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World Headlines; Zuckerberg Testifies; Facebook Page Scam Exposed; Trump White House. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired April 10, 2018 - 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 ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, and welcome to News Stream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Zuckerberg testifies, the Facebook CEO prepares to go before U.S. lawmakers in the questions over data, and privacy. Out of the
hospital, Yulia Skripal gets welcome news, more than a month after she and her father were poisoned in the U.K. And a high profile raid, Donald Trump
lashes out after the FBI searches the office of his personal lawyer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: In the few hours, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is due to face one of the biggest test of his career, as he dresses U.S. lawmakers on
Capitol Hill. They ask him to answer questions about the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
But he will also be addressing the wider concerns of just how seriously Facebook takes privacy, and what it's doing to prevent election meddling.
In a prepared statement, Zuckerberg apologizes for not doing enough, and outline steps that Facebook will take to make it right.
But he is not known as a comfortable public speaker, and he is likely to face some pretty tough questioning. Our CNN Senior Tech Correspondent
Laurie Segall interviewed him just last month. And she joins us now live from Washington. Laurie, thank you for joining us here. First off, what
are the key themes that we're going to hear from Mark Zuckerberg?
LAURIE SEGALL, CNN SENIOR TECH CORRESPONDENT: Well, the interesting -- over the last week, they started talking -- they actually have a conference
room at Facebook, and made it look like a Congressional hearing room, and they did a mock trial.
And so the team you'll hear today -- you know, what Mark Zuckerberg strategy is, according to the sources, to be contrite, to be humble, and to
be respectful. So you'll hear him take responsibility.
What will you see in his testimony, he will take responsibility for what happened, and say he's going to do a better job. And he's also prepared to
answer questions about whether he should be a leader, whether he should stop, and sat down, and defend why -- you know, why Facebook is, and what
it is.
And one thing that first -- that was interesting, if you really wants this out Facebook again, and talk about the good things that the company does,
because we've obviously seen a very, very negative narrative over what happened over the last year.
And another little interesting bet, he's prepared also to push back. To say senator, I respectfully disagree, and to push on some of these points,
and a little collar around, what's tentatively planning to wear a blue shirt and a light blue tie.
And a source said, you know, this isn't his -- you know, he's not known for doing his public speeches. Even for me personally sitting down with him,
you could tell he was nervous, and what the source said is he is nervous, but he is confident, and he is a smart guy. So he is hoping today will go
really well.
LU STOUT: So Mark Zuckerberg, he will not be in a hoodie, he will be prepared, he had that mock trial preparation last week, that's what the
source told you. But as you mentioned, he told you he doesn't like doing T.V. interviews. So how is he going to handle this, a two-day grilling in
Washington?
SEGALL: I mean, he's flexing a new must (ph). I think this is a leadership moment for him, and how he comes across. Does he -- will he
really come across as arrogant, and disconnected, or will he come across as, you know, someone who really wants to make a change?
I mean, the fundamental business model is under trial here. You know, he has a lot to defend, and also, you know, you could argue that Mark
Zuckerberg has always been in his own filter bubble over the years.
We haven't seen a lot of him. This is a company that has asked us to share our lives, to put our intimate moments, to put a share, or like our status
updates, and they haven't been as transparent with us about our data.
We have seen a weaponization of the platform over the last year, and instead of seeing Mark really in front of it, you know, we see these blog
posts, or these Facebook live, and you could argue that this is almost like a democratic institution with 2 billion constituents, and they have been
ruling it from afar.
And I think now, there's an important two war conversation that has to be had. I mean this is a very important moment, I think, not just for
Facebook, but for the tech community. I have been covering it for so many years, and we are entering this era of intimate consequences.
And, you know, there has to be accountability, there has to be transparency, and there has to be an understanding that there was a bit of
hubris in creating a lot of these products that change the world, but, you know, often really negative impact.
And in Facebook, you know, today has been very reactive, and not proactive. I don't know if we be having this conversation, and had the reporting that
come out on Cambridge Analytica, and had it not been for journalists showing that this is a big issue.
LU STOUT: Yes, technology can bite back accountability, and it has demanded, and that is why Mark Zuckerberg is facing Congress. Thank you so
much for that preview. We will talk again soon. Laurie Segall reporting live from Washington, D.C.
