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First Move with Julia Chatterley
CNN Witnesses Flood Devastation on the Ground in Derna; Resurrecting the Woolly Mammoth; "Dumb Money" Creators: Our Goal was to Tell the Truth; Apple to Provide Software Update in France; Colossal Uses AI to Monitor Orphaned Elephants; Today Marks the Final First Move. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired September 15, 2023 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN HOST, FIRST MOVE: A warm welcome to "First Move", fantastic to have you with us this Friday coming up over the next hour.
Devastation in Ghana, we take you there for a first-hand look at the destruction after this week's catastrophic flooding in Libya.
Plus, Putin's partners the Russian President meeting now with President Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus, following the summit meetings with North
Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Kim, by the way, still in Russia continues his military focused tour, all the details coming up.
And a historic strike for the first times ever the powerful United Auto Workers Union calling down tools at all Big Three U.S. Automakers at once,
a live report from Michigan in just a moment's time. And quick final check of Wall Street's price action. U.S. stocks are on track for a slightly
lower open on the last trading day of the week this time.
Yet, of course, take a look at Europe that's in the green following a positive lead during the Asia session too where stocks closed for the most
part higher helped along by better than expected Chinese retail sales data and industrial production numbers NIKKEI and the KOSPI, they're in South
Korea, the outperformers.
OK, let's begin now in Libya, or at least 5000 people have lost their lives in massive flooding. Those are the latest figures by Doctors without
Borders, many more, of course, is still missing. The U.N. Aid Chief calling it, "a terrible tragedy in which climate and capacity has collided". Jomana
Karadsheh reports from Derna.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've all covered wars, natural disasters before but none of us have seen anything like this. I mean, we
drove into Derna, late last night. And even during night time in the dark, you could still see the destruction.
And now during the day, this is just utter, utter destruction. And it really feels like you're walking through a war zone like massive bombs had
gone off here. And this is what people here would tell you. You know, you've got several cities along the Libyan coast that were impacted by
Storm Daniel by the flooding over the weekend.
But nothing like this where people are describing here as this catastrophe. What happened in Derna, of course, as you know, is those two dams that
burst and you have the floodwaters that swept through the -- of the city, washing out entire buildings, neighborhoods, homes, infrastructure
families, and brought it all down here to the sea, to the Mediterranean.
I mean, it's very difficult for us to really move the camera around because of the communication issues. The communications were disrupted in the city
so our connection is not very stable. But looking into the sea, Poppy, what we see here is people's lives in there. You see homes, you see doorframes,
windows, furniture, clothes, cars, everything. And they are still right now searching for dead bodies.
Bodies that are still washing up on the shore six days after this tragedy happened. Right now, Libyan officials are saying about 5000 people have
been killed. There are still 10,000 people unaccounted for U.N. officials that we've been speaking to say they don't expect to find any more
survivors right now.
And what you've got here, where we are is all these volunteers from different parts of the country who are working who are trying to assist in
this recovery effort. And it is such a tough task. They're telling us they're not equipped to deal with something like this.
They don't have the means and capabilities to do this. One young man I was speaking to just a short time ago, just describing how people were just
tying ropes to themselves and holding each other as they would dive into the sea and start pulling out body after body this one young man Tommy and
one day he pulled 40 bodies just by himself.
And right now, the volunteers here are saying look, they need heavy equipment. You've got cars that are stuck in there and they don't know how
many people are still in there. They are worried that there are people still dead bodies of course in these cars and they want support, they want
help.
[09:05:00]
They want heavy equipment, they went divers, they went diving equipment to try and get recovers many bodies as they can. They have had some
international support. We have seen some teams here on the ground. The Turks were already out on a rubber boat just a short time ago. You have
helicopters in the air, but it is nowhere near enough.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Jomana Karadsheh there. Now, speculation is growing over the whereabouts of China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who hasn't been seen in
public for more than two weeks. And according to reports, several American officials believe he's been placed under investigation by Beijing. Marc
Stewart joins us now from Beijing. Marc, I'm sure information is scarce. What more can you tell us?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Julia, and here we are again, talking about another moment of -- concerning the Chinese cabinet, this
time, as you mentioned with the absence of the Defense Minister. His absence came up during a briefing today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
during its regular briefing spokeswoman mounding was asked about this.
And her response, simply, "I'm not aware of the situation". To give you a look at the calendar Li was last seen about two weeks ago here in Beijing
at a conference dealing with peace and security issues. Before that he was on a road trip to both Russia and Belarus in which he met with his Russian
counterpart on that visit.
