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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Robert Hur Defends His Investigations Of Biden's Handling Of Classified Documents; Biden And Trump Expected To Secure Nominations; Haiti's Prime Minister Resign; World Food Programme Warns A Million Haitians On The Brink Of Famine; U N. Says Gangs Now Control 80 Percent Of Port-Au-Prince; Boeing's Safety Crisis; Aid Ship Sails Towards Gaza; Authorities Launch Investigation On LATAM Airlines Mid-Air Drop Flight; U.S. Announces New Ukraine Aid Package; Children Paying A High Price For Harvesting Acai Berries; "Sephora Kids" Viral Hit On TikTok. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired March 12, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: On Sunday, I'm going to dig into the downfall of Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, a Democrat who
resigned two decades ago. It's a really fascinating story, and he sits down and he's very candid and even a bit repentant. That's this Sunday night at
9:00 Eastern and Pacific, only here in CNN.
The news continues now on CNN. And I will see you tomorrow.
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: It's 6:00 a.m. in Beijing, 12:00 p.m. in Honolulu, and 6:00 p.m. here in New York.
I'm Julia Chatterley. And wherever you are in the world, this is your "First Move."
I warm up once again to first move, and here's your need to know. Former Special Counsel Robert Hur defending his investigation of President Joe
Biden's handling of classified documents.
Haiti's Prime Minister resigns as the World Food Programme warns a million Haitians are on the brink of famine.
Authorities launch an investigation into the dramatic mid-air drop of a LATAM Airlines flight on Monday.
And so-called Sephora kids are a viral hit on TikTok for their skincare trends, but with children as young as eight taking part, is enough care
being taken? All that and plenty more coming up on the show.
But first, the U S. prosecutor behind a report describing Joe Biden as a "well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory" defended those words on
Capitol Hill.
Former Special Counsel Robert Hur, who investigated the president's handling of classified documents, came under fire from lawmakers on both
sides of the aisle. Republicans pressed him on his decision not to prosecute the president. Democrats meanwhile criticized Hur for his
comments on President Biden's memory while directly comparing his conduct with Donald Trump's own mishandling of secret files.
Paula Reid has the highlights from Tuesday's testimony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Former Special Counsel Robert Hur grilled by lawmakers from both sides of the
aisle today about his investigation into President Biden's mishandling of classified documents.
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Mr. Hur, why did he do it? Why did Joe Biden, in your words, willfully retain and
disclosed classified materials? I mean, he knew the law. He's been in office like 50 years.
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): You exonerated him.
ROBERT HUR, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: -- would be a conviction.
JAYAPAL: I know that the term willful --
HUR: I did not exonerate him. That word did not appear in the report.
JAYAPAL: -- retention has-- Mr. Hur, it's my time.
REID (voice-over): Biden's memory took center stage as Hur said in his report that he did not charge Biden because he believed a jury would see
him as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): You find in your report that the elements of a federal criminal violation are met, but then you apply this senile
cooperator theory, that because Joe Biden cooperated and the elevator doesn't go to the top floor, you don't think you get a conviction.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): You understood when you made that decision, did you, Mr. Hur, that you would ignite a political firestorm with that
language, didn't you?
HUR: Congressman, politics played no part whatsoever in my investigative steps.
SCHIFF: You cannot tell me you're so naive as to think your words would not have created a political firestorm. You understood that.
REID (voice-over): Hur told the Committee he stood by the words in his report.
HUR: My assessment in the report about the relevance of the president's memory was necessary and accurate and fair.
REID (voice-over): He was also pressed on the differences between Biden's case and that of Former President Trump, those being that Biden returned
the documents. He allowed for searches, various properties, and even sat for a voluntary interview with the special counsel.
REP. TED LIEU (D-CA): Did you find the president by to engage in a conspiracy to obstruct justice?
HUR: No.
LIEU: Did you find the president by to engage in a scheme to conceal?
HUR: No.
REID (voice-over): Hur repeatedly made it clear he did not exonerate the president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Hur, did you completely exonerate President Biden?
HUR: That is not what my report does.
REID (voice-over): Hur also emphasized that he was making a legal conclusion about Biden's mental state, not a medical one.
REP. SCOTT FITZGERALD (R-WI): Mr. Hur, based on your report, did you find that the president was senile?
HUR: I did not. That conclusion does not appear in my report.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: And Legal Analyst Carrie Cordero, joins us now. Carrie, I think it was made very clear there by Paula, this hearing was stretched to
include all sorts of questions about the handling of this versus Trump's own challenges over mishandling documents and the political motive that the
Democrats suggested was behind the characterization of Biden's memory and brain function, I think.
