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CNN This Morning
Alexey Navalny Is Dead, Spokeswoman Confirms; Trump Ordered To Pay $355 Million In New York Civil Fraud Trial Ruling; D.A. Fani Willis' Misconduct Hearing Concludes; Biden Visits East Palestine Ohio One Year After Train Derailment; Judge To Rule Next Week On Bid To Remove Trump from Illinois Ballot; Two Teens Charged In Shooting At Kansas City Rally. Aired 6-7a ET
Aired February 17, 2024 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[06:00:35]
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Good morning. Welcome to CNN This Morning. It is Sunday February 11. I'm Victor Blackwell.
AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST: And I'm Amara Walker. Thank you so much for being with us this morning.
BLACKWELL: Hold on. It's February 17.
WALKER: I heard you pause.
BLACKWELL: I heard and it was like, no. I know I did valentine's day already. OK.
WALKER: I'm glad you corrected that for the record.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
WALKER: All right, I'm Amara Walker. Thank you so much. And here's what we are watching for you. We want to show you some pictures now from the Munich Security Conference in Germany where our Christiane Amanpour spoke with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy just a short time ago, what he's saying about Vladimir Putin in the wake of Alexey Navalny's death and the concerns we are hearing from leaders around the world to Russia's continued aggression.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gale and the scope. Donald Trump's fraud is staggering. And so to his ego.
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BLACKWELL: A New York judge ruled that Donald Trump, and his companies must pay hundreds of millions of dollars for fraudulently inflating the value of his New York companies the penalties, his children will also face in Trump's reaction to the ruling. WALKER: Plus, a CNN exclusive Intel Sources tell CNN Russia is attempting to develop a nuclear space weapon how it works and whether officials believe it poses a threat to the US.
BLACKWELL: Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the shooting at a Kansas City Super Bowl rally. What we know about the teens and the charges they are facing.
The spokeswoman for Alexey Navalny has confirmed on X that the Russian opposition leader died in prison custody on Friday. They're demanding that his body be handed over immediately. World leaders are now sounding the alarm over Navalny's death. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the Munich Security Conference. He says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending a very clear message.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRANIAN PRESIDENT: The murder of Alexey Navalny it's absurd to perceive Putin as a supposedly legitimate head of Russian state and he is the thug who maintains power through corruption and violence.
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WALKER: Now, in a matter of minutes from now Vice President Kamala Harris is that to meet with President Zelenskyy. She and President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are all placing the blame on Putin.
Joining us now with CNN chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh. Hi there, Nick, what's the latest?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, you couldn't really have had two more useful events here for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he takes the stage here in front of the NATO allies who essentially, he needs to further galvanize in support of Ukraine and U.S. politicians who have to force a through Congress.
That awful tragic death of Alexey Navalny in Russian custody, now confirmed by his family has been used by Ukraine very clearly, to say that Putin is not a man that can be trusted. You can't begin to think about a negotiation or peace. You can't stop helping Ukraine in its fight to liberate its own territory.
That's clear message from Zelenskyy today, and indeed, things we've heard from European leaders as well, that stark reminder of the brutality, even in terms of not giving enough care for Navalny's keep him alive, very much in the forefront here of a conference that could otherwise potentially had been mired in discussions as to how cohesive the NATO alliance was going to be in the likely event maybe in the months ahead of Trump returning to the presidency.
But at the same time to for Zelenskyy, a reflection of the difficulties they're facing on the front line because of that slow arrival of U.S. aid ammunitions that they need to keep the fight going. Ukraine announcing this morning, that they have withdrawn after weeks, months of battle from a key town in the East called Avdiivka.
Long held on to with what they possibly could but I think a change in military command has led the new chief of the military to step forward and say look, I think it's time to pull back that occurred this morning in terms of its announcement. Here's what's Zelenskyy had to say though about the losses they've inflicted on the Russians during that fight.
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ZELENSKYY: I can't share with you the number of victims and casualties.
[06:05:05]
But for example, if you will -- when we speak that they have too much people. And you have to know for example, in Avdiivka I just comparing the number one to seven, it's a bit that I'm -- but for one death of Ukrainians, seven deaths of Russians, one to seven.
So I'm not comparing this for and I don't want and it's tragedy even to lose one person, but we didn't begin it. So that's -- but you have to know -- we have to understand what was going on in this small city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: OK, if indeed confirm that one to seven loss ratio is utterly staggering. It does show the resources, the human resources that Russia has callously some might say, willing to throw it's fight for a tiny, not particularly strategically helpful town like Avdiivka. But that small snapshot from Ukrainian frontlines asides.
