Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Trump Plotted To Fire Acting A.G. In Last-Ditch Effort To Overturn Election Loss; Impeachment May Hinder Biden's Attempt To Unify Country; Remembering Larry King; One Year On, U.S. Nears 25 Million Infections; Experts Support U.K. Decision To Delay Second Dose; Chinese Foreign Ministry: Trump Officials Were "Anti-China"; Privacy Concerns Over Contact Tracing In Singapore; Miners Rescued Weeks After China Gold Mine Blast. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 24, 2021 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): New allegations that Donald Trump tried to coerce the U.S. Justice Department to overturn the will of the people. We will have details on that.

More arrests made in the Capitol siege, including one man accused of making chilling threats against a prominent lawmaker and a police officer.

Plus, the life of a legend. We are remembering Larry King, taking a look back at some of his most unforgettable moments.

Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. This is CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Robyn Curnow.

CURNOW: So let's begin this hour with separate reports that present a stunning picture of how Donald Trump was allegedly prepared to use the U.S. Department of Justice to keep his grip on power.

Now "The Wall Street Journal" reports that Mr. Trump pushed the department to ask the Supreme Court to invalidate Joe Biden's election win.

Another plan involved firing the acting attorney general, Jeffrey Rosen, and replacing him with a lawyer willing to back Mr. Trump's false claims about election fraud in Georgia.

Now the efforts failed when appointees refused to go along. These revelations, of course, come just a couple of weeks before Mr. Trump's second impeachment trial.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden, the president's first weekend in office is proving to be a busy one. One of his top advisers will be calling senators on both sides of the aisle to drum up support for a massive pandemic relief bill.

A key feature is putting at least $3,000 per child into the pockets of parents. We'll have more on both of those developments in just a moment.

But first, authorities have arrested and charged a man they say took part in the Capitol attack on January the 6th. He's also accused of threatening to kill a House Democrat. Justice correspondent Jessica Schneider has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Another major arrest connected to that January 6th Capitol attack, this time against a Texas man, accused of posting online death threats not only against Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but also against a Capitol Police officer.

Now prosecutors say Garrett Miller of Texas tweeted, quote, "Assassinate AOC" and also said the police officer who fatally shot a female Trump supporter inside the Capito, quote, "deserves to die" and also said, won't survive long because, quote, "it's hunting season."

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Now officials say Miller participated in the Capitol attack and then posted extensively on social media before and after the attack, saying a civil war could start and that also, "next time we bring guns."

Now congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has been very vocal in the days after the attack. She's talked about how she and other members weren't sure they'd make it out alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die. It is not an exaggeration to say that many, many members of the House were nearly assassinated.

It's just not an exaggeration to say that at all. We were very lucky that things happened within certain minutes that allowed members to escape the House floor unharmed. But many of us nearly and narrowly escaped death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: This man who posted those threats against AOC is facing five federal criminal charges, including for his participation in the attack as well as the death threats.

Garrett Miller's attorney is telling CNN, his client regrets the threats and also says this, quote, "He did it in support of former president Donald Trump but he regrets his actions. He has the support of his family and a lot of the comments are viewed in context as really sort of misguided political hyperbole." Given the political divide these days, there is a lot of hyperbole.

And, of course, this is yet another suspect who said they were inspired by the president to attack the Capitol. At this point more than 120 people have been charged. Hundreds more could still be charged, as prosecutors now zero in on that next round of charges, that will likely be even more serious against those people who evaded law enforcement so far.

And the charges could even include sedition and conspiracy. Those include hefty sentences of up to 20 years in prison --

[02:05:00]

SCHNEIDER: -- Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Now Mr. Trump's relentless attacks on the election results led to the Capitol siege and his second impeachment. The new reports that he wanted to use the Justice Department to overturn Joe Biden's win could be a factor in a Senate trial next month. Here is Ryan Nobles with more on all of that -- Ryan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump is now beginning to take shape here on Capitol Hill. On Monday, the House will send over the articles of impeachment, starting the clock on the trial itself. On Monday the senators will be sworn in. On Tuesday they'll pick a presiding judge.

