Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Obama to Young People, Vote the Issue Vote Like Your Life Depends On It; New York Times Reports, Police Personally Warned Travis Scott About Crowd Concerns; U.S. Seizes $6 Million in Ransom Payments, Expected to Charge Ukrainian Over Major Cyberattack. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired November 08, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Accelerate and they build momentum.

[10:00:02]

If we listen to those who are resistant and we take their concerns seriously and we work with them and we organize and we mobilize and we get our hands dirty in the difficulties of changing political dynamics in our countries, those victories start happening a little bit more frequently. If we stay with it, we will get this done.

So, to all the young people out there, as well as those of you who consider yourselves young at heart, I want you to stay angry. I want you to stay frustrated. But channel that anger. Harness that frustration. Keep pushing harder and harder for more and more, because that's what's required to meet this challenge. Gird yourself for a marathon, not a sprint.

For solving a problem this big, this complex and this important has never happened all at once. Since we're in the Emerald Isles here, let me quote the bard, William Shakespeare, what wound, he writes, did ever heal but by the grease?

Our planet has been wounded by our actions. Those wounds won't be healed today or tomorrow or the next. But they can be healed, by degrees, and if we start with that spirit that each of us can fight through, the occasional frustration and dread, if we pledge to do our part and then follow through on those commitments, I believe we can secure a better future. We have to.

And what a profound and noble task to set for ourselves. I'm ready for the long haul, if you are. So let's get to work. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: Former President Biden there speaking to the U.N. Climate Change Summit in Glasgow with a message of, and this is one we've heard from a lot of leaders who have spoken there, that time is running out to address the climate crisis. He says, we have not done nearly enough as a country but also as a collection of countries.

He also says that young people have a responsibility for leadership going forward, Erica, and that a big part of his message there.

ERICA HILL, CNN NEWSROOM: Yes, absolutely, speaking out to young people, encouraging them not to give up, to talk to people in older generations, bring them in.

CNN's Rene Marsh is in Glasgow this morning where the former president just finished speaking. John Harwood is live for us at the White House.

Rene, let's start with you. There was a lot coming into this that was expected in terms of what the message would be. I guess it's how does now that translate into action? Is there a sense that former President Obama has a little bit more push, perhaps, to spur action?

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Erica. I think what the thinking going into was essentially that he has a lot of credibility when it comes to this issue of climate change. And for everyone watching, you saw that that was a passionate speech. It was equal parts passionate, but it was also urgent and political. I mean, he went after former President Trump. He didn't name him but he spoke about his successor and his pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, as well as, and I'm quoting now, four years of active hostility towards climate science coming from the very top.

So, you get the sense that the role here that he is playing with his major speech, which, by the way, we would be remiss if we don't point out the timing of all this, this is happening, this speech is happening while intense critical negotiations, climate negotiations are happening right now here at COP26.

[10:05:03]

So, the role here is really to repair the U.S.'s credibility and it's directly linked to the undoing that we saw under former President Donald Trump, and that is what his goal is here, is to tell people on the world stage that the United States is still a willing and committed partner in the post-President Trump presidency.

And the other thing here, and I thought this was an interesting moment, is that he took the time to also talk about the politics of climate change back home in the United States. That is certainly something that is looming here at COP26. And he spoke directly to people who are allowing the politics of climate change to hamper efforts for aggressive actions towards climate change. Take a listen to that moment.

SCIUTTO: We don't actually have that sound, but good point, certainly, Rene. That gets to the central part of this message here.

John, you heard Rene mention that part of not just Obama's message but, of course, the Biden administration's is that the U.S. is back, right, as a climate leader. But I have got to be frank, when I speak to European diplomats, even from our closest allies, they're skeptical, right, because they're concerned can Biden get these agenda items through, and, two, what happens if there's another president from another in 2024? Well, what does the White House believe the Biden administration accomplished in Glasgow?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's incremental, and people are right to be skeptical. Look, Obama was acknowledging that even people who signed on in the Paris accord and believed they were advancing the cause of combating climate change, themselves have not followed through on their commitments. So, that includes the United States.

I thought what was powerful about what President Obama said today was he was rallying people against a sense of pessimism and futility and saying that what all of us, including his own administration had done, was not enough, they need to do more. I think President Biden welcomes that assistance because he's got a fight on his hands.

