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Kremlin Refuses to Comment on Report of ICBM Strike on Ukraine; Trump Cabinet Picks Coming Straight from TV; Australia Moving to Ban Kids Under 16 from Social Media. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired November 21, 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]

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They've seen documented cases of enforced disappearances, abductions, they've seen people disappear. They have more than 1,700 cases that they're still tracking, whether it's enforced disappearances, whether it's people who have been arrested, and 26 people that remain missing. So that's the backdrop for this address -- Christina.

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and we hope truly that we will not see a return to those scenes you witnessed there in the summer. Larry Madowo for us live in Nairobi.

All right, still to come, Donald Trump's cabinet casting call from pro wrestling to reality TV to Fox News. We'll look at some of Trump's camera-ready picks for key government roles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: We are following developments on this story this hour out of Ukraine, where the country's air force reports Russia has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro.

Let's go straight live out to Moscow, and our senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is standing by.

Fred, we've been talking about how this moment could mark a new great escalation and a new phase of this war. I have to ask you straight off, what reaction, if any, are the Kremlin giving to the firing of this ICBM?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, it could. And one of the things that we've actually done is we've asked the Kremlin about this. The spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, who was on a conference call with journalists just a couple of minutes ago, and he actually refused to comment on any of this.

He said that all of this would be a topic for the military. And then we asked him again whether or not the fact that the Americans had now given Ukraine the go ahead to use things like ATACMS them surface to surface missiles to strike deep into Russia, whether that would mean that Ukraine would have to brace for new types of Russian missiles to be used against them. But there again, the Kremlin also refusing to comment, saying that this is something that can only be dealt with the military.

So the next thing that we obviously did is we checked all the military channels, and so far, there's nothing on there yet about any new types of weapons being used, about any sort of intercontinental ballistic missiles being used.

The Russians just a couple of minutes ago gave a battlefield update of all the things that they considered significant over the past 24 hours. What they do talk about is allegedly having shot down several Storm Shadow, obviously U.K. supplied missiles using their own air defenses, but nothing about launching any new types of missiles from their part.

That doesn't mean that this hasn't happened. The Russians don't always qualify the types of weapons that they use, especially when it comes to some of the longer range and more powerful missiles that they have been using in the past. So right now, we're still sort of trying to ascertain where the Russians are with this, whether or not they really launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, or whether or not this was some other type of ballistic missile that may have been launched towards Ukraine.

[04:35:05]

Of course, Christina, what we are hearing from the Ukrainian side, which is making this claim, that apparently there was a very powerful explosion that could have been caused by something like this in the Dnipro region and a large scale attack that happened earlier today -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: And Fred, obviously, this comes during a week of escalatory rhetoric from Moscow following the U.S. reversal of the use of those long range weapons. But was there any expectation that Russia might move to reach for this type of weapon?

PLEITGEN: Well, there certainly was. I mean, so one of the things that we've been seeing, and we've been monitoring this very closely on Russian state media, but also from Russian politicians, as well, is that there certainly has been a big escalation in the rhetoric, and there certainly also has been the threat of using new types of weapons and using more weapons against Ukraine. There's some politicians who've spoken about blanketing Ukraine with strikes and telling people who live near air bases that have F-16s that have been provided to Ukraine to quickly leave that area as fast as possible.

And in fact, I was watching one of the main state TV shows last night that was on, and they did have sort of a graphic of Kyiv seemingly hit by a nuclear weapon with a big mushroom cloud. Now, of course, that's all just rhetoric at this point in time. But one of the things that we're getting from Russian state media, that we're getting from some Russian politicians, is that if these ATACMS continue to be used against Russia, that they intend to unleash big wrath on the Ukrainians, as they've been saying.

Now, of course, right now, that is nothing more than rhetoric at this point in time. We've seen large-scale airstrikes by the Russians and ballistic missile strikes and cruise missile strikes in the past. So far, we don't know if there's anything of a larger quality, but certainly the Russians are saying that this marks a drastic escalation in all of this.

And the other thing, of course, that they're also saying as well, Christina, is they say that this changes for them, at least, the very nature of the war in Ukraine, not just pitting Ukraine and Russia against one another, but the Russians now saying, pitting Russia against the United States and its NATO allies as well -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: So Fred, with the firing of this ICBM, where does this leave the incoming U.S. administration and any talk of peace now?