But can we focus on Hur said ultimately about the president. He chose not to file charges, but he did not exonerate him, I did not exonerate him. For
what it's worth, there was irresponsible handling of documents here.
[18:05:00]
CARRIE CORDERO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. So, I think Special Counsel Hur really conducted himself professionally today in a nonpartisan way that
tended to make unhappy, the partisans in the room who were interrogating him. But he stood by the findings in his report.
And ultimately, as a prosecutor, he had to make a recommendation as to whether or not he thought a jury would be convinced of the president's
potential violations of law. And he found that they would not. And a prosecutor working under the guidelines of the Justice Department cannot
bring a case, cannot bring -- charge a case unless they think that they reasonably would persuade a jury that they would succeed at trial.
And so, what he articulated, based on the extensive facts contained and the analysis contained in his report, which was over 350 pages, he ultimately
determined that that case, if he were to bring it, would not have been successful.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. And I think you could also argue when you're being criticized heavily by both sides, perhaps your independence in that case or
your lack of bias becomes even more clear. Was a clear distinction made inadvertently? Because of course, Hur wasn't involved in the investigation
of President Trump's or Former President Trump's activities with regarding mishandled documents. But was a clear distinction made, in your mind,
between what happened with President Trump's handling of these classified documents and what President Biden did and didn't do?
CORDERO: Absolutely. I think there's very clear distinctions if one looks at the charging documents in each of the individual cases. I actually don't
think that Special Counsel Hur needed to make that distinction in his own report, since he, as a prosecutor, did not evaluate all of the facts in the
Trump investigation.
But one of the big distinguishing characteristics of the two cases is that when the government brought to the awareness of Former President Trump that
he was believed to retain classified documents, he refused to return them. He did not sit for an interview. He did not cooperate with the
investigation. And so, ultimately that's why he was charged with obstruction.
In the case of President Biden, there was a much longer time period over which the retention of classified information at various locations was
involved. But once he was alerted and his counsel was alerted to the investigation and to the concerns of the government, he cooperated, his
legal counsel cooperated, they returned documents, he sat for an interview, he cooperated in every possible way, and those are really the main
distinguishing facts between the investigations.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. And to your point, Hur didn't have to point that out, either in this report or today, but actually the Democrats, I think, at
least personally, were quite successful in pointing out the difference, to my point about how this hearing got stretched.
Hur was also pushed on his assessment of President Biden's memory and his decision to talk about the president's mental acuity in this report, and as
part of a justification for not bringing charges as a result. He described his assessment of Biden's memory as necessary, accurate, and fair. Would
you agree, or did you think he went too far? Because we didn't get more from this hearing, but one could argue that he went far enough.
CORDERO: Right. Right. Well, I think that -- from my perspective, I take him at his word that he believed it was necessary and appropriate, that he
include that information in his report, which is the report is produced under regulations, Justice Department regulations, that govern how special
counsels work.
I do think it calls into question the special counsel regulations as they exist, because the report that the regulations called for is supposed to be
a confidential report. That's not really the way that it works in practice. In this case and in others, those reports end up being released publicly as
this one was.
His report also is very, very extensive. It has chapters. And I think that goes beyond what a typical prosecutorial memo, particularly one that's
declining a prosecution would do. I don't fault him for that, but I do think that it raises the question of whether the regulations themselves
need to be streamlined and tailored and more narrow so that a future special counsel has more guidance about what should and should not go into
their report.
CHATTERLEY: That's a great point, because very few people are going to read the report, ultimately, and snapshots and quotes of that can be taken out
of context and used accordingly. So, that's a very important point I think. Carrie Cordero, thank you so much for your wisdom.
CORDERO: Thank you.
[18:10:00]
REID (on camera): Appreciate it. Now, this all comes as voters in Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and Washington state cast their votes in primary
contests, potentially confirming what we already expect, a Biden-Trump rematch in November. In around 20 minutes time, we'll have more on Super
Tuesday Mach II with my guest Republican Strategist Doug Heye.
For now, though, we'll move on to Haiti where the World Food Programme is warning that 1 million people are a step away from famine as gang violence
rips through the capital.
The U N. says gangs now control 80 percent of Port-au-Prince. A transitional council is being set up by Caribbean leaders now that Haiti's
prime minister has announced his resignation. But the country's most notorious gang leader says he will not recognize any government put in
place by that council.
Patrick Oppmann is on the story for us, monitoring from Havana in Cuba. Patrick, good to have you with us. We're now at a point where gang leaders
such as this individual are holding press conferences, and I think at least to some they're perceived to be, in some way, part of the, sort of, future
stakeholders in any of these negotiations.
