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Bipartisan Move to End Government Shutdown; Israel Tell Damascus Not to Retaliate; Prime Minister Theresa May to Introduce her Plan B Brexit; No-show for Some World Leaders in World Economic Forum; Greeks to Vote Over Country Renaming; Northern Irish People Worries as Brexit Approaches; Nissan CEO Hopes for a Bail; Teenager Faces Native American Veteran; Blood Moon Seen in Many Places. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired January 21, 2019 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: The partial government shutdown showdown, a fight that won't end, the U.S. president and speaker the house at a total impasse over the battle over a border wall.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And Israel launches another round of airstrikes into Syria saying they are after Iranian targets and warning Damascus not to retaliate.
HOWELL: Plus, did you look up in the sky, did you get to see this? A super blood moon makes spectacle over North and South America with the only total lunar eclipse this year, very cool to see.
CHURCH: Very.
HOWELL: We're live from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta and we welcome our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm George Howell.
CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. CNN Newsroom starts right now.
HOWELL: The positive news here, Republicans and Democrats are said to vote on separate measures to reopen the government. The reality of things though, there is no expectation that this standoff will end.
CHURCH: Yes. President Donald Trump attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Sunday for rejecting his offer to extend temporary deportation protection for children of undocumented immigrants in exchange for his border wall funding. The Senate is expected to vote on the president's plan while House Democrats are set to vote on their own measures.
HOWELL: Recent polls show that most Americans blame the U.S. president and Republicans for this partial government shutdown.
CHURCH: Some view President Trump's offer as an attempt to shift the political pressure to the Democrats.
Sarah Westwood has details now on what each side is proposing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump on Saturday rolling out what he described as an attempt to break the log jam that has dragged this partial government shutdown on for a month now. The Democrats started rejecting the president's proposal before he even announced it.
Now, the president's proposed deal would involve him getting $5.7 billion in funding for his border wall in exchange for a three-year renewal of DACA protections for those young undocumented immigrants, known as DREAMers, as well as the three-year extension of temporary protected status for the roughly 300,000 people who are facing the expiration of their TPS.
House Democrats though are saying they won't do any negotiating until the government is reopened and they have their own plan to get the government reopened this week. They plan to pass a package of six spending bills that will include $1 billion for border security in general, not for the construction of a wall.
One thing that Democrats and the Trump administration do seem to agree on, however, both proposals do include money for more immigration judges. Now, President Trump on Sunday going on a tweet storm about Speaker Pelosi accusing her of being beholden to her left flank and that's why he says she's unable to accept his proposal.
Trump also defending his deal against criticism from the far right with some conservatives accusing him of extending an offer of amnesty. But the bottom line that this is not a new idea, President Trump trading DACA wall money, it's something that's been tried and failed before. And at the moment, it does not appear to have a path forward on Capitol Hill.
Sarah Westwood, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: Let's bring in James Davis to talk more about this. James, the dean of the school of economics and political science at the University of St. Gallen joining this hour from Munich, Germany. A pleasure to have you on the show, James.
JAMES DAVIS, DEAN, UNIVERSITY OF ST. GALLEN: Good morning, George.
HOWELL: So, despite the back and forth between the president and the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, the partial government shutdown continues on Democrats flatly rejecting the president's proposal to reopen government. Who would you say has the stronger hand in this present tug of war?
DAVIS: I mean, that's the right question, George. We're in a tug of war. The president has himself between a rock and a hard place. The longer this thing goes on, the more he loses support amongst mainstream America. But if he compromises too much with the Democrats, he is going to lose the support of his hard-core base, which already he's fearful that he's going to cut a deal that grants amnesty to illegal aliens.
So, he's got himself in a difficult position. At the same time the Democrats have to ask themselves at what point will the public just become fed up with both the Congress and the president with both Democrats and Republicans and say, you know, a pox on both of your houses.
So there is a tug of war going on here. Right now, I think the Democrats have the upper hand. The president is boxed in. But the interesting thing is the ball has been passed a bit to the Senate.
[03:04:57] Mitch McConnell has been absent for most of the shutdown. People have been saying where is Mitch, where is the Senate majority leader. He has agreed to take up Trump's plan and try and put it into legislation. The House is going to pass their own legislation and we may now see that the more interesting negotiation takes place between the House and the Senate.
HOWELL: I want to push forward on the topic you raise here, the proposal. It is being criticized on both sides of the political spectrum. Democrats flatly don't want it. Some to the far right criticized the president's proposed temporary protection for DREAMers and immigrants, as you mentioned, a play toward amnesty, Vice President Mike Pence pushing back on that notion. But by even putting it out there, how badly does that hit the president with his base?
