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Celine Dion Suffering Serious Health Issues; Harry and Meghan Netflix Docuseries Released; Biden Administration Secures Release of Brittney Griner. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired December 08, 2022 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:09]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Hello. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. I want to welcome our viewers in the U.S. and around the world. Thank you for joining us.

One American heads home after spending months detained in Russia, but still another American left behind. Right now, WNBA star Brittney Griner is flying back to the U.S. after almost 10 months behind Russian bars, the two-time Olympic gold medal is freed in a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

President Biden spoke from the White House, along with Griner's wife, moments after the news broke.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a day we've worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release.

It took painstaking and intense negotiations. We never forgot about Brittney. And we've not forgotten about Paul Whelan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: American Paul Whelan is still detained in a Russian penal colony.

Today, he told CNN he's disappointed the Biden administration hasn't done more to secure his release, but believes his case isn't as simple.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

PAUL WHELAN, DETAINED AMERICAN: They have always considered me to be at a higher level than other criminals of my sort.

And, for whatever reason, I'm treated differently than another individual here from a Western country that's also on a charge of espionage. So, even though we're both here for espionage, I'm treated much differently than he is. And my treatment is also much different than others held for espionage at other prisons.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CABRERA: We will speak with Paul Whelan's brother in just a moment, but, first, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh and Kylie Atwood lead us off.

Kylie, how did the Biden administration get to this moment?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Ana, this was months in the making.

You will remember that we reported over the summer that the Biden administration went to Russia with a proposal to secure the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. They were offering as part of that deal Victor Bout, who was part of the prisoner swap today. But that's not the deal that ended up securing things today.

According to a senior administration official, it became clear in recent weeks that the Russian side was only going to go for Brittney Griner. That was the only option here. And the White House, of course, is elated that Brittney Griner has been released after 10 months in prison in Russia. But, of course, they say they are going to continue working for Paul Whelan.

Listen to what the secretary of state, Tony Blinken, said this afternoon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This was not a choice of which American to bring home. The choice was one or none. We will never relent until Paul and, for that matter, every other U.S. national held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad is free and coming home and joining their families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: Of course, the question is, how will U.S. officials be able to get Paul Whelan home after all of this, where we heard from the secretary of state that the United States put every possible offer on the table to try and get Whelan home with Griner.

And nothing worked. And Paul Whelan's brother, David Whelan, said today that there's no concessions that he believes the U.S. has that Russia wants, because Victor Bout was really the person that Russia wanted here. I also want to note that the United States worked with the United Arab Emirates on the logistics here. That was the country where both Victor Bout, Brittney Griner flew to.

They were able to help secure the logistics to get Brittney Griner home. And the Saudi officials are also saying they were involved. We're waiting to hear more details on that, but rest assured the Griner family elated today that Brittney Griner is finally coming home -- Ana.

CABRERA: There are a lot of layers to this story. And we do have David Whelan, in fact, standing by to speak with us in just a second.

But I do want to ask you, Nick, about the prisoner who was swapped for Griner. Who is Victor Bout? And why was Putin perhaps willing to make this deal now?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, it is extraordinary, at the worst time of U.S.-Russia relations, possibly since the Cuban Missile Crisis, you might argue, while the United States is arming Ukraine, who's in a pitched war with Russia, those arms killing Russian soldiers, that Vladimir Putin felt he had the political capital or the space diplomatically to strike a deal like this.

And it shows, really, I think quite how valuable Victor Bout has always been to Russia, his past extremely hard to get clarity on. U.N. investigators, journalists, analysts have said this is the merchant of death, this is the lord of war. That's the title of a sort of quasi- fictitious movie Nicolas Cage starred in, playing a man supposed to be Victor Bout.

He's always denied that, saying he's simply a pilot, he's a tradesman who happened to ship things around conflict zones. But, clearly, he's been vitally important to Russia. They tried to stop him from being extradited from Thailand, where the USDA put on an elaborate sting, essentially videoing him offering them posing as Colombian rebels, terrorists, offering them weapons that they potentially could have used to kill U.S. citizens.

[13:05:15]

That was how they arrested him. He was then extradited after a long battle and faced trial in the United States. But Russia always wanted him back. And the fact that he was the key part of their thrust throughout all of this diplomacy suggests the outsize figure he is.

Does he have a long back history with Russian intelligence figures who may be close to Vladimir Putin, as some analysts have speculated? Is he simply a geopolitically very valuable figure for them? Unclear. Or is it right now that the Kremlin, when it's so reliant on its Russian intelligence circles, people like Bout, you might say, who've served Russia in the past, do they want globally the world to see that they do actually look after their own and will strike deals to get them back?

