Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

V.P. Harris: Russia Committed Crimes Against Humanity; German Chancellor Warns Of Long War, But Allies Sticking Together; U.S. Military Ends Chinese Spy Balloon Recovery Operation; DOJ Officially Decides Not To Charge Matt Gaetz In Sex-Trafficking Probe; Quake Survivor Recounts Being Buried Alive With Four-Year-Old; New Research Shows Breast Cancer Patients May Not Require Radiation. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired February 18, 2023 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, 15-TIME NBA ALL-STAR: So, I'm looking to see which young guy is coming to take over.

CHARLES BARKLEY, 11-TIME NBA ALL-STAR: Also, we can have just a great celebration for the NBA family. And it's great -- it's great to come back here. You know, two of the best players in NBA history played here for 20 years, basically. So, we used to come here quite a bit. They got great fans here. And it's going to be really fun.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. It's fun time right now in here, Paula, as we wait for the teams to practice. And we actually don't know the real teams for the game yet because they're going to draft those right before the game tomorrow night. It's first time ever. They're going to do it that way.

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Looks like a blast, Andy. Thank you.

Hello, thanks for joining me. I'm Paula Reid in for Frederica Whitfield. We begin this hour with the U.S. announcing new actions in response to Russia's "barbaric and inhumane war in Ukraine." Vice President Kamala Harris and the Secretary of State meeting with world leaders at the Munich Security Conference today, formally declaring that Russia has committed crimes against humanity as the war nears its one-year mark.

CNN International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in Munich for the conference. Nick, what are you hearing on the ground?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: There is support here in Europe for uncertainly a belief and an understanding as well sharing that view that Russia is committing these crimes against humanity. And I think it was encouraging for the audience here in Europe to hear that accountability will be being held. There is a sense in Europe that they need to build the system and the mechanism here in Europe.

And there's talk about doing it in The Hague in the Netherlands, a traditional place where international leaders can be held to account. They have been historically in the past. So, I think the Vice President's words resonating. This was exactly how she framed it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, UNITED STATES VICE PRESIDENT: In the case of Russia's actions in Ukraine, we have examined the evidence. We know the legal standards. And there is no doubt these are crimes against humanity.

The United States will continue to strongly support Ukraine. And we will do so for as long as it takes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: I don't think anyone in the room here in Munich thinks that President Putin is going to end up in court anytime soon. But this mechanism is being created. And certainly, for Russian frontline troops, they're now going to get this understanding that if the Ukrainians capture them, or they turn themselves over to the Ukrainians, they may not just end up in a Ukrainian jail, but they could face international court over their actions.

REID: And the Vice President also called out China for its supportive Russia during the war. What did you make of that moment?

ROBERTSON: Yes. An important moment here because it really resonates around the room. There are similar concerns shared with European partners and allies. This idea that China is giving increasing support to Russia buying its oil, for example, which puts money back into Russia's economy, which supports it on the war. There's this real attention here at the moment to look at precisely what Russia -- what China does in this context.

And I spoke with the European Commission, President Ursula von der Leyen, a significant figure here in Europe, asked her opinion about it and she said, you know, we've got to look and see what China is actually doing. We're scrutinizing that. We're not seeing them supplying weapons at the moment. But this is something we're watching very, very closely. So again, these are comments by the Vice President that resonated strongly here.

And we also heard earlier in the day from the -- from the foreign minister of China, Wang Yi, who was speaking here. And he used language that we rarely, if ever hear in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine. He said this -- this war essentially cannot continue. And that from a Chinese diplomat, a strong language, but of course, you know, its actions, not words. And that's what everyone here today is looking for from the Chinese what precisely are their actions now. REID: And speaking of actions, we're also hearing the U.S. is

attempting to arrange a meeting between Secretary Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, and this comes just weeks after calling off a planned trip to Beijing over that Chinese spy balloon. So, what are you hearing about the possibility of that meeting actually happening?

ROBERTSON: You know, if you listen to what Wang Yi had said earlier today, you might think that this just -- is absolutely impossible because he came out and he -- and he -- and again, as we've heard from the Chinese foreign ministry, said that the United States overreacted that had -- that had blown this situation out of proportion.