Does and do they have to be part of some council for it to succeed?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are certainly holding the power right now at the point of a gun. The U.S. has said that they will not allow
gang members, people who have been involved with drug trafficking in the past like some of these individuals to be involved in the transitional
council, but they are the ones who have kept Ariel Henry, the former -- the outgoing prime minister, from returning to the country. He was under
intense pressure to resign. But now that he's done so, it's not clear if that is going to move Haiti any closer to a solution to its ongoing crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPPMANN (voice-over): For more than a week, Haiti's marauding gangs prevented Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to the country he was
supposed to lead. Until finally, Henry reached a breaking point and agreed on Monday night to resign.
ARIEL HENRY, OUTGOING HAITIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): My government will leave immediately after the inauguration of the council.
But we'll be a caretaker government until they name a prime minister and a new cabinet. Haiti needs peace. Haiti needs stability.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Henry had traveled from Haiti to Kenya to sign an agreement with the government there, to provide troops to fight the out-of-
control gangs terrorizing his beleaguered nation.
Once he left, the gangs united to further batter the Haitian government in a series of coordinated attacks. The latest explosion of violence leading
to a massive jailbreak that freed thousands of prisoners closed the country's main airport indefinitely and forced the United States and other
embassies to evacuate diplomats by helicopter.
The news of Henry's impending resignation is not placating the leaders of gangs, though, who have threatened an all-out civil war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (through translator): We in Vivassan (ph) are demanding that the Haitian people must choose the person who will lead the country.
OPPMANN (voice-over): But it is the Haitian people who are suffering the most. More than 300,000 have been displaced by the violence, the U N. says.
Gangs block access to food, water, and hospitals, using hunger and sexual violence as weapons of war. Bodies of their victims lie uncollected on
streets.
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with regional leaders in Jamaica and announced an increase in U.S. funding to the security
mission to be led by Kenyan troops.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm announcing today that the United States Department of Defense is doubling its approved support for
the mission from $100 million to $200 million. And that brings the total U.S. support to $300 million for this effort.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Following the announcement that Henry will resign, Kenyan officials now saying a government needs to be in place in Haiti
before their troops can deploy, creating more doubt of when exactly they will have boots on the ground to begin fighting the heavily armed local
gangs.
For too many Haitians living in a country where there is no longer a functioning government, no escape from the violence, it is already too
late.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OPPMANN (on camera): So, it really has become something of a catch-22 here. There has to be a government for the Kenyan troops to arrive. And yet,
Ariel Henry very clearly is not able to come back to his own country, is not in charge of anything anymore. And so, partners around the region, the
United States and others, felt that it was best for him to leave.
[18:15:00]
But how do you regain security? How do you take back the streets from these gangs who very clearly want to keep the chaotic situation the way it is?
Because it's quite simply good for the business, good of cocaine trafficking, good further extortion business, good for kidnapping. And at
this point, they've essentially kidnapped an entire country.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and necessarily acknowledge a council that's formed. Deeply troubling. Patrick, thank you for that report.
To Israel now, confirming the loss of a U.S.-Israeli dual citizen, Itay Chen was one of six Americans still thought to be held alive in Gaza by
Hamas. But the IDF says he died during the October 7th attacks.
Meanwhile, new aid supplies have been air-dropped into Northern Gaza. The U.S. Central Command says the drop on Tuesday was a joint operation with
the Jordanian military and more than 5,200 pounds of aid were delivered.
Now, in addition to the air drops, an aid ship is now sailing towards Gaza, Nada Bashir has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On its way at last. The Open Arms normally a search and rescue vessel setting sail from Larnaca in
Cyprus with nearly 200 tons of aid in tow, rice, flour, and canned goods, enough for 500,000 meals according to World Central Kitchen.
JUAN CAMILO JIMENEZ, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: It's the first time happening in many years and that means that we are working with different actors,
different governments, different entities to make this possible.
BASHIR (voice-over): And this is where it's going, a makeshift pier in Gaza still under construction. This in addition to a temporary pier to be
established by the U.S. military on Gaza's coast.
World Central Kitchen says it plans to distribute the food in Gaza where a quarter of Palestinians are on the brink of famine, according to the UN.
ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: My strongest appeal today is to honor the spirit of Ramadan by silencing the guns. and removing all
obstacles to ensure the delivery of life-saving aid at the speed and massive scale required.
BASHIR (voice-over): Any form of celebration during this holy month is, at best, muted, with little food for Palestinians to break their fast at
sunset.
We decided to come and break our fast here in our home, which was struck. Despite the destruction and the rubble, we brought our food and cooked on
firewood.