But the trial itself won't begin until February 8th. That gives the former president roughly two weeks to get his legal house in order in time for the trial to begin.

Now Republicans pushed for that. They believe that that was part of the due process that the former president should be afforded. But it also comes with an issue for president Trump because, in that time frame, more information could come out that could be damaging to his legal case.

Like for instance, this "New York Times" bombshell that came out over the weekend, that suggests the president was putting pressure on members of the Justice Department to look for examples of voter fraud that would help him overturn the election.

Now that's not directly connected to the Capitol insurrection but, remember, impeachment is not a legal argument. It is a political argument. And if there are more examples of issues that Republicans could potentially find with president Trump, that could mean that Democrats could convince the 17 necessary to cross party lines and vote to convict president Trump.

At this point it doesn't appear that there are enough of them to make that happen but we're still waiting to see how the Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell will rule on this case. He said he wants to hear all of the arguments before making a

decision. If McConnell were to break from former president Trump, there are a number of other Republicans that could follow suit -- Ryan Nobles, CNN, on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Joining me now is CNN political commentator Tara Setmayer.

Lovely to see you again.

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you.

CURNOW: This is the first week of a new presidency but the stench of the insurrection on Capitol Hill continues to linger. We are hearing of rioters wanting to assassinate congressional members.

How much changed that day?

And how deep is this trauma for America and how much do you think will bleed into the Biden administration?

SETMAYER: You know, that day will be another day that lives in infamy in American history, similar to Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

January 6th will be known as an Insurrection Day, which is just a sad bookend to Donald Trump's presidency.

He started -- you know, a lot of us who were Never Trumpers in the beginning warned that the Trump presidency would be disastrous, not only for the Republican Party but for the country.

But never could we have expected it to end in violence and with bloodshed. The Republicans in Congress, who still, even after, that day decided to vote against certifying Joe Biden's free and fair election, should be ashamed of themselves.

And it is an indication of how strong Donald Trump's hold is on the Republican Party moving forward, even out of power. Now there are others who are looking at the situation, like Mitch McConnell, and are -- you know, they want to exorcise the Republican Party of Donald Trump and his ilk.

But it is very difficult. As we saw, he has tens of millions of supporters, who are, in a cult-like fashion, willing to follow him into whatever endeavors he chooses. So the politics of this are extremely complicated.

But with the impeachment trial coming up in the Senate, Republicans have an opportunity to stop Donald Trump from ever running for office again.

CURNOW: I want to talk about that. Impeachment is always a political act. We have discussed that the first time Donald Trump got impeached. How does this impact Biden's early days again?

And is it necessarily a line in the sand for Mr. Biden and Democrats?

Or is it a distraction for Mr. Biden, who is desperate, as a new president, of course, to set his own agenda and move forward?

SETMAYER: You know, there were so many Americans breathing a breath of fresh air, just a sigh of relief when Joe Biden was inaugurated, that the chaos of the Trump presidency would be behind us.

Unfortunately, because of his dereliction of duty during the insurrection and leading up to it, we are forced now to have to confront what he has done. And I think that the Congress is able to do two things at once. They can walk and chew gum at the same time.

The idea that it is a distraction somehow, that will derail Joe Biden's early days, I think, is a red herring.

Is it a political annoyance?

Yes.

Is it something to navigate?

Sure because, even though the Republicans do not control the Senate anymore --

[02:10:00]

SETMAYER: -- they still do have some leverage in that they can slow down Biden's confirmation process, his nominees. We're hoping that that doesn't happen. They need to fill the government positions. The country is in crisis, between COVID, the economy.

So let's hope that Republicans don't do that. But that's the leverage that they have. So Biden is, you know, probably saying, listen, let's get through this. And that's why they got the two weeks for the trial to start so that there would be some time.

I will tell you what, the news that continues to come out, now that people are talking about Donald Trump's behavior leading up to the insurrection and if there isn't reason to convict him, I don't know what is.

And the more information that comes out, the more difficult it will be for Republicans to just sweep it under the rug and move on. Donald Trump has to pay a price for this.

Or what's to stop the next president from behaving this way and flouting the Constitution and behave like he is above the law?