DAVIS: Well, we've seen people like Ann Coulter, you know, spokesperson for the hard-right base already claiming that the president is putting out a plan for amnesty. She is the one that more or less convinced the president to back away from a deal that we had that would have kept the government open.
And so, we see that the hardcore right is in placate -- you know, you can't placate them. I mean, they want the wall. They think that Trump ran on the wall and any move away from the wall is considered by them to be a breach of promise.
Now, the question that Trump is going to have to ask himself is how much can he alienate his base to get a deal. And he is going to have to get a deal because the Democrats are not going to give him $5.7 billion. I think somewhere down the line we're going to have to split this down the middle.
The Democrats are suggesting that they're going to put another billion on the table. I think that brings the total to something like two and a half billion for border security. At some point, the president is going to have to take that and claim a victory.
HOWELL: So, in the middle of it all though, you have more than 800,000 federal workers now into one month of either being furloughed or working without pay like this man who we spoke with who works at a prison here in the United States. Listen to his story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN TAROVISKY, CORRECTIONAL OFFICER: I get it, you know. A lot of people say you are going to get back paid, you are going to get paid later. But at this point, you know, that's not what we signed up for. You know, we signed up for to protect the American public and to keep the inmates safe and keep staff safe and they keep delaying our checks, you know, and having us in the middle of this it's not right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: James, that is an opinion in West Virginia, very important to the U.S. president. We're talking about proud American workers doing whatever they can now to survive this uncertainty.
Their fate along with DACA recipients and immigrants all tied up now in these negotiations. How far do you think these goes before government leaders feel the pressure to put politics and personal wants aside to find solutions for these real people that are dealing with a hellish situation?
DAVIS: Well, you know, as long as it's the 800,000 federal employees, we can all feel sorry for them, we can contribute to food banks and hope that their lives aren't destroyed. But the minute it starts to impact on normal Americans who are not part of the federal government, I think the pressure goes up dramatically.
Think about the traffic, air traffic controllers, think about the security guards at airports that are all going to start staying home. Think about when services stop being provided to average Americans, whether that's weather reporting, whether that's security at the airport, whether that's other essential services.
Americans are going to start to feel this even if they're not a member of the federal government and that's I think when the pressure really starts to rise, when the average Americans feel the impact of no government and then I think that's what both sides are fearing right now.
HOWELL: All right. I guess what you're saying is as more people start to feel what resonates beyond these 800,000 Americans who simply don't know when they will be paid next. We appreciate your time.
DAVIS: That's right. They're working for us. Let's not forget it. They work for us, they provide us services. And when we start to feel that absence of those services, we're going to start to complain.
HOWELL: Again, we appreciate your time today in giving us the perspective. Thank you.
DAVIS: Thank you, George.
CHURCH: Well, British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing a new hurdle in the sprint towards Brexit. In a few hours from now, she will layout her Brexit plan B in parliament. But now, lawmakers are trying to take more control over Brexit negotiations.
HOWELL: And CNN has learned that a group of growing cross-party parliament members is planning to introduce legislation that would make it impossible for Britain to leave the E.U. without a trade deal in place. That would mean possibly pushing back the Brexit date beyond March 29.
CHURCH: U.K. Trade Minister Liam Fox warns parliament that taking over Brexit would jeopardize democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIAM FOX, BRITISH TRADE MINISTER: You've got a leave population and a remain parliament. Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process because parliament said to the people of this country, we will make a -- we make a contract with you, you will make the decision and we will honor it.
[03:10:07] What we are now getting are some of those who were always absolutely opposed to the result of the referendum trying to hijack Brexit and in fact steal the result from the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And CNN's Anna Stewart joins us now from London. Good to see you.
So, Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her plan B just a few hours from now and what's expected to be revealed?
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Yes, she will give a statement to the House of Commons later today. I have to say the concern is that plan B looks a lot like plan A. We are expecting her to make a statement along the lines of she will try and find an amendment to the Irish backstop, some sort of concessions there, but she has been trying to do that for weeks.
Now, some have suggested perhaps she will try and strike some sort of bilateral agreement with Ireland, but anything like that will require the consent and support of the E.U. So, I think a lot of her critics today will be wondering how this is any different, why she wanted a cross-party support and talks with other MPs from other parties when plan B looks so like plan A, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Meanwhile, as we reported, a group of lawmakers from both parties now joining forces trying to seize back control of Brexit. How will that play out when Mrs. May faces them in parliament in just a few hours?
