of really strong female voices in Hollywood, in the music industry.
But at the end of the day, this is all very important for this to be happening right now at this point in time and for all of it to have
happened last night at the Grammy Awards, it was so incredibly powerful, especially like Brian Stelter said in his package, Kesha's performance was
-- gave me goose bumps.
JONES: Another time when we get with seeing artists, entertainers stepping into the political field is potentially today, that during a People's State
of the Union, this is ahead of President Trump's official State of the Union Address held tomorrow evening. Is this just another example though
of music fans in particular who are going to be looking out for their idol saying, can you just perform and stay out of this? I need a break. I need
a break from politics.
MELAS: If people don't want to watch it, then they don't have to tune in. I think it's really interesting, it's counter programming. You're going to
have Common who's going to be performing one of his hit songs. You're going to have Whoppi Goldberg. A lot of really big stars who have been very
open. Lee Daniels. People who have been very vocal about being not on Donald Trump's team.
[15:34:59] Something I wanted to say earlier though is that Hollywood really has been affecting change. It's not just about wearing black at the
Golden Globes or having white roses at the Grammy Awards. They have started this Time's Up initiative. And they've already started a legal
defense fund that has millions of dollars in the banks for people to be able to use that for those who can't afford to fight their own legal
battles. So change is coming. As you saw with Kevin Spacey, Sony cutting him out of their movie, "All the Money in the World." Netflix dropping
him. Companies aren't standing for this type of behavior anymore. So the more that powerful people speak up, I think the change will happen even
faster.
JONES: Chloe, great to get your perspective. Appreciate. Thank you.
MELAS: Thank you.
JONES: OK. To the American capitol now where the House is set to vote on a bill in the coming hours. One of them is to protect Olympic athletes
from abuse. The votes most accelerate most accelerated after last week's sentencing of a disgraced USA gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar. The bill would
create an organization within the US Olympic committee that would handle abuse reports and involve law enforcement when indeed necessary.
Let's cross over to Capitol Hill now then. CNN Sunlen Serfaty is there for us. Sunlen, assuming that this legislation is indeed passed, what would be
the immediate impact of it, not just for a U.S. Olympic athletes but for others, potentially as well.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And this new bill would apply not only to Olympic athletes, but all other minor amateur sports
organizations on that you have young athletes coming to contacts with adults. And as you said, this is a bill that likely will go through this
week, but it should be noted that this is an effort that's been worked on for quite some time up here on Capitol Hill last year. It was passed in
the House and it went over to the Senate. They made some small changes to it, sends it back to the House. That procedure aside, most likely will go
through and this will become law. As you said, it really ups the mandatory training for adults that come into contact with those young athletes
requiring -- increase requirements for reporting abuse too.
This is a major thing, because as we saw in the case of Larry Nassar, there were many cases where things were flagged, red flags were put up and people
were informed, but there was really no direct sort of incident reports that are made available. So certainly this is something that Congress is in the
middle of the spotlight being on this case, saying look, we've got to do better, we've got to pass this legislation, so it would up to increase the
training and the requirement for information, so.
JONES: The spotlight very much on that case of Larry Nassar, but also Congress has failed to have their spotlight on it in recent weeks and
recent months as well about sexual harassment allegations. Is Congress getting its own House in order while it also tries to pass legislation for
other organizations?
SERFATY: They are trying to put simply. This is something that we've been reporting on for months. Really in the wake of the MeToo scandal just how
big of a problem it is up here on Capitol Hill, the fact that you have many young aides working up here. The fact that you have an antiquated system
which makes the process of coming forth and reporting sexual harassments, sexual abuse, it makes it difficult at best and really turns a lot of
people away from reporting it at worst. So this is something that Capitol Hill has been working on for months. There is bipartisan legislation over
at the House that likely will get a vote at the end of the month. And what it does is really overhaul the system of reporting up here on Capitol Hill
and mandates training for members and their offices. This is something that was not mandated before. So clearly Capitol Hill and members of
Congress saying, look, this is a problem that not only affects athletes, not only affects corporations, but it affects Capitol Hill as well.