PLEITGEN: Yes, if indeed this was an ICBM, but I think in general, the point is very clear that right now, the Russians are saying that with all of these new weapons that are being introduced right now by the United States, or at least being unleashed by the United States in the hands of the Ukrainians, like for instance, those ATACMS missiles that can launch very deep into Russian territory. And of course, also the reaction that that could bring from the Russians, that it would make it more difficult for the Trump administration to come to terms. One of the things that they promised that Donald Trump himself has promised, which is to end the war in Ukraine as fast as possible.

Of course, he's been saying he would end it in one day. Even the Russians are saying that's absolutely unrealistic. Nevertheless, the Russians have been accusing the Biden administration in its final days of escalating this conflict, and then therefore making a resolution more difficult.

One of the things that we've heard from Vladimir Putin over the past couple of days is that the Russians are very much willing, they say, to engage in talks about ending the war in Ukraine. But that always comes with a massive caveat, that they do have maximalist demands with that, essentially saying that the Ukrainians need to cede the territory that the Russians are currently occupying, and that also the Russians do not want to see the Ukrainians in NATO or significantly armed.

Of course, all of that completely unacceptable to the Ukrainians, all of that completely unacceptable to the Biden administration as well. But that's the starting point that the Russians have. And you do notice, it's a very important question, I think, you do notice that the Russians right now are looking forward to the Trump administration taking office because they believe that some sort of resolution can be achieved in a way that is very favorable to Russia. But they're also saying with every escalation that happens before that, the chances of that become less -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: All right, so lots more to come in the hours ahead, Fred Pleitgen tracking details for us in Moscow. Thanks, Fred.

Now, critics of Donald Trump's cabinet picks and nominees for crucial posts are seeing a very clear trend. Many of them have been TV personalities and right wing media darlings. CNN's Brian Todd looks at what could be motivating Trump's camera ready choices. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is going to hurt me a lot worse than it hurts you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get her.

TODD (voice over): Ladies and gentlemen, meet your new secretary of education, Linda McMahon in the beige jacket in a WWF Smackdown with her daughter, Stephanie. She's a mom who can get as good as she gives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're simply a conniving (BLEEP).

[04:40:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? That's her mother. Stephanie struck her mother down.

TODD (voice-over): McMahon, former CEO of the WWE, which she co- founded with her husband, Vince McMahon, she's been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Education and is one of several Trump cabinet picks with a common thread, experience on television.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: This is officially the television cabinet, the made for TV cabinet.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: They seem to have two things in common. They look the part and they are loyal to President-elect Trump.

TODD (voice-over): Something Trump has even mentioned.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL-ELECT: This guy's central casting. He is perfect. He's central casting.

TODD (voice-over): Dr. Mehmet Oz, who Trump just selected to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, had appeared as a health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show for years, and hosted his own syndicated TV show.

Many of Trump's cabinet picks come straight from Fox News, like Fox Friends Host Pete Hegseth, Trump's choice for defense secretary, who interviewed Trump several times on Fox. There's Sean Duffy, Trump's pick for transportation secretary, who was a cast member of MTV's reality shows, The Real World and Road Rules.

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY NOMINEE: Stand up and stick up for yourself. Do you feel that way?

TODD (voice-over): Duffy was also a host on Fox Business and a CNN contributor.

STELTER: During Trump's first term in office, there were 20 different occasions of Fox to Trump hires. This time around, there's already about half a dozen Fox-related hires. TODD (voice-over): Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's nominee for director of National Intelligence, has guest hosted on FOX. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, the choice for U.S. ambassador to Israel, hosted his own show on Fox. Gabbard, Huckabee, Duffy, and Linda McMahon do have experience in government. Others, like Hegseth, don't.

KUCINICH: There could be a drawback when it comes to the lack of experience with some of these nominees. That said, there will be other appointees that are under them that could actually do the day-to-day running of the organization.

TODD (voice-over): CNN has reported that Trump picked many of these people for their messaging abilities.

STELTER: He wants people who can communicate and defend him on TV, and that's what he's getting.