Some context though, the reason why we are paying attention it was in July, that we saw the sudden departure and disappearance of the Chinese Foreign
Minister a much more high profile position. But his abrupt departure again is raising questions about President Xi Jinping, his leadership and the
lack of transparency.
Now, the Defense Secretary Job certainly is not as high profile as that of the Defense Minister. But if we look at this broader storyline about these
disappearances, it certainly raises questions. And Julia, I should finally point out that his job posting, his biography, the information surrounding
him.
It is still very much on the Chinese government website. It has not been removed. What that tells us there's a number of ways to look at it, when
the Foreign Minister was removed immediately. Some of that information was taken away, but for now, at least officially on that website, the Defense
Minister is still listed as having that position, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Marc Stewart there. Thank you for joining us from Beijing. Now, hot on the heels of talks with North Koreans Kim, who, is still in Russia.
Today President Putin is meeting Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko in Sochi. And meanwhile, on the front lines, Ukraine's military is reporting
that it's retaken a key village south of Bakhmut and in its words, "liquidated" the Russian garrison there.
Melissa Bell joins us now from Ukraine. And Melissa, I think we're all very familiar with Bakhmut and the battles that have taken place there. But just
explained the importance of this specific apparent success?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Julia, Bakhmut has been the longest battle in this war so far and all around that town. Battles
continue to rage as Ukrainians try and wrestle that whole area on the eastern front back from Russian forces. Now, Andrivka is a little village
that's to the south of Bakhmut.
What, we understand from Ukrainian authorities and there had been early claims that it had been recaptured, immediately denied because the fighting
had continued. What we've had this morning is confirmation, Julia, from the rush from the Ukrainian side, that this village is they say now fully back
in their hands.
What they explain is that it was a lightning strike two days of operations very quickly. They say this brigade of theirs managed to encircle Russian
forces, cutting them off and capturing them, liberating they say this village entirely and of course that's important, Julia, because we've been
following the very small but significant gains that have been made by the southern counter offensive.
That the Eastern counter offensive should be making gains say Ukraine. Along that line and to the south of Bakhmut is significant and would
represent something of a victory. However, small territorially that gains since it gives Ukrainians the ability to try and push that wedge forward
and make further gains.
It is of course important for morale and momentum as well. And remember that gains have been a few and far between over the course of this now more
than three months, counter-offensive. Now this announcement comes as you say, even as President Putin has been going through these diplomatic
engagements with what few allies he has.
Kim Jong Un and of course now Aleksandr Lukashenko, the Belarusian President that he's meeting with in Sochi, and we've just been hearing from
a press conference there, Vladimir Putin claiming that there are foreign mercenaries now fighting in Ukraine that a number of them have been
captured.
That he for his part, the Russian side doesn't need foreign mercenaries because of the 300,000 conscripts that have recently signed up to help
fight Russia's war.
[09:10:00]
So on one hand, a Ukrainian game on the ground, Russian boasts diplomatically away from the frontlines. That is where we are this Friday
afternoon. I think it is important though, that Ukraine is able to claim these games after so long and so little to show for this counter offensive
so far, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, important to mark the moment. Melissa Bell, thank you. Now, no deal between the big automakers and their unionized workers and
this is the result. It's an unprecedented strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. About 13,000 workers walked off the job at midnight
more could join them.
Union members are demanding an immediate 20 percent pay rise, better benefits and more job protections. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to
address the contract negotiations in the coming hours too. Vanessa Yurkevich joins us now from outside the Ford Michigan assembly plant.
Vanessa, you've done a brilliant job. You've spoken to the GM CEO Mary Barra. You've also been speaking to those workers that are on the picket
lines now effectively striking. What's your sense of and how this might be resolved?
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and Julia, we actually moved from the Ford plant inside to GM headquarters and just
the last hour because we spoke to CEO Mary Barra, just a short time ago about this strike this historic strike that has started at 12 am.
We are seeing people on the picket lines across three States striking three different companies, as you mentioned, something we have never seen before
and this is a targeted strike. They're going plant by plant to try to keep the companies guessing, there is no timeline for this.
We do not know if this is going to last days, weeks, months. According to one analyst, this is not de-escalation. This is an escalation. I did speak
to Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors just moments ago, where she expressed her frustration with not being able to reach a deal with the
union by the deadline. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY BARRA, CEO OF GENERAL MOTORS: We have a very compelling offer on the table. I'm very frustrated, because I think we had an offer that resonates
with our people. It's a historic offer gross wage increases of 20 percent that compounded 21 percent, maintaining world class health care, there's
several aspects as well.