Zelenskyy has been able to use his speech to frame this much more as a global European NATO fight for security, essentially saying to the European leaders here, after those comments from former President Trump that he might even go to Russia on to invade NATO members if they weren't paying enough towards their own defense to essentially say, European leaders could be dealing with an important clause in the NATO Treaty called Article Five where everyone steps forward to everyone else's defense if they're attacked.
European leaders may have to decide without the United States potentially to enforce that. That is his way of trying to ram home the imminent threat of Russia. His reversals, his withdrawal on the battlefield this morning assisting that message to be heard the aid to be sped up. He's asking for air defense too and at the same time as well, the horrific death of Alexey Navalny and an Arctic Circle prison yesterday announced by Russian state media and confirmed by his family.
Another clean reminder to all those leaders gathered here of exactly the kind of threat they're facing from Vladimir Putin. Remarkable timing, I think is a background for a speech here, a message that many had anticipated just so much context to it now creasing its emergency sent. Back to you.
WALKER: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, appreciate you being there at the Munich Security Conference. Thank you so much.
Let's dig deeper with Jill Dougherty, CNN contributor and former CNN Moscow bureau chief. Before a -- good morning to you, Jill. Before we go get into some of the world reaction, of course, the reaction from the European leaders there at the Munich Security Conference. Can we talk a little bit about the timing and why now, in your opinion, and as we know, there are elections coming up one month away in Russia, obviously Vladimir Putin running for president for the fifth time. Did that have anything to do with it?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think you know, we don't know, I guess we can't definitively say that Navalny because of that. And investigations may never show exactly who killed him or how he died. But that said his death I think is a major factor in the election coming up.
I mean, the election comes up in the middle of March. And Putin, although there's no question that he will obviously win that election or reelection, there is a lot of concern in the Kremlin for how the Russian public will deal with that election.
And so he have Navalny, and right now look -- looking at those people who've been coming out in many cities across Russia, with flowers in their hands, as a memorial to Navalny.
I think the Kremlin is looking at that very carefully. And with concern, that is why you had police coming in and arresting a number of people across the country for doing that. And also very quickly taking down those improvisational memorials.
So I think there is concern, and that election for Putin, even though he's going to win, still is kind of symbolic for the Kremlin, and not only for their own people, but around the world that Putin has, you know, turnout that brought him back to the presidency.
WALKER: Well, let's hear some of that reaction from the Russian public.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Of course, Navalny is a symbol. So first of all, a symbol of opposition, a symbol of hope for some brighter future for Russia. And there's a feeling that with his death, this hope dies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): When I learned about it, I was horrified. I cried, and I did not know what to do. I wanted to scream and I want to scream now.
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[06:10:03]
WALKER: I mean, Jill, I'm taken by their honesty and their sympathy for Navalny, and of course, their support, you know, for his fight that he waged for over a decade. Are you? DOUGHERTY: No, I'm not because I've actually been on the streets at most of the protests over the years that Navalny organized, and talking with people, especially with young people. I heard the same fervor. It's not always, Amara, that they want Navalny to become the president. It was really kind of a connection with his message.
Number one, a different Russia without corruption and without Putin, and then also hope for a different Russia, a better Russia in the future. And I think there's this feeling that, you know, where do we go from here? Because this man really struck their hearts. And now he's gone. And it's not clear where the leadership for any type of opposition will be coming from.
WALKER: On that question of where do we go from here, I want to play some sound from the Oscar award winning the Navalny Film, where Alexey Navalny gives his, you know, what his final message would be. And then also on the backside of that, his wife, Yulia, and his words at the Munich Security Conference, when she found out about reports of his death, listen.
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ALEXEY NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: My message for the situation when I'm killed is very simple, not give up.
YULIA NAVALNAYA, ALEXEY NAVALNY'S WIFE (through translator): I thought about it quite a while, I thought, should I stand here before you or should I go back to my children? And then I thought, what who would have Alexey done in my place? And I'm sure that he would have been standing here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: I mean, Yulia Navalnaya's composure in itself is a story and how remarkable it is. But when it comes to what happens now, who carries on his legacy and his fight, you know, against corruption and for freedom and democracy in Russia, his wife?