CURNOW: Yes, you're not the first person I've heard tell me this.

President Biden, let's talk about COVID. I mean he has a plan to help Americans, not just out of the pandemic but also out of the pandemic's economic crisis. Again, this is also going to set up some sort of head-to-head confrontation with Republicans in the Senate over the stimulus package.

How much political power does the president have with all of this?

And can he use it?

SETMAYER: You know, the sad part about this is that Biden was handed virtually nothing. There was no national plan in place left behind by the Trump administration, which is unconscionable. So they're basically starting from scratch.

The American people are suffering and suffering unnecessarily because Donald Trump failed in his response. So for Republicans to hold the American people hostage in this situation, when it comes to COVID relief, is really the most cynical type of politics. They have to strike a deal because it is not just Republican states and blue states anymore.

COVID and the economy affect all Americans, including the constituents in a lot of these red districts. So you know, Republicans deciding to find religion now on fiscal responsibility is laughable at this point, considering what they allowed Donald Trump to get away with during his entire presidency, busting the deficit and not caring about any fiscal responsibility.

Now is not the time to play that game when the American people are crying out for help.

So it is very encouraging that Joe Biden has a plan, that Dr. Fauci is front and center again, able to be the brilliant scientist that he is, unbridled, and that we have a president and an administration that actually listens to science and medical experts and will put the health of the American people first and, hopefully, get this vaccine distributed and the stimulus package passed, so there's some relief for the American people.

CURNOW: Tara Setmayer, great to speak with you as always. Thank you so much.

SETMAYER: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: So legendary talk show host Larry King has died at the age of 87. He hosted "LARRY KING LIVE" for CNN for more than 25 years, interviewing everyone who was anyone as well as everyday people. Sunlen Serfaty has more on the life of this iconic radio and television legend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Larry King spent more than a half a century as a broadcaster.

LARRY KING, FORMER CNN HOST: It's been a hell of a 50 years. I don't know how much longer I can go. But as long as I feel it, I'm going to keep going.

SERFATY (voice-over): King was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933 as Larry Zeigler (sic). He moved to Miami in his 20s to pursue a job in radio. He also wrote a column for a local newspaper. In 1978 he started "The Larry King Show," a late-night radio program that was eventually syndicated in hundreds of cities.

KING: Good evening. My name is Larry King and this is the premiere edition of "LARRY KING LIVE."

SERFATY (voice-over): King joined a still young all-news cable channel called CNN in 1985 and soon became the face of the struggling network. Over more than 25 years, he interviewed celebrities, politicians and newsmakers. He was known for his conversational style and for rarely becoming confrontational with guests.

He was able to book the biggest names in Hollywood, from Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra to Al Pacino and Brad Pitt. He famously kissed Marlon Brando.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARLON BRANDO, ACTOR: Goodbye.

KING: Goodbye.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: I kiss my brother on the cheek and I've had friends hug me. But he's the only man ever to kiss me on the lips and I can't stop thinking about him.

SERFATY (voice-over): The NAFTA debate he moderated between Ross Perot and Al Gore was one of the highest-rated cable shows ever.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How do you stop that without NAFTA?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY (voice-over): King brought together Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YASSER ARAFAT, FORMER PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION CHAIRMAN: We don't want to divide the city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY (voice-over): And he sat down with past and present American presidents, from Richard Nixon --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KING: Let's set this straight.

Did you hate the people who criticized you?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY (voice-over): -- to Barack Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Do you still like this job?

[02:15:00]

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, this is the best on Earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY (voice-over): He covered live news events, from wars to elections.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Do you think you're going to cost Al Gore the election tonight, honestly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY (voice-over): Then shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks, he brought his show to New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: When it comes to describing what I saw earlier this week at ground zero, I really cannot find the right words.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY (voice-over): King was married eight times, the last to Shawn Southwick. After more than 25 years at CNN, he decided to end his nightly show and only appear in specials for the network. He signed off his final regular broadcast on December 16th, 2010.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: I don't know what to say except to you, my audience, thank you. And instead of goodbye, how about so long?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: So long, Larry, from all of us here at CNN. Reaction is pouring in across the world, remembering Larry King.

