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CNN International: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Visits Liberated Kherson City; Can Biden and Xi Ease Tensions over Taiwan; Crypto Currency Giant FTX Files for Bankruptcy; Soon: Biden to Speak after Meeting with Xi on Sidelines of G20; Bezos to Give Majority of $124B Fortune to Charity; First Regular Season NFL Game Played in Germany. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired November 14, 2022 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Hello, welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead face to face for the first time, the American and Chinese leaders hold an historic meeting. We'll have all the details for you. Plus aide arrives in Kherson.
As Ukraine's president visits recently liberated areas CNN is live in the region, this hour and a suspect is in custody after a deadly attack in Istanbul. We'll tell you who police say were behind the blast.
We're standing by this hour for remarks from U.S. President Joe Biden for three hours he met face to face with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first in person exchange since Mr. Biden took office. That meeting has now ended, the two talked on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.
The meeting comes at a low point in relations between the two superpowers with tensions high over everything from trade to Taiwan; both leaders expressed a desire to fix ties. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: And as you know, I'm committed to keeping the lines of communications open between you and me personally, but our governments across the board, because our two countries have so much that we have an opportunity to deal with.
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT: A statesman should think about and know where to lead his country. He should also think about and know how to get along with other countries and the wider world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: MJ Lee traveling with President Biden joins us now live from Bali, interesting to hear that the meeting went on for three hours when many predicted two hours. So is that a positive sign?
MJ LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, we are just going to have to see exactly what the various readouts are from the U.S. side and the Chinese side. We of course are expecting here in Bali for President Biden to give formal remarks and even take questions from reporters.
But as you just played in that found there, when the two leaders were first meeting earlier tonight, you saw that there was a kind of warmth and familiarity, as the two leaders both talked about the fact that they've known each other for a number of number of years. And they said it is going to be important for the two countries to preserve their bilateral relationship and keep open lines of communication.
Now, this is all pretty remarkable. If you think about the context here, the context being that we are at a real low point in U.S. Chinese relations, not least of all, because of how Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to Taiwan.
That was certainly expected to be one of the big issues and possibly a contentious one that Biden and she were going to discuss again, we'll see exactly what the readouts are and how they describe those conversations.
But I can tell you that ahead of this meeting, U.S. officials had really set expectations and saying that there were no specific deliverables that the U.S. side was going for, they said that there certainly isn't going to be a joint statement, which tells you so much.
And they said that they are going to consider this meeting a success if the two leaders can agree to continue to communicate. And one official said the only thing worse than having contentious conversations is not having conversations at all.
So obviously what we just saw is the beginning of those conversations between the two leaders. Obviously, again, we are going to see exactly how the two sides sort of spin exactly how those conversations went tonight.
FOSTER: Back with you MJ as soon as we get those readouts. Thank you. We'll have much more on the Bi-Xi meeting throughout the hour. U.S. President Biden scheduled to hold a news conference in about 20 minutes time. I will bring that to you live when it gets underway. We're going to turn now though, to Ukraine, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced visit to the formerly occupied southern city of Kherson where he's just accused Russian forces of committing war crimes before retreating last week. Earlier Mr. Zelenskyy said Ukrainians are moving forward to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We're ready for peace, but our peace for our country is all our country, all our territory. We respect the law and respect sovereignty of all the countries but now we are speaking about our country, that's why we are fighting against Russian aggression.
(END VIDEO CLIP) FOSTER: Ukraine's military meanwhile, warns that Moscow is stepping up aerial reconnaissance in Kherson in possible preparation for military strikes on newly liberated areas. The Kremlin meanwhile, insisting that Kherson is Russian territory. As whereas Nic Robertson joins us now live. It still feels like a dangerous place to be Nic looking at all the rhetoric.
[08:05:00]
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think potentially it is. And rationally it is too because the frontline has moved across the river. So from here, it's just a couple of miles away a couple of kilometers away. And the Russians are there, they've taken up positions on the other side of the river. And the Ukrainians are still firing shells across the river towards the Russians.
So far, the Russians haven't returned fire on this city, which is striking in of itself. But that could change at any moment. And I think that's something that really concerns the residents here. They are now quite literally, a frontline city.