DOUGHERTY: I think, this is the question it could be. I mean, she is really shown herself to be a leader, and obviously influential. But at this point, it's not really clear because there is no one who can really, you know, carry the message and is charismatic as Navalny was.
And I think also, the danger here is that Putin is really feeling emboldened. And that's kind of the bigger picture, you know, the election coming up. Unless something unexpected happens, he will win that. You just saw Zelenskyy, you know, his troops are pulling out of a city, and it's a win for Russia. You have the American Congress try, you know, incapable of coming up with the money to help Ukraine.
And then you have, you know, Putin saying relations with the West or over any way, we're really at war with the West, and he turns to China, Iran and North Korea. So, you know, that's not a good recipe for a lot of, I think, stability in Russia. And this is very to me, unstable, unpredictable time. WALKER: Fascinating conversation. Jill Dougherty, thank you very much. And tonight, you can catch a special encore of the Oscar winning CNN film that follows Alexei Navalny's life as an outspoken opposition leader and assassination target. Navalny airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. on CNN.
BLACKWELL: Coming up in New York judge hits former President Trump with a $355 million fine plus interest in the civil fraud trial. The big question now can Trump pay up.
Plus, President Biden visits the site of that devastating train derailment for the first time more than a year after it happened. His message to the families there who still cannot go back into their homes.
And the NBA is biggest stars play on the All Star Weekend. First, it was the celebrities chance to show their skills on the hardwood.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cassidy with Jalen Bronson.
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BLACKWELL: Their questions this morning about whether former President Trump will be able to pay a massive judgment in his civil fraud trial. Trump in his companies must pay nearly $355 million for inflating the value of his properties. And if interest accrues New York officials say that multimillion dollar judgment could swell to 450 million.
WALKER: Yesterday, Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump and his two adult sons and various company officials engaged in a year's long scheme tricking banks into thinking assets were worth more than they actually were. CNN's Kara Scannell reports on the financial and political fallout.
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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A devastating blow to Trump's reputation as a successful businessman after a New York Supreme Court judge ordered him and his company to pay nearly $355 million, barring him from serving as a company director in the city where he made his billions where his name is plastered on skyscrapers for three years.
LETICIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: Donald Trump may have authored the art of the deal, but he perfected the art of the steel. This long running fraud was intentional, egregious, illegal.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Friday's ruling follows a nearly three month long trial filled with dramatic moments. Trump himself often chose to attend court though he was only required to be there when he testified.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This trial was railroaded and fasttrack. This trial could have been brought years ago, but they waited till I was right in the middle of my campaign.
[06:20:00]
SCANNELL (voice-over): He frequently attacked Judge Engoron as well as his clerk and the New York Attorney General in the hallways of the courthouse and untruths social.
TRUMP: This judge is very partisan judge with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside him. We're wasting our time with this trial with a Democrat judge from the clubhouses, it's a disgrace. We're going to be here for months with a judge that already made up his mind.
We have a road judge who has a property is it worth a tiny fraction of one, 100, a tiny fraction of what they actually are. A Trump hater. The only one that hates Trump, Boris, is associated up there.
SCANNELL (voice-over): His attacks even resulted in the judge issuing a gag order restricting him from going after the court staff, which Trump then violated twice and was fined a total of $15,000.
DONALD TRUMP JR., EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I thought they were going to go somewhere, but I think they understand that they have nothing as it relates to a case other than, I guess an overzealous Attorney General who would destroy all of New York business by going after transactions where there are no victims. I guess other than herself.
SCANNELL (voice-over): The former president and his adult sons all testified during the trial, which began in October last year.
During his testimony, Donald Trump frequently clashed with Judge Engoron in the courtroom. The judge warning Trump's lawyer Chris Kise to control your client and threatened to remove him.
TRUMP: Thank you very much.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Outside Mar-a-Lago Friday after the ruling, Donald Trump continued those attacks.
TRUMP: These are radical left Democrats, they're lunatics. And it's election interfering. So I just want to thank you for being here. We'll appeal. We'll be successful. I think because, frankly, if we're not successful, New York State is gone. People are moving out of New York State. And because of this, they're going to move out at a much faster rate.
SCANNELL: The judge ordering Donald Trump to pay nearly $355 million, plus another $100 million in interest with other legal judgments against him. He is owing more than $540 million. A big bill for the former president. Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.
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BLACKWELL: Kara, thank you. Joining me now is former federal prosecutor Lis Wiehl. Lis, good morning to you. Let's start here with the numbers because they are gigantic. And if we know enough about the Trump Organization, Trump's finances to know if this is a knock down, or a knockout.