This is the ultimate problem, the ultimate challenge for a political system focused on the next election, an economic system focused on the next quarterly report, and for individual families focused on paying their bills every month. You're trying to get people to endure dislocation and pay costs now for benefits that will accrue way down the road, and those costs and benefits are not equally districted among nations or within nations.

So I think Joe Biden is trying to get that Build Back Better agenda, which has got $500 billion of climate investments there, but as President Obama said, it doesn't include all the things that Joe Biden wants to do. This is a grinding process of two steps forward, one step back, and he was trying to say that if we keep grinding, ultimately, we can do what needs to be done.

HILL: John Harwood, Rene Marsh, I appreciate it, thank you both.

We are also following the latest developments out of Houston. Chaos at the Astroworld Music Festival left at least eight people dead, dozens more injured. Concertgoers were calling this a fight for survival. We know police are now conducting a criminal investigation.

The New York Times reporting Houston's police chief spoke in person with rapper Travis Scott before he took the stage expressing concern about the energy of the crowd Friday.

SCIUTTO: It is not clear at this point what exactly Scott saw from the stage as this was happening, whether he was aware of how serious, how dangerous the situation was. Survivors, however, described the scene and paint a picture of total chaos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOYA MELVIN, ATTENDED ASTROWORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL: He did stop the set three times, but he was still pointing out, like there was a person hanging on a tree and he was like, oh, look at that rager out in the tree. He was really still seeing people, he was like come pick this person up, but it was just like the show kept going on. And if you saw people that were dying, I feel like you should have stopped the entire show completely.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SCIUTTO: Rosa Flores following this situation for us from Houston. So, I wonder what investigators are looking at right now, what they're focusing on. And I have a key question. I mean, was there any communication to Scott in the midst of this from emergency first responders to him so that he knew definitively what was unfolding as the show continued?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim, that's a key question. And from talking to some of the concertgoers, they tell me that at various intervals in his performance, he actually paused and pointed to different areas of the crowd asking people, directing them to areas that needed attention.

So, it's unclear how he knew or if he was told or not, but here's what we do know about the timeline, according to the Houston Police Department.

[10:10:00]

At about 9:15 P.M. on Friday, there was about 50,000 people in the crowd, that crowd started compressing towards the stage. By 9:38, this had turned into a mass casualty event with one officer describing multiple people on the ground, some of them in cardiac arrest, needing medical attention.

Now, at that point, that's when they say that the promoters were notified to stop this concert. Now, according to HPD, the concert was stopped about 10:10.

Now, live nation, Astroworld Festival, Travis Scott, they have all issued statements saying that they're devastated, that they're heartbroken, that they're cooperating with authorities, but that is not enough for some concertgoers. Multiple lawsuits have already been filed. These lawsuits claim that there's gross negligence, that these organizers organized this concert and that they just did not organize it in a safe manner.

The latest that we've heard from authorities is that eight people have died, and, Erica and Jim, the fire chief telling me that six people remain in the hospital, five of them in critical condition. I can tell you that I've been here all weekend, at first, we had learned that 25 people had been transport to the hospital, so now we're learning that there's only six left, but five of them in critical condition.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Let's hope they get out safely and the victims we already know, so young. Rosa Flores, thanks so much for covering this for us.

HILL: Rosa mentioned the lawsuit. At least one has already been filed against Travis Scott, Live Nation, the promoter of the music festival.

Joining me is Ryan MacLeod, who filed that lawsuit on behalf of one of the attendees, Manuel Souza. It's good to have you with us this morning.

First of all, can you just tell us how is your client doing this morning, and what did he experience on Friday night?

RYAN S. MACLEOD, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING MANUEL SOUZA: thank you, and good morning. Thank you for covering this important story, obviously tragedy in Houston. My client is -- you know, there's the physical pain, and that's one part of this, but even kind of greater, and I think he's sharing in this pain, is the emotional trauma from this, the emotional scarring, that sort of silent pain.

And, really, what he felt was he felt being trapped. He felt like he was drowning. He felt like he couldn't breathe. Then he was trampled and there was a hero, as many of these concertgoers turned out to be, who was able to lift him and then get him out to safety. But he's trying to do his best to recover, and obviously time will tell where we end up with that.

HILL: In terms of the lawsuit, Travis Scott, Live Nation, the concert promoter, are all named and you call this a, quote, predictable and preventable tragedy, making the case that profits were prioritized over safety. Do you believe that there were missed warning signs? Was there prior knowledge? Was there safety protocol that wasn't followed?