[13:05:07]

That, you know, what happens behind the scenes, what the Chinese do behind the scenes may be something different. But the public position that China is taking at the moment would seem to sort of push away the possibility of a Secretary Blinken meeting in the margins here. But we do know that U.S. officials are trying to arrange something with Wang Yi and Secretary Blinken. But nothing has been nailed down yet. It's still early in the evening here. So, there's a possibility it could happen.

REID: Nic Robertson, thank you. And many other world leaders urging quick action to provide Ukraine with the equipment necessary to fend off Russian advances. The German Chancellor sat down with CNN's Christiane Amanpour at the Munich Security Conference about what the next phase of this war could look like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You in your speech said we have to be ready for the long haul. I mean, you must strategize, you must think amongst yourselves how long this could last. Do you have a target date?

OLAF SCHOLZ, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY: I think it is wise to be prepared for a long war and it is wise to give put in the message that we are ready to stay all the time together with Ukraine and that we will constantly support the country. So, it is not really a very good idea that in this conference or at this podium, the two of us discussed the question, when exactly in which month this war will end.

The really important decision we should take all together is saying that we are willing to do it as long as necessary, and that we will do our best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: We're just shy of the one-year mark since Russia began its invasion in Ukraine. And our next guests have been covering the war since the beginning. Joining us now, correspondent for TIME Magazine, Simon Shuster and author of the book, The Fight is Here. Also, Maxim Dondyuk, a visual artist who has been capturing documentary photography since the war began. Simon, Maxim, thank you so much for joining us. Simon, I want to start with you. Did you think you would still be doing this almost a year later?

SIMON SHUSTER, CORRESPONDENT, TIME MAGAZINE: I did think that it was going to drag on for this long. Yes. And I don't know how long it's going to last beyond this. But I do remember a lot of conversations with President Zelenskyy with members of his team, where they talked about the previous conference in Munich a year ago when President Zelenskyy took his last trip abroad before the invasion and the messages he was getting at that time, were really disheartening for him.

He was hearing things like, you should think about moving your government abroad to possibly rule from exile, you should be digging trenches. They were not offering the kinds of weapons that the West is now providing, they were not offering the kinds of support. So, if you look -- if you look at that trajectory over the past year between the Munich conference last year, and this one, Ukraine is in a much stronger position, vis-a-vis the support it's getting from the West, the unity that the West is showing in its support. And that to me points to a real chance of Ukrainian victory.

REID: And Maxim, you have taken so many remarkable photographs over the past year. I want to ask you about a couple in particular. Let's start with this one. It's a soldier carrying a small child. Tell us about this moment.

MAXIM DONDYUK, VISUAL ARTIST: It just was the beginning of the war when just -- Russia just bombed and Ukrainian breach and people tried to escaped from Russian armies. So, it's like Ukrainian army try to help a mother's child and she just tried to escape from Bucha. And then now know what had happened. So, it was European breach and it was (INAUDIBLE) shelling and just Russia shelling civilian people.

REID: And we do want our viewers to know that both the child and the mom in that picture are doing fine.

Now, Simon once again this week, Russian strikes targeting Ukraine's infrastructure. And I want to show another one of Maxim photo -- photographs here of a woman living in a tent in an underground shelter. Simon, tell us about the people you have met and how their lives had been up ended by this war.

SHUSTER: I think, you know, these attacks that we've seen in recent months since the late fall, I think of Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. You know, it really tested the resolve of the Ukrainian people. It's awful, you know, I spent a lot of time in Kyiv when you have these black blackouts, you know, it's cold, it's dark, it's grim and you don't know when it's going to be over.

[13:10:05]

There's the constant threat of airstrikes hitting, you know, the place where you live, or these Iranian drones that the Russians have been using. You know, it's hard to imagine the kind of strain that puts on the population. But I've been amazed consistently throughout with how Ukrainians have been able to adapt to these things. These really, you know, difficult psychologically and physically conditions.

And they get -- they get used to them. They learn to cope, when they hear the air-raid sirens, they go down to the -- to the subway or other shelters, as you see in that photograph there of the woman with her family. And they learned to get by and I think they get by most of all, by contributing somehow to the war effort, however they can, even if they're not fighting at the front, they're volunteering, they're doing what they can to help Ukraine survive.

And I think that really keeps them going and keeps morale high still, even a year into the war.

REID: And Maxim, this photograph of a soldier being treated in the hospital really seems to embody Ukraine's reality. What can you say about this photo?

