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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Taiwan Tensions; China Encircles Taiwan For A Second Day; ICJ Orders Israel To Halt Rafah Offensive; Netanyahu Held Call With War Cabinet Members; U.S. Working To Revive Hostage-Ceasefire Talks; Singapore Airlines' Seat Belt Sign Policy; Flight Safety; Louisiana Set To Classify Abortion Drugs As Controlled Substances; Actors Sue A.I. Company; A.I. Intellectual Property Battle; U.S.-Kenya Relations; President Ruto Wraps Up U.S. Visit; Kenyan President Speaks To CNN; Battling Organized Theft; Retail Crime; Robotics Firm Tackles Driverless Car Safety; The Perfect Barbecue; The Art Of Barbecue; Memorial Day Weekend; Holiday Travel. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired May 24, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[18:00:31]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: It is 6:00 a.m. in Beijing, 8:00 a.m. in Sydney, and 6:00 p.m. here in Atlanta. I'm Lynda Kinkade, in for
Julia Chatterley. And wherever you are in the world, this is your "First Move."
A very warm welcome to "First Move." Here is today's need to know. China tests its ability to "seize power" as it encircles Taiwan for a second day.
The United Nations top court tells Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah.
And actors are suing an A.I. company over allegations that they cloned their voices. And they speak with CNN.
And it is Memorial Day here in the US. We're joined by chef Rob Del Balzo to discuss his food favorites for a hot weekend. All that and much more
coming up.
But the first soaring tensions in and around Taiwan after two straight days of Chinese military drills close to the self-ruled island. It's now early
Saturday there, and Beijing says it's been testing its ability to "seize power." This coming just days after Taiwan's new president was sworn in and
branded a dangerous separatist.
Taiwan has released this new video showing its military tracking Chinese warplanes on Friday. Taipei is condemning these drills as an irrational
threat to regional stability. Well, with the very latest, I want to welcome Will Ripley, who joins us live from Taipei. Good to see you, Will.
So, there is an enormous amount of propaganda here. Just how seriously can we take these threats from China?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Lynda. Yes, there's always a propaganda element, anytime China does this sort of thing,
these large-scale military exercises, putting out these patriotic videos and these animations showing a simulated attack and occupation of Taiwan.
Also, a simulated blockade of this democracy, which is something that China actually has said it was testing in these particular drills, its ability to
use warships and planes to cut off the sea and the air transport routes that are vital to keeping this island's economy and life pumping literally,
because they import energy, they import some food. There are a lot of things that would run out very quickly here if China were to blockade
Taiwan.
And some military analysts have said a blockade could be a precursor for a full-scale invasion, which would actually be much more difficult and much
more devastating. And so, obviously, they're taking that very seriously here.
People -- some people that I spoke with out on the streets of Taipei yesterday at some of the protests outside of parliament were saying that it
feels like war, it feels closer to them than it felt before. And I even, Lynda, spoke with a father of two who said, you know, if the war were to
happen, he wants it to happen now so that he can fight while he's strong enough to do it and not have it passed along to his kid's generation.
So, these are people who've grown up their whole lives kind of with this looming threat, but they are aware that China today, under Xi Jinping, is
more assertive and also more powerful militarily than it has been in any of any of our lifetimes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY (voice-over): Taiwan's nightmare scenario in this Chinese military simulation, warships encircle the island. Two days of intensive drills
practicing Beijing's power seizure capabilities. A test run for Communist China's army to potentially attack and occupy democratic Taiwan.
RIPLEY: China's military drills just miles off the Taiwanese coast are a reminder for a lot of people here at just how fragile Taiwan's democracy
is. And some fear it may be running out of time.
RIPLEY (voice-over): That's why thousands are here at a pro-democracy protest in the capital Taipei. They know this would be impossible in
Beijing.
SEAN CHANG: You will be put into jail. You will be put into jail.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Sean Chang is a financial analyst and father of two.