Now we will have more on Mark Zuckerberg testifying later in the show, when I'm going to be speaking with Nick Thompson, the editor-in-chief of Wired
Magazine, that is happening in about 25 minutes from now.
Yulia Skripal has been discharged from hospital a little over a month since she, and her father were poison with the military grade nerve agent. Her
father, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal is improving at a slower pace.
[08:05:04] The attack in Salisbury sparked a massive diplomatic route between the U.K. and Russia. And even now, Russia's embassy is demanding
proof that Yulia is acting on her own free will.
Now Phil Black joins us now live from Salisbury. Phil, now that Yulia is out of hospital, and incredible recovery, has she been taken to a secure
location? What's being done to ensure her safety and protection?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, important questions, Kristie. And the British authorities won't comment on at this stage. They won't comment
where she is, and what measures are being taken to ensure her security.
But you would have to think, Yulia Skripal's safety would be a key consideration for them. We know Yulia was doing better. She had released
a statement on Friday, saying that she was growing stronger everyday.
And now today, the officials say at Salisbury hospital, confirmed she was discharged on Monday. It's not the end of her treatment they say, but it
is a significant milestone.
Now remember, Russian officials here had been pretty desperate to speak to Yulia, that is consular officials attached to the Russian embassy.
According to British officials, those invitations had been extended to the Yulia, and she declined to take them up. And now in response to the news
that she is no longer in hospital, the Russian embassy has said it needs urgent proof that she is acting under her own free will. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Meanwhile, what's new about the condition of Yulia's father, Sergei Skripal?
BLACK: So, a fairly optimistic assessment there as well. Let's take a listen now to the officials from Salisbury hospital as they were describing
his condition a little earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE BLANSHARD, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, ?SALISBURY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST: Her father has also made a bit progress. On Friday, I announced that he
was no longer in a critical condition, although he's recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due
course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: So, it's all very good news, it would seem. It wasn't that long ago that the British Prime Minister was standing in parliament, suggesting
that perhaps these two would never fully recover from the harm they had sustained, but we have confirmation...
LU STOUT: OK, that was CNN's Phil Black reporting there from Salisbury. Apologies for that technical issue there, but incredible to hear of the
recovery of Sergei Skripal, and his daughter who is just released from hospital despite being poisoned about a month ago by that rare, and
dangerous nerve agent.
Now to the tense waiting game, you know, after the apparent chemical attack in Syria. U.S. President Donald Trump had promised a response will be
coming very soon, and that nations involved will pay a big price. Here's more what he said on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will be met, and it will be met forcefully. We're going to make a decision tonight, or very shortly
thereafter, and you'll be hearing the decision.
But we can't let atrocities like we all we witnessed, and you can see that, and it's horrible. We can't let that happen. In our world, we can't let
that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Trump was responding to the horrific images we have seen at a rebel-held Douma, which is in the in the suburbs of the capital Damascus.
We are going to bring you those images now, but again, with the warning that they are graphic, and they are disturbing to watch.
Local activists say helicopters dropped barrel bombs filled with toxic gas, which caused people to suffocate, and to choke. Now CNN has not been able
to independently verify these counts. The Syrian regime denies accusations that it was behind any such attack.
Mr. Trump has vowed to respond, it was repeated by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, she has called for an investigation, and
challenged other nations to act. And she also took direct aim at Russian.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: The Russian regime whose hands are all covered in the blood of Syrian children cannot be
ashamed by pictures of its victims. We have tried that before. We must not overlook Russia and Iran's roles in enabling the Assad regime's
murderous destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now Russia says they sent a team of experts into Douma to look for evidence of chemical weapons. Moscow claims rebels fabricated the
attack to provoke an international response. Here is Russia's U.N. Ambassador speaking on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VASILY NEBENZYA, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Our military radiological, biological, and chemical unit was on site over the alleged
chemical accident. And it confirmed that there were no chemical substances found on the ground. There were no dead bodies found. There no poison
people in the hospitals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Ben Wedeman is following the story for us from Beirut, but we start with Nic Robertson in Moscow.
[08:10:00] And, Nic, from the Kremlin to, we heard just in, the U.N. Security Council, Russia continues to defend its ally Damascus, and to slam
the United States. What's the latest?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The very latest from here, we've heard from Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, who was meeting with his
North Korean counterpart a short time ago, and a brief press statement he gave afterwards.
