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U.S. Jobless Claims Rise For The First Time In 6 Weeks As Disney And Zoom Lay Off Employees; Senators Grill Southwest Airlines Exec Over Holiday Meltdown; Miraculous Rescues Amid Earthquake's Rising Death Toll; Zelenskyy Pushes E.U. Leaders To Send Fighter Jets To Ukraine; Biden Speaks On Social Security & Medicare In Florida. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired February 09, 2023 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:30:00]
VANESSA YURKEVICK, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: But Disney is cutting 7,000 job. That's about 3% of the global workforce.
And a couple reasons why that is happening. So they're trying to find $5.5 billion in cost savings.
We have also seen a drop in subscribers to Disney Plus, down 2.5 million subscribers in the fourth quarter.
Also you have a new CEO coming in. He's actually been the CEO of Disney before but he's back again, Bob Iger.
He was saying that a lot of the content creation and then the distribution of Disney products was a little bit disorganized. So he's going to be putting it all under something called Disney Entertainment.
And will keep going with ESPN. And then they're going to keep going obviously with their very profitable parks here at Disney locations around the country and around the world.
But let's turn to that tech sector that you were talking about. Zoom. Zoom cutting 1,300 jobs. That's about 15% of its workforce.
Zoom was a pandemic darling. We were all on Zoom during the pandemic. But now as we've gotten back into the workplace, we've seen people cutting their attachment to technology.
And part of that is that the CEO is going to be taking a 98% pay cut and forgoing his bonus for 2023.
But, remember, Abby, tech is a small part of the labor market. It's about 2%, 3%. When we look at the larger labor market, it's important to note that it is still very, very strong.
So unfortunately, what the Federal Reserve is still looking to do is to raise unemployment in order to cool inflation. It's a very, very delicate dance. But, of course, as you said it's painful for many American -- Abby? ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: Yes, absolutely. These are some of the very
big companies so the numbers in terms of jobs seem like a big number. But they're also a small part of the economy so not doing what the Federal Reserve is looking for.
Vanessa, thanks for breaking that down for us.
YURKEVICH: Thank you.
PHILLIP: A top executive from Southwest Airlines is in the hot seat right now. Congress got brand-new evidence about internal chaos at that company that contributed to the holiday meltdown that left two million passengers stranded and it cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars.
And now Senators are grilling the COO in the latest hearing on the chaos in U.S. air travel.
CNN's Gabe Cohen is tracking all this.
Gabe, are we getting a better picture of what went wrong with Southwest here?
GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so, Abby, we've been listening to this testimony all afternoon.
Southwest's pilots union has repeated again and again that they have been raising red flags about Southwest Airlines' antiquated systems with regard to crew scheduling for years and feel like they were largely ignored.
One of the systems that failed after that winter storm back in December. Southwest just couldn't reconnect their crews and aircrafts. And as you might remember, they ended up canceling nearly 17,000 flights.
Now, we have heard from Southwest's chief operating officer and he has apologized again and again as lawmakers grill him about what exactly went wrong and what they're going to do to fix it.
Here's just one exchange between Senator Ed Markey and Southwest's COO, I should say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW WALTERSON, COO, SOUTHEST AIRLINES: Some of the issues were part of the meltdown.
SEN. ED MARKEY (D-MA): Why didn't you do anything about it?
WALTERSON: Senator, we were addressing part of those issues, obviously was unsuccessful. But with regard to the crew scheduling, we had invested in those areas.
MARKEY: Well, again, because you did not listen to those warnings, catastrophic conditions were created for passengers by the hundreds of thousands all across the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Abby, that gives you a sense of the pointed questions Southwest is getting today.
They say they have reimbursed the airline more than 273,000 customers at this point with less than 11,000 to go so they are making progress there -- Abby?
PHILLIP: Is there anything being done to make sure this doesn't happen to people again?
COHEN: Look, that's been one of the big questions being asked by lawmakers today.
And Southwest is vowing to do better. They say they have a software update to their scheduling system. What I was talking about before that really failed them in December. It's going to be going live tomorrow.
And they're also planning to upgrade their winter resiliency, things like de-icing, which were a major problem back during that disease meltdown.