Unclear. What is clear is how utterly important Bout remains to Russia.

CABRERA: I think a lot of us are wondering, does he still have his connections, his contacts? Could he be useful for Russia in this fight against Ukraine, when they are struggling with enough ammunition and the arms piece of all of this?

Earlier this year, Nick, I do want to ask about why Whelan hasn't been returned, because we already saw Trevor Reed come home, now Brittney Griner, all this happening in the last year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Why not Paul Whelan?

WALSH: We don't know the answer to that. Is it because Paul Whelan is essentially on espionage charges, and, in the Russian mind-set, that means potentially he's useful to exchange for people they want back being held on espionage charges or people they might in the future end up finding arrested on espionage charges?

We don't know that side of things. Is it just the Russian playbook that you negotiate a deal and, at the very last minute, you turn the tables and pull the rug under your co-negotiator and just take away something that was originally on offer? We don't know the answer to that.

Just picking up something you mentioned there, though, Ana, about, is Victor Bout useful going forward? He's been in prison for 13-plus years. His e-mail communication -- I tried to have an e-mail exchange with him when he was in prison -- is monitored. So I'd be very doubtful he retains the contacts to be of use in a very changed world the last 13 to 14 years or so, but still remarkable value to Russia.

And that would make people think he knows something -- Ana.

CABRERA: OK, Nick Paton Walsh. Kylie Atwood, thank you both for your reporting.

And I want to put back the picture you just saw, because that was Paul Whelan. His family is applauding Griner's release today. Whelan is a former Marine. He's now in year four of his 16-year sentence in Russia. In 2018, he was charged with espionage.

The White House says he's been wrongfully detained. Here's more from CNN's exclusive conversation with him today, and his message now for President Biden.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

P. WHELAN: I would say that, if a message could go to President Biden, that this is a precarious situation that needs to be resolved quickly.

And I would hope that he and his administration would do everything they could to get me home, regardless of the price they might have to pay at this point.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CABRERA: Paul Whelan's brother, David Whelan, is joining us now.

David, it's nice to see you. I wish under other circumstances. I wish we were celebrating your brother's return today. I'm sure it's an emotional day for you.

First, as you listen to your brother in that clip, what do you hear in his voice and what's going through your mind?

DAVID WHELAN, BROTHER OF DETAINED AMERICAN: He sounds tired, and he sounds disappointed. And I'm not at all surprised.

I think it's -- there had been a sense of hope after Secretary Blinken's statement last August that a substantial proposal had been made to Russia to bring home Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. And I think he had probably been setting his hopes on that. He had been mentioning to our parents that he was thinking about, where would he live when he got back?

And to have all that dashed so suddenly, I think, is probably very difficult.

CABRERA: Absolutely.

If you could talk to Paul right now, what would you tell him?

D. WHELAN: I would say not to let down your guard. If you're going to survive for 12 more years, we will do everything we can to support you, but you're going to have to stay focused on every day, one day at a time.

CABRERA: You know, he did express concern about being able to live to see his freedom.

What concerns you most in that area?

D. WHELAN: Frankly, mental, more than health. I think he's very careful with his health, although it's not like they're fed well in the prison. So that may be deteriorating and we just don't know it yet.

But I think, mentally, I don't know how you continue to mentally withstand your oppressors year after year after year. And I know that he has -- he does things. He sings the U.S. national anthem every morning. He has certain rituals, I think, that keep him connected, the phone calls to our family that keeps them connected to a world outside of the injustice that he's experiencing.

[13:10:00]

But long could any of us stand doing that? I think it's a big question.

CABRERA: He's already made it through four years, staying mentally strong, physically tough.

And I know the president is working to bring him home. We heard the president directly speak about this. We heard him say he feels that way. I know you have spoken about that as well.

I do want to play another clip from President Biden this morning, as well as Brittney Griner's wife, Cherelle, addressing Paul's situation today. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we are not giving up.

We'll keep negotiating in good faith for Paul's release. I guarantee that. I say that to the family: I guarantee you.

CHERELLE GRINER, WIFE OF BRITTNEY GRINER: Today, my family is whole. But, as you all are aware, there are so many other families who are not whole.

And B.G. and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: David, your thoughts as you listen to those words?

D. WHELAN: Well, I really appreciate Cherelle saying that. It was enjoyable to be able to have interactions through our family with her and to see the happiness that they have today.

And I don't think I have ever questioned President Biden's determination. But it's like, if you want to buy a house and you walk up to someone's house, and you give them money, they don't have to take that money. They don't have to sell you their house.