DONDYUK: Yes. Just -- you can see what just -- Ukrainian just -- what cost for Ukrainian because now we just know this war not only against Ukraine, it's a war against democracy, against European Union, against America, against all our borders. And just -- of course, now it's a big problem maybe for European Union or for American about the colony, about everything because you support us and -- but we pay our -- just -- our mans, our human, we just lost a lot of really good mans and just even a womans and child.

And I think it's important to show (INAUDIBLE) something else we pay our life, we'll just pay our land and our life and it's just important.

REID: Absolutely. These photos are incredible.

DONDYUK: Yes.

REID: Simon, President Zelenskyy has been lobbying hard to get the West to send more military equipment, namely tanks and jets. He got some tanks, but more sophisticated equipment is proving to be elusive. So, what happens if he doesn't get this equipment?

SHUSTER: I think we're still preparing and building up reserves for further counter offensives. And the pattern that we've seen throughout this year is hesitation from the west about whether to send this or that advanced system, how much of it to send, whether that would provoke the Russians to some kind of further escalation. But consistently, month after month, we've seen the West step up and deliver those systems.

Most recently, as you said it was tanks. Now in his -- in his speech to the Munich Security Conference, President Zelenskyy highlighted, again, his demands for -- I should say requests for fighter jets. And if this pattern holds up, I think we will see deliveries of Western fighter jets to Ukraine. There's already a lot of talk about that. Some people talk about it already as a foregone conclusion that those jets are coming. It's only a matter of time. And again, so far, the West has shown, yes, grudgingly. Yes, according to the Ukrainians, far too slowly. But the weapons systems continue to arrive. And they do make a big, big difference on the battlefield.

REID: Maxim and Simon, thank you so much.

SHUSTER: Thank you.

REID: The U.S. military has concluded the recovery operation for that Chinese spy balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina earlier this month. Navy search teams were able to successfully retrieved debris from the large balloon in the Atlantic Ocean and have sent those pieces to an FBI lab in Virginia where they're now being examined. The military has also though ended the search for the flying objects down over Lake Huron and Alaska after days of fruitless searches.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is at the White House for us. Priscilla, what is the Biden administration saying about these developments?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, this is an opportunity for them to learn more about that Chinese spy balloon. And that is what the White House has emphasized as it was collecting that debris. That recovery, as you noted, has concluded and they will now take that to an FBI lab in Virginia to learn more. But as far as those three objects that were shot down over the -- over last weekend, that the administration has worn was going to be more difficult.

Simply because they were shot down in really remote areas. And in a statement, the U.S. Northern Command said that the U.S. military federal agencies and Canadian partners had tried to locate some of these debris saying they conducted systematic searches of each area using a variety of capabilities, including airborne imagery and sensors, surface sensors and inspections and subsurface scans and they did not locate debris.

[13:15:05]

Now, the White House caution this was entirely possible and they have said that according to intelligence assessments, these objects likely belong to private companies or research institutions. But what they'll learn moving forward is still unclear. Now, President Biden did make clear in remarks earlier this week that the administration is taking steps moving forward to try to make sure that when they identify objects, they know what they are.

So, he devised a team to provide stricter rules in terms of how they assess these objects. Key top national security adviser Jake Sullivan to also lead a whole of government effort on this and established and improved inventory of unmanned airborne objects. So, this is all what the administration is going to be doing moving forward. But President Biden did say also in those remarks that he doesn't intend for this to be a cold war with China when it comes to that balloon and instead use the opportunity to really defuse tensions between the U.S. and China. Paula? REID: I also have some exclusive reporting on U.S. Treasury officials putting Russia and its intelligence services on notice. What have you learned?

ALVAREZ: Well, the Deputy Treasury Secretary is making clear that they will go after Russia for those sanctions. They said that they are basically cracking down, doubling down on efforts against those who are trying to circumvent U.S. sanctions. And really, Paula, this is the administration's approach to Russia is doubling down on the country, especially coming up to that one-year anniversary of when Russia invaded Ukraine.

We can expect to hear perhaps more of this when President Biden speaks on Tuesday evening. He is going to visit Poland this upcoming week. And his message is going to be to the world, to the American people and to Russia. And already we're getting a little bit of what the administration plans to do on that front again with the Deputy Treasury Secretary planning to -- or saying that they are not going to allow those, they're trying to circumvent U.S. sanctions to keep doing so as they try to destabilize the Russian economy. Paula?