He said that he hopes the OPCW, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, can accept an invitation to go into the area in Douma,
and to make their own analysis of the situation there.
Of course that is not what United States is specifically calling for. They are calling for that, along with Britain, and others calling for an
investigative body to go in, as well an independent investigation.
The OPCW would be able to say, if chemical weapons were used, and what chemical weapons were used. The investigative body would be a body that
would go in, and be able to say who use those weapons.
So that's a critical issue, and we have heard -- we continue to hear from Russian officials here that they believe that this was a hoax, that this
was a terrorist on the ground fabricating evidence of an attack.
We have heard as well from the Defense Ministry here that has warned -- that has warned if the United States fires missiles at Syria, then Russia
will try to shoot those down, that it will also target the carriers they all warned.
But it's a very dangerous situation, and we heard that warning again last night at the U.N. Security Council, in answer to U.S. Ambassador Nikki
Haley coming from the Russian Ambassador. He said that the United States is driving the world to a very dangerous place. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEBENZYA (through a translator): Russia is being unpardonably threatened. A tone of which this is being done has gone beyond the threshold of what is
acceptable, even during the Cold War. Do understand the dangerous threshold for which you are bringing the world?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: It is very clear at this stage that Russian officials on the one hand are saying nothing happened, come and take a look, and on the
other hand saying, if you take action, then we're in a very dangerous place, essentially threatening, and saying don't take any action, because
the stakes are too high. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, strange messaging there from Russia. Now from Nic Robertson in Moscow, please stand by. Let's bring up Ben Wedeman who's
reporting from Beirut.
And, Ben, let's talk about the danger of escalation here, we know that Russia has troops in Syria, Donald Trump is threatening an air strike on
Syria. If the U.S. goes ahead with the order -- I mean, how could this escalate on the ground militarily in Syria?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, the possibilities are endless. Let's not forget, it's not Russia only that has troops on the ground in
addition to Syrian troops, there are 2,000 American troops, there are Turkish troops in the North, there are advisers, and others from Iran.
Seven of whom according to Iranian news agencies were killed in what appeared to have been that Israeli air strike yesterday. There are
fighters from Hezbollah. There is ISIS, there are so many crisscrossing lines in Syria that any action has the possibility of simply getting out of
control.
And of course, we did see that the -- you know, the United States had say perhaps, President Trump perhaps will hit the Syrians, perhaps make the
Russians, and Iranians pay a price, and of course, that is dangerous talk under these circumstances.
And also confusing talk given that just a week ago, we were talking about President Trump's publicly stated desire to get out of Syria. Now he seems
to be going in the opposite direction in terms of military involvement.
So it's all very confusing. The mix signals going back and forth are in great danger of being misinterpreted, and actions could be even more
dangerous, than what we've seen just valise of words back and forth. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Absolutely. From Ben Wedeman in Beirut, let's go back to Nic Robertson in Moscow. And, Nic, the faith, of course, of civilians in Syria
here in Russia is at stake here.
And Russia, and the U.S., they are in this fierce route over Syria, also over election meddling, over that poisoning in Salisbury. How far have
relations plunged between the U.S. and Russia?
ROBERTSON: Very low, and the tone if not the words, but the words were very strong, the tone as well, the delivery of the speech by the Russian
Ambassador, and by Nikki Haley at the United Nations last night, I think, was indicative of that.
The threats and warnings that are being bandied about from the Russian side towards the United States are strong. We've yet to hear the harsh response
at the Foreign Ministry here has said will be coming in reaction to the sanctions that the United States put on a number of oligarchs, and large
businesses here in Russia, as well as a number of other people.
[08:15:10] So there is still -- you know, there is still a Russian response if you will for that diplomatic business, economic exchange if you will
late last week, so I think where they are right now is in a very low add.
And really I think a lot of people are looking to the United Nations tonight, or in the coming couple of days where the decision will be taken
at the United Nations is what the collective response should be to this chemical weapons attack.
And a lot of that may very well center around a desire for Russia to accept, to have those international independent monitors go in, and try to
find out who was responsible for this alleged chemical weapons attack.
But I think -- I think we should all be very clear eyed at the moment that the possibility for misunderstanding, the possibility for a misstep, the
possibility for something that neither side quite anticipates could happen is very real.
Because the stakes are high for many reasons, and the tensions are very high. And we're standing at the possibility of more military action from
the United States, and Syria that Russia has very clearly said there will be response to. So not just on the economic issues, but potentially at the
military level, and that could take many different forms.
