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Grief And Outrage Over Alexei Navalny's Prison Death; Trump Ordered To Pay Over $350 Million In Business Empire Scheme; Israel Will Not Stop Fighting during Ramadan; Biden Pledges Continued Support For East Palestine, Ohio; Curry And Ionescu Set For 3-Point Shootout. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired February 17, 2024 - 05:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN NEWSROOM.

CNN speaks with the Ukrainian president at the Munich Security Conference about America's stalled aid as Russia's invasion intensifies.

Plus:

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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: A fine of $355 million for doing a perfect job.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Donald Trump's business taking a massive hit. The former president ordered to pay nearly $355 million plus interest. A look at the impact this will have on the Trump empire.

And demands for answers about the reported death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. President Biden, made it clear who he holds responsible.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy took the stage at the annual Munich Security Conference moments ago and he spoke with CNN's Christiane Amanpour about stalled U.S. aid.

He urged his allies to make security a reality again. It comes as his troops are running critically short of ammunition. And they pulled back from the strategic city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.

Amanpour asked Zelenskyy about Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Congress, who are blocking some $60 billion in new aid for Ukraine. Here's an extended excerpt of what he said.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I will have meeting with senators today, where have, I think we will have detailed -- speech with detail. They have to understand what's going on.

And I think that's -- it's -- I don't want to push such message to United States because they did a lot for us, did a lot.

I see Nancy Pelosi. Thank you so much.

We did together a lot.

Thank you from our people, from all our heart thing.

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ZELENSKYY: Just we have to work in one -- in one joint team. That did answer if Ukraine will be alone, you have to understand what will be. Russia will destroy us, destroy Baltic, destroy Poland. And they can do it.

Yesterday, I had pretty interesting were useful, I think, dialogues with joint (ph) government and also with France partners. And I said, very clearly and very honestly, if you will remind that was what was going on in Ukraine in 2015.

Our people been not ready for the war, for the quick occupation of Crimea, part of Donbas. And then during, almost eight years, people began to be ready for such aggression, not only with the weapon. It's not the question of weapon. You're ready psychologically.

And my -- to my mind, I think so.

No, God bless you, will not have any attacks from Russia. But to my mind that, in Europe, there is no -- any nations for today who was readying for invasion because -- not because we are stronger or better. Not, of course. We are the same with the same wills.

But we had these, all these years and your nations didn't have. And psychological and informationally and in media, you didn't prepare your nations. understanding why, because nobody wants -- nobody wants it.

I mean, that's why, that's why. Senators have to understand only in a week in unity (ph) we can win Russia. And they have to understand that we will win with them or not. We don't have any other way. We have only one land, our Ukraine.

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BRUNHUBER: Another major topic at the Munich Security Conference is the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. President Joe Biden says he has no doubt that Vladimir Putin is to blame. Russia's prison service says Navalny lost consciousness after a walk and that an ambulance crew tried to resuscitate him.

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The Kremlin says statements by Western leaders about Navalny's death are, quote, "rabid and unacceptable." President Biden doesn't agree. Here's what he had to say.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Make no mistake. Make no mistake.

Putin is responsible for Navalny's death. And as people across Russia and around the world are mourning Navalny today, because he was so many things that Putin was not. He was brave. He was principled. He was dedicated to building a Russia, where the rule of law existed. He knew it was a cause worth fighting for and obviously even dying for.

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BRUNHUBER: And former CNN Moscow bureau chief Nathan Hodge joins us now from London.

So, Nathan, I want to start there with the reaction to Navalny's death. We heard both President Biden and President Zelenskyy in different ways using Navalny's death as proof that Putin needs to be stopped and as an appeal for aid.

So take us through the reaction, whether you think it might actually lead to more support for Ukraine.

NATHAN HODGE, FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Kim, I think it's important to point out right now that the death of Zelenskyy (sic), in many ways, is -- I think it's likely to sort of focus minds on the nature of Putin's regime.