REID: Priscilla Alvarez, great reporting. Thank you.

And still ahead, the parents of Tyre Nichols say the process of justice has begun. After five former Memphis police officers charged in connection to his killing were arraigned Friday. We'll tell you how the officers lawyers plan to shape their defense.

And later, the Justice Department will not prosecute Congressman Matt Gaetz after a years' long sex trafficking investigation. I'll discuss it with the attorney for one of the key witnesses in the case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:21:41]

REID: And the parents of Tyre Nichols say the process of justice has begun after the arraignment of the five officers charged in their son's death. All pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including second-degree murder and aggravated assault. CNN's Senior Crime and Justice Correspondent Shimon Procupekz has more from Memphis.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ROWVAUGHN WELLS, MOTHER OF TYRE NICHOLS: They didn't even have the courage to look at me in my face.

SHIMON PROCUPEKZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An emotional day in Memphis where the five former police officers charged with murdering Tyre nickels appeared in court together in front of the Nichols family for the first time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not guilty. PROCUPEKZ: All five pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. Judge James Jones addressing the courtroom emphasizing this case could take time.

JAMES JONES, JUDGE, SHELBY COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT: We understand that there may be some high emotions in this case but we ask that you continue to be patient with us.

PROCUPEKZ: After the arraignment, attorneys for the officers began to reveal how their defense will take shape.

JOHN KEITH PERRY, ATTORNEY FOR TADDARIUS BEAN: Taddarius Bean was doing his job at that time. And he never -- and he never struck him. And there has been no information that we have seen as of right now that indicates that there's a -- that there's any sort of information that we can rely on to say that it's murder.

PROCUPEKZ: When asked if his client had any regrets.

PERRY: I think at this point, he probably regrets being a Memphis police officer on that night because had he not been, he wouldn't have been called to do his job.

PROCUPEKZ: Another defense attorney invoking his client's race and warning not to rush to judgment.

BLAKE BALLIN, ATTORNEY FOR DESMOND MILLS: Let's not forget my client is a Black man in a courtroom in America. This is a country where Black people are incarcerated at five times the rate of White people. Much has been said about the way the system has failed Mr. Nichols. I will work tirelessly to make sure that the system does not fail Mr. Mills.

PROKUPECZ: For Tyre Nichols' mother, relief the legal process has begun, but the pain of her loss is clear.

WELLS: I know my son is gone. I know I will never see him again. But we have to start this process of justice right now.

PROKUPECZ: The Shelby County district attorney saying his office is reviewing up to 100 prior cases involving the now-disbanded SCORPION Unit. 75 of those cases related to the five officers charged in Nichols' death. The clearest sign yet that more justice could come to the city of Memphis.

STEVE MULROY, SHELBY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We will be making decisions about charges regarding all of those people in the -- in the -- in the time ahead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PROCUPEKZ: The five police officers making their initial appearance in a Memphis courtroom all charged with murder and kidnapping and assault. This was their first time appearing together in court and really their attorneys, clearly making it obvious that they're going to fight, that they're going to launch a vigorous defense saying that prosecutors here are rushing this case, that there's been a rush to judgment.

And they're urging people to keep an open mind as we wait to hear more. Look. We're still waiting for more officers who are under investigation on whether or not they're going to face any criminal charges. Disciplinary charges.

[13:25:00]

And also, we're still waiting for more video and audio to be released by the city. And all of this happening as many of the investigations here so still very much underway. Shimon Procupekz, CNN, Memphis, Tennessee.

REID: And coming up. The Justice Department will not bring charges against Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz after a year's long Federal sex trafficking investigation. The lawyer representing the Congressman's ex-girlfriend will join me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: And this week, CNN broke the news that the Justice Department will not prosecute Congressman Matt Gaetz after a year's long sex trafficking investigation. Last fall, investigators working on the case recommended not bringing charges amid concerns that the central witnesses in the case would not be perceived as credible.

[13:30:08]

Including Gaetz's close friend, Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking, and also agreed to cooperate with the government.