LU STOUT: Yes, the stakes are so high, the situation extremely volatile. Nic Robertson reporting live for us in Moscow. Ben Wedeman live for us
Beirut.
A big thank you to you both, and we have this just in here at CNN just a concrete, and chilling statistic of the aftermath of that reported chemical
attack in Douma.
The UNHCR are now reporting 133,000 people have fled eastern Ghouta, adding that thousands remain trapped in Douma. This is according to the U.N. High
Commission for Refugees speaking from Geneva, again saying, 133,000 people have fled eastern Ghouta, an enclave rebel-held near Damascus.
You are watching News Stream. And up next, Donald Trump, he is away, and yet he is tweeting. He is still furious about that FBI raid on the office
of his personal attorney, we have the latest from Washington, next.
And Chinese President Xi Jinping, he may have pledge a lower tariffs on foreign cars, but will that do anything to ease the trade tension between
the U.S. and China?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back.
[08:20:00] This is News Stream. Now Syria isn't the only issue that is causing U.S. President Donald Trump to lash out. The FBI has raided the
office, and hotel room of his personal attorney Michael Cohen.
Mr. Trump says it's a disgrace, and amounts to an attack on the country, and the morning after, it doesn't find him in a better mood about it.
A short time ago he tweeted this, attorney-client privilege is dead. Seconds later came this, an even shorter message in all caps, a total witch
hunt. Abby Phillip has details of what set the President off.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: And it's a disgrace. It's frankly a real disgrace. It's a -- an attack on our country in a true sense.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump boiling over, launching a lengthy tirade against Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia
investigation after the FBI raided the office of his long-time personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
TRUMP: So I just heard that they broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys, good man. And it's a disgraceful situation. It's a
total witch hunt.
PHILLIP: Flanked by a room full of stern-faced military officials, President Trump falsely claiming the lawful raid was a break-in, and
attempting to undermine the credibility of Mueller's team, who Cohen's lawyer says referred the case to New York prosecutors.
TRUMP: This is the most biased group of people. These people have the biggest conflicts of interest I've ever seen.
PREET BHARARA, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The Justice Department is run by his people. The Special Counsel was appointed by his people. This U.S.
attorney is his person, who I'm told he actually met with before appointing him to the position.
PHILLIP: A source tells CNN that approximately a dozen agents carried out Monday's raids on Cohen's office, and the New York City hotel where he was
staying, multiple newspapers reporting that Cohen's home was also searched.
Sources say that using a broad search warrant, authorities seized bank records, and information related to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who
Cohen paid $130,000 days before the election, in an attempt to silence her from talking about an alleged affair with President Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know about the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels?
TRUMP: No, no. What else?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why did Michael -- why did Michael Cohen make it, if there was no truth to the allegations?
TRUMP: You have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. And you'll have to ask Michael Cohen.
PHILLIP: A source tells CNN that communications between Cohen and President Trump were among the records seized. Cohen's lawyer calling the raids
inappropriate, and unnecessary, insisting that Cohen has cooperated completely with all government entities.
The Washington Post reports that Cohen is under federal investigation for possible bank fraud, wire fraud, and campaign violations. Daniels' lawyer
responding to the FBI raid.
MICHAEL AVENATTI, STORMY DANIELS' ATTORNEY: We have substantial reason to believe that when Michael Cohen opened the bank accounts at First Republic
Bank for the purposes of wiring this money that he was not truthful, and honest with the bank as to the purpose of those accounts, and what they
were designed to be used for.
PHILLIP: A source close to the White House tells CNN that the Cohen raid could push the President to take action against the Special Counsel, or a
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing Mueller's probe.
TRUMP: Why don't I just fire Mueller? Well, I think it's a disgrace what's going on. We'll see what happens, but I think it's really a sad
situation when you look at what happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIP: After learning about the raid earlier in the day from either Cohen or someone in his office, President Trump held a hastily arrange meeting
with one of this lawyers, Ty Cobb, and his Chief-of-Staff John Kelly, to figure out how to respond the raid.
But his decision to address it in the meeting with military leaders last night was one that he made all on his own, and sources tell CNN that no one
knows what President Trump is going to do next, Kristine.