This is a country that -- where basically all political competition has been cleared from the landscape. And we are coming up on presidential elections next month in Russia, where there is not going to be any kind of serious opposition figure, someone certainly of the stature of Navalny on the ballot.

Because over the past 20 years of Putin's rule, Russian civil society has essentially been crushed and independent media, there has been -- have been muzzled. So this in a lot of ways is not really an election.

It's kind of a reannointment (sic), a sort of plebiscite, you could say, which the Kremlin wants to hold as a form of political theater to show that the Russian people are behind Putin.

So I thought it was very interesting what President Zelenskyy of Ukraine had to say today at the Munich security forum, where he took direct aim at the legitimacy of Putin and his style of rule. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ZELENSKYY: Putin kills whoever he wants, be it an opposition leader or anyone else who seems at the target exactly to him. After the murder of Alexei Navalny, it's absolute to perceive Putin at a supposedly legitimate head of a Russian state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HODGE: This, I think, in a lot of ways speaks clearly to what many observers, as I said, is that Russia's penal system, in and of itself regardless of what we find out about the cause of Navalny's death, is a system that's set up to crush people.

Much like Russia's draconian media laws, which were introduced after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which essentially outlawed criticism of the military and essentially made it illegal to call a war a war.

So certainly I think that, to your question the death of Navalny, I think, will be a clarifying moment, especially at a time when aid to Ukraine is -- remains stalled in the U.S. Congress, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Appreciate that. Nathan Hodge in London, thank you so much.

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BRUNHUBER: Likely 2024 U.S. presidential nominee for the Republican Party is now facing a massive financial penalty in New York. On Friday, the judge ordered Donald Trump to pay nearly $355 million for fraudulently inflating the value of his properties.

And interest could make that fine swell to some $450 million. Trump also got a three-year ban on serving in certain top roles at New York businesses. He's already vowed to appeal.

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TRUMP: A crooked New York state judge just ruled that I have to pay a fine of $355 million for having built the perfect company, great cash, great buildings, great everything. And it's election interfering. So I just want to thank you for being here. Will appeal, will be successful.

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BRUNHUBER: Now, in order to appeal, Trump has to come up with the full amount of the judgment or secure a bond using assets as collateral. Findings ruling also bars him from applying for loans from New York banks.

Still Trump is likely to remain defiant. CNN's Paula Reid has that.

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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Former President Trump showing no signs of changing out his combative and remorseless strategy when it comes to his many legal cases. He's often attacked judges, prosecutors, court staff, even a sexual

abuse survivor.

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But it appears to be working for him politically because he continues to do it. And if you listen to voters coming out of voting booths in the primaries, his supporters do believe his talking points that he's the victim of an unfair system.

Usually no one in their right mind would attack a judge overseeing a case they're involved in. But that's where his interests, as a candidate and a defendant appear to diverge.

But the stakes are about to get a lot higher for the former president. In just a few weeks, he's going to face a criminal trial, his first criminal trial here in New York. So far all the cases we've covered and these verdicts have been civil cases.

But he is expected, as we saw the other day in court, he is expected to take just as aggressive, just as combative and a loud murder and approach to that case as he has the civil cases.

And it's unclear how that is going to play politically for them. While it may work with his base, it's unclear how a possible criminal conviction will resonate with a general electorate -- Paula Reid, CNN, New York.

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BRUNHUBER: The hearing on Donald Trump's Georgia election subversion case has ended for now. A judge will decide whether Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from the case because of alleged financial misconduct in her personal relationship with lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade.

Willis didn't return to the witness stand on Friday after her contentious testimony on Thursday. But Willis' father, John Floyd, did take the stand. He corroborated his daughter's testimony that he taught her to keep plenty of cash at home.

Willis testified Thursday she used cash to pay Wade back for vacations they took together. Wade's former law partner, Terrence Bradley, was also called to the stand. Bradley testified he didn't know when Willis and Wade started their relationship.

All right. I want to bring in Bernarda Villalona, who is a criminal defense attorney and former New York prosecutor and she joins us from New York.

