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CNN International: FBI: Hackers Plan to Wreak Havoc on U.S. Infrastructure; Elmo Inundated After Asking, How is Everybody Doing?; Travis Kelce Won't Attend Grammys with Taylor Swift. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired February 01, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo, and if you're just joining us, here are some of today's top stories.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel back to the Middle East this week, and it comes as talks about freeing the remaining hostages held in Gaza are underway.

And about 400 prisoners of war are headed home after a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Around 200 troops from each side were released on Wednesday.

President Zelenskyy says about half of the released Ukrainians took part in the battle for the city of Mariupol in the early days of the war.

And the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a $78 billion bipartisan tax package. The bill would temporarily expand the child tax credit and restore several business tax benefits. This measure now moves to the Senate.

And the FBI director has issued an ominous warning to U.S. lawmakers, and that's that Chinese hackers are getting ready to, quote, wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to the United States by targeting essential infrastructure. Details from CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI director was blunt and dire with his warnings. Americans have paid far too little attention, Christopher Wray says, to what he calls a multi-pronged assault on U.S. national and economic security by Chinese hackers.

CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: China's hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real- world harm to American citizens and communities if and when China decides the time has come to strike.

TODD (voice-over): What could Chinese hackers target that would cause harm inside the U.S.?

WRAY: Our critical infrastructure, our water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines, our transportation systems.

TODD (voice-over): Wray didn't say that Chinese hackers are actively targeting those systems now, but that they're lurking inside critical infrastructure so they can use that access and be ready to strike at a later date.

JAMES LEWIS, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: You do reconnaissance, you identify targets, you identify the way in. That's what the Chinese are doing.

TODD (voice-over): U.S. officials have been on to the Chinese hackers and have been trying to head them off. CNN reporting that the FBI and the Justice Department, using a court order, have taken steps to protect hundreds of devices in the U.S., devices connected to infrastructure that are being targeted by Beijing's hackers. Steps including removing malicious code from those devices.

But the Chinese hackers are still believed to be deeply entrenched in U.S. infrastructure, and security officials say that's partly America's fault.

JEN EASTERLY, DIRECTOR, U.S. CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: The truth is the Chinese cyber actors have taken advantage of very basic flaws in our technology. We've made it easy on them.

TODD (voice-over): How have Chinese hackers been let in the door to America's plants, pipelines, and servers?

LEWIS: The first thing is that the Chinese have figured out that if you go after small offices and home offices, people aren't going to be as protected as they are at work, and you get into somebody's home office and then you can get to their work network.

The second is, and this is a big theme for the administration, is we write software without thinking about security.

TODD (voice-over): What U.S. officials now fear, that if China invades Taiwan and the U.S. tries to respond militarily, the Chinese hacking efforts could hinder that response.

LEWIS: They can cripple the logistics that support our forces in East Asia. Rails, pipelines, airplanes, airports. They could make it very hard to support troops who are deployed overseas.

TODD: Chinese authorities have consistently denied engaging in any state-sponsored hacking, often saying that China itself is a frequent target of cyberattacks. Recently, CNN reported that Chinese leader Xi Jinping told President Biden in November that China would not try to disrupt the U.S. presidential election.

To that, FBI Director Wray just said he doesn't trust those assurances, saying he'll believe it when he sees it.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NOBILO: We're watching a story out of Boise, Idaho, where three people have been killed and nine injured after an airplane hangar that was under construction suddenly collapsed on Wednesday.

It happened on city airport property, but officials say the hangar was privately owned.

[04:35:00]

The cause of the collapse is now under investigation. Five of the injured people were in critical condition and taken to hospitals.

For the second time, actor Alec Baldwin has formally entered a not guilty plea to charges of involuntary manslaughter. This is in connection with the fatal shooting in 2021 on the set of the movie Rust in New Mexico. Similar charges against the 65-year-old star and producer were dropped last year as part of the conditions of his release on his own recognizance. Baldwin may not possess any firearms or drink alcohol and must avoid contact with anyone who could testify in this case.

If convicted, Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died after a gun Baldwin was holding was fired on set.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is leaving interest rates right where they are for the time being. Analysts did not expect the Central Bank to announce a cut at Wednesday's meeting with rates at a 23-year high. Inflation in the U.S. continues to ease and many were hoping for a signal that a cut would come in March. But Fed Chair Jerome Powell says the economy has yet to achieve that soft landing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR: I'm encouraged and we're encouraged by the progress, but, you know, we're not declaring victory at all at this point. We think we have a ways to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Stocks tumbled after the Fed announcement with the Dow losing more than 300 points. The S&P 500 was off more than 1.5 percent. The Nasdaq lost more than 2 percent.

The PGA Tour has announced a multi-billion-dollar investment deal that will allow players to become equity holders. The first of its kind program called PGA Tour Enterprises, is funded by a syndicate of sports organizations and worth up to $3 billion.