They are short of a lot of things because Russia has destroyed the phone service here the internet connection, the television tower, they topple that, that they've cut the electricity cut the water supplies. So people here are pretty much desperate for everything at the moment.
It's obviously cold at night, its winter. So people are freezing at night and trying to find water. By day, there's a humanitarian trunk that arrived here just behind me the first humanitarian truck since the city was liberated, it's bought water, bread, candles, things like that.
But I think for people here, there is that sense of liberation and freedom overrides at the moment, those are much of the fears and concerns about the future. And the concern about the stability and safety is obviously big. And that's part of what you heard President Zelenskyy saying here, look, we're moving the line forward, we're going to keep moving forward, we want peace, but for all of Ukraine.
And that means rejecting what President Putin wants, which is to be at a key part of Ukraine. But he also said he wanted to come here to help Kherson reconnect with the rest of the country. And just today the government has managed to get up a temporary cell phone tower to do just that to allow people to be able to call relatives in the rest of the country. But the government does warn about mines about booby traps that are still in the region. People are getting injured, so of course, a very much an ongoing concern, Max.
FOSTER: OK, Nic Robertson in Kherson, thank you. Turkey says a Syrian national chain by Kurdish separatist groups is behind a deadly blast in Istanbul. On Sunday at least six people were killed and dozens wounded in the explosion, which happened on a busy street in the heart of Turkey's largest city.
Police say the Syrian woman who is now in custody planted the bomb at the scene and then left in a taxi authorities according to the terrorist attack. Scott McLean is monitoring the story from London joins us now, you're getting a better sense Scott, of exactly what happened.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there's a heck of a lot of security footage to go through but authorities say that they have combed through some 1200 cameras across the city to piece it all together. As you mentioned, authorities say that this woman was sitting on a bench on his stick --Wall Street really the beating heart of the city popular with tourists also popular with locals on a Sunday afternoon that was absolutely gorgeous weather wise, at least.
She sat there for more than 40 minutes, they say before she got up one or two minutes later, the blast went off. Through closed circuit television footage they managed to trace her movements across the city first to another neighborhood and then they ended up tracking her down overnight in an apartment in the western part of Istanbul.
They also arrested 20 or sorry, they went to 21 other properties that people who had been in contact with this woman, all told they arrested 46 people. So this is an absolutely massive operation that's been happening over the last 24 hours really less than 24 hours still.
Police say this woman was a Syrian national and they say that she had confessed to receiving training from the PKK and other militant separate Kurdish militant separatist groups in Turkey. It is common for Kurdish militant groups to operate out of Syria or Iraq where they can operate more freely than they can in Turkey, where authorities there have really tried and been trying to crack down on them. The government has been in conflict with Kurdish separatists for really the last four decades. This conflict has cost tens of thousands of lives that have also resulted in some pretty high profile terror attacks across the country as things sort of escalate.
One of the most interesting things that's come up so far, sorry, I should also mention Max quickly before I mentioned this, that the PKK the military wing of the PKK that Turkish separatists or the Kurdish excuse me, separatist group has denied any involvement that's new just in the last couple of hours, according to a pro-PKK news outlet.
But just quickly to finish here, the interior minister of Turkey has made some pretty stark comments of course condolences had been coming in from embassies and leaders across the world. But the condolences from the U.S. Embassy in Turkey had been rejected by the interior minister.
[08:10:00]
MCLEAN: He's upset, Turkey is upset that and this has been going on for years that the U.S. has been providing support to Kurdish fighters in Syria because they have been helping to fight ISIS in that country. Of course, Turkey views Kurdish militants very differently. And so the interior minister has said today very plainly that his country's alliance with the U.S. should be questioned, Max.
FOSTER: OK, Scott, thank you. Now back in the U.S. the balance of power and congress remains uncertain. Nearly a week after Election Day control of the House is still up for grabs, but Republicans are closing in, they're just six seats away from the 2018 needed for a majority.