But I think one thing that's most important is job security. And you know we're an incredibly exciting time in this industry right now, as we make
the transformation from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles. And General Motors is well poised, we have a pipeline coming.
And so when we look at that, and we look at how this could, you know, delay that it's at a critical juncture. So we have a deal that I think is very,
very important that proposal sits at the table. Our team is ready to be at the table. Again, they're waiting, and we need to get back we need the UAW
leadership to get back to the table, get these issues resolved, so we can get people back to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YURKEVICH: Now, General Motors may believe that they have submitted a historic offer Ford and Stellantis have said the same thing. But the union
doesn't agree and that is why they did not come to an agreement by 12 midnight. And also earlier this morning, I was speaking to workers who were
on the picket lines who shared in that same sentiment saying that they do not believe that their wages are keeping up with the profits of these
companies.
They build these vehicles in order for these companies to be successful. Now we will see UAW President Shawn Fain at a rally at 5 pm here in Detroit
with Bernie Sanders. We know that there are no negotiations happening today between the automakers and the union.
Mary Barra is also told me that she spoke to the President Biden yesterday and has been keeping the administration up to date about what's been going
on. We expect to hear from the President in a few hours just about how he is feeling and the administration is feeling about these breakdowns in
negotiations.
And the facts, that this is just a one of this strike, just three plants are being impacted. The union has made it very clear that they will take
further steps if they believe that the automakers are not continuing to negotiate in good faith, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, it's going to be interesting to see what President Biden self-declared pro union President has to say about this and let's hope they
will get back to the negotiating table soon. Vanessa, great job thank you so much, Vanessa Yurkevich there.
OK, straight ahead, art imitating life a new movie on the GameStop short- selling saga makes it to the big screen. Do you remember this? That was boring fatigue? Well, we'll talk to the Co-writers. Plus, a colossal task,
bringing one of the Earth's biggest creatures back to life, a thrilling story coming up for you later. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:15:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move", -- one of the most incredible business stories I think I've covered on "First Move" was the GameStop saga
cast your mind back a few years ago remember we were emerging from the pandemic and the share price of a video game brand went wild or retailer.
Behind it, retail investor called Keith Gill aka roaring kitty, who decided he saw value in the ailing firm. Now that snowballed into a David versus
Goliath story where a bunch of smaller investors many of them over the internet took on some of the biggest Hedge funds in the world who were
predicting it would go bankrupt? Well, now it's been made into a movie and here's a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That if you go short in some of these elaborate options trades, you can lose money to infinity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Christine Romans. And I'm pleased to say Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, are the Co-writers, and also the Executive Producers of
that movie, and they join us now. Ladies, welcome to the show. It's very exciting to have you on it's a fun movie, I'll call it that.
You know, when you were introducing it at the screening, you said you've written many scripts, but this one was special for many reasons. And I
think we all lived it real time. And this movie came to the cinemas incredibly fast. And Rebecca, just start there, what was the message the
story that you wanted to bring to viewers?
REBECCA ANGELO, CO-WRITER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF "DUMB MONEY": Yes, I mean, I think it's very easy to look around the world right now and feel
despondent, feel despair, so much seems broken, and so much seems hopeless. And here was one story where people who were feeling.
You know Lauren and I were feeling pretty lonely, pretty isolated, pretty powerless at the height of the pandemic, and here was a movement. It didn't
fall along those conventional left and right red and blue lines where people all over the world, all over the country came together, found a new
power and joining their voices as one and really notched a victory.
We're under no illusions that Wall Street has been changed forever by this, but it is a remarkable story and we really feel like it was worthy of
capturing on film.
CHATTERLEY: Lauren, it is a human story, but it's also about internet populism.
[09:20:00]
I think people power when we're talking I think millions of people in this case that sort of lined behind roaring kitty as he was known over the
internet but the subject itself actually isn't that easy to explain. I mean, you use phrases that we recognize payment for order flow, short-
selling fundamentals.
But it's somehow you had to distill all that to explain the story, but also present. What's the pre human story? I think, to Rebecca's point.
AUREN SCHUKER BLUM, CO-WRITER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF "DUMB MONEY": That's right. I mean, to us, this was a very human story. It was a story of
one man who kind of threw his belief, Latin incredible movement. And we want to really focus on the emotional aspects of it, you know, it's really
too narrow a lens, to look at the story over just money.