LIS WIEHL, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, look, saying it's a dent in his pocketbook is an understatement. I think Bloomberg said his assets are about 3.5 billion. So this would take more than a fifth. I mean, this plus the Carroll judgment, you know, that was also that's also pending.
That's more than a fifth of his overall everything he has, and certainly all his cash, so he's going to have to sell some stocks and bonds. And I think the important point here, Victor, too, is sometimes we think, well, he's going to appeal. Right? And so a pending appeal, he doesn't have to pay anything. Wrong. He absolutely does.
He's got to pay the whole thing in cash that the court will hold pending appeal or a bond. But where's he going to get a bond? And how much would a bond cost him in addition to what has already been levied against him?
BLACKWELL: Yes, that's a remarkable point is that you've got to come up with the money at some point. But do you expect these numbers will be reduced at some point?
WIEHL: I don't know. I mean, you look at the judgment, and its 90-page judgment. And this judge is very thorough about how he came up with the numbers, and all of that. So, it's not like it's a jury verdict that said, you know, all this money is a punitive sort of case. It's not like that. And those often get cut down. I think this is going to be I think this is going to be upheld on appeal pretty much to the penny, Victor.
BLACKWELL: So talking about appeal, you know, one of the concerns going into this case was Michael Cohen, and that Michael Cohen was a star witness here. He's also someone who has been convicted for lying. The judge Engoron says here that this fact finder does not believe that pleading guilty to perjury means that you can never tell the truth. Michael Cohen told the truth.
So Engoron believed him. Is there anything here that makes Michael Cohen still fertile for the appeal process here? Or is this taken off the table as an issue?
WIEHL: Oh, of course, it's not taken off the table, you know that Trump is going to appeal based on Cohen saying, you know, you believe to convict a perjure. How could you do that? And the Trump team has already -- as always said, hey, Cohen is the star witness for the state. Not true. Because of what the judge said in in the opinion when he referenced Cohen, he went on to say, I found incredible, his demeanor, and you know what he said, but it most importantly, that what he said was corroborated by other trial evidence.
[06:25:03]
Meaning, you know, Cohen's not the one keeping this whole thing together. He's not driving this whole train, but he is believable.
BLACKWELL: Let's switch to a Georgia and what we watched this week with D.A. Fani Willis here. Do you think that the attorneys for the defendants, that they've made their case that not only their accusation here that Fani Willis benefited from hiring Nathan Wade as a special prosecutor and that benefit, then impaired the defendants ability to get a fair trial?
WIEHL: Man, that is a stretch. Under Georgia law and most state laws having to do with ethics and conflicts of interest, because that's what we're talking about here conflict of interest, you got to show that that the conflict that the prosecutor has, is so bad that it's actually, you know, impending on a fair trial for the defendant.
Here, I just don't see that. I mean, yes, she's admitted, Willis has admitted, look, this is a bad look. I'm a flawed person. But how did their relationship really have an impact on the defendant? A better example of a conflict of interest, for example, would be if the prosecutor has an affair with the judge, or the prosecutor has an affair with an agent or a witness that's going to take the stand and is a lynchpin in the case.
That kind of thing, that was (INAUDIBLE) conflict is much more so than people that are on the same team already. Willis said she paid any money back away. So I mean, it's a real stretch to think that that conflict of interest could keep either of them off that team.
BLACKWELL: Do you think there's any chance that that happens? I mean, there will be some conversations with the judge from this attorney Bradley (ph) that we're not going to see because of some concerns about attorney-client privilege and getting too close to the line.
But is there a scenario in which you see this DA being pulled and then this having to go to a different team?
WIEHL: I don't see the Willis being pulled. But here's what I think should happen behind the scenes. I think, Wade, the prosecutor that she hired and that she had the affair, you know, should quietly resign from the team. And not because he has to not because Georgia law makes it so that he has to, but just because going forward, this is going to be an issue, you know, that the Trump team is going to just pound on going forward and do either of those prosecutors want that -- to either these prosecutors want this to continue? I would think not and the best way to get to happen for that not to happen is for Wade just to quietly resign from his team.
BLACKWELL: We didn't look like anybody was prepared to resign from the team based on what we saw in the courtroom on Thursday especially. Lis Wiehl, thank you so much for being with us. Enjoy the Saturday.