In the senate, Democrats have narrowly secured control after a win in Nevada and they could add another seat if their candidate comes out on top in the run-off Georgia, which is next month. Despite the uncertainty Democratic leaders from both chambers are celebrating their parties better than expected sharing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-CA): This is a very happy day. We had great candidates, they had flawed candidates. Our candidates were talking about the issues. They cared about people. The incumbents have gotten a lot done. Their candidates were off talking about lack of democracy and spreading the big lie and all kinds of other things.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): This is so such a cause for celebration. Chuck Schumer was so correct when he said it was a victory for the people and for the country. I personally know that it's a joy to Harry Reid wherever in heaven as he is that his state came through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The list of Republicans who don't want to see Donald Trump run for president again in 2024 is only growing after the party's disappointing results in those midterms. An advisor to Trump says he'll announce his third presidential bid on Tuesday from his Mar-a- Lago resort in Florida. Larry Hogan, the outgoing Republican Governor of Maryland, is amongst the latest to pin his party's midterm losses on the former president's influence and says it's time for the GOP to change course.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY HOGAN, MARYLAND GOVERNOR: But there's no question. He's still the 800 pound gorilla and it's still a battle. It's going to continue for the next two years. I would just say that we're two years out from the next election. And we're just trying to you know, the dust is settling from this one. I think it'd be a mistake. As I mentioned, Trump's cost us the last three elections. And I don't want to see it happen a fourth time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: As the backlash grows, though, Trump has reminded those around him that many Republicans turn their backs on him back in 2016 and he still won. Still to come, Biden and Xi, more smiles and handshakes ahead of their face to face meeting, but can they make progress on one of the region's toughest issues, a closer look at Taiwan after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:15:00] FOSTER: Welcome back, so can Biden and Xi ease tensions over Taiwan? The two leaders sat down for the first face to face today. This was surely one of the very toughest issues on the table. This is when they met for the first time as leaders. You know, there's tension there.
So it's extraordinary to think, isn't it that this is probably the most important relationship in the world is at a low, we all have a stake of it. Going better, frankly, we'll get the results of that in the next half hour or so when Biden speaks to the cameras. What's he said about Taiwan recently?
Well, the closest we got was this interview with CBS Scott Pelley asking, so unlike Ukraine, to be clear so U.S. forces U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Biden responded very clearly, yes. This is what Xi said more recently.
We will never promise to renounce the use of force and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary. That was very stark language on the issue, volunteered by him during their recent congress, so very different perspectives on this. Let's bring in CNN's Selina Wang; she's live for us in Beijing this hour. So what do you think Selina? What does Xi want from this meeting?
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Max, there is one thing that the China and the U.S. side both agree on, which is they want to stop things from getting worse. They don't want war that came through very clearly in the opening statements from this bilateral meeting, when you heard both sides address the fact that they have a responsibility to the world to responsibly manage that relationship and stop it from veering into open conflict.
Ultimately, what Xi Jinping wants is he wants the United States to treat China as an equal and to stay out of what China calls its internal affairs and that includes Taiwan. But it's hard for the relationship to move forward from here because both sides are essentially pointing fingers at each other blaming the other side for the current dire state of U.S. China relations.
Washington views Beijing as America's most consequential geopolitical challenge viewing the country as trying to supplant, the United States place as the world's dominant power. Meanwhile, Beijing is convinced that Washington is trying to keep China down trying to contain and suppress its rise.
They point to the recent sweeping export restrictions from the Biden Administration that chokes China's access to these critical, advanced semiconductor chips that not only Max impacts its military development, but also its economic and technological goals. But again, the point of agreement is that China needs and wants stability right now, especially given all of the economic challenges that they're dealing with at home.
FOSTER: Very firm language from President Biden. But when you speak to the White House afterwards, they tend to water it down, don't they? So whilst it looks as though the two leaders have got very firm positions, do you think there's any flexibility there where they could perhaps find some common ground?
WANG: Well, when it comes to the Taiwan issue, Max, no flexibility there is expected. You also have to remember that Xi Jinping is walking into this meeting more powerful than ever. He just last month secured his position as China's preeminent leader for an unprecedented third term at the party congress.