RIPLEY: Do you worry when you see these pictures of China pulling these --
CHANG: I've been told China invasion since I was 10. I'm still waiting for them.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Cheng Pei-Wen took the day off from high school to be here. She came with her uncle who worries a Chinese attack may be coming
soon.
[18:05:00]
RIPLEY: You don't identify as Chinese?
CHENG PEI-WEN, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Not yet.
RIPLEY: Taiwanese?
PEI-WEN: Yes.
RIPLEY: Why?
PEI-WEN (through translator): They do not have democracy, but our democracy is constantly improving. There are no human rights, or even basic rights in
China.
RIPLEY (voice-over): She says she and her friends fear what the future could bring, a fear shared by many here outside Taiwan's parliament.
Inside, chaos and turmoil. This brawl broke out last week. Opposition lawmakers demanding reforms they say are badly needed to increase the
ruling party's accountability.
Some of those opposition lawmakers seen as friendly to China. They want to scale back the power of Taiwan's new tough on China president, Lai Ching-
Te. He's barely been in office for a week.
These protesters say the president's opponents are trying to trade Taiwan's democracy for economic benefits from Beijing.
LI HONG-CHENG, RETIREE: I live in San Jose, California.
RIPLEY: Why did you come all the way here?
HONG-CHENG: Because I support democracy.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Li Hong-cheng is retired, born in the U.S. 40 years.
HONG-CHENG: War is not good for anybody. Taiwan is not such a big island. And half of Taiwan will probably be decimated, annihilated by all those
bombs.
RIPLEY (voice-over): He says the Taiwanese people must do everything possible to prevent war, to protect Taiwan's hard-fought freedoms.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY (on camera): You know, a lot of people don't know, Lynda, that Taiwan has only been a democracy for the past, you know, 30 years or so.
Prior to that, it was a one-party system. So, a lot of people over 40 remember what it was like to grow up living under martial law and
authoritarian rule. And Taiwan fought hard to get to the place where it is now, where every four years they can choose, as voters, a new president.
And the president that they've chosen, Lai Ching-Te, although not everybody here agrees with his tough on China stance, the protestors are out there
because they feel that his -- he is the head of state, if you will, of this self-governing island. And the lawmakers in the opposition that are trying
to take some of the power away from him who are seen as friendly to China, people feel that that is not -- that is just not acceptable to them. That
is not what you do in a democracy.
And they're afraid, frankly, that the lawmakers seen as friendly to China will try to put, in their words, this democracy up for sale because of the
economic benefits that Taiwan would stand to gain by opening the gates with China in a more substantive way.
But it's a very, very vigorous debate and a lot of people feel strongly on both sides, either they feel that you should work with China, you should
try to do business with China or the other side who says, if you don't stand up to China and try to bolster your military strength, they're just
going to continue to kind of, you know, assert more and more control until the next thing you know, you have essentially a government that's
controlled by China. That's the fear amongst some people here in democratic Taiwan. Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, a very real fear indeed. Will Ripley for us in Taipei, thanks so much.
Well, the United Nations top court is ordering Israel to immediately stop its military offensive in Southern Gaza. The World Court says the
humanitarian situation in Rafah is "disastrous" and expected to only get worse. Israel's national security minister responded to the ruling, calling
the court antisemitic.
The International Court of Justice also told Israel that it must keep the Rafah Crossing open. to allow aid to come into Gaza. Well, the ruling is
final, but the court doesn't have a way to enforce it. Our Jeremy Diamond joins me now from Jerusalem. Good to have you there for us, Jeremy.
And this obviously really is key, because if the court can't enforce it, what does this ruling actually mean in real terms on the ground?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, on the ground, there are no indication that the Israeli military is going to slow down its military
offensive in Rafah. The Israeli government's response tonight to this ruling by the ICJ has basically to say that they have not and will not
carry out a military offensive in Rafah that could lead to the destruction of the Palestinian people.