Thanks so much for being with us this early. So I want to start with the Trump fraud trial, that huge judgment.

I mean, what stood out to you from the ruling?

BERNARDA VILLALONA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What stood out to me is the scathing opinion that the judge issued in terms of calling Donald Trump pretty much a pathological liar, that he's not able to see reality.

What I liked about the opinion also is that the judge went straight to the integrity, to the brand, to the legacy, to the man of Donald Trump. Because remember, Donald Trump built his legacy and his name and rose to president as being a successful businessman.

And what this judge did and what this opinion did was actually call him out and say that you built your fortune on fraud.

BRUNHUBER: So we heard Trump say he'll appeal.

How likely is it that he might succeed, do you think?

VILLALONA: It's highly unlikely that he won't succeed on appeal. And the reasons are is that the judge went to great extent in putting an opinion together that actually addressed every witness.

And in addressing every witness, he addressed credibility. And when it comes to credibility, appellate courts do not touch credibility.

They don't focus on the facts itself, especially since this judge made a determination on credibility, including, I might point out, that Michael Cohen, who's the key witness in a New York criminal case, this judge found him to be credible.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Well, listen, you anticipated my next question, because he's going to be a central figure in the Stormy Daniels case.

So the fact that he was believable to this judge, does that bode well for his believability in the next case?

VILLALONA: Well, I mean, it depends because it ends in the New York case is going to be a jury that's going to decide his fate. A jury is going to decide the credibility of the witnesses and whether the prosecution proves that case beyond a reasonable doubt.

But here we have Michael Cohen, who, in 2019, is the person -- or 2017 -- is the person who brought all this information out about Donald Trump actually committing fraud, is now not only just key to his civil case, where he's been found liable for this $355 million judgment but also key in the criminal case.

But guess what, the New York jury, the New York voters, the New York jury pool is hearing all about this.

So the question will be, will it affect their decision making into criminal trial?

BRUNHUBER: Now from Trump's Republican rival, Nikki Haley, said, she doesn't want the RNC to become the piggy bank to fund Trump's legal defense fund.

I mean, is that likely and is it legal?

I mean, can he use party or campaign funds to pay all of the money that he owes now?

VILLALONA: So normally with campaign funds, you're not supposed to be using campaign funds on things that are not related to the campaign. Now this civil judgment against Donald Trump has nothing to do with the campaign of him running for president.

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VILLALONA: Of him being president, of him working as president, so he shouldn't be using that campaign money.

However, Donald Trump has been requesting money for the specific purpose of funding his legal defense. So he's making his donors aware of that, that is the purpose of them donating that money.

So as long as he's making the donors aware of that, it should not be an issue.

But donors need to ask, are you their piggy bank?

Are you Donald Trump's piggy bank?

Because, as of now, he is spending millions and millions of dollars on his legal defense.

In terms of the Republican PAC, yes, Nikki Haley is correct. That PAC is supposed to be for the whole Republican candidates and the party itself. And it seems that Donald Trump is hogging all that money.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and he he's also stacked the RNC with his supporters. All right. I want to turn now to the efforts to disqualify Fani Willis in the Georgia case.

So looking at the big picture, what do you make the case so far?

Which way do you think it might go, based on the testimony we saw?

VILLALONA: That case was completely a shell away. It was a complete show. The defense attorneys of a put up for the public. And it's unfortunate that Fani Willis had to undergo that. It's unfortunate that Mr. Wade had to undergo that.

It is unfortunate that what we're talking about is the performance inside of the courtroom and what information we learned as opposed to what the real issue is and who is actually on trial and that being Donald Trump and his co-defendants.

In terms of how the judge will rule, the judge will not disqualify DA Fani Willis from this case. There was not any evidence to show there was a conflict of interests. There was no evidence to show that Fani Willis hired Mr. Wade and in this personal relationship was gaining a financial interest.