And this Taiwan issue is not something he's going to relent on. I cannot overstate just how core the Taiwan issue is to the very DNA of the Communist Party and to its legitimacy. They see Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be reunified with the Mainland.
Biden, on the other hand, ahead of this meeting had said he's not going to make any fundamental concessions to China. In fact, Washington even said that they're going to brief Taiwan on the outcome of these talks to make sure Taiwan feels comfortable and secure with American support. In response to that meeting and that briefing after this bilateral talks, Beijing was furious and called it a violation of the one China principle, Max.
FOSTER: So what would you or what would the experts really look at this meeting, regard as a success on the Taiwan issue coming out of this meeting?
WANG: The expectations are set very low. It's about building a floor preventing conflict. And really the key metric for success is keeping that line of communication open because Taiwan is the biggest flashpoint. This is where there's a greatest risk for miscalculation that could veer into conflict.
You mentioned there one of Biden's many repeated times where he said that America would come to Taiwan's defense militarily in the event of a Chinese evasion that has infuriated Beijing. Biden has in many regards infuriated Beijing more than any U.S. president in recent history over those comments.
[08:20:00]
WANG: And of course, we've seen those tensions continue to escalate after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island with China stepping up those military exercises, stepping up that military pressure after how Speaker Pelosi's visit China had also cancelled many lines of official communication between the U.S. and China.
So what will be seen as a metric of success is if following this meeting, they're going to restart some of that communication because global peace really depends on the ability of the leaders of these two superpowers to simply communicate and talk to each other.
FOSTER: Selina Wang in Beijing, thank you very much indeed. Just a reminder, U.S. President Joe Biden expected to hold a news conference from Bali very soon. We'll bring you that live when it gets underway. It's going to be our first test really, to what Selina has been speaking to there.
After the break one of the world's largest crypto currencies filed for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, how the demise of FTX is sending shockwaves through an already jittery crypto market.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Well, Twitter's keeping Elon Musk pretty busy these days, addressing a business conference on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. Musk said his recent acquisition of the social media giant was too much work on his plate. Meanwhile, Musk and Tesla will be spending the next week in a Delaware courtroom.
They'll be defending the extraordinary compensation plan that Tesla's Board of Directors approved with Musk four years ago valued at more than $50 billion. The compensation plan raised his net worth to more than $300 billion at one point making him the richest man in the world.
And further chaos in the world of Crypto currency is one of the world's largest exchanges filed for bankruptcy. Brynn Gingras has more on the demise of FTX.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In a matter of days, FTX, one of the largest Crypto currency exchanges in the world filed for bankruptcy. The company's 30 year old CEO Sam Bankman-Fried resigned and a $16 billion fortune erased. Bloomberg has called his meteoric fall from grace when a history's greatest ever destructions of wealth.
Bankman-Fried has publicly apologized. I'm piecing together all the details, but I was shocked to see things unravel the way they did earlier this week, he wrote on Twitter. Now allegations of mishandling of customer funds have emerged.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters at least 1 billion in customer funds have vanished. Bankman-Fried secretly transferred $10 billion of customer funds from FTX to his trading company Alameda Research, the sources told Reuters.
RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMICS ANALYST: In some ways this collapse and FTX is the Lehman Brothers moment of the crypto world. It is a classic financial crisis.
GINGRAS (voice over): The downfall of the crypto exchange began earlier this month when serious questions were raised about the financial health of the company. Those questions caused many customers to cash out. Then a failed merger between FTX and its rival platform Binance caused more strain on FTX.
Binance backed out of its plans to acquire the company saying its problems were beyond our control or ability to help. The Justice Department and SEC are launching probes into FTX, the company which is headquartered in the Bahamas is also being investigated by Bahamian authorities over potential criminal misconduct and the White House addressing the need for oversight. [08:25:00]
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Without proper oversight, crypto currencies they - it risks harming everyday Americans with the most recent news further underscores these concerns and highlights why prudent regulation of crypto currencies is indeed needed.
GINGRAS (voice over): At its peak, the crypto exchange was worth $32 billion and benefited from superstar endorsements from Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Osaka and Steph Curry.