And so, they basically say that the court's order is moot. But the ICJ, the International Court of Justice, sees things very differently, laying out
the impact that this military offensive has had and the impact that they fear it could have in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND (voice-over): Tonight, the United Nations top court intervening to try and stop Israel's military offensive in Rafah.
NAWAF SALAM, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE: The States of Israel shall, in conformity with its obligations under the Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which
may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that would bring about its physical destruction.
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DIAMOND (voice-over): The ruling comes nearly three weeks after Israeli tanks first rolled into Rafah, seizing the border crossing with Egypt,
slowing aid deliveries to Gaza.
More than 800,000 people have now been forced to flee the city, many camping out in areas with insufficient food, water, and sanitation as
humanitarian aid officials warn of looming catastrophe.
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's War Cabinet, says Israel must continue fighting to return its abductees and ensure the safety of its citizens at
anytime and anywhere, including in Rafah.
The ruling cements a month of extraordinary international condemnation of Israel's conduct in Gaza.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: It's just wrong.
DIAMOND (voice-over): When it saw President Biden threaten Israel over concerns about Rafah.
BIDEN: They're going to Rafah. I'm not supplying the weapons that --
DIAMOND (voice-over): And just this week, the International Criminal Court's top prosecutor seeking an arrest warrant for Israel's prime
minister.
For the second time in two weeks, Israelis also learning of the deaths of more hostages.
READ ADMIRAL DANIEL HAGARI, IDF SPOKESPERSON: It is with a heavy heart that I share that last night, Israeli special forces in Gaza the bodies of our
hostages.
DIAMOND (voice-over): The Israeli military recovering the bodies of three hostages in Northern Gaza. 59-year-old Michel Nisenbaum, 30-year-old Orion
Hernandez Radoux, and 42-year-old Hanan Yablonka. The news crushing their family's hopes that their loved ones were still alive.
SHAY ABADY, BROTHER-IN-LAW FOR HANAN YABLONKA: Eight months, we was hoping that we will find them. But until now, until today, this morning, we didn't
know, nothing, if he was alive or he was dead.
DIAMOND (voice-over): His brother in law, Hanan Yablonka, was killed after making a last-minute decision to attend the Nova festival.
ABADY: He always have a smile on his face, always smiling. No matter what happened, he smiled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND (on camera): And as those families now mourn, we understand that today in Paris, the CIA director, the head of the Mossad and the Qatari
prime minister sat down together to try and see if they can advance a new round of ceasefire and hostage negotiations. Those talks, as you know, have
been stalled for over two weeks now. And so, now, the remaining 121 hostages from October 7th, their fate now very much rests on the future of
those talks. Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Jeremy Diamond for us in Jerusalem, staying up late there for us. Thanks very much.
Well, Singapore Airlines says it's tightening its seatbelt rules after some horrifying turbulence left one passenger dead and more than 100 people
injured. Dozens of passengers are still in hospital in Thailand, where the flight made an emergency landing on Tuesday. More than 20 suffered spinal
injuries according to the hospital there.
Well, CNN Transportation Analyst Mary Schiavo is also a former Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation and joins us now live.
Thanks for being with us, Mary. So, just explain this new policy from Singapore Airlines and what it will mean for passengers.
MARY SCHIAVO, CNN TRANSPORTATION ANALYST: Well, the new policy is not a big change from before, but the new policy says whenever they're in turbulence
or they left a little vague, rough weather, bad weather bumps that they will suspend hot beverage service and they will suspend meal service.
And that also, further added, that when the seatbelt light is on, this service will be suspended as well. And it makes a lot of sense. I've worked
cases and investigations where people were injured by flying beverage carts, including, you know, seriously injured and disabled. People have
burns by the beverages, et cetera. It makes a lot of sense.
But, you know, there's always the counterpart to that, and the internet's literally blowing up with people saying, well, this is just a way to
further curtail cabin service. But for now, and given what happened, it makes a lot of sense, at least for this airline going through this rough
period right now.