JONES: And lawmakers would know that the awaiting President Trump's first State of the Union Address expected tomorrow night, of course. Might we
see some kind of a statement from lawmakers, perhaps in support of the MeToo movement or Time's Up?
SERFATY: Yes. You definitely will. I think that we'll hear that visually and verbally as well. Certainly many members have been very outspoken.
Not only calling some like Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Gillibrand calling for President Trump to resign over the allegations made against him. But
you will see visually many members wearing all black in the audience, that's of course in solidarity with the MeToo movement and we know that
some members just put simply are not going to go tomorrow night. They don't want to attend the address in there making that their protest.
JONES: OK. Sunlen Serfaty live for us there in Washington. Thank you.
Now, more than 130 people killed in just the past nine days. Afghanistan is dealing with a new wave of devastating attacks. The latest targeting a
military base in Kabul, the capital today. Nick Paton Walsh has all the details.
[15:40:02] NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hannah, it has been a devastating week. Nine days really those living in
the Afghan capital of Kabul and what's supposed to be a ring of steel and to which many people have fled the violence embroiling so much of
Afghanistan. And today's attack against the military academy is just another instance of the insurgence that made it performs trying to show
they can project power more or less wherever they feel they can. That's the military academy the day weekend before Saturday. The Taliban attacks
part of diplomatic area, a checkpoint there near a hospital and an ambulance used as a suicide car bomb, horrifying tactic, claimed over 100
lives. Then we see earlier, a few days, a charity for children attacking these of the country and then the weekend before the Intercontinental Hotel
in Kabul attacked by the Taliban as well.
This is about making sure that the Afghan government supports its supporters begin to doubt whether their security forces can in fact keep
them safe, particular given the attack against the hotel was specifically warned about by the Americans a matter of days earlier. There's not a
worrying trends here too and there are two forces of work here. The first is, the Taliban who are quite clearly trying to compete it seems for this
of the extremist low grounds being the most brutal, the most savage against ISIS who obviously the rest of the new part of the insurgency who lost of
territory in Iraq and Syria, but seen some sort of traction take form perhaps amongst younger fighters seeking a new kind of branding inside of
Afghanistan. These two groups it does appear are trying to sort of out to do each other so to speak. None of that competition is remotely any
comfort for ordinary Afghans who have seen now 16 years of war slowly erode their ability to have daily lives as one might normally expect inside their
country.
And now, we are into perhaps a new face in which President Donald Trump has made it clear that personally he pledged that he will win Afghanistan is
sending hundreds of American troops closer to the front lines now to train Afghan security personnel. On top of that too, there are some signs the
military certainly is trying to reduce the transparency of how this war is full of one key indicator about how well they were doing the number of
Afghan soldiers or police or being killed or injured, well, that's been classified now for a number of months. Although many concerns that is
we're getting to more of this fighting season that had. Let's hope that information would be available, but still all of this absolutely no solace
for those over 100 families grieving from the losses of this past devastating nine days, Hannah.
JONES: Nick Paton Walsh reporting there for us.
OK. Still to come on the program tonight, how a fitness app have turned into a security headaches of the U.S. military. We'll explain all, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:47] JONES: Welcome back. It is an app used by millions around the world to track their fitness, is now causing a major security headaches for
the U.S. military. Strava released a global heat map taken from Fitbit, cellphones, and other tracking devices. But here's the problem. It was
soon pointed out that the map made U.S. army bases identifiable, if soldiers were indeed using the app with their privacy settings off.
OK. Let's break this down Samuel Burke has more on this. He's here in the studio with me. Who is to blame here? Is this Strava the app and their
problem and their technology at fault or is this just U.S. military personnel not using their privacy settings and causing this chaos?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, since I'm a human being, first I'll blame the technology and then I'll blame the
humans. It's definitely a combination of the two. But I think what's so interesting about Strava, if you're listening carefully to what Hannah was
saying here, it's collecting information from so many places. It's not a wearable device. It's an app that's collecting from the wearable --- from
the cellphones. SO people might put this in their pockets and not even think about the fact though it's still tracking me as I go inside the
military base. Those photos are showing us not just around the military base, inside where people go or maybe where U.S. soldier might be jogging
outside one of these remote bases.