STEWART: Seize control of Brexit and of the narrative of today. I think a lot more attention will actually be on these rebellions within parliament.
Now, there are two key amendments that are likely to be tabled this week, one as you said by a cross-party group of MPs essentially trying to outlaw a no deal Brexit. If we get to the end of March and no agreement had been reach in parliament and with the E.U., then it would compel the government to extend article 50, push that back.
The other amendment, more radical still, this one by an M.P. within Theresa May's party, also the former attorney-general, Dominic Grieve, his amendment would allow just 300 M.P. support, not a majority in parliament to force through indicative votes in different types of Brexit, whether that's a Norway Brexit or even a second referendum.
Essentially, this would overturn centuries of parliamentary precedence. So, that's a key one. But yes, essentially what we're seeing here is lots of rebellions, different fronts across parliament trying to seize control of the Brexit process, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Nearly 8.15 in the morning there. Anna Stewart bringing us the very latest. In just a few hours. we will know just a little more. Many thanks to you as always.
HOWELL: This week, a few thousand of the world's richest and most influential people will come together in Davos, Switzerland at the site of the annual World Economic Forum, the world's most high-powered networking event. Many of the good and great are already there. Some notable no shows as well this year.
Let's bring in CNN emerging markets editor, John Defterios, in Davos, a veteran there of course, definitely there for us to tell us about what's happening. John, certainly, some of the no shows, we know the British prime minister will not be there and also, the U.S. president.
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Yes. So, George, it's a bit unusual because the bar was set so high, particularly with President Trump who has promised to come for a second year in a row. Last year, this time, he was bragging about the first year in office and the stock market rally and concerns about what he had against U.S. trade policies and the very firm line with China and the European Union.
As you suggested, Theresa May not coming because of her plan B that Anna was talking about. So let's get a tally of who is in and who is out right now. A notable in for Wednesday is Angela Merkel, a familiar face here at the World Economic Forum, and also Shinzo Abe, who is an ally in fact of Donald Trump, the prime minister of Japan. Also, Jair Bolsonaro, who's known as the Donald Trump of Latin America, the head of Brazil, of course, he will be here.
The notable out as I already talked about Donald Trump and Theresa May, but also Emmerson Mnangagwa who is the leader of Zimbabwe. He wanted to come to Davos to show in fact that they're opening after years and years of being closed and hyperinflation, but he has protests on the ground in Zimbabwe. So, he wanted to stay there.
This is a similar tone throughout. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France not attending because of the yellow vest movement. We've seen protests in Germany with the hard right. The five-star movement in Italy, George, as well, now in power, the hard liners in Greece.
So, I'm waiting to hear what Chancellor Merkel has to say about the rise of popularism and how the European Union response and even an olive branch yet again to Britain to try to stay in the European Union or remain flexible on Theresa May's plan B. This will be a very important position for Angel Merkel as she fades out of power after so many years in Germany as chancellor.
HOWELL: You talk about the rise of populism also, John, walking through some of the people who are there and some of the people not attending. Overall, what is the mood would you say Davos 2019 so far?
[03:15:05] DEFTERIOS: A key point, George, because we're 10 years into the economic cycle and a lot of tensions on the ground of what's next, particularly in the second half of 2019. We are going to get an update from the International Monetary Fund in five hours on its economic outlook. It is expected to be lower because of the trade tensions I talked about, particularly between the U.S. and China.
In fact, China put out its worst performance now in nearly three decades, 6.6 percent. It sounds very good, but this is an economy that's growing nine to 10 percent for years. So, expect to slow down.
The International Monetary Fund signaled the level of public debt coming into this meeting, particularly by the developed world and even the emerging markets. The highest debt levels since the 1980s, which means if we have a financial crisis which in the tool box to combat it.
So, you would think this rise against globalization is the prevalent tone here in Davos. But there's a survey done by the World Economic Forum that suggests that's a radical minority, and perhaps overall there is an embracement of globalism.
Let's a take a look at the survey from the World Economic Forum. Seventy-six percent, in fact, think that globalization is, indeed, a good idea. Seventy-two percent think that it's important to actually help other countries right now. And the last one I thought was particularly fascinating, 57 percent believe migrants are mostly good.
Now there's a caveat to that. That number is closer to 40 to 45 percent in Europe depending on the country because of what's been taking place with refugees and migrants coming from Africa in particular. Angela Merkel a couple of years ago welcoming in all those Syrian refugees.