KINKADE: And, Mary, given what happened, this deadly incident on Singapore Airlines that left about 100 people injured, 20 with serious injuries,
would it have prevented that given how sudden it seemed that turbulence came about?
SCHIAVO: Well, and I've looked at the weather maps and they had been in and out of weather. So, they did get some warning. It was just a few minutes --
a minute or seconds after the seatbelt light came on, this is a drop.
The plane dropped, climbed and then dropped again when this event happened. But since they were in some weather, in some bad weather, it might have
helped. And certainly, if they had any warning at all, this would have helped to have -- the luggage or the meal carts would have been stowed
away. Anything loose in the cabin would have been stowed away, and the crew would have been belted in their seat.
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So, in this particular instance, had they had just a bit more warning, yes, it would have solved a lot of the problems and probably would have
prevented most of the injuries.
KINKADE: Singapore Airlines has been criticized by some of those passengers who are injured. I just want to play some sound that came in to us from an
Australian passenger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH DAVIS, HOSPITALIZED SINGAPORE AIRLINES PASSENGER: No information from Singapore at all. Not a single word.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you need to sort things out pretty quickly.
DAVIS: Yes. I need to know. Am I going through my insurance? I've got no idea. I'm totally in limbo. My wife is in ICU. She's in ICU and needs a
medivac.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you need someone from the airline to help sort this out?
DAVIS: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: So, that's just the case of one passenger, right? What would your advice be to an airline in this sort of situation where you've got all
these passengers injured, trying to get information as to what to do, what their next steps are?
SCHIAVO: Right. For international flights, for airlines flying international flights, a number of treaties come into play and most
aviation nations, actually including Singapore, do provide a lot of rights for injured passengers.
Now, remember, this counts as an accident. This is not an incident. It's an accident. And a lot of treaties come into play. They're supposed to provide
immediate assistance. They're supposed to provide full and correct information about what's going on. They're supposed to provide briefings.
They're supposed to help with flight -- you know, with travel information and travel arrangements after the accident. So, there are a lot of treaties
that come into play.
But again, this airline was not in one of its home countries. But it's a very experienced airline. I worked a major crash of this airline. Oh, boy,
about 20 years ago. And so, they're experiencing what to do after an accident. And the trees are pretty clear what kind of relief you're
supposed to do and help that you're supposed to provide.
KINKADE: All right. Transportation analyst Mary Schiavo, always good to get your perspective and analysis. Thank you.
We've got some news just into us. Louisiana has become the first U.S. state to classify two abortion drugs as Schedule 4 controlled dangerous
substances. The state's governor signed the bill Friday.
The law places the two drugs, misoprostol and mifepristone, in the same category as narcotics. Anyone found to have the medication without a valid
prescription could face a felony charge. Abortion is already banned in Louisiana with no exception for rape or incest.
Well still to come on "First Move," what does a voice actor do when they fear a tech company has stolen their voice? We'll hear from two vocal
actors speaking out about the dangers of artificial intelligence.
Plus, throw another one on the barbe. The unofficial start of summer in the U.S. is a great time to chew over the art of the barbecue. We'll speak with
a barbecue specialist about how to cook a delicious meal and save money at the same time.
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KINKADE: Welcome back to "First Move." I'm Lynda Kinkade. A pre-holiday tech rally on Wall Street tops today's "Money Move." U.S. stocks finished
higher across the board on Friday, the last trading day before the long Memorial Day weekend. The NASDAQ rose more than one percent to fresh record
highs. The Dow finished a little changed and wrapping up its first losing week in more than a month.
NVIDIA shares continue their spectacular rise up more than 2 percent. The A.I. chip maker, if you remember, reported strong profits this week and a
stock split. It shares rose 13 percent this week, and they are up more than 120 percent so far this year.
Well, speaking of A.I., actress Scarlett Johansson's beef with OpenAI might be a preview of the legal battles to come in our new artificial
intelligence future.
