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Media Publishers Drop "Dilbert" Comic Over Creator's Racist Rant; Ex-Husband and Family accuse of Killing Hong Kong Model Abby Choi; "Everything Everywhere All at Once" Wins Big at SAG Awards. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired February 27, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: Joining us now is CNN's senior media reporter Oliver Darcy and Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change. So, Oliver, let me begin with you. Because as we just heard, it appears that Adams is not apologetic here at all. And seems to be rolling with whatever consequences stem from these comments. What do you make of all of this?

OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: That's right, he's -- I mean, he's unapologetic. He's saying he is being hyperbolic in these comments. But I me, I've watched a lot of this Scott Adams live stream over the past 48 hours or so. And he really was effectively encouraging and is effectively encouraging some form of segregation. I mean, his comments there are calling Black people a hate group, obviously, are bad enough, but he's continued basically to promote the idea of segregation on these different -- on these different shows that he's been appearing on, his live streams on YouTube.

The other thing I think that's interesting is, as you said, that Elon Musk is effectively rushing to his defense. It's one thing for Scott Adams, this cartoonist to make these comments. But you have Elon Musk now weighing in, accusing the news media of being racist. And the news media has a lot of business partnerships with Elon Musk. So it will be interesting, for instance, for now like "The Washington Post" which said they were severing ties over Scott Adams' remarks if they will also move to sever business ties with someone like Elon Musk, given that musk is now defending effectively those comments from Adams.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: So, Rashad, his comments, he says, were in response to a Rasmussen poll, a conservative pollster, where, according to Rasmussen, 53 percent of black respondents agreed with the statement it's OK to be white. He then said that since he's trying to come on and clean it up, I want you to listen to one of his recent comments about the backlash. And I guess this is trying to clarify.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT ADAMS, CARTOONIST: So, if I say that Black Americans are a hate group, does that mean I don't like my neighbor who is black and a doctor? No, he's great. I love that guy. That has nothing to do with individuals. I've made no comment about individuals. I love Black individuals. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: That's the cleanup. I like the black guy next door, but if you put too many together, they're a hate group. What's your reaction to what he's saying?

RASHAD ROBINSON, PRESIDENT, COLOR OF CHANGE: Well, my reaction is that, the more he talks, the more he continues to show us exactly what he means. And to have someone like Elon Musk supporting him, who's also now supporting segregation, a person who leads one of the largest communications platforms the world has ever seen, you start to get a real sense for this hostile climate that we are in around race. And the ways in which people with power will do whatever they can to sort of exert their privilege.

You know, Dilbert is not just kind of a comic, right. It's this piece of art and this piece of commentary that is used in workplaces. And it's commentary on workplace. So to have the founder of it sort of talk about segregation, when we understand the history of workplace discrimination, the history of exclusion in the workplace, you know, I think it only further what it illustrates. That we also know that he's been signaling this in his comics, in his commentary for years now.

And so, as these newspapers step away, I also think there's an opportunity for these newspapers, for these media outlets to have a deeper look about sort of the lines in which they will sort of -- you know, the line. And where is the line, between, you know, acceptable range of debate and inciting sort of white nationalist, white supremacist rhetoric. And I think that it'll be really important for these newspapers not to just cut Dilbert off and move on, but to recognize that some of these strips have been turned down over the last couple of years where he's tried to put other aspects of his commentary forward that has been abusive and offensive.

And at the end of the day, you know, no one is arresting him. No one is putting him behind bars. He can go out and say whatever he wants. Freedom of speech though is not freedom from consequences of speech. And just because he can't make money off of what he's saying right now, doesn't mean that anyone is holding him accountable in a way that's illegal or in violation of the First Amendment.

GOLODRYGA: Oliver, is there any sense that he'll benefit from this? I mean, it seems that he is doing this knowing that he'd like to be more provocative.

[15:35:00]

What are the repercussions or the benefits, unfortunately, for him that could come out of this?

DARCY: Well, he's certainly getting a lot of attention right now. And I think that's obviously something that he's relishing. But the financial -- I mean, his comic has been basically cancelled across the world. And so, no newspaper is going to be carrying it. His syndicator has severed ties with him. And so, from a financial standpoint, I can't imagine, you know it will be great. Unless he has some sort of other business that he wants to promote. But he's certainly getting a lot of attention. And given who he is, it seems that's something that he's enjoying quite a bit.

BLACKWELL: Rashad, and this Elon Musk, I know you were consulted specifically about Twitter and some of the racist statements that were posted there and some of the guidelines that Musk was considering at one point. When he says that U.S. media was racist against nonwhite people and now, they're racist against whites and Asians, how does that inform your confidence in Elon Musk and what he will do with that platform?