So, it's a very sensitive issue yet again, but the World Economic Forum and the platform of globalization 4.0 suggesting the majority wants this but we do need to manage it and make sure the vote is full for everyone going forward, George. That's the essential (ph) theme here.
HOWELL: That is interesting. Yes, interesting insight to get that from you. John Defterios for us in Davos, Switzerland. And of course, John, we'll stay in touch with you as events continue there.
CHURCH: And we'll take a very short break. But still to come, Israel has launched more air strikes in Syria, what led to the latest fighting, and a live report from Jerusalem. We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm Patrick Snell with your CNN World Sport Headlines. The L.A. Rams heading to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001 after winning a thrilling and at times controversial contest Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Next month, in Atlanta, they'll face the New England Patriots who outlasted the Kansas City Chiefs. The game would go into overtime, but that's when star quarterback, Tom Brady, drove the Pats down the field to score the sudden death touchdown. This is the third year now in a row the Patriots are in the Super Bowl.
[03:20:05] Meantime, the U.S. Open champ, Naomi Osaka, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Osaka once again losing the first set but hit back to win the next two against the Latvian player, Anastasia Sevastova. The world number four saying afterwards she's been inspired by the exploits of fellow youngsters on the men's side, Francis Tiafoe and Stefano Tsitsipas who shocked Roger Federer on Sunday.
And American skier, Mikaela Shiffrin, putting on a clinic once again in a super-G race this weekend. The 23-year-old has now won 11 world cup race this season and is on course to beat Vreni Schneider's all time record of 14, a record which has stood for 30 years. Shiffrin's career total now standing at 54 wins. This past week, her compatriot, Lindsey Vonn, admitting it won't be too long before she passes her own record of 82
That would be your (ph) CNN World Sport Headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.
HOWELL: Welcome back.
Israel has launched a new round of air strikes in Syria. Russian state media report that at least four Syrian soldiers were killed. Israel says it was targeting Iranian forces but it also hit Syrian air defenses after they tried to launch missiles. The video from the Israelis purports to show an attack on a Syrian site.
CHURCH: Israel says the strikes come after Iranian forces tried to launch a rocket at the Golan Heights from Syria. The Israeli military tweeted out this video and said the rocket was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system.
And for more, CNN's Oren Liebermann is live in Jerusalem. He joins us now. So, Oren, what are you learning about the circumstances surrounding these air strikes and of course, what is happening right now.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, let's take this back to where this all began on Sunday morning. We just got for your information more information from the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces which is the Israeli military.
This starts on Sunday morning when Israel launches a rare daytime strike on targets in Syria. That strike is called out by both the Russians and the Syrians. And then in a fairly rare move it is acknowledged or apparently acknowledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a trip to Africa.
That strike according to both the Russians and the Syrians is intercepted. That is a6 number of Israeli missiles are intercepted by Syrian air defenses. It is after that and this is now Sunday afternoon when Israel says Iran launch a medium range surface to surface missile from near Damascus international airport towards the northern part of the Israeli occupied Golan Heights.
That in the video you just saw is intercepted by Israel's aerial defense system. Israel's response is to target a number of Iranian forces or what they say are Iranian forces in Syria, both at Damascus international airport and in the area. Israel says they targeted munitions depots, intel sites, as well as a number of other sites.
Israel says they conveyed to the Syrian message that this is specifically going after Iranian forces but when Syrian air defenses fired at Israeli aircraft, Israel then targeted they say those Syrian air defense batteries in and around Damascus.
That brings us to now. The Israel military remains at an elevated level of readiness in northern Israel. The ski site in the northern part of the Golan Heights has been shut down but other than that the Israeli military says everybody else is living normally. There are no restrictions on civilian activities. Although it is an incredibly tense moment and intense time in northern Israel and in the Golan Heights, that's the situation as it stands right now, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Right. And Oren, of course, the worry now is retaliation, how Russia and Syria likely to respond to those reports of deaths of Syrian soldiers.
LIEBERMANN: That's an excellent question. Russia has generally stayed out so far, although it is a big move that they called out both the first Israeli strike and then the follow-up, basically putting on their social media. The Russian ministry of defense saying this was an Israeli strike here are the results of that strike.
A certain number of missiles were intercepted and then a number of missiles hit their target killing four Syrian soldiers according to the Russians and injuring a numbed of others.