The tour says it will give golfers the chance to become owners of their league. It comes as the tour continues to face stiff competition from LIV Golf, which has plucked a number, many of big-name players from the PGA Tour with huge contract offers.

And perhaps you're in the market for a new car and if money's no object, we may have the deal for you. A Range Rover that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II is up for sale. It was part of the Royal Household's fleet about eight years ago. It's dark blue with an ivory interior and it comes with covert lighting and specially adapted fixed steps. It's listed for about $285,000. The car was famously used during a state visit by former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle in 2016.

The stories it could tell.

Up next, Elmo asked people online how they're doing and it turns out they're not so good. A look at some of the responses and how they're opening up a conversation about mental health.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELMO, SESAME STREET: Elmo is happy right now. See? See? That's happy. Got that? Good. OK, now Elmo will show you somebody who is sad. Yeah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Sesame Street's Elmo there looking for someone sad. And it turns out the furry red Muppet found more than one person who isn't feeling too great. And that discovery came after he posted this check- in on social media asking, how is everyone doing?

That simple question prompted a flood of unexpected responses that are putting the focus back on mental health.

One person posted, quote: Resisting the urge to tell Elmo that I am kind of sad.

While another wrote: I'm at my lowest, thanks for asking.

And the last post there by one social media user saying that they are at their limit in colorful language.

So, joining us now from London is Mark Rowland, CEO of the Mental Health Foundation. Mark, it's great to have you with us this morning. Thanks for being here.

MARK ROWLAND, CEO, MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION: Great, glad to be here, Bianca. How are you?

NOBILO: I'm doing very well, thank you. I'm a little bit grumpy, if I'm honest, but I'm generally in a good place.

So, I have many questions about this. Earlier on in the show, we were talking about social media and its impact on children and teenagers in particular. And I've read a lot of studies that have talked about how even though these platforms are meant to connect us to other people, that obviously they don't have that actual impact on our brain and our physical health. Is it true that we are living in a more perilous and difficult time for people's mental health because of technology in the modern world? Or is it just that everybody tends to think that their time is the toughest in some ways?

ROWLAND: Well, I think, yeah, it's a great question and one we're wrestling with. And certainly, we know that if online spaces are safer and there's less toxic, hateful or abusive behavior, that's a safer place to be. And I think what Elmo shows us is that actually, technology is neutral. It depends on us how we use it, what kind of purpose it serves in our lives.

Social media, for the first time in human history, can connect us to people outside the 150 people that are in our immediate orbit. And that does have a positive part to play in terms of reminding us that our personal experiences, maybe we're not the only ones living through that or thinking that or feeling that. So, the power of solidarity is one of the positive things that social media can provide.

And I think we've said for a long time that social media can be a put force for good, but it also needs to be used safely, proportionally, and it can also have a negative impact on our mental health, like many things.

NOBILO: Mark, I feel very remiss. I didn't ask you how you were doing.

ROWLAND: I'm doing well, thank you. I had a, you know, good night's sleep, which is really important to me and I'm feeling good in myself. And I think that is really a good foundation for my day. Thank you.

NOBILO: Absolutely, that's excellent.

So, when I think about people responding to posts, or for example, Elmo asking people how they are, is it a function of modern society and how healthy is it that people do feel perhaps that it's easier to respond to that through typing or posting a comment that it might be to sit down with a best friend or a colleague and say, actually, I'm struggling?

ROWLAND: Yes, it's quite revealing, isn't it? And you know, for many of us, we know -- if you look at the big studies, we know that one of the best predictors of fulfilling and healthy life and long life is the quality of our relationships.

And the key to the quality of our relationships is the ability to be able to show up with the truth about where we're at and what we're experiencing. And many of us don't have enough of those relationships and we are living in a society which for many of us is hyper- competitive, it pulls us apart, and many people are experiencing a greater level of loneliness.

[04:45:05]

And I think, you know, you talked about the level of distress. It's really difficult to tell. Every generation has faced very significant challenge and trauma in many ways. Life is better. But in terms of being able to have opportunities to connect and to find that sort of non-judgmental, non-threatening space, many of us haven't got enough of that. And I think the Elmo tweet just revealed that we need, you know, we need those non-threatening people in our lives. NOBILO: How important is it not just to talk about the problems that you're having and have the opportunity to vent and share that you might be struggling, but also to focus on what's going well and mental resilience? Because they're surely two parts of the mental health conversation that are equally important.

ROWLAND: Right, and so we often talk about, you know, helping people to understand, if you imagine your mental health is like a glass of water, how high is that water and what could you do? And when we experience poor mental health, it's when that water floods out. So, part of the conversation is how to reduce the distress and how to cope with the difficult feelings.