Not at all. So I expect a decision to come forward in the next few weeks or so and Fani Willis to continue as the district attorney on this prosecution. BRUNHUBER: All right, we will see if you're right. Always appreciate speaking with you. Bernarda Villalona in New York, thank you so much.

VILLALONA: Thank you, Kim

BRUNHUBER: All right. Just ahead, reports of Palestinians fleeing Rafah over fears of Israel's planned ground offensive. The latest on the war in Gaza in a live report coming up next. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Israel's prime minister is rejecting what he calls international dictates on the creation of a Palestinian state. Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed the notion but notably this time he made the statement just a few hours after discussing the war in Gaza with U.S. President Joe Biden.

The two have spoken multiple times this week amid a flurry of diplomatic talks, seeking a potential hostage deal. Now on the ground in Gaza, the situation in Khan Yunis grows more dire, as Israel continues its raid of the largest remaining hospital in the enclave.

The doctor at Nasser Hospital says medical staff are prevented from doing the rounds. It warns that all ICU patients will die.

Displaced Palestinians are reportedly fleeing Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, where more than 1 million people had been seeking safety. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says, people are fleeing because of intensified airstrikes and recent statements by Israeli officials about an impending ground offensive.

All right, going live now to CNN's Scott McLean in Istanbul.

So Scott, bring us up-to-date on the latest on Rafah.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kim. The U.S. says that people are starting to flee northward already because of intensifying airstrikes and also because of the signals that have been coming out of Israel, that there is this looming ground invasion coming for Rafah.

And so people are headed north past the areas where there is active fighting happening on the ground in Khan Yunis, where the Nasser Hospital is located. That's where Israeli soldiers are inside right now.

And they're headed toward Deir al-Balah, where there's fighting just to the east and even inside Deir al-Balah and throughout the Gazan territory, of course, it is difficult if not impossible to find safety from airstrikes. Just last week, a family of 12 people, the same family, were killed in

one single Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah and there are many examples throughout the country just like that.

Israel has said that it's not going to move into Rafah until it's able to get the civilian population out. But there's no signs of anything moving anytime soon. President Biden, as you said, spoke with Netanyahu recently. Yesterday, he said that he is hopeful. He is not anticipating any kind of large ground invasion by Israel into Rafah anytime soon.

The Americans haven't seen any kind of credible plan that that's going to happen. And there's also this time crunch because, a week ago, prime minister Netanyahu had said that he wants the operation in Rafah to be wrapped up by Ramadan. That's March 10th. That's three weeks from now.

And yet, yesterday, something controversy -- or contradictory came from former prime minister and now a member of the Israeli war cabinet, Benny Gantz, who said that it could stretch even beyond that.

This is what he said, quote, "It's important that Hamas terrorists and its leaders know there will be no cities or refuge above or below ground in Gaza, even in the approaching month of Ramadan.

"The fire can continue. Either the hostages will be returned to or we will expand the fighting to Rafah."

So that looming military incursion into Rafah is hanging over these hostage negotiations, which at the moment are at a bit of a standstill. The last we know from the Israelis is that they are expecting Hamas to change what they have put on the table in order to move things forward.

Hamas would like to essentially empty Israeli jails of Palestinians who are women, children or over the age of 50, something that the Israelis have already rejected. And so there are conversations taking place in the background. We know that the CIA chief Bill Burns had been in Israel to speak with prime minister Netanyahu.

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And we know that there are obviously discussions happening. But in terms of formal talks taking place in Cairo or elsewhere, those are not happening right now. And so it's not clear when or if there might be some kind of a deal worked out to get the hostages back and to have some kind of a ceasefire.

But that is what the Americans are hoping for. And that is what many Israeli allies are hoping for, as they call for Israel not to go into Rafah, saying that would simply be a humanitarian catastrophe on top of the one that we're seeing already. O

BRUNHUBER: All right, appreciate the update. Scott McLean in Istanbul. Thanks so much.