Johansson, if you recall, says OpenAI voice assistant sounds a lot like the virtual character she played in the movie "Her." OpenAI ditched plans to
use the voice, but Johansson isn't the only one who's been very vocal about the perils of A.I.
Two voice actors are now suing the tech company LOVO, who they claim their voices have been used without their permission. Our Clare Duffy reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL SKYE LEHRMAN, VOICE ACTOR: Just ghost white. We're in the twilight zone.
LINNEA SAGE, VOICE ACTOR: They really only need 30 seconds of your voice to clone it in a realistic way.
LEHRMAN: It's really, really disturbing.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER (voice-over): This is Paul and Linnea. They're both voice actors who say they were hired in 2019 and 2020 by a
client who wanted to use their voices for "academic research and tests for radio ads."
They say they were told their voices would not be used for anything else. But years later, the couple made a shocking discovery while listening to a
podcast.
LEHRMAN: And it's talking about the potential dangers of A.I. and how the impact it might have on the entertainment industry. And the host is
interviewing an A.I. entity. And that voice is my voice. And we had to pull the car over.
SAGE: Dead stop.
DUFFY: So, you knew immediately, this is my voice, but these are not things that I've ever actually said?
LEHRMAN: There wasn't a moment of doubt.
DUFFY (voice-over): Quickly, the two actors discovered it wasn't just podcasts using what they say are A.I. versions of their voices.
AI RENDERING OF PAUL SKYE LEHRMAN'S VOICE: Introducing Jenny by LOVO. Artificial intelligence that makes it fast and easy to create voiceovers
for marketing, e-learning, documentaries, animations, games, audiobooks, and more. Need to create high quality voiceover content.
DUFFY: We just listened to what you say is the A.I. clone of your voice. What's your reaction to that?
LEHRMAN: This -- it's still infuriating. Not just because of the implications for my career, but because of the violation of me -- of my
individuality, my likeness, my voice are saying these words that I did not agree to say.
I gave no consent, nor was there any proper compensation, and I no longer have control.
DUFFY: Will you do your commercial voice for us, for a second, just so that we can kind a compare?
LEHRMAN: Introducing Jenny by LOVO. Artificial intelligence that makes it fast and easy to create voiceovers for marketing, e-learning,
documentaries, animations, games, audiobooks, and more.
DUFFY: Can we pull up that, that Linnea one too?
SAGE: Does your child have difficulty reading? Is mathematics a thorn in their side?
AI RENDERING OF PAUL LINNEA SAGE'S VOICE: Our certified teachers are ready to help your son or daughter conquer their fears of reading, writing,
arithmetic, and more.
DUFFY: And, Linnea, you said this, this voice is your bread and butter. So, this is the kind of thing that you might have said, but you didn't actually
say these words.
SAGE: So, the first half of that was me. Those were the audio files that I delivered to them. And I still have those on an external hard drive that we
were able to track down once we figured out who they were and when they ordered from us. And then, the second half of the video is the A.I. version
of me that they manipulated.
AI RENDERING OF PAUL LINNEA SAGE'S VOICE: Does your child have difficulty reading? Is mathematics a thorn in their side? Our certified teachers --
DUFFY: So, that's where it switches.
AI RENDERING OF PAUL LINNEA SAGE'S VOICE: -- are ready to help your center daughter conquer their fears of reading, writing, arithmetic, and more.
DUFFY: Wow.
LEHRMAN: And they mentioned, when she delivered these audio assets, that they would be used only internally and never public facing.
[18:25:00]
DUFFY: Obviously, this does sound a lot like you, but how do you know it's actually your voice? How do you feel confident about that?
LEHRMAN: The same company that solicited us for our work, we delivered audio assets to them, and they took those audio assets. This is a company
that we now know manipulates audio that's delivered to them to clone voices. It seems so unbelievably clear to us.
DUFFY (voice-over): The couple say they were unaware that their client was LOVO, who they're now suing. In a proposed class action suit, the couple
claims that their voices were "stolen by LOVO and marketed by LOVO under false pretenses."