It's a delicate moment what happens now and what happens next. Do Syria or Iran choose to respond at this point. It's difficult to say but we will certainly keep an eye on how this develops. We've seen these escalations before, notably last May and then last February, almost a year ago exactly, and it is the Russians that have tried to step in to try to ease the tension here. We'll see if that happens. Once again, Russia apparently playing an active role between Syria, Israel and Iran here.
CHURCH: All right. Oren Liebermann joining us live from Jerusalem. It is nearly 10.30 in the morning. Thanks for bringing us to date on that story. I appreciate it.
HOWELL: The topic of Syria was also discussed between the U.S. president and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On the phone on Sunday., Mr. Erdogan said that Turkey is ready to take over security in Syria's Manbij without delay, he says.
Turkish state media report he also repeated his substance that the YPG, a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia is a threat. [03:25:06] CHURCH: The White House says the two leaders agreed they
want to deal on how to handle northeast Syria after a U.S. withdrawal. It also says Mr. Erdogan offered his condolences for the four Americans killed in an attack in Manbij last week.
HOWELL: The issue of Brexit, if that were not complicated enough, a car bomb attack in Northern Ireland is stoking fears that if there's no deal a hard border might spark a return to sectarian violence in that region. We'll have details on the story ahead for you.
CHURCH: Plus, a former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn's legal troubles are focusing new attention on Japan's legal system which some are calling hostage justice. We will take a closer look when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOWELL: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. You're watching CNN Newsroom. It is good to have you with us. I'm George Howell.
CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. Let's check the headlines for you this hour.
HOWELL: Republican and Democrats are schedule to vote on separate U.S. border security measures this week but neither is expected to win enough support to end the government shutdown. So, it lingers on.
The U.S. president attacked the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for rejecting his latest proposal which clues border wall funding of $5 billion dollars.
CHURCH: Israel, Russia and Syria all say the Israeli military has launched strikes into Syrian territory. Israel says it's targeting Iranian forces. Russia says Syrian forces shut down Israeli missiles.
[03:30:03] Russian state media report that at least four Syrian soldiers were killed.
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Outside the Greek parliament on Sunday, police say some 60,000 people came together, people who are furious about the renaming of a neighboring country as Northern Macedonia. The Greek parliament is expected to vote on the name change in the coming days.
In the meantime, police were seen using tear gas as some demonstrators hurled projectiles outside of parliament.
CHURCH: British Prime Minister Theresa May will explain her Brexit plan B to parliament Monday. A leading pro-Brexit politician is accusing lawmakers of trying to hijack Britain's exit from the E.U. Cross-party groups are planning legislation to delay or frustrate the prime minister's plans. A Labour Party M.P. says they are only trying sort out, quote, "a mess."
HOWELL: An incident that has been described as terrorism in Northern Ireland, police suspect the new IRA, a militant group, may be responsible for a car bomb that exploded on Saturday. Four men have been arrested so far. No one was hurt when that bomb blew up in Londonderry, also known as Derry. Now, police have released video of that very powerful explosion.
CHURCH: And here you can see the car parked on the street in front of the courthouse when it detonated. Politicians from all sides of the political spectrum are slamming the attack as callous and pointless. They say no one in Northern Ireland wants a return to sectarian violence.
Well, many people in Northern Ireland are worried about how Brexit will affect the border with Ireland. Keeping an open border is one of the ways they were able to make peace after the decades-long conflict known as the troubles.
HOWELL: Now the issue of the Irish backstop is making it hard for the British prime minister to make a Brexit deal.
Our Nic Robertson filed this report from Derry earlier this week to explain what the backstop means for people in Derry and beyond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: In a few months' time this could be the EU's land border with the U.K. It's giving rise to the most contentious issue in Brexit, the backstop.
When I say backstop, what does that mean to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Backstop means basically it's an insurance policy that Theresa May and the European Union have taken out.
ROBERTSON: In the simplest form, the backstop keeps the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland open. Both the E.U. and the U.K. say they want that. But the E.U. insists the backstop is part of the deal in case the two sides can't get an agreement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever is going to happen, it's going to impact on the city more than any other part of the U.K., more than any other part of the E.U.
ROBERTSON: This city here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This city because we are the biggest population center, which will be on the U.K. on the border with the E.U. So, whatever is going to happen good or bad is going to impact the most here.
ROBERTSON: We are in Northern Ireland's second largest city, Londonderry, also known as Derry, a few miles in the border with Ireland. From the 1960s to the 1990s Derry was at the heart of Northern Ireland's deadly sectarian violence.