They are working on a top-to-bottom fix. It's going to cost many millions of dollars, they say. But they believe they're going to have a better assessment of what that will look like by March.
And, again, the airline has said they have done some more minor tweaks that they believe they're already better set up to prevent a meltdown like that in the case of a big winter storm -- Abby?
PHILLIP: All right, Gabe Cohen, thank you for that.
[13:34:57]
And the shocking death toll is rising from a massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria. But as rescuers race against the clock, there are also incredible stories of survival. We'll share them with you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIP: The shocking death toll in Turkey and Syria keeps climbing. Right now over 20,000 deaths have been confirmed in the earthquake- ravaged region.
[13:39:59:]
But miracles, they are still happening. After nearly 70 hours in the rubble, this 6-year-old girl and her mother were rescued.
Seven hours later, a man raises his hand and grabs his rescuer's hand as he's taken out of the debris.
And in hour 78 a 10-year-old boy was carried out of harm's way in a blanket. The boy's mother and another child all surviving several nights of subzero temperatures.
Here's Becky Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A miraculous moment of survival. A father and his two sons rescued 76 hours after that massive earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning.
Omar is one of their cousins. He helped to dig them out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are trying to reach them. and we have contact with them. We had a call by mobile phone.
ANDERSON: More than 100 people lived inside according to the residents. And it's Omar's love for family that drove him to assist the rescuers sifting through the rubble. Painstaking work.
First, the rescuers and volunteers must dig and then plead for silence to hear any sign of life. Repeating the process until they get closer.
Neighbors, friends, relatives and bystanders all joining together in the freezing cold to pray, hope and wish for a miracle.
Until finally, almost 56 hours on, contacts with made with one of them in the rubble. But it still took many more hours to finally free them.
Omar says while his uncle and two cousins survived with no injuries, his aunt didn't make it.
UNIDENITIFIED MALE: This is them doing the same, because they'd do the same if they were in the same situation.
ANDERSON: One family's story giving hope to a grieving country.
Becky Anderson, CNN, Gaziantep.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIP: Our thanks to Becky Anderson for that.
Meanwhile, today, in Brussels, Belgium, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting face-to-face with leaders of the European Union.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP: Zelenskyy delivered an emotional plea to allow his country to join the E.U. He also repeated his calls for more tanks, missiles and more fighter jets to bolster the fight against Russia.
CNN's Nic Robertson is joining us now from Brussels.
Nic, we saw that standing ovation. He has been to London, went to Paris, now in Brussels.
How are E.U. leaders receiving this call, a plea for military aid from Zelenskyy?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, I think one thing that is really cutting through here is the fact that they're getting to see Zelenskyy up close and personal, have conversations with him, see him reacting to press conferences standing right next to him and that's making a difference.
We've seen both the European commission president, the European council president really quite relaxed standing at his side.
Zelenskyy says, yes, he is making gains and making headway on this push to get fighter jets. The British obviously saying they'll train the fighter pilots.
He said that he wouldn't spell out what's been discussed in these private meetings behind closed doors.
But his appeal wasn't just to these leaders for military equipment. Really sort of for the long term here, shoring up support for Ukraine.
When he spoke to the 705-member European parliament talking about how Ukraine shares European values, that Ukrainians are European, that Russia doesn't share these sorts of values of human rights, freedom of the press, all those things.
Indeed, he said, and this is perhaps his most emotional appeal, that Ukrainians are coming home to Europe. That's what got him the big standing ovation.
And it's important because the appeal that reaches out to the people of Europe will sustain the political positions and that strength of unity among the leaders.
PHILLIP: Yes, it's just worth noting it's incredible that, just over a year ago, Zelenskyy couldn't even leave Ukraine. His location could not be disclosed because of fears and threats on his life.
So to see him now in Europe and all of these capitals is really incredible.
Nic Robertson, thank you for that report.
[13:44:38]
And a new health scare for Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. What we are learning about what sent him to the emergency room. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIP: Democratic Senator John Fetterman spent last night in the hospital. His office says that he felt lightheaded last night and was kept overnight for observation and tests. Fetterman's spokesperson said there was no evidence he had another stroke. He did have a stroke last year and doctors implanted in a pacemaker. He was released after nine days in the hospital.