WIEHL: You got it, Victor. Take care.
WALKER: Still ahead. Two teenagers face charges after a mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally. What we're learning about those suspects, how the community is rallying together.
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WALKER: President took a sip of local tap water in his first visit to east Palestine, Ohio. That's the side of the Norfolk southern train derailment. Biden's visit marked one year since the crash, which resulted in a massive toxic chemical leak.
The president blamed what he called a greedy railroad companies, saying the disaster was a 100 percent preventable. He vowed to restore the community and the environment.
BLACKWELL: A judge in Illinois is expected to rule next week on a fight to keep former President Donald Trump off the ballot in that state. The Illinois Board of Elections disqualified Trump for allegedly engaging in the Capitol insurrection on January 6th. Now, it's unclear if Trump would take the fight to the Supreme Court since he is unlikely to win the state's general election.
Two teenagers are facing charges and are in custody in connection with the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl rally. The teenagers being held at a juvenile detention center on gun-related charges as well as resisting arrest. More charges are expected.
Police say Wednesday's shooting was a result of an argument, an argument that killed a 43-year-old mother of two and wounded more than 20 others, half of them were children. CNN senior crime and justice correspondent Shimon Prokupecz is in Kansas City with more on the suspects and the stars who are now offering their support to the victims.
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Amara and Victor. The authorities announcing they have charged the two juveniles they detained after the shooting with gun offenses and resisting arrest, and they say it's likely they're going to face additional charges once the investigation wraps up.
They're being held at a juvenile detention center, so we don't know much about them because under the law, authorities can't release their names, they can't release any information about them. So, a big development there, and then this is all happening as just the love and the support continues for the victims.
Taylor Swift donating a $100,000 to a GoFundMe for one of the victims, and the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife visiting some of the children in the hospital who was shot, just to show their support, spending time with them.
You know, this was supposed to be a week filled with celebrations, supposed to be a week where people were celebrating this huge Super Bowl when it was a parade, it was a rally. Sadly, they have just been suffering so much here in the past few days, but the support certainly that the families are receiving is coming at a good time. Amara, Victor. [06:35:00]
BLACKWELL: Shimon Prokupecz. Thank you for that. Coming up, disturbing new details about Russia's plan to develop a nuclear space weapon. A look at what they could be doing and when it could be ready next.
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BLACKWELL: World leaders have convened in Germany for the Munich Security Conference at a critical time. The death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, strangled negotiations in the Middle East, Russia's war on Ukraine have all taken the center of the conference now.
[06:40:00]
And Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke earlier at the conference, and he urged partner nations to continue military assistance to Ukraine. Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris any moment and a group of U.S. senators later today.
Joining us now from Munich is senior congressional reporter for "Punchbowl News", Andrew Desiderio. Andrew, good morning to you, good morning our time, afternoon to you there in Munich. I find it interesting that there will be this meeting between President Zelenskyy and U.S. senators.
Some of them Republicans who were there, who, you know, Republican Party now in Congress are pushing back against this support for Ukraine, this larger package. And the world leaders are asking questions about the U.S. process. Talk to us about this, this overlap, this intersection of what we're seeing there. And there are questions about how is this not getting through U.S. legislature?
ANDREW DESIDERIO, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, PUNCHBOWL NEWS: Yes, so, I have traveled with lawmakers all around the world, and never heard them tell me so often that their foreign counterparts are asking them about the minutia of congressional procedure, because they're so eager to see when and how and if this bill that the Senate passed to provide aid to Ukraine will ever get through the House in some form or fashion.
You even have foreign leaders asking U.S. senators, U.S. House members here about a discharge petition, which is something that's of course, rarely used in the House of Representatives, it's viewed as sort of an extreme measure. But the times we're living in now might call for something like that.
That's basically what the message has been to these members of Congress who are here. And what they're saying in response to those questions is, look, you know, because most of them here actually support this aid, right? And have voted for it.
They're saying that, you know, the House is going to work its process, that they might change the bill a little bit, and it will ultimately be up to Speaker Johnson in terms of getting it on the floor or not, but there are ways to sort of bypass that process, bypass the Speaker of the House, and get this-- get this voted on because the Republicans here who I've talked to have noted that this legislation, even in its current form, would get an overwhelming majority in the House if it were put on the floor for a vote.
BLACKWELL: Yes, before we get back to Munich, this development, since you've been there, this now bipartisan bill, $66 billion originating in the House, money for Ukraine and Israel and Taiwan and some border security provisions. Does this bill have any better shot at getting to the floor than what the Senate passed?