LU STOUT: Abby Phillip there. And we have this just in, new court document shows Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team is looking at
potential criminal activity related to Paul Manafort during his time as the chairman of President Trump's campaign.
CNN's Kara Scannell has the breaking details from Washington, and he joins us now. And, Kara, Manafort was already in hot water, so why is he under
scrutiny again?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, we know that Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman was indicted in October, those
crimes related to his business dealings with pro-Russian and Ukrainian political officials, what the court filings last night -- that were filed
last night tell us, is that Manafort's team when they search -- Mueller's team when they searched Manafort's home last summer were also looking at
any ties that Manafort had to the Trump campaign.
The White House and other Trump allies have been out there saying that Manafort's hot water had nothing to do with them, and that preceded his
time in a campaign.
Now we are learning to these court filings that that's just not the case, that Mueller's team was asking questions, and searching for documents
relating to the July 2016 meeting at Trump Tower.
[08:25:01] That meeting has gotten a lot of scrutiny involved Trump son-in- law Jared Kushner, his son Donald Trump Jr., and several Russians who they were meeting with, who purportedly set up the meeting because they had,
quote, dirt on Hillary Clinton, their rival on the presidential campaign.
We also understand that as part of the search warrant, the FBI agents were looking for any potential violations of campaign finance, and we've been
reported that Mueller's team had been asking questions about whether any foreign nationals, including Russians, had donated directly, or indirectly
to the Trump campaign, and inauguration.
So these are two points that were now seeing of Mueller's interesting metaphor beyond just the previous he's done dealing with Ukrainian
officials, and this put squarely in the focus of what this investigation is all about, which is whether Russians meddled in the election, and if there
was any collision, or cooperation with the Trump campaign.
LU STOUT: Wow, the pressure just continues to build. Kara Scannell reporting live from Washington, thank you so much, and take care.
Now China is filing a WTO dispute against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum products, even as President XI Jinping seems to praise free trade,
and make slight concessions in terms of tariffs, and foreign goods. Matt Rivers has more on what Mr. Xi said, and where it will actually ease the
tension between China and the U.S.
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, in the midst of a looming China-U.S. trade warm, each word delivered by President Xi Jinping on
Tuesday on Hainan Island was important.
He started playing to what most countries around the world want to hear, that it's not China's best interest to be in a trade war, that China is
economically reforming, and that it is a responsible international player.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through a translator): China will continue to review to its fundamental national policy of opening up, and pursue
development where its door is wide open. I wish to make it clear to you all that China's door of opening up will not be closed, and would only open
even wider.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: And Xi went on to speak about strengthening intellectual property rights, about increasing market access for foreign companies, and when he
spoke about increasing foreign imports, he specifically brought up automobile, saying he would lower tariff rates significantly by the end of
this year.
That is absolutely a nod to the United States, consider what the President tweeted on Monday, when a car is sent to the United States from China, he
wrote, there is a tariff to be paid to of 2.5 percent, when a car is sent to China from the United States, there is a tariff to be paid of 25
percent, does that sound like free or fair trade? No, it sounds like stupid trade going on for years.
So the inclusion of that issue in this speech was certainly not a coincidence, though we have seen Chinese state media saying that this
speech was in no way response to potential U.S. trade action, believe that if you will. That said, for all the reforms, that Xi Jinping laid out,
there were only a few new details sprinkled in.
And for the most part, these are reforms that have been promised by the Chinese government for years now, and most economic analysts, and
businessmen, and women that we speak to here in China would argue that they have yet to be fully realized this speech did not offer any sort of new
bold substantive changes that the government hasn't talked about before.
So the question becomes, is this speech, in the promises of reform, going to be enough to prompt the Trump administration to back down from its
tariff proposals.
The U.S. has said it wants to negotiate better terms with China, so it will be interesting to see, Kristie, if this speech by President Xi is enough to
alleviate the concerns of policymakers in Washington. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Matt Rivers there, reporting from Beijing. Now ahead of that conference -- the blowout conference in China, the Philippines President
Rodrigo Duterte buttered up Beijing, passionately reiterating that he, quote, simply loves President Xi Jinping, and wants to deepen ties with
China. Here is what Mr. Duterte has said before departing Manila.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODRIGO DUTERTE, PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES: I would say, I need China, more than anybody else at this time, it's like a flower that had bloomed
into something big and beautiful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: President Duterte and President Xi there, expected to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Boao Forum. Mr. Duterte says
infrastructure investment will top the agenda.