TODD: Analysts say in some cases, some of the TV personalities chosen for those positions actually appeared to be auditioning for government jobs when they were on TV. Brian Stelzer points out that Pete Hegseth had been putting on shows trying to appeal to Trump for years, and he says Tom Homan, Trump's choice for border czar, had previously spent a lot of time on Fox talking about how he'd handle the border.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Trump's nominee for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been vocal about his belief that women shouldn't serve in combat roles in the U.S. military. It's lifted its ban on women in those roles back in 2013. But Hegseth, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has said publicly that men are historically, quote, more capable than women in combat. And he even wrote about the subject in his book.

Well, that's in sharp contrast with the current Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, who only had words of gratitude and praise when asked about how the women he's served with.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, you know, I don't know the potential nominee. So I can't comment on and won't comment on anything that he said. I don't know what his experiences are, but I can tell you about my experiences with women in the military and women in combat. And they're pretty good. I think our women add significant value to the United States military. And we should never change that.

And if I had a message to answer your question to our women, I would say, I would tell them that, you know, we need you. We have faith in you. We are appreciative of your service. And you add value to the finest and most lethal fighting force on Earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MACFARLANE: Now, ahead, Australia is a step closer to banning social media for kids under 16. But the big question is how to make sure everyone complies.

And big changes could be on the horizon for Google. We'll tell you what U.S. regulators want from the tech giant after an antitrust ruling earlier this year.

[04:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: The U.S. government has formally proposed a partial breakup of Google. On Wednesday, the Justice Department urged a federal judge to force the sale of Google's Chrome web browser. It comes after a landmark ruling earlier this year that found Google's search business violated U.S. antitrust laws. It's in court filing this week. The Justice Department says spinning off Chrome could help prevent an illegal monopoly from occurring again. The request could lead to the most significant antitrust penalties against a tech giant in years and change how millions of Americans search for information.

Australia is moving to ban anyone under 16 from using social media, calling it a world-leading reform to protect children from harmful content online. New legislation would force social media companies to verify users' age or else face heavy fines. But exactly how that will be done is still an open question.

For more, CNN's Hanako Montgomery is joining us from Tokyo. And Hanako, I feel like it's not just Australia, but the world who are watching for the outcome of this because of the precedent it could set. But it is an important question. How would this work?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christina. It's good to see you. Yes, as you just described, right, even though we're seeing this debate play out in Australia, it is, of course, a concern for parents around the world.

We know that the Australian government looks to ask its nation's internet regulator to impose these regulations to really implement this ban. But the details of how they exactly will do it are still scant. We know that the Australian government, though, looks to impose a blanket ban on all users under the age of 16 from social media, no exceptions.

So even if a child gets consent from his or her parent, they still won't be able to create an account. Also, for those who already have accounts, they'll see those deactivated.

Now, the Australian government also looks to fine internet companies and these tech companies up to 32.5 million U.S. dollars if they don't comply with these regulations.

Now, Christina, this proposed legislation is politically quite popular in Australia. It's got bipartisan support, and it also comes after a series of high-profile incidents of children ending their own lives because their parents say they were abused online. Now, the following is a story about Charlotte O'Brien, a child who ended her life just two months ago. A warning to our viewers, you might find the following content disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): For all the positive connections, the joy social media can create, it can also quickly strip it away, destroy it forever.

KELLY O'BRIEN, MOTHER OF CHARLOTTE O'BRIEN: I will miss your hugs, your kisses, your laugh, your beautiful, beautiful smile.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): In September 12-year-old Australian girl Charlotte O'Brien took her own life after years being bullied on social media. Her parents quickly joined a political fight to protect children from online harm.

The Australian government says the best way to do that is to ban anyone under 16 from using social media.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Social media is doing social harm to our young Australians, and I am calling time on it. The safety and mental health of our young people has to be a priority.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Under new legislation introduced to Australia's parliament, there would be consequences for social media companies caught systematically breaching the age restriction and other safety measures. Fines reaching tens of millions of dollars. But children or parents won't be punished for breaking the new rules.

[04:50:00]

Instead, the government says the ban will help moms and dads to say no to young people who want to stay online.