STEPHEN CURRY, NBA PLAYER, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: I'm not an expert and I don't need to be, with FTX I have everything I need to buy, sell and trade crypto safely.
GINGRAS (voice over): The NBA's Miami Heat had its venue renamed as FTX Arena just last year, but now that names coming off the building. It even ran an ad during this year Super Bowl featuring Larry David.
LARRY DAVID: Yes, I think so and I'm never wrong about this stuff.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: CNN's Brynn Gingras reporting for us there. Now Marvel's long way to sequel to "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" notched a sizable opening this weekend. Disney says the film collected around $180 million in just North America making the highest grossing debut for the month of November.
It's made more than $300 million globally so far; Wakanda forever faced major challenges following the tragic death of its star Chadwick Boseman. We are waiting to hear from U.S. President Joe Biden after his face to face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping ahead of the G20 summit.
Can the two find the path towards in terms of cooperation and with increasingly hostile relations? We are live for you in Bali just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:30:00]
FOSTER: Now President Zelenskyy says a step by step Ukraine is reclaiming occupied territory visited the newly liberated city Kherson just days after Russian forces retreated, leaving widespread damage behind. As Nick Robertson reports, Kherson now faces a very long road to recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: The joys of Kherson liberation keep on giving. How are you she says, I survived her friend replies, but the Russians kicked my door in and stole everything. This city once home to more than a quarter million people is still celebrating its freedom.
But beginning to count the cost of the 8-month brutal occupation they endured. The city's phone and internet connection cut, residents crowding around soldier's communications in desperate hope of contacting loved ones. On their way out, the Russians crippled almost every vital service, electricity off and water too.
This pump close to the riverbank giving water to polluted to drink. The water stopped when the power went off, he says. This is the fourth day without water. But what can we do? We need to survive somehow. The Russians even felled the city's main TV transmitter.
ROBERTSON (on camera): They blew it up just before leaving a final act of punishment for a population that until days earlier they said was part of Russia and would be forever.
ROBERTSON (voice over): That same message Kherson and Russia together forever plastered on hundreds of billboards around the city is already being torn down while Platton says because 8 months of occupation is not very nice. I didn't feel very good living in fear that any moment a car could pull over near you and bring you to a very unpleasant place.
Alexander was unlucky enough to be taken to one of those unpleasant places. And shows us around the jail he was in, says the Russians beat him daily. They abused everyone kept us hungry used us as free labor to repair their military vehicles, he says. They were beating us whenever they wanted.
ROBERTSON (on camera): This is where they say Russians kill people for simply shouting out slavery Ukraine, Glory to Ukraine or having tattoos saying the same thing. And over here in this room, this is where they used to torture people.
ROBERTSON (voice over): The fire Alexander says started by the Russians as they left to cover up their crimes. But it is across the road and Katerina's Church, Russia's oddest brutality was perpetrated the grave of Grigory Potemkin fabled in history for building fake villages was looted days before the Russians left. Father Vitaly takes us into the gloomy crypt, shows us where Potemkin coffin was stolen from.
He lay here for 240 years through many wars, he says. We honored him as a founder of Kherson, and they took him without permission. Repairs of souls and city have only just begun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now, any moment now us present Joe Biden holding a news conference. We understand after a high stakes meeting with the Chinese Leader Xi Jinping in Bali. And we just heard from the White House about what the two talks about the White House says Biden spoke candidly with Xi, and raised concerns about Taiwan and human rights. They were the two key issues we're expecting them to speak about.
These are images from just before the meeting. We will bring you his remarks live. That could happen anytime. Obviously, he wants to formulate those words.
These are very sensitive issues. So he wants to get it right. Let's speak to CNN Senior International Correspondent, Ivan Watson. He joins us from Bali. And any more word on what was discussed Ivan? IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure, it was a 3- hour meeting Max. Again, this is the first time that Xi Jinping and President Biden have met face to face in person since Biden was elected President, two years ago.