But part of it is how do you make that glass bigger, collectively and individually, and so that we can contain what we feel. And I think a really significant part of that is naming the good things. But when you're struggling, it's really difficult to also have a conversation about what should I be grateful for? And that's often something that you feel guilty about.

And I think sometimes we just need a space to own the difficult and negative and someone to hear that and name it before we move on to the positive.

And so, I think what Elmo showed was that there's not enough space to just be real about our inner experiences. And so, we do need space for that.

NOBILO: Lastly to you, Mark, our viewers stretch across continents, obviously with different cultures and societies and pressures, but if you were going to give people three basic tips of how to look after their mental health, deal with the negative and the positive, what would that be in a universal perspective?

ROWLAND: Yes, that's a great point. Probably the first thing is that we need to feel safe in order to have good mental health. And so ways in which you can help offer safety or provide safety to yourself is really important.

And spotting, we're not always good at spotting, actually we're safer than we think. And I think reminding our brains that we've got more support. And so the second thing is like reaching out to people, who are you going to connect with and who are you going to offer that connection to is something that will always strengthen.

And then identifying shame in our lives and not allowing shame to prevent us from being able to share what we experience. And shame is such a big driver of the suppression of what we feel. So, I would say get safe, connect and don't let shame dominate your life or be in the driving seat.

NOBILO: Mark Rowland, thank you so much for joining us and having that conversation with me this morning.

ROWLAND: Thanks very much, Bianca.

NOBILO: And don't forget that if you or a loved one need someone to talk to, help is always available.

In the United States, you can call or text 988 and, in the U.K., you can call 116 123 day or night.

We don't know who Taylor Swift will take to Sunday's Grammy Awards, but we do know who it won't be. That story right after a short break.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: Taylor Swift has been to 12 Kansas City Chiefs games this season to cheer on her boyfriend, Travis Kelsey. But he says he won't be able to go to the Grammys with her this Sunday in Los Angeles. Swift is nominated for six awards, including Album of the Year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS KELCE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS TIGHT END: I wish I could go support Taylor at the Grammys and watch her win every single award that she's nominated for. But I think I got practice on Sunday. Or I think Sunday is a travel day.

Is it Saturday or Sunday? I know I got practice Saturday. But Sunday is a travel day. Unfortunately, I got to get ready for this big old Super Bowl that we got in a week.

Football is my main focus right now. There's a lot of people counting on me in this building, in this city, in this organization. So, this is my number one focus at the time to be able to, you know.

And on top of that, I have a -- it's in my heart to be able to pour everything I got out there on the field.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Kelsey also appeared Tuesday on his New Heights podcast with his brother, Jason.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON KELCE, TRAVIS KELCE'S BROTHER: Also, a shout out to the newest members of the Chiefs' kingdom, Taylor Swift, who has officially reached the Super Bowl in a rookie year.

T. KELCE: That's got to feel good. Shout out to today. Thanks for joining the team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: If you don't already know, Travis Kelsey and the Chiefs will take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58 next Sunday.

The Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament is set to tee off later today in California, and 20-year-old Nick Dunlap is savoring the experience as he plays in his first tournament as a professional golfer. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK DUNLAP, GOLFER: I've had numerous moments where you just kind of have to try to take it all in. It's overwhelming. But also, I've, you know, dreamed about doing this my whole life and playing golf in the PGA Tour, and to finally be here and to be able to do that as a 20- year-old is pretty cool.

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[04:55:03]

NOBILO: Dunlap became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since 1991, when we won the American Express Tournament less than two weeks ago. And obviously, I mean, he, not we, I was not there involved, and I'm sure I would have dragged down the performance somewhat. He will be one of the 80 players competing for a $20 million prize this weekend.

Our story is in the spotlight this hour for you.

A long-lost portrait by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt will be going on the auction block. It was one of Klimt's last works before his death in 1918 and features a young woman from the Viennese upper class.

The painting resurfaced after 100 years and will be shown in cities around the world before it goes on the auction block in April. It's expected that it might fetch as much as $86 million.

Pop superstar Adele has announced her first concerts in mainland Europe since 2016. The singer will perform four shows in Munich, Germany, in early August. The venue will be an 80,000-seat open-air arena created specially for the occasion.

A new study funded by NASA shows the Earth's moon is shrinking. Its circumference has lost 150 feet in the last few million years. Researchers say the satellite's core is decreasing in size as it cools and that results in creases on the surface. Imagine sort of a grape shriveling into a raisin.

The creases lead to moonquakes and landslides that make the surface less stable than scientists previously thought. And that could be a problem at the lunar south pole where the U.S., India and Russia are all currently exploring. And China has plans to create lunar habitats there in the future as well.

That does it here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London. Hope you have a wonderful day. "EARLY START" is next.

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