A lawyer representing the company previously denied the claims to "The New York Times." The A.I. company did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
DUFFY: What was your reaction when you read this news that Scarlett Johansson, her lawyers had sent a letter to OpenAI, for sort of a similar
situation to what you're now going through?
LEHRMAN: I hope Scarlett Johansson's case can serve as a wakeup call. It's happening to everyone, no matter where you are on the totem pole, no matter
what industry you're involved in. This, really, I hope, is the writing on the wall for anyone who doesn't yet believe that this is an issue today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: We are going to take a quick break. You are watching CNN. We'll be back in just a moment.
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KINKADE: Welcome back to "First Move." I'm Lynda Kinkade. Kenya's president is wrapping up a historic state visit to the U.S. One that saw Washington
pull out all stops.
William Ruto shared the stage with Vice President Kamala Harris in the past few hours. It follows a day of meetings with President Joe Biden at the
White House on Thursday, where Kenya was designated a major non-NATO ally. It culminated in a lavish state dinner in which Former President Barack
Obama made a surprise appearance. The aim is to deepen American ties in Africa to counter Beijing's leverage there.
Well, a short time ago, Richard Quest spoke to Kenya's president, William Bruto, as he wrapped up that visit to Washington. Mr. Ruto began by hailing
his country's economic potential.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT: We want to rewrite our own story that Africa is a continent of tremendous potential. Africa is a continent that
has opportunity and we want to move it from opportunity to investment, and that is the engagement I'm having with the United States that there are
real present investment opportunities in Africa.
And as much as we do not need aid, and we do not need our assets to be exported as raw materials, we want to combine the technology and the
financial power of the U.S. with the assets that we have to have a win-win outcome, create jobs way back at home, and create wealth as well.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: So, a blunt question, sir, you'll forgive me if it just put it straight forward in good blunt terms. If a
choice is made between investment by China and investment by the United States and companies, which would you prefer?
RUTO: You know, let me tell you, Quest. Many people want to pull us into a conversation as to whether we are facing east or we are facing west. Let me
tell you, we are neither facing west, nor facing east, we are facing forward. Because that is where the opportunities are. And we are working in
a manner to make sure that our assets, what Africa has, what Kenya has.
We have, for example, in Kenya, 90 percent of our grid is green. It is the reason why we are working with Microsoft. to put together the first ever
one gigawatt data center. So, we are looking at where our opportunities are and we are working with those who can help us unlock those opportunities,
make them into investments, create jobs, create wealth, and take Kenya to the next level as we take Africa in the same direction.
QUEST: As you put your security forces towards Haiti, and there's a minor delay which we don't really know about just yet. But as you put your forces
over towards Haiti, I did a bit -- I used modern technology, sir. I used A.I. And I asked it all about the conflicts and wars currently underway in
Africa.
And there were a whole load of them, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia. There was an entire range of disputes, wars, civils, border disputes. Shouldn't you be
putting more effort towards helping resolve those in your own continent?
RUTO: As you are aware, Kenya is already seized with the opportunity, with the responsibility and the security challenges in our region. We have 5,000
troops in Somalia. We've just come out of DRC. We are working with teams in South Sudan. I just launched the team for reconciliation for South Sudan
last weekend.
Last weekend, I also put together the teams that are working in the Sudan to make sure that we bring the civil society groups, the political parties
into the equation. So, we are doing what we must do in our continent.
But Haiti is part of humanity. When Kenya was asked by the International Community under a U.N. resolution to provide leadership in Haiti, Kenya
believes that the responsibility in Haiti belongs to all nations that believe in freedom, that believe in democracy and that value human dignity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: That was Kenya's president there speaking to our Richard Quest. Well, organized crime has a new target, retail theft. And as U.S. retails
try to combat rising levels of this crime, consumers are paying the price for retailer's security investments.