An investigation into the congressman was originally opened under Trump-appointed Attorney General Bill Barr and went on for over two years, looking into allegations the congressman violated the law by paying for sex, including allegedly with one woman who was under age 18 at the time.

They also looked at whether the congressman or his associates tried to obstruct the investigation.

Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

This week, prosecutors informed witnesses of their decision. That prompted a lot of questions about why this case was not moving forward.

So with me now is Tim Jansen. He is an attorney for one of the key witnesses in this case.

Tim, thank you so much for being with me.

I think you're the perfect person to help explain to people what exactly happened here. My first question to you is, how did you and your client become

involved in this investigation?

TIM JANSEN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, good afternoon, Paula.

Yes, my client got involved when the FBI grabbed her phone on her way to work one day at the capitol at the Department of Education.

Took her phone with a subpoena, didn't really tell her anything. So she was told the FBI has your phone, and she knew nothing at that point.

And it led into believing that it was an FBI investigation.

REID: At the beginning of this investigation, your client was being looked at as possibly someone who could be charged before she became a witness who testified before the grand jury, is that correct?

JANSEN: Well, of course, they found her as a witness. They knew her relationship to Congressman Gaetz, which was a serious relationship at one point.

They did initially try to bring charges with her. They tried to bring her in. And led her to believe that she was possibly a target of the investigation also.

REID: What is it that they wanted to know from her?

JANSEN: They wanted to know her relationship. They wanted to know what she did, if she was paid, what was she paid for, who was on the trips.

My client, while she was a young woman, she was a very street smart, very smart young lady. She wasn't going to be pushed around by the federal government.

But then she realized how strong and how big the federal government is. And the FBI, the Justice Department is not someone you want to tangle with.

So we had tense moments during our initial interviews with the government.

REID: When you say "tense moments," what does that mean?

JANSEN: Well, I can tell you the government wasn't happy, my client wasn't happy, I wasn't happy. You know, you leave a room and no one's happy.

We took a break and a breather, and we took time apart. Each party met with their people and we discussed what we thought.

You know, my client is not used to a criminal investigation. She was a person just going about her life.

She had a relationship with Congressman Gaetz. She respects Congressman Gaetz. She still respects Congressman Gaetz. They had a lot of great times together. She thinks very fondly of him.

It was hard for her to understand why the government was coming down on her, threatening her at the time.

REID: And she did eventually cooperate with the government. She was never charged. She testified before the grand jury over a year ago.

How did you respond when you found out they were not going to proceed with charges?

JANSEN: Well, it's not hard. I was a former federal prosecutor. If you don't have evidence, you can't go forward.

In order to prosecute a case, you have to have credible evidence, either tangible, witnesses. And in this case, there was no credible evidence of wrongdoing.

Joel Greenberg was somebody who couldn't put on the witness stand as a prosecutor.

I believe these women, none of them believed they were victims of any crime. I think there was statements made by almost everybody that was inconsistent.

Mr. Gaetz, Congressman Gaeta denied all the allegations, unlike Joel Greenberg, who confessed to them.

So Todd, the prosecutor, who I believe did a fabulous job, he was very thorough. They came down here twice. I met them in Orlando. They turned over every stone.

I think they ultimately made a decision they didn't have evidence to prove a crime.

I know critics think the congressman somehow bought it off or somehow used his power, but I found Todd very responsible. He was very organized. He had evidence that he believed that he was following.

They made a determination they weren't going to charge.

[13:35:02]

REID: You make a great point, because there were a lot of questions when we broke this news about whether the congressman had an advantage because he is powerful, because his family is wealthy.

But what you're telling me is, in your experience, that investigators pursued this very aggressively but, at the end of the day, it appears they just didn't have the evidence to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt?

JANSEN: I can tell you, the first meeting, they alleged that my client was Ghislaine Maxwell. And they tell it to this 27-year-old child. She was like, what are you talking about?

They believed my client was the key, crucial, the whole wheel to this whole thing.

I think what they realized later was -- we believe, my client believes, that if it wasn't for Matt Gaetz's name, this investigation wouldn't have gone on as it did.

I think the government went out of their way to make sure there was nothing inappropriate. And I think they ultimately decided they didn't have a case.

I think Todd is a very responsible prosecutor.

In federal cases like this, unlike state prosecutors, they have the discretion whether or not to bring a case.