Twenty-something years ago, I heard right here as Catholic teenagers rushed up here to fight pitched battles here with the mostly protestant police, 1998 peace deal has made all that feel like ancient history. But that's what the backstop is about in part, to prevent a return to that sort of violence.
Is it going to work?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A better.
ROBERTSON: Because?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know what it's supposed to be like if it doesn't. This place will go back to what it was 25, 30 years ago 37.
ROBERTSON: You mean the violence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
ROBERTSON: Concerns are growing that backstop is blocking Brexit, could bring back border controls.
What would happen if there's a no deal Brexit and -- to the border?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does it mean I have to show my passport or something to go down? I don't know. I was like I was told that maybe you'll have to show your passport or have a visa to go down over the border to visit family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think the man on the street has any idea what's going to happen, especially with businesses. I'm working for a company that does a lot of cross-border trade. And so, they are particularly worried in terms of taxes going back and forth going over the border.
ROBERTSON: What would you hope for with the border yourself?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we would obviously hope it's an open border, especially in this area. There's always been a strong relationship because we're a border area. So, we would need free movement.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very worrying. I don't know what the future's going to hold for myself, for my family, and especially for my children.
ROBERTSON: The trouble for Theresa May is she needs the support of Northern Irish MPs who oppose the backstop. It makes them feel less British. And so far, she hasn't found a way around it.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Derry, Northern Ireland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[03:35:02] HOWELL: Nic, thank you. The former CEO of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn -- Carlos Ghosn, says that he will respect any bail conditions, that is, if he's granted bail, this according to a statement from the jailed auto executive. CHURCH: Yes. He's been in jail without bail since late last year
accused of financial misconduct. As CNN's Will Ripley reports, that's now raising questions about Japan's legal system.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: If anyone knows what ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn might be going through, it's Mark Karpeles. Like Ghosn, Karpeles is a French businessman in Japan who made his fortune and lost his freedom accused of financial misconduct.
MARK KARPELES, CEO, MT. GOX: I wouldn't want this to anyone.
RIPLEY: You wouldn't wish it on anybody.
KARPELES: No.
RIPLEY: Even your worst enemy.
KARPELES: Even my worst enemy. Even humanity's worst enemy.
RIPLEY: Karpeles was a multimillionaire by age 30, owner and CEO Mt. Gox, which was the largest bitcoin exchange in the world. Until nearly half a billion dollars of the digital currency vanished, a crime that remains unsolved.
After his company went bankrupt, Japanese police charged Karpeles with embezzling $3 million and with breach of trust, the same charge as Ghosn.
KARPELES: There's a very big feeling of powerlessness. Whatever you do, there's nothing you can do.
RIPLEY: Karpeles, who's repeatedly denied the charges, kept detailed notes of nearly 12 months in Japanese custody. He says police interrogated him for 50 days straight, up to eight hours a day, without his lawyer. It may sound mind-boggling to many, but this is perfectly in line with Japanese law.
KARPELES: The more you try to deny being guilty, the harsher it gets.
RIPLEY: Closing arguments in his trial ended last month. The verdict is expected in March. Karpeles continues to insist he's innocent. But legal experts say more than 99 percent of people charged with a crime in Japan are eventually found guilty.
Temple University Professor Jeff Kingston calls that deeply troubling.
JEFF KINGSTON, PROFESSOR, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: That system of hostage justice I think does not bear scrutiny where they keep people who are indicted in detention as long as it takes to coerce a confession out of them. That's what explains the 99 percent conviction rate.
RIPLEY: International attorney Shuji Yamaguchi says that criticism may come from a misunderstanding of Japanese culture. He says Japan's system keeps people safe. The country has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
SHUJI YAMAGUCHI, ATTORNEY, OKABE & YAMAGUCHI: Our system supporting our society and still crime rate is going down every year. So, I think our system works very well.
RIPLEY: Do you see things changing here in Japan anytime soon?
YAMAGUCHI: In near future, no, I think.
RIPLEY: Ghosn's wife wrote a letter slamming the Japanese justice system as Draconian. "No human being should be detained under conditions so harsh if their only plausible purpose is to coerce a confession," she said.
The Tokyo prosecutor's office tells CNN they don't make the law, they enforce it. And the investigation and interrogation are conducted appropriately, in accordance with the law. Prosecutors say they would never prolong the detention to harass suspects. When asked about the conditions in detention, they said, "We believe they're treated fairly." As proof Tokyo detention center officials invited the media inside.
If you could pick one word to describe it.
KARPELES: I think loneliness.