DESIDERIO: Look, it's an option for sure. The Republicans who in the leadership of the House of Representatives are going to inevitably say that the border security provisions aren't tough enough, because the bipartisan deal that senators and the White House negotiated was a lot tougher in terms of restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border than what is being proposed now.
What might help -- the element of this that might help get it through is the fact that the package itself for foreign aid focuses only on military aid. A lot of Republicans have been saying that they're less comfortable with the non-lethal aid portions to Ukraine, for example, economic aid, humanitarian aid, things like that.
Their argument being that European nations should step up and shoulder that burden more than the United States should. So, again, this is an option, it's something that might be more palatable to some Republicans in the House of Representatives. But again, it all depends what Speaker Mike Johnson will do, and how he will handle this issue.
The statement he issued yesterday after we learned of the death of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition politician in custody sounded like he was someone who wants to do something on Russia, on Ukraine, on this issue in general. But what the lawmakers here are telling me is that talk is just that, it's just talk. What matters is whether he's going to actually take some action on this issue?
BLACKWELL: Let me read some of that statement from Speaker Johnson, "in the coming days, as international leaders are meeting in Munich, we must be clear that Putin will be met with a united opposition as Congress debates the best path forward to support Ukraine, the United States and our partners must be using every means available to cut off Putin's ability to fund his unprovoked war in Ukraine and aggression against the Baltic states."
He didn't seem to have much criticism a few days ago when the former president said he'd urged Russia to do whatever the hell they want if ally nations don't hit that 2 percent target of defense spending. But on the point of the death of Alexei Navalny.
Has his death and especially those remarks from his widow, Yulia, have those changed the tenor of this conference? How have they impacted what we're seeing? DESIDERIO: It definitely has changed the tenor of the conference. You
saw his now widow take the stage right after Vice President Kamala Harris spoke here at the conference yesterday.
[06:45:00]
She also met with a bunch of the members of Congress who are here at this venue for the conference yesterday -- and look, the message from American lawmakers who already support aid to Ukraine, is that, this is another sort of example of Putin's willingness to thumb his nose at the Western coalition and show that in his view, you know, he's going to -- he's going to keep doing this, right?
He's going to keep going after the West. He's going to keep doing what he's doing in Ukraine, and the only way to stop Putin is for the United States and its partner nations, which are all represented here in Munich to take collective action.
And that greatly depends on what the United States does. And I think that message has been hammered home by the lawmakers who are here. But again, most of them who are here, Democrats and Republicans alike are people who support the underlying aid package and have supported Ukraine aid for the long haul.
BLACKWELL: Andrew Desiderio covering Congress there at the Munich Security Conference. Thanks so much.
WALKER: New details are emerging on Russia's plan to develop a nuclear space weapon that would destroy satellites. Sources familiar with U.S. Intel on the project say, the aim is to create a weapon that would cripple a vast swath of commercial and government satellites, by creating a massive energy wave.
The Biden administration says the weapon is still under development and not in orbit, and poses no nuclear threat to the people of America or anywhere else in the world at the moment? CNN's Oren Liebermann has more on how this new weapon could work and how it could cause extreme disruptions to everyday life.
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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): According to three sources familiar with the Intelligence, Russia is trying to develop a nuclear space weapon that would use effectively the byproduct of a nuclear explosion to try to disable and destroy satellites in space.
The idea here, according to the sources, is not to use the explosion itself, which is how we traditionally think of a nuclear weapon or a nuke, instead, the explosion produces an electromagnetic pulse on incredibly powerful wave of energy that essentially fries the insides of satellites and renders them ineffective.
Now, crucially, this is not a system that's operational yet. It's still in development. The White House and the Biden administration said that earlier this week, and President Joe Biden himself said on Friday that there is no threat or any sort of nuclear threat to United States at this time.
But this is clearly something the U.S. is watching. And here's why? Critical satellites for the U.S., including many military satellites are built to defend against these sort of electromagnetic pulse waves and be able to withstand these waves.
But an explosion like this in space would affect a lot of commercial satellites and disrupt not only U.S. satellites, but Russian satellites, Chinese and so many others. And those satellites are used for a number of different reasons, including communications, cellphone services, internet, and so much more.