Oprah Winfrey saying, "It was always a treat to sit at your table and hear your stories. Thank you, Larry King."

Bette Midler tweeting, "He always made me feel as if I were the only person in the room."

Mariah Carey adding, "What a wonderful life and an iconic career. I'm grateful to have known him."

And then former president Bill Clinton saying, "He gave a direct line to the American people and worked hard to get the truth for them, with questions that were direct but fair. Farewell, my friend."

When we come back, the U.K. has vaccinated nearly 9 percent of its population against the coronavirus. But more contagious variants are spreading across the country. What the government's new vaccine strategy is and why some say it might not work.

Then we will continue to remember a legend. We will have more of Larry King's iconic interviews. I want to take a look back at his first show on CNN back in 1985. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Good evening. My name is Larry King and this is the premiere edition of "LARRY KING LIVE." Every night at this time we'll be here for one hour. We're going to meet fascinating people from all walks of life. I'll ask them questions, we'll take some calls.

I hope you enjoy this alternative to prime time programming rather than murder, mayhem, sex, violence. We'll bring you all of those -- but disguised.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CURNOW: Long, long lines here at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles but what relief when you get to the end of it. You are looking at one of the places the city has set up to provide COVID vaccinations. Some people say they waited up to five hours to get the shot. The city's mayor reports that demand is far outstripping supply.

A new, more contagious coronavirus variant is popping up across the U.S. Washington state reported its first two cases of the variant and Oregon recorded its second. The CDC counts nearly 200 total cases in the country. The U.S. is nearing 25 million known cases of coronavirus and it has only been one year since the first infection was reported here. More than 20 million vaccines have been administered in the U.S. Far more people need to be reached, though, and many states are really struggling to get the doses they need, as Natasha Chen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon, folk.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the Biden administration went into its first weekend promising to remain laser focused on the pandemic, the virus continued its lethal now year-long rampage; 764 deaths on Friday alone in California, an all-time single day record for the state.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Saturday, more than 1.4 million vaccine doses were administered. So far, the Biden administration has been meeting its goal of one million shots per day about double what the U.S. was averaging in the month before the President took office.

But local health providers are hitting roadblocks in ramping up. CHEN (on camera): What resources would you need to be able to double what you're doing every day?

ERIC NICKENS JR., SPOKESPERSON, DEKALB COUNTY HEALTH: A dependable vaccine supply. Right now, we're having to kind of dance a delicate dance between opening up additional appointments and the amount of vaccine that we have on hand.

CHEN (voice-over): Friday night, the Board of Health in DeKalb County, Georgia offered new appointments for the first time in nearly two weeks because they had been uncertain of how many new doses they'd get.

Publix grocery stores, which are offering the vaccine in three states, told CNN they're also only releasing new appointments when they've confirmed and verified shipments of vaccine.

GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): I'm less worried, unless new news pops up, about running out, as I am. This is going to take at the moment a lot longer than we had expected in early December. I think the Biden team has found that the cupboard is a lot barer than anyone thought.

CHEN (voice-over): The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says they've only received enough vaccine to inoculate one in every four people who are currently eligible.

About 5 percent of the U.S. population has gotten at least one dose. Around half of the doses distributed to states still haven't been administered, according to data from the C.D.C.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Feds need to, you know, take control so that they can help the states. The line was long. And I waited an hour and a half. But you know, that's OK. If you really want to get this, you'll wait.

CHEN (voice-over): And there's hope for improvement because Dr. Anthony Fauci says now science is guiding the way.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: That's a different tone, actually, that's strikingly different.

And that's the reason why, even though there's still going to be a lot of challenges ahead, if you stick with the scientific data and are transparent, open and honest with the American public, I think you're going to see things that are going to be different as we move forward.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yay.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the work of getting here was worth it.

CHEN (voice-over): Natasha Chen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:25:00]

CURNOW: And the British government is racing to get as many people vaccinated against the virus as possible. And it has a new strategy: delaying the second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. Now many U.K. doctors are against the idea but some scientists say it could help save more lives, as Scott McLean now explains. Scott.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A measure of success in the U.K. in the fight against the coronavirus. On Saturday, the government said more than 5.8 million people had received their first dose of vaccine. That's nearly 9 percent of the population.