[08:35:00]
WATSON: The White House readout, as you just mentioned, says that Biden spoke candidly about priorities and concerns that he did not shy away from thorny topics like raising human rights concerns, including in China's Western Xinjiang region. And the issue of Taiwan with Biden saying, "The United States opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side". And the world has an interest in the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
And he also said that the U.S. would continue to invest in its allies, Indian sources of strength at home. The White House went into this, trying to lower expectations, also trying to frame this as a way to establish guidelines in the relationship between the world's two largest economies, arguing that this is a relationship of two competitors. But not wanting it to spin out of control.
Beijing went into this with Xi Jinping, repeatedly issuing warnings about threats to China's national security, implicitly, arguing that the U.S. is behind many of those threats that it is setting up alliances and kind of encircling and isolating China. And yet, when he got face to face with President Biden, he was all smiles, shaking hands for the cameras, and speaking quite positively, in opening remarks talking about the two leaders in the world coming to a crossroad and also arguing that it was time to have a candid and in depth conversation to put U.S. and Chinese relations back on track.
So we'll wait to hear what President Biden has to say himself, suffice to say it does sound like these two leaders addressed difficult issues that they still disagree on during their 3-hour meeting here in Bali, Max.
FOSTER: The podium is already the President Biden we don't expect to hear from Xi, do we? That's more likely to be a statement. So really, it is going to be Biden we're going to get most insight from.
WATSON: Yes, and that's the way this was leading up to the meeting. We didn't really find out from the Chinese side that this was actually going to take place until almost the last minute. And the Chinese government system does not issue the same kinds of briefings or background briefings from Chinese government officials.
So this offers the U.S. side, the opportunity to control the narrative in the beginning to make these statements and try to frame the results of this as the U.S. sees fit. And we'll probably have to wait some time for Chinese state media to start issuing how Beijing sees the results of his discussions how they went.
FOSTER: OK, Ivan, we are going to come back to you to get your analysis after Biden has spoken. And huge amounts of sort of dissect there. We do have the podium insights they are setting up there. So it's just a case of waiting see stick with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:40:00]
FOSTER: We are keeping an eye on that Biden presser for you. In the meantime, country music legend Dolly Parton has yet another accolade to add to her impressive list of achievements. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, honored the singer with the courage and civility award for her philanthropy.
The prize comes with $100 million and there are no strings attached and how she decides to use it. Parton has a long record of charitable giving, including funding Vaccine Research and Education scholarships. CNNs, Chloe Melas asked Bezos about why he chose Parton for the award.
(BEGIN VIDE CLIP)
CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Talk to me about choosing Dolly Parton.
JEFF BEZOS, AMAZON FOUNDER: Well, look at what she's done, and how she's led her life and the way she's done it. He's bold things always with civility and kindness. She's a unifier. You know, we have big problems in the world. And the way to get big problems done is you have to work together, you have too many examples in the world of conflict, and people using ad hominem attacks on social media, and so on and so on. You will find Dolly Parton doing that.
LAUREN SANCHEZ, VICE CHAIR, BEZOS EARTH FUND: And when you think of Dolly, look, everyone smiles, right? And all she wants to do is bring light into other people's world. That's all, and so we couldn't have thought of someone better than to give this award to Dolly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Chloe Melas joins me now from New York extraordinary interview got there from such a powerful figure. Why do you think you know, I mean, and what was he getting from it? Do you think?
MELAS: Well, I mean, look, it's the first time that Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos have ever sat down together. I met them at their Washington D.C. home. And the interview was wide ranging over 20 minutes, and the peg was philanthropy. And something really interesting was that he told me that he does plan to give away the majority of his wealth in his lifetime.
So he has never come out and said whether or not he will sign the giving pledge, which some of the most powerful people in the world have signed. But this is the closest he's ever come to talking about that. We also spoke about space travel and how he's trying to combat climate change.
He told me that he does believe that in his lifetime, space travel will be attainable to everyone. And he believes that this is very akin to what the Wright brothers did with airplanes. And that's what he truly believes.
So he thinks that, you know, I will be one day going to space with my family on a trip and so Lauren Sanchez, his girlfriend, his partner, and the Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, who you see there. She plans next year to do an all-female trip to space.
So of course, they asked her, would you bring Dolly Parton? Who are you going to bring? She didn't say anything about that. And then we also spoke about the NFL, is he going to be buying the Washington commanders, he was a bit coy about that.