Open Arms will be one of the first ships to enter the Strip in years, ever since Israel implemented a naval blockade on the territory in 2007.
Aid trucks which, on average, crossed at around 500 a day before the war began, now pile up at the Rafah Border Crossing in Egypt. Only a fraction
actually make it across the border every day.
Governments and other aid agencies have also taken to airdrops, though this option has proven both controversial and even risky.
Leaving the sea as one of the last remaining avenues to bring food to those so desperately in need.
Nada Bashir, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: OK. We're going to take a quick break. But coming up, you're up to the minute, weather forecast straight ahead.
Plus, dozens injured, some pinned to the ceiling during the latest terrifying mishap to take place aboard a Boeing jet. The latest on what
went wrong and how Boeing is addressing its worsening safety crisis, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:21:12]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." And to our viewers across the U.S. and Latin America, we hope you're having a wonderful Tuesday evening.
And it's a good morning to everyone waking up with us in Asia.
In today's "Money Move," U.S. stocks roaring back into rally mode Tuesday. Tech was triumphant propelling the S&P 500 to a fresh record high following
strong earnings from software giant Oracle. A.I. chip giant Nvidia also rallying 7 percent. All this after a mixed reading on U.S. consumer
inflation, food, and housing prices eased.
But core prices came in hotter than expected for a second straight month, and that sent bond yields higher and further complicates the Feds future
rate-cutting path.
Meanwhile in Asia, a tepid Tuesday for the Japanese Nikkei, but nice gains for the Hang Seng. Shares of smartphone firm Xiaomi spiking more than 11
percent after announcing that its first electric car will go on sale later this month, helping send the Hang Seng tech index to three-month highs.
Meanwhile, aerospace giant Boeing has suffered a further blow to its already battered reputation after a terrifying incident aboard a 787 jet
travelling from Australia to New Zealand. Dozens of passengers were injured after the pilot apparently briefly lost control of the plane. This is just
the latest in a growing series of safety incidents aboard Boeing jets this year, beginning, if you remember, back in early January when a door plug
blew out on an Alaska Air 737 MAX shortly after takeoff.
Well, a new FAA report now finding multiple problems with Boeing's 737 production practices after a six-week audit. Pete Muntean reports on a
further challenging period for Boeing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New images show the aftermath of Monday's mysterious in-flight jolt on a Chilean Boeing 787.
LATAM Airlines says a technical event caused a strong movement on board, injuring 50 passengers who peppered the pilots with questions.
BRIAN JOKAT, LATAM FLIGHT 800 PASSENGER: I immediately engaged with him and said, you know, what was that? And he openly admitted, he said, I lost
control of the plane, my gauges just kind of went blank on me. And that's when the plane just took a dive.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Boeing says it is standing by to help investigate the incident, the latest involving a Boeing plane following the Alaska Airlines
door plug blowout in January, a wheel falling off a United flight last week, and hydraulic fluid trailing from another United flight during
takeoff from Sydney this week.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are pretty wary of Boeing right now and when anything happens on a Boeing, people want to know.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Though there is no clear link between each incident, Boeing remains under the microscope of federal investigators. The Federal
Aviation Administration now says it has completed its review of the 737 production line with "The New York Times" reporting Boeing failed 33 of 89
quality control audits.
MICHAEL WHITAKER, FAA ADMINISTRATOR: It wasn't just paperwork issues, sometimes it's order that work is done, sometimes it's tool management, it
sounds kind of pedestrian but it's really important in a factory that you have a way of tracking your tools effectively so that you have the right
tool and you know you didn't leave it behind.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): FAA scrutiny follows anger from the National Transportation Safety Board which blasted Boeing on Capitol Hill last week
for failing to provide records that detail the omission of key bolts from the Alaska Airlines plane. Boeing says those records do not exist.
JENNIFER HOMENDY, CHAIR, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: We don't have the records, we don't have the names of the 25 people that is in
charge of doing that work in that facility. It's absurd that two months later, we don't have that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[18:25:00]
CHATTERLEY: And Pete Muntean joins us now. Pete, the issues are stacking up. It's pretty astonishing, to be honest. And if we go to this door plug
incident, I know you're now reporting that the National Transportation Safety Board is going to convene a hearing on it. How rare is this?
MUNTEAN (on camera): Very rare. The last time they did this was for the East Palestine rail disaster. This will be on the door plug incident and it
means that Boeing officials could be subpoenaed to testify publicly.