You are watching News Stream. Still ahead, Mark Zuckerberg, about to be in the hot seat, but how will the Facebook CEO do when facing U.S. lawmakers
in a few hours?
[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines.
British police are refusing to say whether Yulia Skripal is receiving personal protection following her discharge from hospital. She and her
father, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, were attacked with a Novichok nerve agent in the city of Salisbury in March. Mr. Skripal remains in
hospital, but officials say his condition is improving.
Russia's foreign ministry says a team of Russian experts toured Douma, Syria and found no evidence of a chemical weapons attack. But U.S.
President Donald Trump is promising to respond to the apparent attack very soon. He warned that those responsible will pay a big price.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov says he is happy to be invited to visit Pyongyang, North Korea. British foreign minister is in Moscow right
now. Lavrov said no decisions have been made yet on talks between President Putin and Kim Jong-un.
Back to our top story now. And Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg preparing for a massive test as he faces U.S. Congressional hearings. On Monday, he met a
number of senators who will question him. Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida says Zuckerberg knows that regulation is on the table.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: My sense is that he takes it seriously because he knows that there is going to he a hard look at regulation. If
it's not his site, someone else can be misused for people who are trying to do us harm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Nick Thompson, editor-in-chief of Wired joins me now live from New York. Nick, good to see you.
NICK THOMPSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, WIRED MAGAZINE: Good to see you, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Wow! We've been waiting for this. Mark Zuckerberg, he begins two days of testimony. Today, he is going to be grilled. He will apologize.
What are you going to be looking out for?
THOMPSON: I'm going to be looking out for whether there is serious discussion of just what Senator Nelson said. Will there be regulation and
of what sort? Will they be regulating advertising? Will they regulate privacy?
Will they regulate data breaches? Or will there be some grander regulation on social media platforms in general, more in the lines of what, say,
Germany has done.
So, I'm going to be looking to see the breathe of the regulation that the senators are thinking about, and of course, I'm going to be watching
Zuckerberg's response. And then, one of the things I'm super interested to watch is the dynamically senator, Ted Cruz.
Because remember, this whole scandal dates back to data harvested not for Donald Trump, but for Ted Cruz. That's what Cambridge Analytica was working
for. He is on the judiciary committee. So watching that will be incredibly interesting.
LU STOUT: Absolutely. And of course just watching how Mark Zuckerberg is going to handle it all, you know. Let's talk about the prep. He reportedly
hired a team of experts to get him through this two-day grilling in Washington, D.C. Do you think he is ready to take the heat?
THOMPSON: Yes, I think he is ready to take the heat. I think Mark Zuckerberg eight years ago would have laughed awkwardly and, you know,
appeared confused. He is going to be totally fine. He has got 300 people on his communications team. He has hired WilmerHale, law firm in Washington,
D.C.
[08:35:00] He had people play at the specific senators. The guy is as prepped as you can get. And expectations are exceeding low and everybody
hates him right now. So, I think he is going to outperform what people think will happen.
LU STOUT: And of course, a lot of attention on U.S. lawmakers. You are going to be looking out for how they are going to press the issue of
regulation, bringing up election meddling, Cambridge Analytica, data privacy, everything else that are just plain giving him hell. What do you
think is the one question that U.S. lawmakers got to ask Mark Zuckerberg?
THOMPSON: I think the most important question is, does your business model make it fundamentally inevitable that you will have these privacy problems
and that people will be able to take data and manipulate us with it?
Remember, Facebook's business model at its core is to get as much information on people as possible and then to use that data to help
advisers sell targeted ads. That's a great business model. It's very helpful to advertisers, but it comes along with risks. And so I want them
to push Zuckerberg on that and see how he responds.
LU STOUT: That's interesting because, you know, it's the entire business model, the reason of being for Facebook and why it even exists. But also
the fate of Mark Zuckerberg himself. I mean, not too long ago, you had a picture of Mark Zuckerberg photoshopped to be battered and bruised on the
cover of Wired magazine --
THOMPSON: Yes.
LU STOUT: -- and that was before Cambridge Analytica, the data breach, and now this grilling in Washington. Is Zuckerberg going to survive this
unscathed?