The Japanese space agency says it successfully launched its H3 flagship rocket a few hours ago.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The payload of satellites it was carrying have since been released into orbit. Over the next few years, Japan plans to launch some 20 satellites and a lunar explorer into space using the H3.

The rocket's inaugural launch almost a year ago failed. Controllers issued a destruct command only minutes after lift-off.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): For the first time ever, water molecules have been detected on the surface of asteroids. The findings were published in the "Planetary Science Journal" and the discovery could lend credence to the theory that asteroids crashing into our planet may have helped deliver water and other elements to early Earth.

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BRUNHUBER: All right, I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers here in North America, I'll have more CNN NEWSROOM. In just a moment for our international viewers, "INSIDE AFRICA" is next.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all you watching us here in the United States and Canada. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM. Want to get back to one of our top stories we're following this hour.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been ordered to pay nearly $355 million for fraudulently inflating the value of his properties. A New York judge found that Trump submitted, quote, "blatantly false financial dates" when he applied for loans, allowing him to get more favorable rates.

Now the judge didn't dissolve the Trump Organization. Instead, it faces additional financial oversight and Trump himself is banned from serving in certain top positions at New York businesses for the next three years.

Now Trump is vowing to appeal but in order to move forward, he'll likely have to turn over the full judgment of $355 million. And that's not his first multi-million-dollar legal fine. CNN's Kristen Holmes looks at what his strategy might be to pay it all off.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In addition to the $355 million that the judge ordered Donald Trump to pay, he was also last month ordered to pay $83 million in the defamation case of E. Jean Carroll.

Now obviously, these are both being appealed. How much money he'll end up owing at the end of the day still remains a question. It's going to be a lengthy process.

But of course, it raises the question of, does Donald Trump have this money?

It's an extremely huge amount of money.

And how would he actually pay for this?

And in the past, he has used his leadership PAC, his Save America PAC, to pay a lot of his legal fees. When we talk to campaign finance experts, who said that that would be possible, that there are loose interpretations of how the rules work around leadership PACs.

So it would be likely that he could dip into that PAC to pay some of these fines. However, there's one glaring issue with that, which is, just in 2023 alone, Donald Trump spent more than $15 million from that PAC on legal fees, leaving the amount of money in that PAC at the end of the year at $5.1 million.

That is far short of the more than $400 million he owns in these various legal fines and fees. So one issue there.

The other thing to point out here is fundraising. Donald Trump will continue to fundraise. We know he spoke to a number of Republicans who say they don't care where the money's going. They give it to Donald Trump. If he wants to use it for legal fees, he can do that.

And they can donate directly to that leadership path. But there is one thing to point out, which is that Donald Trump, most of his money, most of his finances that he raises, are from small dollar donors, small dollar donations.

It is very hard to add up to more than $400 million from those small dollar donations -- Kristen Holmes, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: U.S. House Republicans are now downplaying the importance of a former FBI informant, one central to their impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Alexander Smirnoff was arrested and charged on Thursday with lying to the FBI and fabricating foreign bribery allegations involving Biden and his son, Hunter.

President Biden responded to the news of the indictment on Friday, here he is.

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BIDEN: He is lying and it should be dropped. And it's just been a -- it's been an outrageous effort from the beginning.

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BRUNHUBER: But it remains business as usual for the GOP as they remain laser focused in their efforts to impeach Biden, despite touting this now discredited information as their top reason for an impeachment inquiry for nearly a year. Now here's a reminder.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How real of a bribery scant, Joe Biden bribery scandal allegation is this?

REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): Well, every day, this bribery scandal becomes more credible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We already know the president took bribes from Burisma.

KEVIN MCCARTHY, FORMER REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE: Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most corroborating evidence we have is that 1023 form from this highly credible, confidential human source, according to U.S. attorney Scott Brady.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: President Biden made pledges to the people of East Palestine, Ohio, as he visited the town a year after a toxic train derailment polluted the area's soil and water. But some residents are skeptical of promises from the White House. CNN's Jason Carroll has more.