RIPLEY: Loneliness.
KARPELES: Yes.
RIPLEY: Karpeles spent seven months in solitary confinement before he was granted bail. He remembers every detail of his six square-meter cell. He says he was forced to sit upright in a corner for some 10 hours a day.
KARPELES: I hope animals are treated better than this.
RIPLEY: You hope animals are treated better than you were.
KARPELES: Yes.
RIPLEY: Treatment he says Ghosn may have to endure for a very long time. Waiting for prosecutors to build their case, knowing all too well the odds are not in his favor.
Will Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: We heard from the Native American in this standoff with a high school student. Now we have the student's side of the story. We'll have the details for you after the short break. Do stay with us.
[03:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOWELL: Families in Mexico mourning the loss of relatives, people who died in Friday's pipeline explosion. Funeral services were held Sunday in the town where that blast happened. Dozens of mourners showed up remembering the lives of victims.
CHURCH: Later in the day, officials announced the death toll had climbed to 85. At least 58 people were injured. The tragedy happened as people were trying to steal fuel from the pipeline.
Well, activists are calling on Zimbabweans to stay at home and not go to work after a bloody government crackdown. The unrest was sparked last week after authorities said fuel prices would spike by 150 percent. President Emmerson Mnangagwa says it was meant to ease fuel shortages.
HOWELL: Since then security forces have shot at least five people and killed them, wounding dozens of others. The president was meant to be at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week. He said he will now skip that event given the protests.
We're hearing more about the tense standoff in Washington that led to a video that went viral.
CHURCH: Yes. And you may have seen the video of the teenager standing face to face with a Native American elder.
As Sara Sidner reports, the boy says he's being misrepresented in that video.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We did receive three pages of comments from this young man. His family sent it out. And here's part of what he says. And obviously, with these viral videos there's a lot more to them.
There's always a story that goes along with them that happened before and after something like this happens. And we have viewed video that gives a bitter, better, bigger picture of what happened leading up to that face-off between the student and the Native American elder.
Here's what was one part of the statement from the student who was standing there face to face. He said, "Because we were being loudly attacked and taunted in public, a student in our group asked one of our teacher chaperones for permission to begin our school spirit chants to counter the hateful things that were being shouted at our group. Our chaperone gave us permission to use our school chants."
[03:44:59] Now, he is referring to the nasty things they were hearing, not from the Native American group but from a group of black men who call themselves the Hebrew Israelites. And we are now going to show you some video of exactly some of the things that they were saying to the students and others.
New video emerges in a story that has gone viral between Catholic school students and a Native American elder named Nathaniel Phillips. Phillips found himself surrounded by students, one staring him down, the others chanting around him, as Phillips says he was trying to create calm between two groups at odds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHAN PHILLIPS, NATIVE AMERICAN ELDER, VIETNAM VETERAN: I realized I had put myself in a really dangerous situation. You know. It was like here is a group of people who were angry at somebody else. And I put myself in front of that. And all of a sudden, I'm the one who's -- all that anger and all that wanting to have the freedom to just rip me apart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: This video shows what happened long before Phillips shows up. You can see a group of about five black men who identify as Hebrew Israelites preaching. They start taunting people of all colors, other black visitors, natives, and a Catholic priest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's make America great again. A bunch of child molesting (muted).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: This is the moment that group becomes aware of the students, some wearing make America great again hats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got these pompous bastards come down here in the middle of a native rally with their dirty-ass hat on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: At first the Catholic school students are there in small numbers, but more and more students begin to gather watching, with few weighing in. The small group of men continues taunting them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A bunch of incest babies. Like teleprompts baby. This is what America makes. Make America great looks like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: The students begin to react but do not approach the men. The black Israelites continue to condemn the kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You worship blasphemy. We got angels that are blasphemous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Then one of the students takes off his shirt and the group begins chanting. Two minutes later you hear a drumbeat. That is Phillips and another Native American drummer. He says it was an attempt to thwart potential violence. The kids danced to it and some begin chanting along with the native song.
But for those who think they were enjoying each other's company, Phillips says that is not at all how it felt, especially because of the student standing before him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Fear not for myself but fear for the next generations. Fear where this country's going. Fear for those youths. Fear for their future. Fear for their souls, their spirit, their -- what they're going to do to this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Now, in the student's statement he says that he is now facing fear that he is receiving death threats as is his family, and he talks a little bit more about what happened during that interaction saying that he never interacted with the protester, that he did not speak to him.