Aides said, last night, Fetterman was, quote, "in good spirits and talking with his family and staff."
So we all hope that he recovers and does well.
And now edgy jokes, "F" bombs and a bipartisan roast. Last night's congressional dinner had Washington rolling with laughter.
Cue Congresswoman-turned-comedian, Nancy Mace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[13:50:02]
REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): Did you watch McCarthy during the speaker vote. I haven't seen someone assume that many positions since Stormy Daniels.
(LAUGHTER)
MACE: Have you all met Maxwell frost? He's 25 years old. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you. I have --
(LAUGHTER)
MACE: I have stretch marks your age! That's ridiculous.
Recently, there's been a lot of talk about anti-Semitism. But since Marjorie Taylor Greene started behaving, the rate of Jewish space- laser attacks is now zero. Good job, Marjorie, good job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP: And you know they couldn't resist George Santos jokes.
MACE: I mean, like, really, who lies about playing college volleyball? Like, who does that?
(LAUGHTER)
MACE: If you're going to lie, at least make it about something big. Like you actually won the 2020 presidential election.
(LAUGHTER)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): I am not just Jew-ish, like some other New Yorkers in Congress. I'm Jewish! I'm the real thing, baby!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP: They weren't alone. The night's closing act brought the funny as well. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): Since they asked the pastor to close, I guess you could call this the benediction. Or since we are meeting in what used to be Trump International Hotel, perhaps it's an exorcism.
We don't clap on the one and the three. We clap on the two and the four.
(LAUGHTER)
WARNOCK: I'm not pointing anybody out, but somebody tell the president.
If you like my remarks, my name is Raphael Warnock.
(LAUGHTER)
WARNOCK: If you didn't, I'm Senator Tim Scott.
Good night, everybody!
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP: All right. It's good to see lawmakers on Capitol Hill not taking themselves too seriously, having a good time every once in a while.
All right, from Capitol Hill roasts to halftime host. It's been seven years since Rihanna has performed on stage. And in just three days, she'll hit one of the world's biggest stages. What she just revealed about that performance, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:57:09]
PHILLIP: All right. This is really important. The forecast for Sunday's Super Bowl is partly sunny, but umbrellas will likely still be on hand.
CNN's Coy Wire is joining us.
Coy, you have the latest very important information on the game's halftime star, Rihanna. She just gave us the dish on the live gig on stage.
But actually, Coy, give us one second. It sounds like President Biden is getting ready to come out now.
President Biden is in Tampa, Florida. And he's speaking there about his plan to protect Social Security and Medicare and lower health care costs.
We'll let you take a listen now.
MUSIC)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: According to the city, I don't know where you're sitting. I'm looking. There you are! Thanks to the passport.
And I want also to thank the members of Congress here today.
Kathy Castor, who represents this district and Darren Soto, both good friends.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Two champions for opportunity, health care, and a safer climate for the people of Florida.
I can't stand here and not tell you how much I admire Charlie Crist.
Charlie?
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: I don't think you're finished.
(LAUGHTER)
BIDEN: Look, there are so many things we could focus on today at this great university, from education, foreign policy, and a whole range of other issues. But earlier this week, I reported on the STATE OF THE UNION. I said -
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: I said it's because of the people of this country, the resilience, the strength.
The soul of the nation is strong, and the backbone of this nation is strong, and the people of America are strong. It's never been a good bet to try to count us out. Never, ever, ever.
We're often told that Democrats and Republicans can't work together. But as I told my Republican friends on Tuesday, if we could work together the last Congress, and we did, there's no reason we can't work together to get things done as well in this Congress.
In fact, an old friend of mine --
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: -- when I was up in the Senate for 270 years- (LAUGHTER)
BIDEN: -- knows what I'm talking about on that score.
We passed more legislation during those first two years together, Democrats and Republicans, than any Congress in history, the bipartisan infrastructure law. That was a $200 trillion bill we agreed on to make us number one in the work again.
[13:59:54]
The Chips in Science Act, which is costing $300 billion, $300 billion to build these new fabs they call them, factories to make chips, which we invented here in America, I might add.