And at one point, he got emotional with me talking about his grandfather and the impact that his grandfather had on his life. But for more of this interview, you can check it out on cnn.com. And we'll be playing more portions of it throughout the day.
But look, there's a lot of ground to cover. And obviously, we also spoke about the current economic downturn and what his thoughts are on a potential recession.
FOSTER: Yes, he's basically telling people to batten down the hatches, isn't he? That I'm interested in, as you say, this is the first time we've sat down together, you've got an idea of that sort of partnership, as they move into this philanthropy, part of his career, at least. You see them working together a bit like the Gatez's work together is that they're going to be a double act in terms of that philanthropy?
MELAS: It definitely seems so. What I asked them about their dynamic and their partnership? And they said that they make a great team, and that they both have the same goals when it comes to philanthropy. And they said that they also have a lot of fun together.
Look, I can tell you, and everyone's asking me, they seem very much in love, but they are very much on the same page, working towards that common goal and deciding together who they're going to give away this money too. Like I said, Lauren Sanchez is the Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth fund.
She's also involved with several others of his philanthropic endeavors, but she had a large part in choosing Dolly Parton. So it's going to be interesting to see who else they choose along the way, what else they tackle. And again, it was a really interesting window into this very private couple's life.
FOSTER: OK, it's really well done for getting the interview Chloe.
[08:45:00]
FOSTER: It's a great insight, a very powerful couple. Now we are still awaiting this President Biden presser follows his key meeting with the Leader of China Xi Jinping. There is the setting we're waiting for him to arrive there give us an update particularly in relation to the conversation we now know he did have around Taiwan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FOSTER: More now on one of our other top stories the U.S. midterm elections, if Republicans do win the house get ready for a battle within the party with so many House races still yet to be called the Chamber's leadership is up in the air. And some members have said they will not support Kevin McCarthy's speakership bid. CNN Melanie Zanona has more on what is likely to be a tough few days for the GOP.
MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Republicans are gearing up for a tense series of meetings this week, as they return to Washington for the first time since their disappointing midterm election results. Republicans want to figure out what went wrong? Why a red wave never materialized?
And they must also decide the fate of their political leaders in the House, GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy is facing a revolt from his right flank. I'm told there are dozens of hardliners starting to vote against him for speaker if he does not give in to their demands. And they will have significant leverage since Republicans will likely have a razor thin majority if they do win the house or down a bash asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi whether she thinks McCarthy has what it takes to become speaker. Here's a response.
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POLOSI: But why would I make a judgment about something that may or may not ever happen? No, I don't think he has it. But that's up to his own people to make a decision as to how they want to be led or otherwise.
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ZANONA: Meanwhile, in the Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is also facing some backlash. A small but vocal group of Republicans is pushing to delay their internal leadership elections, which are set for this Wednesday. And former President Donald Trump has been calling Republicans and trying to blame McConnell for their underwhelming performance.
However, based on our reporting, McConnell does have enough support to become leader once again. Still, the internal GOP blame game is sure to heat up this week. Melanie Zanona CNN, Washington.
FOSTER: Memorial honoring the victims of school shooting in the U.S. opens on Sunday. It plays or pays rather tribute to the 26 students and teachers killed in the Sandy Hook School massacre in December 10 years ago. The names of all the victims are engraved on the memorial and families of the victims say it's a beautiful way to pay tribute to their loved ones.
Since people have now been confirmed dead after two World War Two era, military planes collided during a Dallas Airshow. All the people killed were on board the planes there were no fatalities on the ground. CNN's Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean has the latest details.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: The hard work of investigating what went wrong here is only just beginning. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are now on the scene at the Dallas executive airport documenting the wreckage of not one but two planes, involved in this midair collision both parts of volunteer organizations that keep World War Two planes flying.
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MUNTEAN: The larger airplane at B 17 Flying Fortress you've seen it in the movies famous for the daylight bombing raids over Europe the other airplane an extremely rare P 63, King Cobra single seat fighter plane in both cases, only a handful of examples flying worldwide.