CNN research also shows many private sector companies not only assist law enforcement, but often deliver the bulk of the evidence that leads to
criminal prosecutions. Shops often feel they have little choice but to invest in and carry out private investigations.
CNN's Kyung Lah takes a closer look at how law enforcement and some retail chains are tackling the ongoing threat of organized retail crime.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A pre-dawn raid, dozens of heavily armed deputies and investigators from the Santa
Clara County Sheriff's Department surround a house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Force on the doorway.
[18:35:00]
LAH (voice-over): 12 people arrested and organized crime networks has law enforcement. Suspected of links to narcotics stealing and illegal gambling.
At another location, Santa Clara County deputies recovered the fuel for this alleged criminal network.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tons of packaged goods, some parts of the house looked like it was a store.
LAH (voice-over): Stolen from local businesses, but it is nothing like the shoplifting you've seen in the past. Brazen thieves recorded racing out
with carts full of merchandise, even attacking store workers in the process.
SEAN BROWNE, SENIOR MANAGER, ASSET PROTECTION, HOME DEPOT: This is not somebody who forgot to scan something at self-checkout or somebody who
stole food. This is a large criminal organization with multiple factors.
LAH (voice-over): Sean Browne is not a cop. He works for Home Depot, investigating organized retail crime. His job, a growing field in store
chains as criminal organizations branch out from guns and drugs to stolen goods.
A CNN review of court records and interviews of more than two dozen retail chains and law enforcement officials, show that the private sector is not
just helping the police, but often delivering the initial evidence that leads to search warrants.
BROWNE: A lot of times local and state resources don't have the capacity to investigate these crimes at that scale.
LAH: An in, comes you?
BROWNE: We tried a full service the investigations.
LAH (voice-over): Home Depot gave us a glimpse of a model, replicated by multiple major retailers across the U.S. This is their high-tech command
center, with electronic eyes on their stores throughout the country.
Retailers have already moved beyond searching for the thieves you see in viral videos to their bosses. They are the real targets known as the
fences.
BROWNE: These ringleaders operate as the fence of this merchandise, where they're converting it to cash, drugs and other illicit items.
LAH: It sounds like you're talking about the mob.
BROWNE: It often is conflated with what would be considered mob activities, bad actors will target specific merchandise, usually directed by the
ringleader, almost like a shopping list.
LAH (voice-over): Store chains have the financial muscle to deploy high- tech tracking, like license plate readers, and in-store monitors, capturing the crime as it happens.
BROWNE: We use a lot of different investigative tactics and technologies to ensure that we can build the absolute best case for law enforcement and
prosecutors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bad guys have the upper hand with respect to this issue.
LAH (voice-over): The sheer scale of organized store theft is so overwhelming, members of Congress met with prosecutors, and store chains,
looking for federal help.
MATTHEW WALSH, DIRECTOR, GLOBAL INVESTIGATIONS, WALMART: The organization and sophistication of these groups has grown exponentially in recent years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think organized retail crime is one of the biggest issues that is facing our local economy.
LAH: This entire aisle on this side is almost completely locked up.
BROWNE: Yes, not the way we would like to envision our rough electrical aisle for our customers, our pro contractors, but this is what your typical
Home Depot looks like.
LAH (voice-over): Retail says, Browne has already locked down, their merchandise impacting the consumer from inconvenience to higher prices. How
would they get past this?
BROWNE: We've had certain crews that have caught locks and cables, and broken into some of the fixtures that we've built inside of our stores.
LAH (voice-over): What you see here is because the explosion of online shopping has made it easier than ever to move stolen merchandise, sold to a
consumer hunting for a deal.
BROWNE: 20 years ago, I needed a storefront in order to sell laundry detergent. Now, I can do it from my phone.
LAH (voice-over): California has now put hundreds of millions of dollars towards combating this problem, enabling law enforcement here in Santa
Clara County to break up a major crime ring, recovering $150,000 in stolen merchandise, authorities say from six retailers.
LAH: How big of a heist was this?