ROBINSON: Well, my confidence was shot, I met with Elon Musk along with other civil rights leaders right after he purchased the company. And he made a set of commitments to us in that call. He tweeted out those commitments at 1:30 the next morning. And then by sort of the next day, he was basically firing and letting go of the very people that would have carried out some of those commitments, like keeping the election integrity unit in place prior to the election.

And so, we have watched Elon Musk kind of say whatever is convenient at any given moment. And this is a person, right, who has a deep history with running his company in racist ways. With even his own wealth, and the wealth of his family from apartheid South Africa. And so, I don't think any of us can rest comfortably with the idea that Elon Musk is now an arbiter on what's racist or not.

And I think it's a deep recognition of the fact that self-regulated companies or unregulated companies is as long as big tech and social media platforms can continue to operate without rules, we will have folks like Elon Musk who will defend, literally defend segregation, get to now on -- determine how the most powerful platform -- one of the most powerful communications platforms is run. A place where people are supposed to come, engage and talk about it.

When I spoke to Elon Musk, he talked about Twitter as a public square. And I pushed back and let him know that public squares can't be owned by a single person. But also this country, in his country, South Africa, has a history of black folks being killed, beat and sold in public squares. And so, if you are going to operate something like that, you have to have deeper principles and we're seeing more and more that he doesn't have that.

BLACKWELL: Rashad Robinson, Oliver Darcy, thank you.

GOLODRYGA: In Hong Kong, four members of the same family have been charged in connection with the gruesome killing of a model. Why this case is sending shock waves through the city as police continue to look for her body parts.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: In Hong Kong, a celebrity model is dead and not only is her ex-husband accused of killing her, his father and brother also face charges in that gruesome murder. GOLODRYGA: The suspect's mother has also been arrested. The victim is

28-year-old Abby Choi. Her body was found cut into pieces. And now more from CNN's Kristie Lu Stout with this story, and a warning that you may find some of the details disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A fashion model and mother brutally murdered in Hong Kong, in a case that is sending shock waves through the usually safe city. 28-year-old Abby Choi was a well- known social media influencer with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. Who just weeks ago appeared on the digital cover of a luxury magazine. She was reported missing on Wednesday.

On Friday, police say pieces of her body were found in a refrigerator in the northern Tai Po district of Hong Kong. They also found a meat slicer and an electric saw. And later, police discovered a head, ribs and hair in a soup pot.

SUPT. ALAN CHUNG, HONG KONG POLICE: It was a skull, with hair. As I said unfortunately there's a hole on the right-side rear of the skull. So, the pathologist believe that should be the fatal attack on the victim.

STOUT: Police arrested Abby Choi's ex-husband on suspicion of murder on Saturday. Police said they caught him at Tung Chung pier on Lantau Island.

Reports that Choi's ex-husband Alex Kwong appeared here at the Kowloon city magistrates court on Monday, along with his father and brother. They are all accused of murder. Alex Kwong's mother also appeared in court. She's accused of obstructing the case, all four were denied bail.

STOUT (voice-over): Over the weekend authorities launched a massive search operation to track down the rest of the model's remains. They deployed more than 100 police officers including an abseil team and divers to search a cemetery in nearby catch water in the area of Tseung Kwan O.

[15:45:00]

They're still looking for several body parts. A gruesome murder of this young woman in the spotlight who leaves behind four children, including two from the ex-husband who is now in custody.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: That's just a horrific story. Our thanks to Kristie Lu.

Well, she is a star of "Everything Everywhere All at Once," and now Michelle Yeoh is making SAG history. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [15:50:00]

GOLODRYGA: Another history making moment at the 29th annual Screen Actors Guild awards for the film "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was a huge winner.

BLACKWELL: All three stars of the movie took home the top acting honors including best actress with Michelle Yeoh. CNN's Stephanie Elon is here with all the backstage reaction and a look at some of the other big winners. H.U.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: no alert Oh my God, H.U. You know, I'm sorry --

BLACKWELL: It's a holdover from the swim last hour. OK.

ELAM: But you know, I swam for Howard swimming. You know I was on the --

BLACKWELL: Oh, did you.