JONES: OK. So we know that the -- it's gained the information from lot of different possible sources. Btu why is that data potentially useful to
someone who might want to use it for alternative ---
BURKE: For various purpose. Well, I think because it can show you so much about what people are doing where you normally couldn't see inside. You
could be perch somewhere and not be able to look in and see exactly what's going on. But this will show you that type of information. And I think
what's alarming here for me, at least, is the fact that they took all of this data. If you look at this map, it's literally all of the data from
anybody who hasn't turned on the privacy settings. And a lot of people think, well, if it's not on Facebook, it's not on Twitter, it's not being
shared. But unless you've made it that private, that even they won't share it, then it could be shared. So I think it really shows how much people
don't know about their own privacy.
JONES: How long then has this been a privacy oversight or problem then for Strava and indeed lots of other apps that are presumably using the same
technology to gather data?
BURKE: Since the moment wearable started. These tracking devices started, it's been a problem overall for the industry. I think this is the first
time that it's been a major problem for Strava. And I think it's interesting to see how it's a major problem for the military as well.
They're only just realizing.
I want to just show you what the spokesperson for the Pentagon is telling CNN about their realization of this technology, "The Department of Defense
takes matters like these very seriously, and it's reviewing the situation determine -- to determine if any additional training or guidance is
required and if any additional policy must be developed to ensure the continued safety of Department of Defense personnel at home and abroad.
But I just want to show you one more thing, because we're talking about the U.S. military. Now, some analyst have looked at what the Russian bases and
the Iranian bases look like. I think we have a photo that we can show you. This is one of the Russian bases. And what you see here is nothing. There
are no lights up. They don't see any kind of the red lines around. Even if we don't have the photo. I can just tell you -- there you go. You
don't see it in those red or orange lines around. So what does that mean? We're not sure. It could be one of two things. One, maybe this type of
technology very western and the Russians and the Iranians aren't using it. Or number two, the Russians and the Iranians are very vigilant about this
type of technology and don't want it shared with anybody.
I do just also want to share it with you what Strava is saying about this. And I think they made a fair point. They say that this information is
unanimous. I'll read it here. "Our global heat map represents an aggregated and anonymized view of over a billion activities uploaded to our
platform. It excludes activities that have been marked as private and user-defined privacy zone." So that's true. I can verify all that. But
these wearable skep track of us, but are we keeping track of wearables.
JONES: And also Strava seem to be suggesting that that statement, that they're defending their heat map. Are they going to continue it?
BURKE: Well, listen, I don't doubt that they'll collect this information. I'm making an assumption, but I think I'm right. But I would not be
surprised if they stop publishing a map, like that's -- what's the point of a map like this? Why do we need that? You and I want to know what the hot
places are to go jogging in London. But do we really need to know next to a U.S. military base or any military base for that? I think it's an
example of technology before human thinking.
JONES: Yes. And also a lot of human thinking as well from some of those U.S. military personnel and other personnel who might be using their app
when they're at work effectively as well. Thank you, Samuel. Appreciate it.
OK. More to come on the program tonight including the battle of the beach chairs. It is an age old holiday challenge. How to score a chair in the
sun? Now, one British company is offering a noble solution. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:51:23]
JONES: This week, CNN is exploring Gangwon Province. The region of South that's hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics next month. We begin with a visit
to one of Korean Buddhism's most important site where visitors can experience what it's like to live as a monk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: A few hours outside of frenetic Seoul, the snowy oasis of tranquility. Here, at the Waujeongsa Temple, the austerity of this faith
is amplified by the solitude of this rugged mountainscape. Founded in the 7th century, ravaged by war and then rebuilt, this temple complex lies at
the heart of Korean spirituality.