But critics say rolling out the second doses should be happening sooner. Doctors from the British Medical Association want to reduce the gap between the first and second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine from up to 12 weeks to six weeks.

The chief medical officer says the longer wait allows more people to build up immunity. But Pfizer says the vaccine was only tested at a 21-day interval.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No other nation in the world has taken this stance. We want to be sure that, if this delay is occurring, we're not compromising and we're not going to result, we hope, in people becoming infected, who may have been protected by having an earlier second dose.

MCLEAN (voice-over): The vaccines even more vital, as a more contagious variant of the virus sweeps through the U.K. and beyond. The World Health Organization says it's been detected in more than 60 countries.

Early data suggests current vaccines can be effective against this variant. But the U.K.'s chief scientist says there is some evidence this strain may be more deadly than others. But it's too soon to tell.

PATRICK VALLANCE, U.K. CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISER: There's a lot of uncertainty around these numbers and we need more work to get a precise handle on it. But it obviously is of concern that this has an increase in mortality as well as an increase in transmissibility as it appears of today.

MCLEAN (voice-over): In January, the U.K. went back into lockdown because of an alarming number of new cases, many driven by the variant.

And as even more strains of the virus are identified, in Brazil and in South Africa, and questions about how they will respond to vaccines, the U.K. suspended its travel corridors on Monday and says it's considering a full border closure to protect the population -- Scott McLean, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Well, coming up here on CNN, a busy weekend in the new Biden White House. No angry tweets, no golf but a lot of calls to U.S. allies.

Plus, we will find out how his Asia policy will differ from Mr. Trump's.

Will China hit the reset button with a new U.S. president?

We ask that question.

Also, privacy concerns over contact tracing data.

What information has actually been gathered?

And how sometimes it is not just use to track the spread of the virus.

And we'll have more reaction on the death of broadcasting legend Larry King. Here is the moment he asked former U.S. president Ronald Reagan about the attempt on his life. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: What is it like to be shot?

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn't know I was shot. I heard a noise and we came out of the hotel and headed for the limousine.

I heard a noise and we'd came out of the hotel and headed for the limousine. And I heard some noise and I thought it was firecrackers. And the next thing I knew, one of the Secret Service agents behind me just seized me here by the waist and plunged me head-first into the limo.

Well, as it turned out later, the shot that got me caromed off the side of the limousine and hit me while I was diving into the car. And it hit back here, into the arm, and then hit a rib. And that's what caused an extreme pain. And then it tumbled, it turned, instead of edgewise, and went tumbling down to within an inch of my heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CURNOW: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow. It is 31 minutes past the hour.

The new U.S. president is wasting no time trying to repair the damage of the last four years, both at home and abroad. Well, this weekend Joe Biden has been calling American allies and assuring them that things will be different from Donald Trump. Well, John Harwood reports now from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Joe Biden is spending his first weekend in the White House doing some of the typical things that new presidents do, reaching out to key allies. In this case, it's all the more important, given that some of those alliances were strained under the Trump administration.

He spoke by phone with British prime minister Boris Johnson. They talked about the importance of NATO as well as climate change. Johnson has cheered the president's return to the Paris climate agreement.

He talked to the president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, about immigration policy. That had been a source of friction with the Trump administration as well.

Talked to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau about the Keystone XL pipeline. That is a point of contention with Joe Biden because Biden has revoked the permit for that pipeline. Canada favors it.

And with all three leaders, they talked about the importance of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And the broader agenda for Joe Biden, which he's trying to get early momentum, is that COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic recovery. He met with advisers at the White House today. Vice President Kamala Harris was there. They're trying to gear up momentum for that COVID relief package, $1.9

trillion, to try to get through Congress. His economic adviser, Brian Deese, is going to be talking over the weekend with 16 senators of both parties, see if they can get a bipartisan package.