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JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Biden's first order, to thank first responders who battled the blaze during the Norfolk Southern train derailment and to make a promise.

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His administration would not abandon the people of East Palestine. Many here angry it took the president a year to visit, saying it's too little, too late.

His motorcade met with jeers as it traveled through towns, some shouting obscenities.

Later, the president reaffirmed his promise to see this through, no matter how long it takes.

BIDEN: We're not going home, no matter what, to this job is done and it's not done yet. We have an obligation.

CARROLL (voice-over): Biden will have to convince residents such as Cathy Reese.

CATHY REESE, NEGLEY, OHIO, RESIDENT: I don't know what took him so long to get here. Maybe he's afraid to come too, I don't know. I wouldn't want to be here if I didn't have to be.

CARROLL (voice-over): Reese saw the contamination up close. Last February, we found dead fish in a creek that runs through her property. Reese says she no longer sees fish dying. In fact, she says she doesn't see many fish at all.

CARROLL: What would your message to the president be?

REESE: Give us more information, do more testing.

CARROLL (voice-over): The president made a stop at this candle shop in town during his visit, where he sipped tap water and met with the shop's owners. They told us earlier if they ever had a chance to meet the president, part of their message, do more to get the Rail Safety Act passed.

MELISSA SMITH, BUSINESS OWNER, EAST PALESTINE, OHIO: We see our own senators working together. And we can't seem to get, once it gets to Washington, D.C., to get everybody on the same page.

CARROLL (voice-over): Biden reiterated his support for the act while in East Palestine. The bipartisan legislation created in the wake of the derailment calls for tougher regulations on the industry. But it has been stalled in Congress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need action, Mr. Speaker.

CARROLL (voice-over): Frustrating lawmakers such as, congressman Chris Deluzio, whose district in Pennsylvania borders East Palestine. He's a co-sponsor of the House version of the bill and says it's all being held up because of rail industry lobbyists trying to keep things just as they are.

REP. CHRIS DELUZIO (D-PA): These guys peddle the same, I think, bad ideology, that, oh, we can be trusted to regulate ourselves. They can't.

CARROLL (voice-over): The industry is spending millions to influence Congress, according to Open Secrets, a non-profit that tracks lobbying efforts. The rail industry spent more than $24 million last year on lobbying.

Norfolk Southern spent more than $2.3 million in 2023, up from the year before, when the company spent $1.8 million.

PETE BUTTIGIEG, U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: There are a lot of people from East Palestine who were frustrated by this. And so am I.

CARROLL (voice-over): The Rail safety Act would be new inspection and new safety requirements for railroads. Norfolk Southern pointed to reductions in its accident rate, also saying in a statement to CNN, "Our industry can make rail even safer. But it will take railroads, car owners and manufacturers and our customers.

"From day one, we've shared these views directly with our elected officials. We see a real opportunity for us to advance policies that will prevent accidents and improve collaboration with first responders."

While the battle continues in Washington, back in East Palestine, the EPA says its tests continue to show the air, soil and water are safe. Work continues on local creeks, they can keep working. Cathy Reese says, she'll wait to see if the president keeps his word and keep drinking her bottled water.

REESE: I won't drink anything but.

CARROLL: For how long?

REESE: I don't know. I wish I knew.

CARROLL (voice-over): Jason Carroll, CNN, East Palestine, Ohio.

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BRUNHUBER: World leaders are blaming Vladimir Putin for the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. A Russian investigative journalist joins us live next to share what he's learned. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: There's strong reaction around the world to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Many members of the international community are blaming Russian president Vladimir Putin for Navalny's death, including U.S. President Joe Biden.

Russia's prison service says Navalny lost consciousness after a walk and that an ambulance crew tried to resuscitate him.

Navalny was sent to prison in 2021. His supporters have gathered for protests and memorials in cities around the world, including St. Petersburg, Russia; Tbilisi, Georgia, and Paris and Berlin.

Joining us now in London is Andrei Soldatov. He's an investigative journalist and author of "The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia's Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries."