TOI WOO JEONG NYUM, ABBOT, SHAOLIN TEMPLE (through translator): About 10 kilometers away from Waujeongsa, there's an area where a piece of Buddha
skull in enshrined, that might make Waujeongsa the most sacred place for Korean Buddhism.
JONES: Toi Woo Jeong Nyum has served as Waujeongsa's head monk for the past 14 years. He oversees a network of more than 60 temples in the area.
At its center, an octagonal nine-tiered stone pagoda. A statue of enlighten being known as Bodhisattva kneels before it and makes an
offering.
TOI: The goal of Buddhism is to bring wisdom and mercy to this world through the truth found in training. Ordinary people can come to
Waujeongsa and heal their minds through the meditation practice. All culture of healing flourishes here.
JONES: In the newly constructed meditation hall, temple stay visitors gather to practice stillness and silence. This monk is guiding the
meditation. He patrols the hall for any signs of distractedness. And when he finds it, a light rub of his bamboo stick on the shoulder followed by
this. The strikes are not meant to cause pain, but it's the important part of the training at Waujeongsa.
TOI: Right now, the modern culture is changing so rapidly and we're facing a time where it's difficult for our values to keep up with the change.
With Buddhism, I think our role is to try and heal the minds troubled by these changes.
JONES: Well, Jeong say itself is not immune to change, but throughout his 1,400-year history, the temple has remained a refuge of contemplation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes in Paris as the French capital is on flood alert. Heavy rain caused of the decent
of burst of blanks over the weekend. The flooding has disrupted train services. Tourist river boats are not running and part of the Louvre
Museum are now closed. Our Jim Bittermann has more.
[15:54:35] JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rivers Seine peaked about 5.84 meters just before midnight last night. And then
throughout the night, maintained the same level expected to stay that level all during the day to day. That's about 12 feet above the normal level of
the Seine which is about two meters. So it'll stay at this level and then very, very slowly go down. It's a lower level than in 2016 when they had a
big flood here, but in fact, it's a different situation this time around, because there's been rain all through the month of January. There's
massive amount of water still upstream in the modern and other feeder rivers and the reservoirs around Paris which can have a buffering effect in
the flooding in fact are totally full. And what's more complicated is that tomorrow night, as soon as tomorrow night, there is rain in the forecast
which could extend late around into the week.
Now, it's way too early to have any idea about damage assessment, but in fact, former security official for Paris where he said he would fully
expect it could be in the hundreds of millions of euros. And that's not only from the water damage that a lot of people have experience but also
from the fact that the river traffic has been cutoff. It's for economically because this is the main traffic artery for merchandise that
are coming into and out of the Paris region. As well a complicating factor for Paris commuters is that one of the major meter lines, rail lines here,
it goes right along this RER C, it has been cut off for a week now and probably won't be reopen until February 5th. And now, the attention is
turned towards the other towns and cities for their downstream towards the C. In fact, there are major cities Vernon and others that could very well
feel the effects of this water as it rushes on through. Jim Bittermann, CNN Paris.
JONES: Jim Bittermann there for us in a very sulky Paris.
And now finally tonight to somewhat sunnier places. And this story generated more debate on our team than any other today, we should say
beforehand. It just shows them that we Brits take our sunny holidays very, very seriously indeed, well, it is Britain, the sun doesn't come up that
often. We do take our holidays seriously. This is the front cover of today's Sun Newspaper, the mostly read newspaper in the U.K. Brits beat
Germans by booking sun beds. Wish you were here. That's right. We are pretty competitive with our Northern European friends, when it comes to
staking out a good lounger to soak up the sun.
Well now, travel companies almost cooked is offering vacations or holiday makers or Brits on tour, as we call them here, something of an advantage. A
chance to book your beach chair in advance. But be warned, it will cost you a whopping $35 U.S. per chair, per holiday. Worth every penny to bag
your spot in the sun.
Thanks so much for watching tonight. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones in for Hala Gorani. Stay with us here on CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
END