ELAM: -- the Howard University swim team, so I'm very excited, kudos here. Thank you. But that's not about me, let's talk about the movies because it was all about "Everything Everywhere All at Once" last night at the Screen Actors Guild awards. As you just saw, those big winners -- let's talk about the history that was made though. You've got Michelle Yeoh who made history as the first Asian woman to win in her category. And Ke Huy Quan who you may or may not have remembered, what Short Round from "Indiana Jones And the Temple of Doom." Well that actor went on to be in "Goonies." And now he a SAG award and he is the first Asian actor to win in his category as well. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KE HUY QUAN, SAG AWARD WINNER: This is a really emotional moment for me. Recently, I was told that if I would win tonight, I would become the very first Asian actor to win in this category.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: He was so emotional and so thankful. Just great speeches last night. I also got a chance to talk to Jamie Lee Curtis who was a surprise win because Angela Bassett has been winning in this category all award season long. I talked to her on the carpet about what it means right now. And then take a listen to what she said when she got on stage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE LEE CURTIS, SAG AWARD WINNER: I already won. Like I won because I'm here with you. You're wearing yellow, I'm in red, you know, God bless everybody.

I'm wearing the wedding ring that my father gave my mother. The truth of the matter is I'm 64 years old, and this is just amazing. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: Jamie Lee Curtis is a national treasure. I could have talked to her for hours. Also, "White Lotus" winning big, also for Jennifer Coolidge from that show and "Abbott Elementary," those guys on the TV side also having a great night. As well as Brendan Fraser who beat out Austin Butler from "Elvis." So, maybe "The Whale" has a chance here at the Oscars, guys.

GOLODRYGA: That acceptance speech from Jamie Lee Curtis, where she said, listen, I know you may think I'm a nepo baby, but I'm 64 years old. She just looks so happy. Stephanie Elam, thank you.

BLACKWELL: Thanks Stephanie.

A new assessment on the origins of COVID-19 said the Department of Energy had low confidence that the virus accidentally escaped from the lab in Wuhan. What that means and how China is responding. We'll have more on that, ahead.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Just released a new study that shows a major benefit from cell therapy for people suffering from heart failure.

GOLODRYGA: Researchers say this therapy which involved a patient receiving adult stem cells can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard is here with the details. Jacqueline, tell us how the therapy actually can help heart patients.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Victor and Bianna, this cell therapy specifically targets inflammation which plays a major role in heart failure. It's what the researchers said they looked at more than 500 heart failure patients, half of them were given the stem cell therapy, the other half were given what was called a sham procedure, a placebo.

And the researchers found among the patients that had the stem cells injected in their heart through a catheter, they saw that there was a decreased risk of heart attack or stroke by 58 percent. And this lasted through 30 months. We're talking about 2 1/2 years of research. And a lead author of the study, Dr. Emerson Perin, he told me that this type of therapy can be used along with the medications that heart failure patients take. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. EMERSON PERIN, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, THE TEXAS HEART INSTITUTE: So, you can imagine, if we keep everybody going and doing better with the medicine, and now we have a treatment that actually addresses the cause and quiets everything down. So, this line of investigation really has a great future, and I can see that with the confirm confirmatory trial, we can bring this kind of treatment into the mainstream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD: So, of course, Victor and Bianna, there'll be more research needed before this is brought into the mainstream and to the real world. But I can tell you it's fascinating science to watch.

BLACKWELL: All right. Jacqueline Howard, thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, we found an interesting story to tell you as we finish the show today. Need a high-tech way to kiss your loved ones long distance? Well, new designs from Chinese developers allows you to kiss people over the internet.

BLACKWELL: My, my, so this contraption has warm moving silicone lips with pressure sensors that mimic the real thing. Even kissing sounds. So, you even have my read is different. Users jut have to plug the device in and pair it with their phones.

GOLODRYGA: You sell it so much better than I did, Victor.

BLACKWELL: When I first saw this, I thought it was something else, but apparently it's a kissing device you're supposed to kiss over the internet.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, the inventor was missing his girlfriend I think as he was in college, and decided that this was how who would keep in touch, literally, I guess, I don't know. But along with the kissing motion it can also transmits the sound the user makes.

BLACKWELL: You know, they highlight there's no tongue here though.

GOLODRYGA: That's a good thing, I guess.

[16:00:00]

BLACKWELL: No, it really isn't a good thing, if you're trying to really simulate, you know, do it right.

GOLODRYGA: It's only 4:00, Victor.

BLACKWELL: That's a second-generation device. They'll let you really get into it though..

GOLODRYGA: Well, "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" --

BLACKWELL: Hey, they're starting to play the music early. Does that mean I should stop talking about this? We've got 15 seconds.

GOLODRYGA: Jake's going to be so happy. "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER " starts right now.