Thank you so much for being here with us. Let me start with this.

Do you believe Putin is responsible for Navalny's death?

ANDREI SOLDATOV, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR: Yes, I think so. And that may be -- made me extremely angry because, every time I put it on a (INAUDIBLE) tag (ph) gets killed, a journalist or activist or a politician, the Kremlin presents the same line of defense.

That's a big to us (ph). So insignificant that it didn't make any sense for Putin to kill him and, to be honest, we all learned, after more than 20 years in power, that actually it made perfect sense for Putin. And political assassination became part of his political toolkit.

BRUNHUBER: OK, but then explain because that -- it leads to the obvious question.

Why would he bother if Navalny was imprisoned, unlikely to ever get out of jail?

Why would he still perceive Navalny as a threat?

SOLDATOV: Navalny built a very successful organization in the country. He is only Russian politician who was capable of doing this. So before he got to jail, he or his organization was capable of organizing protests in more than 100 Russian towns.

And that was always seen as a big threat by the Kremlin, despite the fact that Navalny was in prison. Even with Navalny in prison, Navalny's organization stayed extremely active. They're very active at communicating.

We have the Russians in the country and Russian diaspora. And given the fact that we have the election, even if everybody understands the results of elections during the war, we all know that the Kremlin is always getting extremely paranoid and they are suspicious before elections.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Navalny's death, it's just the latest in a long string of Putin opponents who have been killed. We have a graphic that shows a number of them, who have been shot, hanged, poisoned.

You've written that Navalny's death, it raises a stark challenge for Russia's opposition. And in a quote from you here, "which must now figure out how to sustain the unity he created and seize the movement he left behind."

Is that likely, is there someone in the wings with the same charisma and fearlessness, which one would need?

[05:45:02]

SOLDATOV: Well, I think that Russia just doesn't have any other choices. They need to come up with a new leader. What is good that, despite the fact that Navalny was killed, his people, his supporters, organization he build is still there and very much alive and active.

And that would help to keep it going. And I think now, while we have so many Russians who are really angry and want to do something about what is going on in the country, so if there would be a chance, it will be chance. BRUNHUBER: Navalny relied and in large part on social media. That was

clearly part of his success, maybe part of his legacy.

Does that make it easier for someone to pick up the mantle?

SOLDATOV: Yes, to some extent because, after the war started in 2020, not only Russian journalists in exile like me, became very active in social media because this is a way for us to communicate.

We have people who stayed in the country but also all Russian political opposition actually moved to online journalism. So every Russian politician and exile has now a YouTube channel or Telegram channel. And they have millions of subscribers.

So this technology developed and actually used by Navalny so successfully, now used by many.

BRUNHUBER: Finally, in Russia itself, do you predict that Navalny's death will lead to more protests in the streets, visible signs of opposition?

Or will this be a chilling effect and we'll see this basically greeted with more silence within the country?

SOLDATOV: Well, Putin is a very practical man. And I think it short- term strategy is that it actually would have this chilling effect on hundreds of Russians who are in the country. And even before Navalny was killed, as a cost for going to the streets to protest, were extremely high, sometimes 10 years in prison.

So I do not expect any big protest right now. But it doesn't mean that this feeling is not that and people are not angry.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Really appreciate having you on, Andrei Soldatov. Thank you so much for speaking with us.

And one quick programming note. Be sure to watch "Navalny," CNN's Oscar winning documentary on the 2020 assassination attempt of Alexei Navalny as the investigations begin into his death. That airs Saturday, 9:00 pm in New York, Sunday, 10:00 am in Hong Kong, right here on CNN.

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[05:50:00]

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BRUNHUBER: The world's best basketball players are gathering for the NBA All-Star Weekend. The three-day event is filled with everything from skills challenges to the slam dunk contest and all leads up to the big game on Sunday. CNN sports anchor Andy Scholes joins me live from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Andy, give us a preview.