If not, Democrats will try to do it through a special budget procedure with Democratic votes only. But critically important for Joe Biden to get action quickly on COVID-19 and the economic recovery -- John Harwood, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks, John, for that.

So the Chinese foreign ministry recently called Trump administration officials, quote, "anti-China politicians," who had undermined the relationship between the U.S. and China.

So how will President Biden's Asia policy differ from his predecessor's?

With me now in Hong Kong is CNN correspondent Will Ripley.

Hi, Will. You look rather dapper. Lovely to see you.

I suppose something of a test with China flying warplanes near Taiwan.

Is this obviously muscle flexing going on?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a new year but the same old business in the Taiwan Strait and probably the South China Sea, China continuing to assert what it views as its rightful position in this region as the superpower and the U.S. pushing back.

[02:35:00]

RIPLEY: The State Department over the weekend saying that China, by flying about a dozen warplanes over the Taiwan Strait, is, you know, doing what it has done repeatedly against Taiwan, military, diplomatic and economic bullying. And the State Department says it needs to stop.

That is a similar hardline position to the stance taken by the Trump administration. However, in other areas, like climate change, like trade, President Biden may seek to try to reboot, if you will, with China.

But on these issues of human rights and the suppression of the pro- democracy movement here in Hong Kong, the accusations of genocide against Uyghur Muslims, it seems as if Biden is keeping up with Trump's hardline stance.

CURNOW: Let's break it down a little more.

How do you think, in these key areas of trade or Uyghurs or Hong Kong, for example, will the policies differ?

If there's going to be a fight to pick, what do you think this president will prioritize?

RIPLEY: Well, I think that the United States obviously needs to do something to try to bring U.S.-China relations back up from the dredges. These are the lowest levels they've been in decades, according to pretty much every stakeholder involved here in the region.

But on other points of contention, it is kind of like the same old back-and-forth. Certainly, on the issue of Taiwan, Beijing has repeatedly told Washington to butt out. They say Taiwan -- they don't acknowledge Taiwan's government is legitimate. They say it is a renegade province they have a right to take back at any time.

And there was almost kind of a warning shot that Beijing issued by sanctioning those 28 former Trump administration officials, including the former U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, calling them, as you said in your intro, Robyn, anti-China politicians trying to suppress and restrain China.

Remember President Trump declassified the 10-page document, laying out what analysts look at as the U.S. plan to try to box in China in this region. China says they just won't stand for that.

CURNOW: OK.

Broadly in the region, Asian allies, how are they looking to this Biden presidency as well?

RIPLEY: Well, certainly President Biden is getting very warm welcomes from traditional allies like Japan and South Korea. India's prime minister, even though he was close with Trump, welcoming President Biden. You heard nice greetings from Malaysia, from Singapore, from Indonesia.

But there are other countries that are kind of feeling like they will be caught in the middle of the two superpowers again, like Thailand. Of course, every country in this region is a very strong trading partner with China as well as the United States.

So they have to try to balance their own economic and diplomatic interests in the region between these dueling interests of these two superpowers.

But in terms of the overall welcoming in the region, of a possible return to stability in the United States, the overwhelming consensus, even from countries that were close with Trump, is that they're happy to see Biden come in. Now they want to see what is going to happen, Robyn.

CURNOW: OK. Thanks for that. Lovely to see you in Hong Kong. Will Ripley there.

One country that has managed COVID well is Singapore. Will has reported on that as well. A large part of the success is due to mobile contact tracing. But now an admission by Singapore's government is raising privacy concerns, as Kristie Lu Stout explains. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): No lockdown in the Lion City. In Singapore, local infection rates have been close to zero for months, a factor behind its success.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Trace Together. Savor together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT (voice-over): Contact tracing technology, the government's Trace Together program includes a smartphone app and a token that uses Bluetooth to gauge proximity between users, to alert them if they've been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

More than 4.2 million people or 78 percent of Singapore's population voluntarily use the technology. In June, authorities insisted it is not a tracking device and the data is encrypted and would not be used for other purposes.

VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN, SMART NATION MINISTER-IN-CHARGE: The only time the data leaves the phone or the device is in the unlikely event that you're diagnosed with COVID-19.