It would effectively disrupt or could disrupt all of that if it were used, not to mention, it would be a violation of the Outer Space Treaty of the late '60s, which prohibits the use of nuclear weapons in space. And that's why the administration is watching this so carefully, because of the threat and the risks such an explosion would have.
Russia would only likely use it, the officials say, or the sources say, as a last ditch effort because it's indiscriminate. It doesn't just affect U.S. satellites, it affects any satellite that's near it and could potentially render a large number of satellites ineffective. Still, it is a capability that the U.S. is watching very closely as Russia presses forward with this program. Oren Liebermann, CNN at the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: All right, thank you, Oren. That NBA's best descend on Indianapolis this weekend for the NBA all-star game, we'll take you there live to preview the festivities.
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[06:50:00]
BLACKWELL: Basketball fans, it is your time, the NBA all-star weekend is upon us.
WALKER: Yes, the best players in the game are gathering in Indianapolis and so is Andy Scholes, who's got the best seat in the house --
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes --
WALKER: Andy.
SCHOLES: Yes, guys, it's now always one of the best for basketball fans at the entire year. You got the skills competition, the 3-point contest and the slam dunk, and one guy who's going to have a really busy night is the Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton, he's competing in both the skills competition and the 3-point contest.
And I actually sat down with Haliburton yesterday, he told me if he could only win one of those, he would love to win the 3-point contest. And I also asked him if he's feeling any extra pressure with it being in his city.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TYRESE HALIBURTON, GUARD, INDIANA PACERS: Yes, really, I mean, maybe just -- maybe a little bit of pressure. People are texting me, hey, what restaurants should I go to? Hey, I wish I do this, I wish I do that. Some -- 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'm having fun with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Now, someone else having a fun weekend here in Indianapolis is Pacers' legend Reggie Miller. He's going to be calling his 17th all-star game for our friends over TNT. And I sat down with Reggie yesterday and I asked him, how special is this for him with the all- star game and the whole weekend being here in Indianapolis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGGIE MILLER, FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYER: I spent 18 years in blue and gold. So, if there's one place that I know that knows how to host a huge event like an all-star game, it's Indianapolis. So, I'm excited to be back to see my family and friends? But the best players in the world will get the chance to showcase what I feel is my adopted home.
SCHOLES: We had battled the sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in the '70s on the tennis court?
MILLER: Yes.
SCHOLES: Now, we've got it in the 3-point contest this weekend here in Indianapolis --
MILLER: Yes --
SCHOLES: Steph Curry versus Sabrina Ionescu. Who do you got winning this?
MILLER: I think it's a fabulous match-up, and Sabrina is arguably the best shooter the WNBA has ever seen.
[06:55:00]
But she's going against the greatest shooter our game has ever seen. So, I love you, Sabrina. I hope you do win, I really do hope you do win. But Steph is on a roll right now, I'm going with Curry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes, Steph versus Sabrina, and all the contest tonight that actually will be taking place on this first of its kind, LED court, all right, it's certainly going to be cool visually to watch all the contest taking place there. But meanwhile, guys here at Game Bridge, filled house, I got this empty court all to myself. So why not in the segment, me trying a half-court shot? What could go wrong? BLACKWELL: I feel like I should be doing public commentary here, up!
WALKER: And oh!
BLACKWELL: Oh!
WALKER: (INAUDIBLE) --
BLACKWELL: So, hello?
WALKER: That was funny --
BLACKWELL: So close --
WALKER: I'm impressed, aren't you impressed?
BLACKWELL: I'm impressed by that --
WALKER: I didn't think Andy could do that.
BLACKWELL: Because --
WALKER: All right --
BLACKWELL: I think anything that wasn't an air ball is a win --
WALKER: I thought it was going to be an air-ball --
BLACKWELL: It would be a win if it's not an air-ball --
WALKER: I am so impressed, Andy, that was good --
SCHOLES: It's close to glory --
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Yes --
WALKER: On live TV, you messed it up, Andy --
BLACKWELL: No, I think Andy --
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Again, anything that wasn't an air-ball is a win.
WALKER: Wow.
BLACKWELL: Anything, all right --
WALKER: Amazing --
SCHOLES: I'll take it, I'll take it.
WALKER: So, you got Sabrina and Steph Curry, I'm going for Andy. BLACKWELL: Andy Scholes, thanks so much. Still to come, we'll take
you to the Munich Security Conference where world leaders are reacting to the news of Alexei Navalny's death. And now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is responding, and the message he says that Putin is sending to the world.
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