And when you're dealing with nation-states who are taking people hostage, it's very difficult, even if the U.S. government has all the tools available to encourage the other side to give up the hostages. And that that's not just Russia and President Putin. It's Syria, it's Iran, it's China, where other Americans are being held.

And I think it's difficult to know, particularly in Paul's case, now that they have gone through essentially all the concessions that they had available, to know what the next step will be for the U.S. government in bringing Paul home.

CABRERA: In your formal statement after learning the news about Brittney Griner, you said you would like to see the U.S. government be more assertive. How so?

D. WHELAN: I think the U.S. government has started behind the rogue nation-states who are doing this.

So, Iran has been arresting people, Russia has been arresting people, Americans are being wrongfully detained in these countries for years before the U.S. government really got its act together to start dealing with it. And we have seen a huge change in the last two years, as the U.S. government has passed the Levinson Act.

They have -- President Biden passed an executive order about wrongful detention. So we're seeing much more movement. But I think they're still behind the curveball. And they need to figure out in advance how they will be able to procure concessions if they need to, so that, when Americans are detained, they can respond more swiftly and bring them home more quickly than they currently are.

CABRERA: When was the last time the president spoke with your family? I know you were contacted, your family was contacted by an administration official to give you all a heads-up about Brittney Griner's release and to let that it wasn't Paul who was coming home.

But when was the president last in contact?

D. WHELAN: I think he spoke to my sister a few months ago. CABRERA: And what can you share about that conversation?

D. WHELAN: Oh, I don't know. I think Elizabeth kept that to herself.

And the White House has been very gracious. Allowing us the time to process it, the news, yesterday privately was a risk that they took. If we had reacted badly or told the media about it, we might have risked Ms. Griner's freedom. But they trusted us. And it was -- we were very grateful for that kindness.

CABRERA: Well, you are kind as well. You're humble and gracious, in the light of what your family is facing.

Thank you for sharing your words and thoughts and perspective with us, David. It's nice to see you. And I'm praying for Paul's safe return soon.

D. WHELAN: Thanks so much, Ana.

CABRERA: The royal family is not chill over this. The highly anticipated "Harry & Meghan" Netflix series just dropped, the biggest revelations and what the palace is saying about it.

Plus, a huge moment for gay rights, Congress passing a bipartisan bill protecting same-sex marriage. What it does and what it does not do ahead.

And why officials in San Francisco are looking into these makeshift sleeping arrangements at Elon Musk's Twitter headquarters.

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[13:18:43]

CABRERA: They're spilling the tea, but just how hot is it?

The first three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's docuseries is out on Netflix today.

And CNN's Max Foster gives us a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: All right, so we're here on...

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's being billed as the firsthand account of the relationship between Harry and Meghan, their families and the media, and in their own words.

The first three episodes of the Netflix docuseries on a couple dropped in the early hours of this morning. And it returned to some familiar themes.

PRINCE HARRY: And that sort of press pack of royal correspondents is essentially just an extended P.R. arm of the royal family.

FOSTER: Harry comparing Meghan's experience to that of his mother, Diana's. He feared she would be driven away by the media harassment.

PRINCE HARRY: As far as a lot of the family were concerned, everything that she was being put through, they had been put through as well. So, it was almost like a rite of passage. And some of the members of the family was like, right, but my wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated any differently? Why should you get special treatment? Why should she be protected?

And I said, the difference here is the race element.

FOSTER: Ultimately, Harry says, he had to leave the U.K. to protect his family.

[13:20:05]

PRINCE HARRY: I accept that there will be people around the world who fundamentally disagree with what I have done and how I have done it.

But I knew that I had to do everything I could to protect my family.

MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: Hey, grandma.

PRINCE HARRY: Especially what happened to my mom.

MARKLE: Yes. That's your grandma, Diana.

PRINCE HARRY: I didn't want history to repeat itself.

FOSTER: We heard from Meghan's mother for the first time.

DORIA RAGLAND, MOTHER OF MEGHAN MARKLE: And I remember when I first met him too. He was just like 6'1'', handsome man with red hair, really great manners.

FOSTER: Harry says, when he introduced Meghan to his family, they didn't think the relationship would last.

RAGLAND: The actress thing was the biggest problem, funny enough. There is a big idea of what that looks like from the U.K. standpoint, Hollywood. And it was just very easy for them to typecast that.

FOSTER: The couple say they felt unprotected by the palace against the barrage of media attacks. The palace is yet to comment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Max is live in London for us.

Now, Max, what has the reaction been like then so far inside the palace? You have your sources. Have they said anything?