STOUT (voice-over): But that may not necessarily be the case. This month in parliament, a government minister said police can obtain Trace Together data for criminal investigations.

DESMOND TAN, SINGAPORE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HOME AFFAIRS: Singapore police force is empowered under the criminal procedure court to obtain any data and that includes the Trace Together data for criminal investigations.

STOUT (voice-over): Analysts say the backtracking on privacy undermines citizens' trust.

EUGENE TAN, SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY: I think you know that has a perhaps left an unpleasant taste in the mouths of Singaporeans. And it raises questions about whether future assurances, given by the government with regard to data collection, data use, you know, whether people will have the high level of trust and confidence.

STOUT (voice-over): Privacy concerns about the technology have been raised around the world.

[02:40:00]

STOUT (voice-over): In South Korea, where health authorities and sometimes businesses share the whereabouts of coronavirus patients ...

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know the exact locations this individual went to. I know the door that they used in order to get inside my local supermarket.

STOUT (voice-over): -- and in China, where photos and personal information from a Beijing COVID-19 health app were reportedly leaked and sold online.

STOUT: When the technology required to control the virus ends up undermining privacy, what should governments do?

JASON LAU, CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER: You need to follow the six data privacy principles. It's a collection of purpose means to make sure the information is accurate, make sure we don't retain it for a longer period of time than we need to, make sure that we use it for the purpose we're actually collecting it for, make sure we have the right type of security safeguards, ,the openness to make sure we share what we're actually doing with the actual data and also allow the people to correct the data if the data is actually not accurate.

STOUT (voice-over): Singapore has acknowledged its error in not stating that data from Trace Together is not exempt from the Criminal Procedure Code and will introduce new legislation to limit police use of such data.

It remains to be seen whether that will placate any concerns or whether, in certain countries, privacy is considered a price of tackling the pandemic -- Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Coming up on CNN, Russians brave the winter cold and turn out in droves to support jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. We will show you what they want and how police responded. That's ahead.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CURNOW: This just in to CNN. At least 11 miners have been rescued after being trapped in a gold mine in China for two weeks now.

State media say the man in the video you see here is the first one to be rescued since the mine blast back on January 10th. As you can see from some of the pictures, the man was extremely weak and was taken to hospital.

[02:45:00]

CURNOW: Lucky though. State media also reports 22 miners were trapped underground. We know at least one miner is believe to have been killed in the blast. We will continue to monitor and bring you updates.

The U.S. State Department, the E.U. and the British foreign office have condemned Russia for using force against opposition protesters. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated across the country on Saturday. Some 1,800 were detained and police were seen hitting people with batons.

The protesters were demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. His arrest last week sparked widespread outrage, the kind of public defiance that has not been seen in Moscow for years. Fred Pleitgen reports from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Russian riot cops cracking down with a heavy hand, detaining protesters in Moscow who are calling for the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

PLEITGEN: The folks you are hearing around me, they're screaming, "Shame, shame," as riot police are making their advance.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Despite massive efforts by authorities to stop people from coming and the risk of detention, thousands showed up, some saying they simply can't stay silent anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not proud of my country and I don't want my government to poison people and put them in prison. I want more freedom. I want proper elections and a normal government.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Alexei Navalny was detained when he arrived in Moscow last Sunday from Germany, where he got treatment after being poisoned by the chemical nerve agent Novichok. The Kremlin has denied involvement in the poisoning.

Even in jail, Navalny managed to publish an investigation into Putin's alleged ownership of a gigantic palace worth around $1.4 billion. A Putin spokesperson said the president doesn't own a palace. Navalny called on Russians to take to the streets.

ALEXEI NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): I urge you not to be silent, to resist, to take to the streets.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Russian authorities arrested many of Navalny's supporters, even his wife, Yulia, as she was trying to head to the protest in Moscow. She was released after several hours in detention.