Boeing has not indicated how it will respond, but it is answering to the findings from the FAA's audit. A new Boeing memo underscores that workers
must precisely follow every step when building their airplanes. The pressure is on from the top of Boeing all the way to the workers on the
production line. Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, certainly. And I think for consumers as well, another headline with Boeing in it. Pete Muntean, good to have you. Thank you very
much for that.
OK. Let's move on to today's weather move. A hint of spring in Beijing and other areas across Asia, but parts of the Western U.S. still firmly in
winter's grip with heavy snow in the forecast for the Rockies.
Chad Myers joins us from the CNN Weather Center. Chad, great to have you with us. Please, let's talk about spring first. We're ready for spring to
spring -- sprung. Yes.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: 20 degrees Celsius in Beijing. I mean, that's 70, that's as close to spring as you really need. And the normal
high should be 12, which is, you know, down into the upper 50. So, that's a big, big difference from where we are compared to where we should be.
It'll still be a little snowy across the western prefectures here of Japan, but Tokyo is still you're going to be around 11. So, no problem there.
That's still already in the 50s. It will cool down just a touch for Beijing, also for Shanghai as well, but you're so far above normal that
even really 17 is going to feel pretty good compared to where you should be somewhere around 12.
Now, we focus on the U.S. because, typically, we don't do this, but there are three big stories in the U.S. right now for tomorrow. A fire danger,
weather service saying there is a potential fire storm danger in parts of Texas, snow for the Rockies, and severe weather through the plains, all
from the same storm.
But this extreme fire danger, winds 50 miles per hour. That's 70K. And then, we have very dry air and very dry ground in a place that's already
burned. Over a million acres have already burned in parts of Texas, that's 445,000 hectares. So, yes, we are already on fire in some of these places,
and more wind will not help. There you see 40 to 50 miles per hour, 70 kph.
Now, we get to the Rockies where somewhere between four and an awful lot more, depending on your elevation, will fall in Colorado for tomorrow night
and into Thursday. And there are places that are in the mountains that will pick up more than a half a meter. More than 24 inches of snow will be
falling with this. And you know what, this is some place where people just want to go play in it. The problem is getting there. Can you get there when
there's that much snow on the ground to go play in it or not? Because it will be significant.
From east of Denver probably 10 centimeters, four inches, maybe even less. But then west of Denver, in those higher elevations, you give it about 2,
000 meters, 6,000, 7,000 feet, it is going to be a snow storm.
On the warm side, more to talk about the potential for tornadoes for Wednesday and for Thursday in the central plains, all from the same low
that's coming out of the west as you talked about, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Wow. Dramatic.
MYERS: Yes.
CHATTERLEY: Can't help talk about the snow though. If you're going to play out in the snow, play safe please.
MYERS: That's right.
CHATTERLEY: Chad Myers, better wrap up warm.
MYERS: Take pictures for us, but take safe pictures.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, exactly. Yes. Chad Myers, thank you.
OK. Coming up after the break, Super Tuesday the sequel. Voters in four states are expected to see on November's election battle, it's Trump versus
Biden once again. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:32:10]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move" with a look at more of the international headlines this hour.
Russian opposition activist Leonid Volkov is now in the hospital, according to the spokeswoman for Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption foundation. She
says Volkov was attacked Tuesday outside his house in Vilnius, Lithuania. She also claims someone broke a car window and sprayed tear gas in his
eyes, after which the attacker started hitting him with a hammer. Lithuanian authorities are investigating.
Prosecutors in the U.S. State of Michigan have shown a jury the arrest video of parents of a high school mass shooter. Police say the couple fled
before an arraignment involving the 2021 shooting attack that led to the deaths of four students. The father is currently on trial for involuntary
manslaughter. The prosecution is expected to rest its case on Wednesday.
A Romanian Court of Appeals has approved a request from Britain to extradite internet personality Andrew Tate but postpone doing so until
Romanian trial proceedings finish. However, Tate and his brother have been released from custody after being detained for 24 hours. The Tate's have
"categorically rejected allegations of sexual aggression."
Now, today's the day we could confirm what everyone already knew, and that is that President Biden will face Former President Donald Trump at the
polls in November. Well, that's being decided right now in these four states holding what's called primary elections. Under the pretty
complicated system for political parties to pick their nominees, states assign the number of delicate candidates need to win the official
nomination.
Joe Biden is looking for 1,968 delegates. Donald Trump needs 1, 215. Doug Heye is a Republican strategist and former communications director for the
Republican National Committee, and he joins us now. Doug, great to have you with us.
DOUG HEYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you.
CHATTERLEY: Not that we needed the delegates to prove it, but it does look like it's going to be a 2020 reboot, hopefully with a lot less drama. But
it is also historic, in rematch terms at least.