It's not like you arrest somebody in state court and you have to go forward. The federal prosecutors have sole discretion what cases to charge. And they determined this case was not one they could go forward on.

REID: In our reporting, we've learned the alleged victim, the underage woman, who is now of age, was not consistently cooperative with the government.

And there were, of course, issues with Joel Greenberg. There are challenging witnesses.

And then there's Joel Greenberg. He's currently serving 11 years after pleading down still to multiple felonies.

It's clear Joel Greenberg would not really have been helpful to this case. Or he would have made it really difficult for prosecutors to rely on Gaetz's so-called wing man, who also pleaded guilty to sex trafficking.

JANSEN: Yes, as a prosecutor, you couldn't put Joel Greenberg on the stand.

I believe he plead guilty or admitted to trying to set a competitor against him for the same kind of charge. He's looking at a lengthy period of incarceration on minimum mandatories. So he had no credibility.

And I think -- I don't know about the so-called other young women. I can speak to my client's position.

She does not feel she was a victim in anything. She has the highest respect for Congressman Gaetz.

We cooperated with the government. Ultimately, the government believed that my client told everything she knew, and she was truthful. That's how it ended with our relationship with the prosecutor.

REID: They're still on good terms --

JANSEN: Yes.

REID: -- your client and the congressman, even after she testified before the grand jury last year?

JANSEN: I can't confirm or deny if she testified.

But I can tell you during this investigation, my client had no communication with Congressman Gaetz. It was purposely done. We put up a wall.

I purposely did not speak to Mr. Gaetz's attorneys because I didn't want anybody to think there was some kind of conflict. My sole representation was my client.

I don't believe she has reached out to Congressman Gaetz, but I don't think anything would preclude it at this point.

REID: And what do you think -- just briefly, what do you think people should take away from this? This case got a lot of publicity, people watching it closely.

What do you think this teaches people about the criminal justice system?

JANSEN: Well, I was a prosecutor many, many years ago when I first started as a federal prosecutor. I had a chance to take two cases.

One prosecutor said, the guy can't beat the rap. He'll beat the rap, but he can't beat the ride. I decided not to work on that case.

Our criminal justice and Department of Justice doesn't prosecutor people for them not to beat the ride. You know, they're there to convict people. They file charges against cases that they have evidence they can prove.

I think they didn't have evidence in this case to prove.

I know Mr. Gaetz is polarizing to a lot of people, but the government looked at it, thoroughly looked at it and decided we're not going forward. I think people need to respect that decision.

Because for two years of this investigation, I can tell you that Todd Gee, they followed every lead they had, to my knowledge.

REID: And Todd Gee, the prosecutor on this case.

Thank you so much, Tim, for joining us with that really important insight and context.

JANSEN: Thank you, Paula.

REID: A heartwarming scene after a traumatic event. We'll bring you the emotional reunion of a dad and his child separated after being pulled from the rubble, next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMET AYYAN, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR WHO WAS REUNITED WITH HIS DAUGHTER: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (CRYING)

[13:39:40]

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has now exceeded 46,000 and is expected to soar even higher.

Thousands of buildings have already collapsed. But Turkish officials say some 90,000 other buildings are so damaged they may need to be demolished immediately.

Then there's this, 296 hours after her building collapsed, a woman is one of three rescued from the rubble.

CNN's Sara Sidner has the story of yet another survivor who lost his wife and son in the quake but is thankful to still have his daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ahmet Ayyan is grieving the loss of his wife and son, while clinging to the one person who willed him to stay alive.

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: "My daughter was telling me, Papa don't cry, relax. They are coming to rescue us," he says.

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: This is Ahmet four days after he was buried neck-deep in rubble with his wife and two children. Only he and his four-year-old daughter, Gadda (ph), made it out alive.

[13:45:00]

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: "We stayed under the rubble about four days."

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: "When the building fell down, my daughter was on my leg."

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: "Thank God there wasn't any rocks or something on her."

(CROSSTALK)

SIDNER: She was rescued first. A half hour later, he was. And the two got separated.

(CROSSTALK)

SIDNER: He was taken to a hospital. She was eventually taken to social services with barely a scratch on her.

For days, he had no idea where his little angel was.

(on camera): Did you worry that you would never see her again?

AYYAN: No.

SIDNER: "No, never," he says.

SIDNER: You knew you would see her again?