He says, "I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me. I believed that remaining motionless and calm I was helping to defuse the situation."
And he goes on to say, "I harbor no ill will for this person. I respect this person's right to protest and engage in free speech activities, and I support his chanting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial any day of the week. I believe, though, he should rethink his tactics of invading the personal space of others. But that is his choice to make."
So, you are now hearing the other side of this story. You're hearing from the student who has been at the center of all this, saying that from his perspective he was the one being calm and he was the one that was getting the aggressive threats.
Of course, you also heard from the Native American elder who said he was actually trying to calm the situation down too. The people who seem to have started all this are the ones making all those racist threats and screaming at these kids. And those were the Hebrew Israelites.
HOWELL: Sara Sidner, thank you.
A total lunar eclipse and a super moon both in one night. There it is. Together forming a rare phenomenon. Details on the super blood wolf moon ahead.
[03:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: We'll take a look at this. A rare sight overnight for sky watchers, it is called a super blood wolf moon. And it happens when a super moon and a total lunar eclipse occur at the very same time. These images were shot earlier from Los Angeles.
HOWELL: As you can see, the super moon was eclipsed by the earth's shadow and the sunlight passing through the earth's atmosphere helped to turn the moon's color a blood red.
Let's talk more about this now with David Reitzel. David is an astronomical lecturer joining us this hour from Los Angeles. Pleasure to have you on the show with us, David.
DAVID REITZEL, ASTRONOMICAL LECTURER: Thank you. Nice to be here.
HOWELL: So, David, tell us more about why the name and what's actually happening to the moon as we watch it?
REITZEL: Well, what we saw tonight was a total eclipse of the moon. The moon moved into the earth's shadow, which blocked the direct sunlight from falling onto it.
Now, it's known as a blood moon because some of the light from the sun passes through our atmosphere and actually the blue light gets scattered out. Same reason our sky is blue. But the red light like all the light from the sunrises and sunsets makes it to the moon and gives it a reddish hue, which is why we call it a blood man. So that's what was going on tonight. We had a beautiful view of it here in Los Angeles.
HOWELL: That's cool. You could see it in L.A. Our whole team went outside. I think we have some images to show you. But our CNN team went out to see the moon for ourselves. Worth every moment of it here, though it was freezing cold here in Atlanta.
But yes, you could see the red on the moon. You could see it right there up in the sky. It was amazing to watch. How could people see it around the world? How visible is it right now?
[03:55:02] REITZEL: Sure. Right now, the moon has moved out of the deepest part of the shadow. So, it's just in the Penumbra for about another half hour or so, 35 minutes. It's very difficult to see that. So, there's not too much left to see of the eclipse.
But everybody that was on the half of the earth that could see the moon tonight got to experience the eclipse. We even got a report from our director, Dr. Krupp, who was in the Norwegian Sea, who managed to see it.
HOWELL: Cool.
REITZEL: All the way over outside of Norway there. So, folks all over the globe were able to see this eclipse.
HOWELL: How rare is this sort of thing to see, and what's the next big event that we can look forward to up in the sky?
REITZEL: Gosh. We won't have another eclipse for more than two years. So, I know that. The next big event, gosh, I know there's going to be some meteor showers coming up. The Gemini meteor showers should be coming soon I believe. I have to look it up online and see.
But we don't have any eclipses coming for quite a while, which is why we made a big deal about this one and really got people together, had a huge crowd on our lawn. People really celebrated it. I have to look on my calendar to see what's up next.
HOWELL: I would imagine it was a little warmer there for you guys to watch it in L.A. than here in Atlanta, but it was worth every minute to get out and see this thing. David Reitzel again --
(CROSSTALK)
REITZEL: Yes, we also have some --
HOWELL: Say again?
REITZEL: -- at the beginning of the night we were a little worried about the clouds. The temperature dropped a little, but it was nothing like Atlanta for sure. You know, it was well above freezing. So, it was quite nice.
HOWELL: All right. David Reitzel, we appreciate your time today. Thank you so much.
REITZEL: You're very welcome. Thank you for speaking with me.
HOWELL: And if you missed it, we all posted it on Insta.
CHURCH: Yes, we did.
HOWELL: So, check that out.
CHURCH: I think the photos from L.A. look better than so close.
HOWELL: Yes. Thank you so much for being with us. I'm George Howell.
HOWELL: And I'm Rosemary Church. Early Start is next for our viewers here in the United States. And for everyone else stay tuned for more news with our Max Foster in London. You are watching CNN. Have yourselves a great day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