THOMPSON: He is not going to survive it unscathed, right? I mean, his political approval, his public approval, his approval inside the company
which is probably the thing he cares about the most, whether the young engineer respect him, that has all gone down. But is he going to survive
this as in he survived as CEO? Yes, absolutely.
I mean, the board still stands behind him. And most of the people who work at Facebook still thinks he is really good at his job. I mean, remember,
today is also the anniversary of, I think, sixth anniversary of the day he bought Instagram. Really, really smart thing to do.
Remember, this is a guy who kind of sees where the internet is going. And the people in Silicon Valley know that. So, he is going through airy (ph)
tough time, probably the worst time ever as CEO, but he will be OK.
LU STOUT: Yes, it's a tough time. It's a challenge for him. You see, he has evolved as a leader. But what about Facebook? You know, has Facebook
evolved and evolved beyond the days of its old mantra, move fast and break things? Can it fix itself after fake news, after election meddling, after
Cambride Analytica?
THOMPSON: Yes. This is an area where I kind of differ from the conventional wisdom. I actually think Facebook has done a lot of good over
the last three to six months. I think there has been a real evolution, started after the election of Trump. There has been a real evolution in the
way Facebook thinks about its responsibilities, the way it deals with the stuff.
And then particularly with a lot of the policy changes, the algorithm changes, the news industry changes, the privacy changes. They put out about
20, 30 things, all of which I think are good. Locking down our data, making sure the algorithm shares information that is more valuable, improving the
ability of trusted news sources to do well on the platform.
So I think that they are solving all these problems. So even while the public gets ever madder at them, actually I think they are doing the right
stuff.
LU STOUT: Nick Thompson, always appreciate your thoughts. Thank you for sharing them here on "News Stream." Take care. We'll talk again soon.
THOMPSON: Always great to be here, Kristie.
LU STOUT: A CNN investigation has revealed the biggest "Black Lives Matter" page on Facebook is a scam. Now, this page -- we will bring it up
for you -- it had almost 700,000 followers. That is twice as many as the official "Black Lives Matter" page.
Fund-raising campaigns associated with the site brought in at least $100,000. Those funds supposedly went to "Black Lives Matter" causes in the
U.S., but CNN has learned at least some of the money was transferred to Australian bank accounts.
Facebook did suspend the page, but only after almost a week of e-mails and calls to CNN about the story. Co-founder of the real "Black Lives Matter
Movement" told CNN, the group suspected it was a scam and had alerted Facebook several months ago.
Yes, it was a very busy day for John Bolton. Donald Trump's new national security adviser had to deal with the crisis in Syria the moment he set
foot in the White House. We'll hear how it went down (ph), next.
[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back. When most of us start a new job, we are typically given a day or two to settle in, to find your feet. But when you're Donald
Trump's new national security adviser, that is not an option. Jeanne Moos tells us about John Bolton and his special welcome on social media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You probably thought your first day at work was stressful, but John Bolton has to advise on
whether to attack Syria, and the leader President Trump calls animal Assad, at the mere mention of his own name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember John Bolton? Yes. You remember him as the --
MOOS (voice-over): Bolton get booed on liberal leaning comedy shows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mustache who grew a man.
MOOS (voice-over): Critics greeted his arrival with tweets like, happy John Bolton day, we are all going to die. While a supporter posted, feeling
safer already.
You know how Batman is summoned with a bat signal? That's how Bolton fans portray the White House, sending for its very own mustachio crusader using
the volt signal.
(on camera): John Bolton now has the president's back, literally. He was sitting behind President Trump's back at Monday's cabinet meeting.
(voice-over): John Bolton's facial hair has even inspired Michael Bolton.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My walrus mustache can kill on command.
MOOS (voice-over): And then there is this John Bolton, an actor who plays the U.S. attorney general on "Madam Secretary."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And remove the president effective immediately.
MOOS (voice-over): They voted to temporarily remove the president because he had a tumor and was about to blow Russian satellites.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is my national security team?
MOOS (voice-over): Here he is. Well, the actor John Bolton poked national security adviser John Bolton by tweeting, what we need is a national
maturity adviser.
Love him or hate him, John Bolton seems to press everyone's buttons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Oh, it's not a nuclear button, John. Get Lou Dobbs on speaker phone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Hello. Hello. It is Dobsy (ph).
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I appreciate --
MOOS (voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(LAUGHTER)
LU STOUT: And that is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout. We got "World Sport" with Alex Thomas, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
END