(voice-over): And he was right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: This is the day they were reunited.

(CRYING)

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(CRYING)

SIDNER: They screamed and cried, elated to hold each other once more.

(CRYING)

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: "On the fourth day, my daughter told me, look, Papa, there is light. I did not understand the light at the time," he says.

"Then I heard some voices."

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: Those were the voices of rescuers. And a family member later found her in social services and made the connection.

(CRYING)

(CROSSTALK) AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Jan Gursoy (ph) is hoping beyond hope, he, too, will also be reunited with his parent.

"I have one request for you. Please help me find my mother, Shukran Erdan (ph)," he tells us.

He and his family were trapped inside this collapsed building for 24 hours. He and his sister made it out. His mother has not been seen since.

"I remember the collapsing of the building. I remember passing out after a piece of the house hit me in the eye," he says.

(on camera): Can you describe what it was like in this tight space physically for you?

JAN GURSOY (ph), EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER (voice-over): "It was so difficult to breathe there. On the other hand, there was something crushing my leg, making me suffer," he says.

GURSOY (ph): (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: Ultimately, it was his decision to pull on a bit of the curtains that were visible to the outside that alerted someone he was alive.

While he continues searching for his mother, Ahmet is nursing his foot injury while thanking God he has at least one person left to love.

AYYAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: "That's my daughter," he says, "and she is my little hero, my hero."

Sara Sidner, CNN, Adana, Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Incredible.

Coming up, good news for breast cancer patients. New research shows that some may be able to skip radiation therapy. Details, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:52:32]

REID: Stunning new research shows that certain breast cancer patients 65 and older may be able to skip radiation therapy.

The findings published this week in "The New England Journal of Medicine" suggests that radiation may not be needed to extend survival for these patients, as long as they receive five years of hormone therapy.

CNN's Jacqueline Howard has more on the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: This is major news for certain breast cancer patients. I'm talking about those 65 and older with small hormone receptor positive breast cancer who are receiving hormone therapy.

So typically, breast cancer patients receive radiation after having a tumor removed. But for these patients, opting out of radiation appears to have no major impact on their overall survival.

That's according to new research in "The New England Journal of Medicine."

Researchers look at data on more than 1,300 women with breast cancer. About half of them received radiation across their whole breast following surgery, the other half did not.

The researchers found that the incidence of cancer coming back in the same breast was higher for those who did not receive radiation. 9.5 percent versus 0.9 percent.

But, when it came to overall survival at 10 years, that was nearly identical between the two groups, 80.8 percent versus 80.7 percent.

We know that radiation therapy can come with side effects, fatigue, hair loss and swelling or tenderness in the breast and the risk of complications. So having the option to skip it might be welcome for some.

Others might still want radiation therapy because of concerns about their cancer coming back.

And one important caveat. For women who are not planning to take hormone therapy, skipping radiation is not recommended.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Jacqueline Howard, thank you.

And coming up, a California man is now facing hate crime charges after he allegedly targeted and shot two Jewish men in separate incidents earlier. We'll bring you the details.

But first, a woman in Hawaii, looking to keep wrapping paper out of landfills, starts her own business in today's "START SMALL, THINK BIG."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA SMITH, FOUNDER, WRAPPILY: I grew up in Hawaii. And I think living in the islands really affects you because you are living so close to your natural resources.

[13:55:03]

In Maui, our landfill is right in the middle of the island and it's growing at an alarming rate. It makes me feel very passionate about putting as little in the landfill as possible.

I was at a time in my life, every weekend, there were bridal showers, baby showers, I was literally smoothing out all the wrapping paper at the end of the party.

-I would save it and I'm calling recycling centers across the state. They won't take it.

Wrapping paper is not recyclable a lot of times because of the glossy coating. That is a thin layer of plastic that's put over the paper.

My grandfather owned a printing press. I spent a lot of time, weirdly, in press rooms growing up.

It was just an ah-ha moment, why don't we take patterns and run them on neighborhood newspaper presses and then you have a product that's as easy to recycle as newspaper.

I founded Wrappily in 2013. I started very small with just a couple of papers on a Web site. Now Wrappily is sold in all 50 states.

It's 100 percent recyclable and compostable. And it's 100 percent made in the USA.

Once I had a vision for, I could not make it happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)