Right over, who made money, who lost money of course, that's part of it? But this was a movement that meant so much more to people, it was a way for
people to feel big at a time when everyone felt small, and to really be a part of something and there's no price tag, you can put on, you know,
feeling part of something that changes the world, or at least changes the conversations we're having.
ANGELO: And, you know, this is a moment where we're seeing the power of collective action everywhere. We're here in our capacity as producers of
the movie. But of course, we're also the writers of it, and we are on strike. So we are happy to be able to use this platform to amplify the
message of our guild, which is exactly the message of the GameStop movement, which is that you cannot have fairness, without transparency.
BLUM: Yes, and even though.
CHATTERLEY: Go on, sorry Lauren.
BLUM: Oh, even though PISA is, you know, not usually a topic in Hollywood movies, we feel like it's a great responsibility and a joy to kind of
spread financial literacy a bit more with this film.
CHATTERLEY: Do you think that came out in the movie, though? I mean, I laughed a lot, I have to say this idea that perhaps getting involved in
speculative bubbles. Because that's what this was, actually isn't a good idea. Because I guess I was sort of walking away.
And I was thinking about this. And I've thought about it a lot over the last couple of days, whether in some way there was a sort of glorification
of that in a dangerous way because I remember reporting on it, my heart was in my mouth that people were going to lose money.
BLUM: Yes. And of course, that weighed heavily on us. And we have, you know, our some characters lose money at the America for our character, the
movie ends up, you know, with a negative balance sheet, and I think it was important to us to show that most of the time retail traders underperform
the market. And this was a kind of exceptional story.
CHATTERLEY: Roaring kitty Keith Gill, not the most obvious and natural leader in this sense, and brilliantly played as well by Paul Dano, to your
point, and I think what was well expressed in the movie, as well as the fact he was making everything so public. So it was that decision of having
so many people behind him.
And then I've made so much money now, should I sell here? Or should I not? How was it in terms of getting the information behind the characterizations
not just for him, but for everyone? Did you manage to meet these people, talk to these people and understand?
ANGELO: Well, Lauren, and I met as reporters for The Wall Street Journal, we met in the newsroom there. So we have a strong background in financial
journalism, and just in the day to day shoe leather reporting. And that's what we did when we embarked on this story.
We talked to many, many retail traders, we also talked to many, many folks in the hedge fund world and on Wall Street, we really feel like the North
Star of any cinematic endeavor is a kind of radical empathy, it is our job to do everything we possibly can to get behind the eyes of every single
character we depict on screen.
Not just the heroes or the villains, and this movie, doesn't fall on those lines anyway. So we did our -- to understand what makes these people tick,
not just to understand the kind of balance sheet issues of when they bought in and whether they sold high or whether they wrote it to the bottom.
But really the emotional piece of the story, what leads a person, who's maybe never bought a stock before to buy one for the first time.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and the reasons why they held on in those as well. To your point, and you sort of made the cross reference, I think, from Wall Street
to Hollywood and the challenges there. Do you think in this case, murky things happened? And it is pure speculation?
Because as you said, in the movie, the SEC Congress, the courts decided that there wasn't anything to see here. And you made that point and the
script is tightly written, but one could argue that the inference is there.
BLUM: Yes, our goal was to just, you know, tell the truth. That was what we wanted to do with this movie. It's very tightly research, we relied on
those courts, the discovery that came out in those lawsuits, many of the lines spoken in that section of the film, are actually verbatim real lines
from text messages that came out at that time.
We didn't dramatize you know, any moments there. And you know, the only note we got in the making of this movie was to tell the truth, whether
people like it or not.
CHATTERLEY: That's where I'm going next, because there were some that didn't like it, whether I guess it's the characterization or the facts.
[09:25:00]
Perhaps most importantly to your point about telling the truth I think perhaps the most vocal one Citadel in Ken Griffin.
ANGELO: Yes, and we're not sure if anyone's had a chance to see the movie because of course, it only opens in theaters today. But yes, we don't know
any of this personally. We haven't heard anything directly from Ken Griffin. Ken is a fascinating guy to us.
He has done so much to shape the markets and he has so much control over the world that we live in. He certainly had a very busy week. He is suing
the IRS. He has subpoenaed journalists from a nonprofit news organization. He spent quite a bit of time yesterday on television talking about his new
philanthropic initiative. And now of course, here comes this movie.
BLUM: And like many fund managers, Ken Griffin has paid fines, you know, to the SEC and FINRA over the years, without having to admit fault. So you
know must be very frustrating for someone like Ken Griffin, who's in control of so much to not be in control of this movie. But you know, that's
the thing about a Hollywood movie is you can't buy your way out of it.