What do we have to look forward to here?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORT CORRESPONDENT: Well, I tell you what, Kim, tonight is always one of the best nights of the year for basketball fans. You got the skills competition, the three point contest and then the slam dunk competition as well.

Now the action did get started here in Indianapolis last night with the Rising Stars Tournament. Now the teams were broken up into four squads this year. The rookies, sophomores and G league players all competing.

This is Victor Wembanyama's0 first All-Star Weekend, likely going to be the last time he's not playing in the big game on Sunday. Now Wemby scored 11 points at two blocks but his team would actually lose their first name.

It was the Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin just putting on a show for his hometown fans and he would lead his squad to two victories and was named the Rising Stars MVP. Now tonight it's going to be a very busy one for Mathurin and his teammate, Tyrese Haliburton. He's competing in the skills competition and the three point contest.

Now Pacers legend Reggie Miller told me yesterday that Haliburton, he just has that "it factor" when it comes to being one of the game's next superstars.

And I sat down with Haliburton and asked him, how does hearing that make him feel?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TYRESE HALIBURTON, INDIANA PACERS GUARD: Meantime, like legend stamp, you, like it means the world, especially where I come from. Like that's not a thing like where I come from, you're not even supposed to meet those people let alone, let alone them know who you are and talk about you.

So when legends speak, I listen. So means the world to me. He's kind of spent a lot of this weekend, giving me the baton, giving me a lot of love. So I'm just accepting that and I'm very appreciative of him.

SCHOLES: Any more pressure you feeling, with it being here in Indianapolis

HALIBURTON: Not really. I mean, maybe a little bit of pressure and people are texting me, hey what restaurants I go to. Hey, what should I do this, what should I do that.

So -- but not really. I mean I am kind of the unofficial host, I guess you could say. But no, it's all enjoyable for me. I have fun with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right, so we had the Battle of the Sexes on the tennis court back in the '70s between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Tonight, we're going to get it in the three-point contest.

So Steph Curry is going to take on the WNBA's Sabrina Ionescu in a special competition. Steph, he's the record holder for the points in a round for the men. Sabrina, for the women, she missed just two shots in the entire competition last year, the WNBA All-Star Game.

And tonight they're going to go head to head. Sabrina says this is a big moment for sports

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SABRINA IONESCU, NEW YORK LIBERTY GUARD: Just continuing to raise the bar and to put us -- and give us the opportunities to be on this platform and understanding how important visibility is. Knowing that there's going to be a young kid who maybe hasn't watched many WNBA games but is going to watch and tune into this.

And they're going to have that dream of one day going up and shooting against their idol.

[05:55:04]

And knowing what that's going to mean and how that's going to change the landscape of sports.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, so Steph versus Sabrina and all the contests tonight. They're going to take place on this LED court. That's the first time ever they're having something like this. Kim, it's certainly going to make all the competitions really cool visually because you're basically playing on a giant screen.

There's just so much you can do it there. But I tell you what, I think I'm looking most forward to tonight, Kim, to that Steph versus Sabrina three point competition. That is going to be electric with Steph, the best shooter in the history of the sport.

Sabrina, arguably the best shooter in WNBA history. I cannot wait for that one.

BRUNHUBER: I don't know, my money is on Steph. We will see. Andy Scholes, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

All right. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are using their combined star status as a power couple for a good cause. The singing sensation and three time Super Bowl champ signed his Kansas City Chiefs jersey to be sold at auction for a Canadian children's charity.

A signed jersey also includes a picture of Kelce and Swift together. Now at last check the bidding stood at $20,000 Canadian. The bidding ends about 10 hours from now.

And the goodwill from Swift doesn't end there. The singer also recently donated $100,000 to a GoFundMe for the family of Lisa Lopez- Galvan. That's the woman who was killed during the mass shooting that took place at the end of the Kansas City Super Bowl parade on Wednesday.

Swift made two donations of $50,000 each according to her team.

All right. That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For viewers around the world, it's "AFRICAN VOICES: CHANGEMAKERS."

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