HEYE: It is. It's something that, by and large, is unprecedented. And unprecedented not just because we don't typically see two nominees of the
same party renominated four years in a row. I think the last time was in 1956, when Adlai Stevenson, the Democrat, challenged Dwight Eisenhower, who
beat him in 1952, but also unprecedented, in part, because this is very early in the system.
And so, where really no one knows, I've talked to a lot of colleagues over the past couple of weeks of what can we expect over the coming weeks and
the coming months. And there's an expectation that there might be, to some extent, a lull in political activity because we know who the nominees are
and we're nowhere really near what we would normally consider the kickoff of the general election.
[18:35:00]
So, we may be -- obviously, Donald Trump's going to have a lot of court cases and controversy, but in pure political terms and campaigning, we may
have a quiet spring for the next few weeks.
CHATTERLEY: You raise a good point. For the next 45 months, Trump is going to be making numerous court appearances. Does that mean in terms of
President Biden's campaign, perhaps he has to do less too, which, again, has parallels or similarities to what we saw in 2020 and arguably benefits
him?
HEYE: Well, I'd argue that the president should be out there whenever he has good news to talk about, and I've been surprised that he hasn't been.
So, when we had the jobs numbers that came out last month, they were the best jobs numbers I think anybody's seen in a long time, not just with the
current numbers, but previous month revisions.
What we didn't see is the president then out talking about it. He didn't do an interview for Super Bowl Sunday, for instance. He wasn't out there then
on Monday, Tuesday, making the case to the American people of why the economy is improving and why he thinks his policies are responsible for
that. I think that's always a safe place for the president to be. He has a lot of good economic news that he could talk about. He doesn't seem to do
it very often.
CHATTERLEY: Being president is an endurance test. Being on the campaign trail and being president is an almighty endurance quest. And I think
perhaps, in some ways, this does tie to what we heard today with the hearing and the special counsel, Robert Hur. I mean, he came under fire
from both sides for various reasons.
But at the core of this, I think for the Democrats, perhaps relief that we didn't hear more about some of the concerns that were raised in that
initial report, which was about the president's mental acuity and whether or not perhaps he's got the brains and that the potentials to survive not
only the campaign, I think, and the winning the presidency, but what the next four years brings. Does that perhaps tie to it? And Doug, what did you
take away from the hearing today, if anything?
HEYE: Well, that ties into it. But I think the hearing today might have been more impactful against the president had to come a week or two weeks
ago. It really follows on the heels of what was a successful speech in the State of the Union for the president. And that's not that one speech resets
everything and changes the narrative or changes voters' opinions, but it should be the start of something. The challenge for Biden is that he needs
to keep doing it over and over again.
And ultimately, the problem that the president has, it's also a problem that Donald Trump has. So, I think the real endurance test here is
ultimately for the voters. Poll after poll shows that this is a sequel that they do not want to see and will be forced to. And this -- what we see is
Joe Biden is unpopular, Donald Trump is unpopular. Voters don't want this. And they're viewing this election as the movable object versus the
resistible force. And it may not be a question of ultimately who does enough to win, but who does the least to lose.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. And does that involve getting out there and talking about the good news more, which I think is your advice and my strongest takeaway.
Doug, always a pleasure. Thank you. Doug Heye.
HEYE: Thank you.
CHATTERLEY: Now, CNN will have live coverage as results come in from around the country. It's Super Tuesday Mach II. Special coverage starts in around
20 minutes. That's 7:00 here in New York, or 7:00 a.m. in Singapore.
Now, the Biden administration announcing a new military aid package for Ukraine. It's worth up to $300 million. Officials say it became available
due to savings in weapons contracts. It does, of course, come at a critical time, with Ukraine running dangerously low on munitions, and a bill for $60
billion worth of aid stalling in Congress. President Biden called on lawmakers to reach a consensus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Congress must pass the bipartisan national security bill now, which includes urgent funding for Ukraine. We must act
before it literally is too late, before it's too late.
Because as Poland remembers, Russia won't stop at Ukraine. Putin will keep going, putting Europe, the United States, and the entire free world at
risk, in my view.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Oren Liebermann joins us now from the Pentagon. I think the difference there was made very cleanly with a $60 billion aid package
stalled, clearly not all for Ukraine, but $300 million is something that it feels more symbolic than anything.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It was -- you know, at its very best, it is a stopgap measure. And the White House made that clear.
Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said this could last Ukraine a matter of weeks, perhaps as little as a couple of weeks. And then, you're
back to the concerns about does Ukraine run out of ammunition?
This package does have some of what they critically need, 155-millimeter artillery ammunition, ammunition for the HIMARS rocket system, as well as
anti-aircraft missiles to shoot down the Russian aerial assaults.