Airplanes like this do not have a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder. So investigators now say that listen to the recordings of radio traffic that took place during the air show. They're also asking for witnesses to come forward with photos and video.
More examples of that horrific scene keep getting posted online by spectators. Thankfully, nobody in the crowd was hurt. In fact, in the U.S., an air show spectator has not been killed at an airshow in more than 50 years. Air shows like this are heavily regulated, highly planned, much choreographed, and the pilots must have special qualifications they are the ones who accept the most risk in the name of keeping history alive. Pete Muntean CNN, Washington.
FOSTER: As Russia's war on Ukraine continues the streets artists known as Banksy appears to be sending a message to the world that the Ukrainian spirit is stronger than any of Vladimir Putin's explosives.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The bombed out buildings of Ukraine that latest canvass for street artist Banksy, murals in the secret of artist's signature style have been spotted recently in Kyiv and nearby towns this one in Borodyanka, which was besieged by the Russians in the early weeks of the invasion, until Ukrainian forces retook the town in April Banksy confirming his handiwork by posting pictures of it on his verified Instagram account.
The murals during a steady stream of visitors many with their own interpretations of the artwork. This man says he thinks the gymnast balancing on a pile of rubble is Ukraine. He says it's a symbol that we are unbreakable and our country is unbreakable. And despite the fact that it's destroyed, we will rebuild everything.
There is a trail of beer all throughout the area, though these haven't been officially claimed by Banksy, like the scene of a child flipping a man in a judo uniform, who some say looks like Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another mural in European shows a gymnast performing a ribbon routine despite wearing a neck brace. Other scenes of not so ordinary life painted on buildings that seem unfit to live in, in towns also destroyed by the Russians. Possible calling cards from the anonymous artist whose trip to Ukraine might have been secret, but his message in this Warzone are clear.
(END VIDEOTAPE) FOSTER: CNN's Michael Holmes reporting there. The NFL made history on Sunday with its first ever regular season game played in Germany. The matchup in Munich featured the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks and that means fans got to see the goat Tom Brady, who's now the first NFL player to win a game in four different countries. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more on the fanfare surrounding this contest.
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FREDERIL PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): German fans were clearly thrilled to have the NFL here in this country. The game sold out within minutes and the NFL says they could easily have sold hundreds of thousands more tickets if there would have been the capacity. Football is a huge deal here in Germany.
There are a lot of people who follow the game, and certainly can take a look at this game. It was so interesting to see before the match started. It was obviously a Seahawks Bucs game but there were people wearing jerseys from pretty much every NFL franchise that's out there, that's because people here love the game of football and they say they want to see more of it in their country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unbelievable feeling like to have a NFL game in Germany. Like five years ago, it was simply impossible. So it's simply amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, I'm a Bengals fan, but today against bucks. I go with the Fox because they have Tom Brady and actually I'm a Brady fan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just have a lot of fun with all the twelve's out here because we're going to win today.
PLEITGEN (voice over): And of course it's a legendary venue for this match the Allianz Arena, home to soccer powerhouse Bayern Munich. Now the folks here tell us this is the first time that non-soccer related sporting event has happened here in this venue. But of course for the NFL it's also an extremely important game with both the Bucs and the Seahawks sitting atop their divisions.
The same time we know that Tom Brady has been having some problems as of late; however, he did speak about his own excitement about playing here in Germany.
TOM BRADY, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QUARTERBACK: Yes, that was one of the great football experiences I've ever had so says a lot for 23 years in the league and for regular season game and I think the fan turnout was incredible. It felt like a very electric from the time we took the field.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Right now the NFL says it has a commitment for three more games here in this country, two in Frankfurt, and one more here in Munich however, judging by the reaction from the fans to the game that we saw on Sunday.
[08:55:00] PLEITGEN (voice over): There certainly is a lot of appetite not just in Germany, but in continental Europe in general to have more of the NFL Fred Pleitgen CNN, Munich, Germany.
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FOSTER: Thank you for watching on a CNN's "Newsroom", I'm Max foster in London. We're still watching for President Joe Biden's press conference live from Bali still on. We'll bring you that live when it gets underway. "First Move" with Julia is up next.
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