CHATTERLEY: OK, we're not going to litigate all the things that you mentioned there because I don't have time but I did speak or at least
connect with Tom Clare, who's the Attorney representing Citadel and the Author of the letters to Sony complaining about some of the content at
least in the earliest scripts.
I'm going to read it for balance. The original script contained numerous fabrications, and Citadel felt an obligation to flag those to Sony. Thanks
to our letter, Sony corrected them in the final film did not include a number of falsehoods that would have been blatantly misleading to the
audience.
While it's a shame, the final version still chose to sensationalize events through false implications and inaccuracies. We are glad our letter gave
Sony the chance to correct some of its mistakes before the film was released. Ladies, you get your chance to respond to that, is it over? I
guess based on that.
ANGELO: Well, we just want to be very clear that Ken Griffin and his attorneys had absolutely no control over the final version of this film,
the only person who did is Craig Gillespie, who had the final cut, our Director.
BLUM: And our mandate was always to tell the truth. That's the note we got. That's what we did. And those letters are based on a very early
misappropriated draft of the script, you know, not even the shooting draft. And so many things obviously change in the course of making a movie. You
know, when you're actually shooting, it has nothing to do with Citadel or Ken Griffin.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I guess if I were speaking for their side, I would say again, for balance, it is about truth to your point and getting to the
truth of them of the story.
ANGELO: And we would say that the truth is bad enough.
CHATTERLEY: And viewers will watch and they will make their own decisions. Talk to me about the point that you've made about Hollywood, because
ordinarily your writers you would be on strike many of your colleagues are your exec producers of this show, therefore you can speak. There's another
message here, I think, and I want you to have the time to make it.
BLUM: Yes, I mean, this is a movie that very much is about the need for transparency on Wall Street, also in Hollywood, and we feel that you can't
have fairness without transparency, if you want to amplify the message of our guild. We're here as proud WGA members fighting for that transparency.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. OK. And this is the point that you can sell the movie, tell people to go and watch. It was an exciting saga, I think, but again,
I'll get back to the fact that if you're a finance geek, it was just mesmerizing for that period of time.
But the movie is also tightly written, the music is phenomenal, Rebecca, and I think you take full credit for that. At least I've heard from, --
admittedly with your husband. Why should people go and watch this movie?
ANGELO: I think that we would just add to what you said, we're very grateful for that endorsement. It's also really a movie not for finance
geeks, you don't ever have to have bought a stock, you don't have to care about the stock market to really key into the story and relate to the
characters.
And that's why we love it so much. It's really a human story. It's a story that tells us a lot about the world we live in now. And it gives you a ray
of hope for how things could be a little bit better in the future.
BLUM: It's also a story about an ordinary man who found himself in extraordinary circumstances and rose to the challenge. And that's roaring
kitty, and he's a unique character that everyone should have the chance to watch.
CHATTERLEY: And he disappeared. I don't know spoil the movie.
BLUM: Yes.
CHATTERLEY: Did he make money in the end guys?
BLUM: It's a great question. No one knows where he is. I have a feeling he's still holding.
CHATTERLEY: Oh my god, I forgot the share price. -- back to the point about, yes, my first boss in finance greedy pigs make great bacon, like
taking profit. Yes, at the right time, of course. Ladies, a huge pleasure, thank you so much.
BLUM: Thank you so much.
CHATTERLEY: Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, Co-Writers and Exec Producers of "Dumb Money" out today, thank you.
[09:30:00]
All right, stay with CNN. Coming up why French authorities think the iPhone 12 could be radioactive and what Apple needed to fix it. That's after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move". U.S. Stocks are up and running this Friday and shares of GM and Ford under pressure. I think as you would
expect as the United Auto Workers Union begins a historic strike against all three big automakers here in the United States.
Meanwhile, chip designer Arm climbing after soaring 25 percent on its first day of trade on the NASDAQ on Thursday. That's the price currently just
above $66 a share. Now Apple is trying to allay fears of unsafe radiation levels and its iPhone 12 planning a software update that will solve the
issue they say.
This move comes after a French watchdog ordered an immediate halt of the iPhone 12 sales in the country on Tuesday, warning the device exceeded
European radiation exposure limits. Anna Stewart also a temporary nuclear physicist who apparently joins us on this. So -- software update fix
radiation issues. I mean, I can't answer that question. Tell us what the concern is. And obviously Apple is pushing back.