But this isn't an endless supply, very far from it. It is a very small supply, and the Pentagon was only able to do this because of realized
savings in the numbers of contracts they've given to weapons manufacturers. They essentially were able to negotiate better rates, and that gave them
$300 million they were able to use.
It's worth noting this is the first package from the Pentagon since last year, since December 27th. And even that was a relatively small package.
[18:40:00]
So, the U.S. is very much looking to get that supplemental through here. The question of course is what does that timeline look like? $90 billion in
total with 60 billion for Ukraine. It's through the Senate. It is held up in the House. It has bipartisan support but it still has to get to the
floor, which hasn't happened yet, and that is what the White House was pushing for, that is what the Pentagon is pushing for because they are
fully aware of how critical the situation is at this point, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, Biden made that clear once again today. Oren Lieberman, thank you.
OK. We're going to take a break. But coming up next, paying an unimaginable price for a gourmet product. How the harvesting of acai berries in the
Amazon is putting children at enormous risk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." It's a superfood you might find in high-end grocery stores or juice bars. The acai berry said to benefit
everything from heart health to the effects of aging. But the story of how the fruit is harvest might leave you with a horrid taste in your mouth.
As part of CNN's Freedom Project, Julia Vargas Jones ventured into the Amazon rainforest, where young children are risking their lives just to be
able to make a living.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): It's the middle of the night on the banks of the Amazon River, but the young workers of the Fazinginyi
(ph) village are already loading up for a day's work. They don't bring much, machetes, tarp bags, and a dry change of clothes. But first, their
small boat needs to cross this massive river.
Inside, the smell of diesel is nauseating. But Lucas, at 13 years old, is still waking up. On top of school, he says he's been picking acai for two
years now, helping his older brother, Wengleston (ph), feed their seven siblings.
By dawn, we reach the Marajo Archipelago in the far north of Brazil, crossing state lines to Para, the world capital of acai.
JONES: Amidst this lush vegetation are hundreds and hundreds of acai trees. These are these tall palms that can get up to 70 feet tall. Right now,
these guys are looking closely to see which ones are ripe and have fruit ready for the picking.
[18:45:00]
JONES (voice-over): In Brazilian culture, acai has been called the guardian of the Amazonian population. Those who can harvest it, they say, will never
go hungry. And 90 percent of the super fruit comes from this northern state.
From 2012 to 2022, acai exports grew 21,000 percent, according to industry data. More than 8,000 tons were exported in 2022, moving more than $26
million.
But Lucas will only get a fraction of that number. And to earn it, he will do grueling work and face the dangers of the jungle. Hiding in the forest
are deadly snakes, scorpions and jaguars. And then, there's a climb. With no harness, Lucas will climb dozens of acai trees on a single day in search
of ripe berries.
JONES: He makes this look easy, but actually, these are quite heavy. Each one of these is about 10 pounds. These are dense fruit and he comes down
with two, sometimes three, or even four of these bushels just sliding down the tree.
JONES (voice-over): In these remote areas of the jungle, rescue can be hours away. The stories of harvesters who've fallen from trees are
numerous. Some have never walked again, or worse.
JONES: When was the first time you got up on an acai tree?
JONES (voice-over): He was 11 years old, he says. The money he makes, he says, he gives to his mom, who in turn gives him back a smaller portion.
What do you use your money for, I ask? To buy my school supplies, he said.
Families are risking their children's lives to get a paycheck, community leader Nerivan Da Silva says.
NERIVAN DA SILVA, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT (through translator): It's out of need and not having food on the table. This practice is
inherited. Passed down from father to son, but it's too dangerous. At the same time, it's our tradition that we've been doing for more than 100
years.
JONES: So, it seems to me like there is a clash between both the tradition of the community and in the education of the children.
JONES (voice-over): There is, he says, but it doesn't have to be this way. The cycle of child labor here can be broken, he says, but they need help,
incentives to get children to stay in school.
Allan Bruno is a prosecutor investigating individual complaints of forced labor across the region. One of the biggest challenges, he says, is
educating workers and children of their rights.
ALLAN BRUNO, PROSECUTOR, PUBLICAN MINISTRY OF LABOR (through translator): This is a reality of the rural work.
JONES (voice-over): Some of them can't read, write, or even count. Their needs are so basic, it's almost unfathomable.
DA SILVA (through translator): Come see the culture where the acai comes from. Because more often than not, people have no idea how much work it is
for us to get it to your table.