BEN KIOKO, 14-YEAR-OLD SOCIAL MEDIA USER: Yes, so being autistic, I have a really, really hard time connecting with others, and doing that online makes it a lot easier.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Some experts too say that a catch-all approach may not be helpful.

JUSTINE HUMPHREY, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY: Even though the age is really fundamentally important that we need to get right, what we're talking about when we say we're going to introduce a ban by age is that it negates the fact that young people have very, very different levels of maturity.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): But advocates of the ban point to age limits on alcohol, gambling, and smoking, arguing social media can be equally damaging for those too young to use it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MONTGOMERY (on camera): Now, Christina, as you just saw, for grieving parents and for those who support this proposed bill, these new regulations are long overdue, and they believe that it could make the internet a much safer place for their kids.

But critics argue that not all social media is bad, that in some cases, kids can find actually better communities online and find safe spaces.

So clearly lots of debate here, lots of questions still to be answered. But in terms of the next step, we can expect the legislation to pass through Australia's Senate next week as it continues to be deliberated -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yes, it raises many questions, but we will continue to follow it closely as it goes to that bill. Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo, thank you.

And we'll be right back, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Family and friends of former One Direction singer, Liam Payne gathered to pay tribute to him on Wednesday. Payne's former One Direction bandmates all attended the funeral. More now from Salma Abdulaziz.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Liam Payne's casket arrived at this 13th century church in the English countryside for a private funeral.

His heartbroken parents brought to tears as they bid farewell far too soon. His former bandmates, friends and loved ones arriving one by one to sleepy Amersham where fans, some still in shock, had gathered to pay their respects.

VICTORIA, ONE DIRECTION FAN: I was very upset. It sort of shook me and I've grown up with him since I was about 12.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): The details of the ceremony were a tightly- held secret, but the media was allowed access to a cordoned area across from the venue.

ABDELAZIZ: Liam Payne's small, closed funeral stands in stark contrast to his very public life as a global pop star with mega fame.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): At just 16 years old, Payne took the music world by storm, becoming a founding member of One Direction, a band formed on the reality TV show The X Factor.

The group turned global phenomenon sold more than 70 million records. Their songs streamed billions of times online. They toured the world, building a massive fan base with hits like That's What Makes You Beautiful.

[04:55:00] But childhood fame had a cost and Payne spoke out about the consequences on his mental health.

LIAM PAYNE, MEMBER, ONE DIRECTION: That level of loneliness and people getting into you every day, getting into you every day. Like I say, I'd be so often, when will this end? You know, and certain that I -- that's almost nearly killed me a couple of times.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): His death at age 31, after a tragic accident. A fall from a hotel balcony, investigators found his body riddled with alcohol and drugs, shocked millions.

As the funeral drew to a close a touching moment. Music mogul Simon Cowell, the man who brought Payne into the limelight, comforting his parents, mourning the indelible mark left on the hearts of so many.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, Amersham.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Now, retail giant Target is forecasting sales during the last quarter of this year will be flat, a potential warning sign for other retailers as we move into the holiday season. Shares of Target plunged more than 20 percent on Wednesday. Target is struggling as it sells more non-essential merchandise compared to competitors such as Walmart, which gets about half of its sales from groceries.

Now, don't count on cutting the line at the airport if you're running late during the Thanksgiving holiday. American Airlines is expanding new technology to more than 100 airports that will alert gate assistance if someone is boarding the flight before their boarding group is called. Oh dear. The program was tested in three cities and is also set to be implemented at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest airport in the world for passengers. American Air expects to fly more than 8 million people over the Thanksgiving holiday. Wait your turn. That's the message.

Now, if you can believe it, a piece of duct tape and the banana are apparently worth millions. This is one of three works by artist Maurizio Cattelan. A banana duct taped to a wall, appropriately titled Comedian. It's sold at auction to a Chinese collector and cryptocurrency tycoon for an astounding $6.24 million. Yep, I read that right.

Sotheby's Auction House will send the buyer a roll of duct tape, a single banana, a certificate of authenticity and instructions for installing it on whatever wall he chooses. What a deal. Or completely bananas if you ask me.

And that is it for this edition here of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Christina Macfarlane. Stay with us. CNN "THIS MORNING" is up after this quick break.

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