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Well, it feels like a bit of a climb down, the climb down I should say from Apple actually because they said they
contested the findings of France's national frequency agency from earlier in the week. They say that they meet all the SAR regulations. But clearly
it's come under pressure not just in France where a banned sales of the iPhone 12.
[09:35:00]
But I think from some other European countries as well, who said they were also concerned given France's findings, and that they could follow suit
essentially. So today well, Apple continues to say that the firm meets all SAR regulations and standards around the world. For everyone out there SAR
is a measure of the rate of energy absorption of the body from a device that is being measured.
That's as far as like, one that I'm no expert. And it has also released a software update. I do not know how exactly that helps, but clearly Apple is
hoping it will, and that it will appease France and the iPhone 12 phones can go back on sale. For anyone that is worrying about radiation and iPhone
12, I will flag this that at the time that the French agency kind of raised concerns on Tuesday, they also said that this level is more than 10 times
lower than the level at which there could be a health risk.
And the World Health Organization has said in the past that to date and after much research performed no adverse health effect has been causally
linked with exposure to wireless technology. So I don't think we all need to panic. We're still holding on to the iPhone 12, don't worry.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I think that's an important point to make as well and that that also the phone met the radiation threshold for devices kept in a
jacket pocket or bag. So it also depends, I guess, on what the material is relative to you, but yes, interesting and worth digging around a little bit
more on that.
Maybe they should just offer free upgrades, Anna, do you see what I did there? Yesterday we were talking about your beloved iPhone 11. How's your
iPhone 11 doing Anna?
STEWART: My iPhone 11 it's great. I should be ashamed of myself for winging on "First Move" yesterday about my very old phone, it's a work phone. And I
deserve CNN really to have played me the world's smallest violin. Instead though the powers that is at CNN -- me and my iPhone 11. And an iPhone 14
is on order that is breaking news coming into us right now. Not an iPhone 15, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm not ready for it.
CHATTERLEY: Is any of that scripted? I was supposed to say that. How big is your office, Anna? Should we talk about your paycheck don't answer that,
you would do an upgrade. You do sterling work on that phone and you could have asked earlier to get an upgrade and you didn't.
STEWART: Have given that.
CHATTERLEY: Well, yes, I've tried to help you there, you've just don't have a whole, enjoy the new phone. Anna Stewart, thank you so much for joining
us. We're both very naughty. Still to come on "First Move" is science fiction becoming a reality, the CEO of Colossus Biosciences joins us after
the break to discuss efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth and why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move". Well, should I say welcome to Jurassic Park in the real world? No, we're not talking about movie magic.
Colossus Biosciences is a genetic engineering firm working to resurrect the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian Tiger and the dodo. The plan is de extinction
or applying gene editing technology to rebuild the DNA of creatures that once walked the earth.
But it's not just about bringing back the dodo scientists that the company also aiming to preserve and protect living animals as well. And the work is
already having a positive impact on orphaned elephants in Botswana. Joining us now to discuss all of the details is Ben Lamm. He's the CEO of Colossal
Biosciences.
Ben, it is a huge honor to have you on the show. It's fascinating work that you're doing. You call yourselves the first de extinction firm, but
actually, it is a lot bigger than that. Just give us what you are and what you're aiming for.
BEN LAMM, CEO, COLOSSAL BIOSCIENCES: Yes, so I think a lot of people get excited about the woolly mammoth that Thylacine and the dodo in our de
extinction efforts. But we're really a species preservation company. And fundamentally, we are going to lose up to 50 percent of all biodiversity
between now and 2050. And we're trying to build new tools and technologies to not only bring back species, but can help existing critically endangered
species.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I mean, this is the key to your point, we are expected to lose half of our biodiversity by 2050. And I'm worried. So it is a way to
perhaps preserve or if necessary, resurrect to the point. And it's not just about animals, either, I guess its plants for food production, carbon
sequestration, our ecosystem stability, Ben; it's the world we live in.
LAMM: Yes, biodiversity and biodiversity security is absolutely critical to ecosystems stability, which leads to food security, water safety. You know,
so many different groups of people rely on the land and the animals that and the entire forests and ecosystems around them.
And so, losing that, and that crippling will have a much larger effect than even we're seeing with current, you know, man inflicted climate change.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, talk about genetic rescue, because this is where the science that you're doing is already being put to use.
LAMM: Yes, so we work really closely with all of our conservation partners, conservation works really well, where they need new tools in the concept of
genetic rescue. So you're probably familiar with like the northern white rhino or some of these other keystone projects around the world from a
conservation perspective.