MACLEOD: Absolutely. I believe that this was not just months in the making. This wasn't just days in the making. This was years in the making. Travis Scott and his promoters know very well, from at least 2015, Travis has been arrested for inciting violence. Oftentimes when there's a mosh pit at one of his concerts, he will proudly say, this isn't a mosh pit unless someone is getting hurt.

One time, there was a concert in Manhattan, of all places, where he encouraged people to push people off a balcony. There was a young man who was left paralyzed. In fact, before this Houston concert, it was sold out, and he tweeted proudly again, we're going to sneak the wild ones in. And then Mayor Turner tells him that this is a problem.

And then during the concert, even when first responders are trying to respond, he continues the concert. It's disgusting. It's despicable. We're better than this as humans.

HILL: And just to be clear, because there is -- it is still not clear what he knew when, what he could see from the stage, according to our reporting. Do you have separate information that you believe he knew the chaos that was unfolding in that crowd and then continued performing?

MACLEOD: I know that if you have a pulse and you're alive, as Travis Scott was that night, and you've got the microphone in your hand and you're in charge and you identify that there's a life and death -- there's a problem. He is saying there's a guy down, and you have got ambulances, EMTs who are trying to force their way into this mass crowd, and you don't stop? There's a problem. And you are putting profits over safety.

He knew that there were problems all around him. If you watch the video footage, it is telling. He knew that there were problems. He knew that there were serious emergencies. He knew that first responders needed to do their jobs. CPR was literally being administered while he's still singing about being the highest in the room. That cannot ever happen again.

HILL: When you look at what played out at this event, there are large-scale events obviously coming back online certainly after COVID.

[10:15:02]

They've been around, right? Are there regulations that you feel were not enforced? Are there further regulations that you feel need to be put in place in terms of whether it's limiting the number of people who are there, better separation, better barriers? What on that front are you looking for in terms of answers and also changes?

MACLEOD: I think you hit a great point. This lawsuit and the many others that we file is about change. Hopefully, we're seeing some light at the end of this tunnel of this horrible pandemic, and we want to get back to concerts. I want to go to concerts. But I want to go to concerts that are safe. I want proper security. I want to make sure we are enforcing security.

One of the biggest problems with this, you had people bull rushing through security gates earlier that afternoon. The concert still proceeds. We cannot have that. You have got to have efficient security. You have got to have barricades. And it's not just to protect the concertgoers. It's to protect the performers, the security. Everyone there just needs to know that when they go to a concert, whether it's a rap concert, a jazz concert or a country concert, they do so safely.

HILL: Ryan MacLeod, I appreciate you joining us this morning. Thank you.

MACLEOD: Thank you so much.

HILL: Still to come, today the U.S. has now reopened its borders to international travelers after nearly two years. Yes, there are caveats there. We're live at the U.S./Mexican border, next.

SCIUTTO: Also, a new CNN reporting on a rare and urgent conversation in Moscow, this between the CIA director and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Why the U.S. has such serious concerns now, next.

Plus, the three men on trial for the death of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia, they return to the courtroom. Still ahead, we look at what to watch as prosecutors summon their second witness.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:00]

SCIUTTO: First on CNN this morning, the Justice Department is set to announce charges against the Ukrainian suspect for a major ransomware attack on U.S. companies. Law enforcement officials say they also seized an estimated $6 million from ransom payments.

HILL: CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez is following this for us. So, Evan, what more are we learning this morning? EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a major announcement that we're expecting in the next two hours from the Justice Department, Erica and Jim. This is a scoop from my colleagues, Christina Carrega and Sean Lyngaas. What we're expected to hear is that the Justice Department has seized about $6 million connected to the gang behind the ransomware known as REvil.

Now, this is the group that was behind the 4th of July weekend attack on a company called Kaseya, affected about 1,500 companies around the world. And along with the $6 million that the Justice Department says -- will say that they have seized, they're also going to announce, we expect, charges against a Ukrainian man who has been arrested in Poland in connection with this group, REvil. His name is Yaroslav Vasinkyi. He was arrested last month. And now we expect the Justice Department to try to seek his extradition.

Now, we're also going to hear about charges not only against Vasinkyi but also against another member behind this REvil group. His name is Yevgeniy Polyanin. Now, he is still at large, believed to be in Russia, but these significant charges, we're expected to hear from Justice Department officials again in next two hours ago or so, are related to fraud, conspiracy, money laundering among other charges.