But across Russia, it is estimated tens of thousands turned out, with rallies in places like St. Petersburg, in the far east and even in the Siberian town Yakutsk, at almost minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Russian officials accuse the U.S. embassy in Moscow of, quote, "encouraging" the protests after it disclosed the location of the demonstrations on its website, urging U.S. citizens to avoid them. But people at the rally in Moscow said their message is to their own leadership.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With the political situation right now, I just don't see a future in this country.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): After a day with scenes like these and over 2,000 arrests across the country, according to a monitoring group, Russian authorities launched an investigation -- but into violence against the police -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And just ahead, we will have more on the passing of legend Larry King. Here is the moment he got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Larry King. Larry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:50:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CURNOW: In a stunning defeat, mixed martial artist and superstar Conor McGregor was knocked out in a surprising fashion at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi. Dustin Poirier was a heavy underdog in the match. He had lost to McGregor in their first match back in 2014 but he was able to easily handle McGregor this time around, knocking him out in the second round for the TKO.

We have been remembering Larry King and all his incredible interviews and his classic moments, including signature suspenders. He was also fun to be around and had fun at his own expense. Take a look at what happened when comedian Robyn Williams took over the show's control room. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN WILLIAMS, COMEDIAN: OK, go tighter, Larry. Real tight, if you can. Yes, that's tight.

Just try to cut the suspenders because I wore those first.

OK, Larry, we have an interview with one of your sperm. It's in assisted living in Miami. We're hoping to see it. It's been there for a couple of years. I don't know.

Bob, cut to the sperm.

OK, back to Larry.

OK, Larry, Larry, we've got -- give me the shot of Britney.

Pan up.

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: OK -- oh, yes.

No, keep the two of them in. Keep the producer there, wondering how we're going to air this.

OK, now we've got Mel Gibson and a rabbi. Let's see what happens. He's doing a production of "Fiddler on the Roof" in Orange County. It's really fun though.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Tammy Haddad was Larry's first executive producer of "LARRY KING LIVE." She talked with Fredricka Whitfield about what it was like, talking to a radio guy, and taking him into television.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAMMY HADDAD, FORMER CNN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: It was the early days of CNN. We didn't have the fabulous sets that you have now.

But if you remember the dots behind Larry King's set.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

HADDAD: It was an old set left somewhere. In fact, the contents don't even connect directly. One year, we decided we would paint them colors. And then the idea was it would appear there was more going on than there actually was. Ted Turner's idea was, we're not going to change this guy. We had to go out and purchase the same microphone that Mutual Radio had. We're going to let him talk.

But the critical thing is that we also took calls from viewers, which, in TV, nobody did.

And I can tell you it took years to get some guests because they didn't want the American people and then eventually the world to be able to ask those questions.

Larry was always the great equalizer. In his interviews and also in -- well, also in his personal life.

[02:55:00]

HADDAD: He treated everyone the same. If we told him it was a taxi driver or if it was a president, he approached it the same way.

The thing people don't know is he famously didn't, quote, "do research."

That doesn't really explain it. Larry knew everything about everything. He read everything. May not have read your book but probably read five reviews about your book. He was really well informed.

Wasn't formally educated so he didn't formally prepare for the show. But we would have fun every night basically just talking through the interview before it happened. And he would go out and do it.

But he never -- it's funny, somebody asked me today, he never really analyzed his interviews. He liked making news but he didn't live for it.

He didn't understand sometimes why people were so willing to come and talk to him. He was -- he was a very humble man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Humble but Larry King also had many funny moments and touching moments as well, including this, when he signed off on his final show after more than 25 years of hosting it. We'll leave you with his heartfelt message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: It's not very often in my life I've been without words, but I want to thank everybody associated with this program. All the people behind the scenes, as I mentioned, Wendy and the staff. The floor people, everybody who makes it possible, even the suits at the top. I love them, too.

When I started 25 years ago at a little studio in Washington, D.C., I never thought it would ever last this long or come to this.

So I'm going to go on and do a lot of other things, we're going to do specials here on CNN and I'm going to be seen in other places and do some radio work, be around baseball.

So you're not going to see me go away, but you're not going to see me here on this set anymore. For two weeks they're going to be playing highlight shows.

I don't know what to say, except to you, my audience, thank you. And instead of goodbye, how about so long?

(END VIDEO CLIP)