But when you get down to dwindling populations, you need to use genetic engineering, genetic sequencing to find lost diversity engineering back
into those populations so that you can create thrive herds and populations that can sustain and not be bottlenecked.
And go into genetic bottleneck that will ultimately, you know, actually destroy the herd kind of like what we saw it demand was the end of the most
people think that man was just died off at the end of the last ice age, but they actually, genetic bottleneck led to a lot of inbreeding. And that
caused the end of the mammoths to die that way.
CHATTERLEY: So yes, I mean, I want to bring it back to the elephants, because I love the idea that this is a real world example of what you're
doing. And you have a toolkit where you're trying to establish, effectively a genetic backup, if we can call it that of all living elephant species.
And the reason is, because to your point, whether its disease or tackling things, in the case of baby elephants, in particular, it's very poignant,
perhaps to be able to improve the DNA to protect against that.
LAMM: Yes, and if we can actually, you know, sequence a lot of different herbs, kind of like the work we're doing with Debra Stevens and the team in
Botswana at Elephant Havens, if we can sequence the herds use AI and computer vision to understand, you know, orphaned elephants and herd
dynamics.
We can, not only, you know, build better genetically diverse herds through genetic engineering, but we can work to reintroduce them safer and better,
and hopefully remove human elephant conflict. And so really, it's not just genetic engineering. It's not just AI. It's also incredible women and men
on the ground in these countries have collaborating together and developing new tools, both through genetic rescue and through additional assisted
reproductive technologies in the field.
CHATTERLEY: You mentioned the magic word, at least the magic word of the moment, which is AI. What difference is the use of tools tied to artificial
intelligence; whether that's data analytics, or even, perhaps suggestion saying what you're testing that perhaps your scientists wouldn't do and are
making progress. What difference is it making?
[09:45:00]
LAMM: Well, you know, AI is, you know, for a while was just this thing, right. And now this paintbrush, I've built several different AI companies
before I started this company. And AI is now this great brush that goes across a lot of different things. So we're looking at not only using AI in
understanding the differences between the Asian elephant genome, and the African genome and in the mammoth genome.
But we're also using AI from, you know, studying all the different camera feeds we're taking from drones in the air to cameras in the field, to
understand her dynamics, track specific elephants, tie that back to their genetics, so that we can look for what are the genotype to phenotype
markers.
And then, you know, that's just an immense amount of data that we can as humans process, unless we just have thousand humans watching these videos.
So if we can use AI, to understand that videos, take meaningful insights, and then in the surface, that to us as decision makers, as well as our
partners in conservation in the field, when we are better informed to make better decisions, or animal care.
CHATTERLEY: So I think there will be a lot of people watching this, and we sort of did it in the introduction with their Jurassic Park theme that
we'll be asking you if you ever watched Jurassic Park, and I'm going to answer for you did in, you're thought enthralled as an 11 year old.
And I think the rest is history. And I know, you've also spent a lot of time thinking about, can I do this? The other question is, and I know
you've asked yourself this, too, should I be doing this? Maybe we've answered the question. But there are ethics involved here too, in certain
aspects.
LAMM: No, you're 100 percent right, you know, Jurassic Park was a dystopian movie, believe it or not, people have asked us once or twice a Jurassic
Park. But fundamentally, you know, we are, as we talked to the top of the conversation, we're losing species at an alarming rate. We need new tools
and technologies, if we can use the extinction, which is an incredibly hard project.
And we can use and design a system that works to bring back these keystone species, successfully revolve them, we can apply that and subsidize that
and give that to conservationists in the field. And so fundamentally, this de extinction toolkit, we think, is not just helpful for the extinction,
but absolutely critical for species preservation, given the current climate that we're in.
CHATTERLEY: And just for all the Jurassic Park geeks out there, you can't get DNA from Amber. But that's not because you didn't try. And they asked
they can't be they can't be contained by lysine dependencies.
LAMM: So what I will definitely tell you are, you cannot get DNA from Amber, it's very poor as it doesn't hold well, not that we can't. But we
cannot do it. You know, one of our top partners get a flock of our one of our advisors, because one of the top -- geneticists in the world, and he's
actually de mineralized dinosaur bones and gotten amino acids.
But that is so far from what you saw in Jurassic Park. There's no blood, there's no genes, there's no DNA and so, there's just amino acids. So
unfortunately, the de extinction of a dinosaur just currently isn't possible.