FOSTER: The only thing they did address initially was, at the beginning of the docuseries, there was this line saying the royal family has declined to comment as part of this documentary.

So, initially, my sources are telling me they weren't approached at all. So there's a bit of tension there. But, as the day went on, someone at one of the palaces then said, we did get an e-mail from what appeared to be a third-party production company, but we couldn't verify it, so didn't respond.

And then later on, the other palace said a similar thing: Oh, actually, we do get an e-mail.

So that was a bit chaotic. But, for them, there weren't any massive revelations or bombshells that they had to address. But there could potentially be next week, I think, on Thursday, when the other three drop, because they are much more about that very tense moment, when the couple left their royal roles, and they had to explain that. And there could be some criticism.

So I think the palace will need to be a bit more organized next week when they have to respond to bigger allegations, potentially.

CABRERA: Because you know this royal family well with your work as our royal correspondent, do you think this is better or worse than the palace may have expected?

And anything else stand out to you from this first part that was dropped?

FOSTER: Well, there were major allegations that the palace is effectively complicit with the tabloid media, and that they expect the family to perform for the tabloid media. That is the deal, the unwritten deal, and it was very difficult for Harry and Meghan to fit into that.

But we have heard similar allegations before often. So I think a lot of what we have got here is doubling down on what they told Oprah in what really was that bombshell interview. But it's a frustration for the palace, because -- and the family because they haven't responded.

And, also, as someone that works with the palace, it was a slightly oversimplified view of how it actually operates. It's not just tabloid newspapers that work with the palace in this Rota system, as it's called. It's also the broadcasters and the photographers.

But it's the tabloids that Meghan and Harry got the biggest issue with, and that's the focus for them. And this is their experience. So I think it's useful to get that insight.

CABRERA: And just quickly, out of curiosity, how are the British people reacting? How do they look at the situation and this revelation that is coming from or any revelations that come out of this docuseries?

FOSTER: Well, people -- they are a very divisive couple. I think it's, are you pro-Meghan and Harry are you pro-Kate and William? It divides that way.

It also divides on whether you're pro-monarchy or anti-monarchy. So I think if your fans are Meghan and Harry, you would have lapped this up, and it would have been a really interesting insight. If you're not, I suspect you're not watching it.

CABRERA: Yes, that makes sense.

Max Foster, thank you. I know it's been a long day for you. Appreciate you staying up for us.

FOSTER: Thanks for having me on.

CABRERA: Back here at home now, award-winning singer Celine Dion is canceling upcoming shows because of serious health issues. She revealed on Instagram that she is suffering from stiff-person syndrome.

Now, this is a rare neurological disorder. It can cause muscle spasms strong enough to actually dislocate joints or fracture bones.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CELINE DION, SINGER: Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk, and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to.

I love you guys so much. And I really hope I can see you again real soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:25:07]

CABRERA: Let's bring in our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.

Elizabeth, I love Celine Dion. This is so tragic for her. Can you help us understand more about this disorder and how it can affect the body?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I love her too, Ana. And her video is so moving. It is really worth watching, for people who haven't watched it already, such strength in the face of adversity.

This is a woman who really wants to go back to work. So this is an unusual syndrome, it is really quite rare. And it's kind of mysterious. Doctors don't know exactly what causes it. So let's take a look at a couple of details. So, first of all, it affects fewer than 5,000 people in the United States.

That's a very small number for such a large country. It is twice as likely to effect to women, which is interesting, and it's thought that there's maybe an autoimmune cause, that that's related, or maybe the causes associated with diabetes. It's really quite unknown.

So, as you mentioned, people experience extreme muscle stiffness, to the point where they often fall. And that's one of the big dangerous with this syndrome, is that people fall and hurt themselves that way, also painful spasms. Now, there are treatments. There are muscle relaxants. People try

muscle relaxants. They try pain relievers, a couple -- some other drugs that people try. I want to be clear. There's no cure for this syndrome, but there are ways to manage the symptoms. It is possible in many cases to manage the symptoms, but it takes some work to figure out what's going to be the most effective.

So I know people are wondering, will she get back out there on stage? It is possible, but it is going to take some work, which is why she's had to cancel or delay these performances -- Ana.

CABRERA: OK, thank you, Elizabeth Cohen. Fascinating information, insights into this rare syndrome.

A landmark vote on the Hill. The House passes a bill to protect same- sex marriage.

Plus, we have been talking a lot about inflation, but have you noticed gas deflation? Prices at the pump now cheaper than they were a year ago. How low could they go?

And after months of talking, hundreds of "New York Times" employees are walking, on strike for one full day over a string of issues, including salaries and benefits. We have got the details.

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