JONES (voice-over): Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Marajo Islands, Brazil.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: And be sure to join us this coming Thursday for "My Freedom Day," a day-long student-driven event to raise awareness of modern-day
slavery. Stay with CNN. We'll be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:51:08]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. Do you have a Sephora kid in English? This is a younger child or a tween obsessed with pricey skincare products that they
can buy at the beauty supply stores like Sephora, among other places. It's very trendy on TikTok. But as Vanessa Yurkevich explains, many of the
products are not age-appropriate for these young shoppers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUBY HALE: I have this and this. Do you want to know what's my favorite Chapstick?
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Ruby Hale is obsessed with skincare.
MONIQUE HALE, SALON OWNER: That pretty on you though.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Mom Monique, a salon owner, now is two.
I used to collect Pogs when I was nine years old, and Ruby likes to collect skincare. If it's mine or somebody else's --
R. HALE: What is Pogs?
YURKEVICH: What's Pogs? It's something from a long time ago. Maybe Pogs will start trending again and we won't have to worry about skincare.
R. HALE: Oh, no, I would never forget skincare.
M. HALE: See, it's already in our DNA, I think.
R. HALE: I think it's because of TikTok.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Ruby is Gen Alpha. Social media obsessed tweens who watch Kardashian kids like North West and Penelope Disick showing off their
skincare routines and their latest Sephora finds.
DR. SHEREENE IDRISS, DERMATOLOGIST: They're everywhere. Who's not a Sephora kid these days, it seems.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Tweens and teens spent more on skincare last year than any other demo, accounting for $4.7 billion in sales.
DR. IDRISS: A Sephora kid was coined through social media as a skin obsessed, for better of a lack of a better word, child who hasn't even
started to age, who's obsessed with everything skincare that is not appropriate necessarily for their age group or their skin's issues or their
skin type.
YURKEVICH: Why is that potentially harmful to children that age?
DR. IDRISS: Do they need to be using anything that has anti-aging in the marketing? No, because they haven't even started aging. Retinols can be
extremely irritating, extremely harsh, and is way too harsh for any eight or nine-year-old.
Exfoliating acids, when you elicit an inflammatory response at such a young age, you're likely to also develop an allergy, a hypersensitivity. And at
that point, there's no turning back.
R. HALE: I'm excited to got to Sephora, Mama.
M. HALE: I'm so excited for you. We're only doing two lip glosses and one perfume, and that is it.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Skincare craze Gen Alpha are flocking to Sephora and Ulta Beauty. Ulta says it has dermatologists recommended skincare info
for tweens, both in-store and online. Sephora did not respond to CNN. But for Gen Alpha, what they see on social media is really hard to resist.
M. HALE: Absolutely not.
R. HALE: I only got two --
M. HALE: What did we talk about with skincare?
I'm constantly talking to her about the peptides and the retinols and all that stuff that she doesn't need until her later 20s.
Do you use this one?
R. HALE: No, not really?
M. HALE: Why don't you use it?
R. HALE: Because I need to (INAUDIBLE).
M. HALE: That is right, my love. You don't need a polypeptide cream.
YURKEVICH: Who is the onus on to educate these young girls? The parents, the brands, the stores?
DR. IDRISS: The first barrier to entry is going to be through the parents, it's on the brands, it's also on the retailers, and it's on the content
creators to have some sort of moral compass when they're talking about products.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Ruby loves those skincare videos, and people love watching Ruby's trips to Sephora. They get millions of views.
M. HALE: She is a Sephora kid. As a society, we need to accept where these nine and 10-year-olds are, and we've gotten a lot of criticism.
Those comments are worse than going to Sephora and putting a bad skincare on your face because that's affecting our kids today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Wow. I think at nine I was playing with Lego and My Little Pony. Yes, parents, police your kids on social media.
And finally, on "First Move," a mind-boggling reminder that there's still so much we don't know about wonders of our planet. Marine researchers have
announced that they've discovered about 100 potential new deep-sea creatures while on a mission off the coast of New Zealand, including this
elusive deep-sea squid and two mystery critters that look a little like starfish, well kind of flowers.
[18:55:00]
Scientists say they have no idea what this species family come from. The team also finding mystery mollusks, fish, and coral that they believe have
never been recorded before. More than 2 million different species are believed to live in the earth's oceans, but only a fraction have been
identified by scientists so far. I for one cannot wait to find out what new discoveries lie in the deep.
Now, a reminder before we go that polls close in the U.S. states of Georgia in around four minutes time. And that will kick off our special coverage of
the presidential primaries. We should soon see Donald Trump and President Joe Biden secure enough delegates for their respective parties'
nominations.
And that just about wraps up the show. Thank you for joining us, and I'll see you tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