CHATTERLEY: But I don't put it -- to try. I know, very quickly Investors because you have raised a lot of money, top project from here on out, Ben.
LAMM: Yes. So right now, you know, we've got three different teams running the mammoth project to file seen project in the dodo. And each one of those
is massive teams. And then we even have a 17 person team that's working on X Euro development.
And we think that while that sounds like insane science fiction, if we're successful in building these artificial wombs, we think that coupled with
our de-extinction toolkit can be a complete game changer, not just for the extinction, but also for species preservation. So those are a lot of
projects going on at once.
CHATTERLEY: Dodo maybe Dino, no way, the end.
LAMM: No Dinos on the --
CHATTERLEY: For now, Ben Lamm, great to chat to you, CEO of Colossal Biosciences. Thank you, sir, more "First Move" after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:50:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move". Shares of all three big automakers in the United States are trading higher despite that historic
strike beginning by the United Auto Workers Union. General Motors in fact jumping more than 2 percent in trade so far today, we'll continue to watch
that.
But here's more to carry on from what we were discussing earlier of what General Motors CEO Mary Barra told our Vanessa Yurkevich about what union
workers are asking for, as part of these negotiations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YURKEVICH: The union is demanding asking for a 40 percent wage increase over four years. They're asking for that in part because they say CEOs like
yourself leading the Big Three, are making those kind of pay increases over the course of the last four years. You've seen a 34 percent pay increase in
your salary; you make almost $30 million. Why should your workers not get the same type of pay increases that you're getting leading the company?
BARRA: Well, if you look at compensation, my compensation 92 percent of it is based on performance of the company. I think one of the strong aspects
of the way our compensation for our represented employees is designed is not only doing our reporting a 20 percent increase on the table, we have
profit sharing.
So when the company does well, everyone does well. And for the last several years that's resulted in record profit sharing for our represented
employees. And I think you have to look at the whole compensation package, not only 20 percent increase in gross wage, but also the profit sharing
aspect of it, world class health care.
And there are several other features. So we think we have a very competitive offer on the table. And that's why we want to get back there
and get this done.
YURKEVICH: But if you're getting a 34 percent pay increase over four years, and you're offering 20 percent to employees right now, do you think that's
fair?
BARRA: Well, I think when you look at the overall, the overall structure and the fact that 90 percent is based on performance. And you look at what
we've been doing, if sharing in the profitability when the company does well; I think we've got a very compelling offer on the table. And that's
the focus I have right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Mary Barra there. And finally, this is the final "First Move", but never fear the team will be back later in the year with a new show
right here on CNN. Most importantly, though, it's been an absolute honor to start my mornings this way and to share this hour with you. So thank you
for watching.
Our goal has always been to inform, to provide context amid the noise to hopefully enlighten you on what's to come to be tough, yet compassionate
and of course to make you smile. In our world, the future is defined by innovation, optimism and kindness. And these are core to some of the
leaders we've chosen to highlight for you over the years here's some Best Bits.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: OK, are we good to go? Live in the New York Stock Exchange. I'm Julia Chatterley. This is "First Move". And here is today's need to know.
The change that we're seeing in our planet and our environment is crucial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that the poorest of the poor will feel the effects of this first and worst that we know that will happen.
CHATTERLEY: Where are we now as you look ahead 12 months strong found?
GINNI ROMETTY, CEO, IBM: Yes strong foundation built and in how you put AI through everything you do in your company, but in a trusted way.
ERIC SCHMIDT, FORMER CEO & CHAIRMAN, GOOGLE: When you produce a fake video, even if you tell people that it's fake. Even if they know before they watch
it, it changes their behavior for reasons we don't fully understand.
[09:55:00]
RICHARD BRANSON, FOUNDER, VIRGIN GROUP: My mum was a formidable force in my life and then in my sister's lives. She told me to run to keep up with her.
She taught me to be bold, take risks.
MICHAEL DELL, DELL CHAIRMAN & FOUNDER: I think people should take more risks. And I think a lot of human potential is left on the table because
people are afraid to fail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what I love the most, going on tour performing for my fans.
CHATTERLEY: Are you warmed up from I love to ask for a live?
STEVE AOKI, AMERICAN DJ & MUSIC PRODUCER: There's nothing that compares to a live concert with real people --
CHATTERLEY: And Mrs. and Mr. Alva, do you want to read the --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, so, Edison, Sabrina, thank you. Stay with us, more to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: And for now, for the very last time this was "First Move, time to go make yours.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