And, really, look, after the last couple of years, the exponential rise of ransomware attacks taking this action, the FBI, the Justice Department, the treasury department, they expect that this is going to take at least a little bit of -- take a little bit of, you know, action against these groups because it's been a cat-and-mouse game over the last couple years with these groups behind these ransomware attacks. Jim, Erica?

HILL: What a development though. Evan Perez, I appreciate it. Thank you.

PEREZ: Sure.

SCIUTTO: This morning, also CNN exclusive reporting, CNN has learned that CIA Director Bill Burns held a rare conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, this on a visit to Moscow last week. The reason, to convey serious U.S. concerns and to determine Russia's intentions as it builds up troops and military equipment right along its border with Ukraine, Two sources with direct knowledge of the conversation tell me and my colleague, Natasha Bertrand.

Joining me now to discuss the significance of this, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Director, thanks for taking the time this morning.

JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, first of all, explain the significance of President Biden dispatching the director of the CIA to Moscow to communicate not just with his counterparts there in intelligence but with the Russian president to say, one, we know what you're doing, in effect, along the border, but also to determine what exactly Russian intentions are. What's the significance of that conversation? CLAPPER: Well, I think it's quite significant, Jim. And for me, it conjures up bad memories of 2014 when Russian little green men moved into Ukraine and seizing Crimea and all that sort of thing.

[10:25:08]

And I think it's just using all the tools in the tool kit by dispatching Bill Burns, who is a master diplomat, and who served as, at one point, our ambassador to Russia. So, to me, this is kind of a double-whammy, if you will, capitalizing on Bill's considerable diplomatic skills with the added oomph, if you will, of being CIA director.

So I think from a messaging standpoint, this is quite significant. And I'm quite sure while Bill was there he probably had the opportunity to take up some other issues such as Havana syndrome.

SCIUTTO: And we should note that the Kremlin spokesman, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that this meeting took place, said that cybersecurity also came up.

Director clapper, when I've spoke on the U.S. officials about this Russian buildup, they cite the size of it along the border there, some of the particular units involved. Now, it's not the first time Russia has done this. They did this earlier in the year and then pulled back. As you look at this current buildup, do you see it as qualitatively different than what you've seen in the past?

CLAPPER: Well, it's not unlike 2014, certainly, and, of course, this gets to the elusive Holy Grail for intelligence people's plans and intentions. And it's hard to gauge. Hopefully, Bill came away with an impression or some insight into just what the plans and intentions are by the Russians.

But just for the fact that some of the units that they've dispatched are first-line units, so the question is, are they exercising, which I think is unlikely, more likely, in my view, is just intimidating Ukraine? And I think -- that's why I think this messaging, if you, will is so important and so significant, to have a diplomat and intelligence senior visit Moscow and seek out what the plans, intentions are, and also make clear our concerns.

I'd also mention, Jim, that the Russians do have other tools they can use short of a kinetic attack, cyber and control over energy in the Ukraine as other levers the Russians can employ.

SCIUTTO: And they've done that. They've had that kind of hybrid warfare we've seen take place in other areas.

Let me ask you this. What are U.S. options to deter Russia? I've been told that the U.S. is expected to increase its military assistance to Ukraine, things like Javelin, anti-tank missiles, to raise the military cost for Russia if it were chose to invade, in other words, to make it clear, you can't do this easily? Does the U.S. have other options? What do you think is most workable? CLAPPER: Well, some in Congress have advocated sending troops, which the Russians would view as very provocative. So, I think you've kind of outlined the options, which is more weaponry, perhaps more intelligence, perhaps a show of force, forays into the Black Sea, either naval or airborne assets, and sanctions. Whether or not any of these will be effective or work, that's another question. But those are some options. Short of troop deployment, which I think is probably not in the cards, and which would be viewed by the Russians as extremely provocative.

SCIUTTO: Yes, and, of course, Ukraine now treaty ally for the U.S. James Clapper, thanks so much for helping us understand.

CLAPPER: Thanks, Jim.

HILL: Still ahead, there are new developments this morning when it comes to COVID-19 booster shots. A Biden administration official telling CNN Pfizer now expected to seek emergency use authorization for boosters for people 18 and older as soon as this week. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:00]