BROWNE: This happens daily across stores, even with all those measures that you got to see an door, we're still impacted at this level.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Oh, thanks to Kyung Lah there for that story. Well, still ahead, a Memorial Day to remember, we're going to talk to chef Rob Del Balzo about
the best way to work the grill this holiday weekend in the U.S. without breaking the bank.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
18:42:07]
KINKADE: Welcome back. Elon Musk and other big names in tech have long been pushing a future where driverless cars are the norm. But for most of us,
reality has yet to catch up. One of the biggest concerns, of course, remains safety. And that's something a robotic startup in California is
trying to tackle in a unique way. Veronica Miracle has more as part of our "Bold Pursuits" series.
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The advent of driverless cars has promised to revolutionize the way we travel, but the hype has
sometimes outpaced reality.
A series of incidents involving Robotaxis has stoked existing safety concerns and sparked angry protests in places like San Francisco, my home
city, which has been at the forefront of development and autonomy.
I'm here to visit the headquarters of Nuro, one of the few companies operating fully driverless vehicles on public roads today.
DAVE FERGUSON, CO-FOUNDER, NURO: How did everyone get it so wrong? And a big part of that is that building a vehicle is incredibly complex. Vehicle
manufacturers have a seven-year cycle for a new vehicle program. When you add that to sort of software speed around building new technology and
trying to build the AV software, things get stretched out a fair amount of time.
MIRACLE (voice-over): Founded in 2016, Nuro is a robotics company that made its mark with the launch of the first ever self-driving delivery vehicles.
Product delivery gave Nuro an opportunity to introduce the tech to consumers gradually while also paving the way for new applications.
MIRACLE: When you started Nuro, did you have the intention that eventually you would get to transporting human beings?
FERGUSON: We did think that over time it would be a fairly natural next step. I think what's happened is that the technology piece has moved faster
and we've gotten to a point where the tech is now ready, we believe, to expand to the passenger transportation market.
MIRACLE (voice-over): At the core of the company's electric powered robots is the Nuro Driver, an A.I. driven system designed to learn and improve
through data. Nuro is also testing tech that will allow customers to gain insight into the inner workings of the driverless vehicles.
MIRACLE: I'm going to ask what are you doing and why?
AI RENDERING OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE'S VOICE: I am on a neighborhood road. I am proceeding because my path is clear.
MIRACLE: That's a fair response.
FERGUSON: See, it's fairly boring unless there is something interesting going on. That's always been our dream of self-driving, is getting to the
point where we can trust this as much as today we'd trust an elevator, right? We don't really think about elevators anymore.
MIRACLE (voice-over): So far, the Nuro passenger vehicles have been used for testing and mapping purposes. And Nuro has not disclosed plans for an
imminent rollout. A safety-first approach that so far has helped them steer clear of the headlines.
[18:45:00]
FERGUSON: No one wants to deploy at scale until they are very confident that the public wants the technology and is welcoming of it. There's a lot
of risk here. It's really, really hard, but we think we can do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, still to come, millions of Americans are traveling for Memorial Day weekend, but they may face a few roadblocks. We'll have more
on that after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back to "First Move." I'm Lynda Kinkade. If you are in the U.S., it's time to get the Memorial Day holiday party started and fire up
the barbe. The unofficial start to summertime in the U.S. is a perfect time to transform an ordinary backyard into a mouthwatering culinary paradise.
Well, this Memorial Day comes in a time of rising prices, with one study saying barbecue basics could cost up to 10 percent more than last year.
So, how do you find that special sauce? A delicious yet affordable summertime feast? Well, Rob Del Balzo joins me with all the answers. He's
the executive chef and owner of Rob's Cove Cafe and Pool in Cortland, New York. Good to have you with us, Rob.
ROB DEL BALZO, EXECUTIVE CHEF, ROB'S COVE CAFE AND POOL: Great to be here.
KINKADE: I understand you opened this cafe just a few hours ago in time for summer.
DEL BALZO: We are three hours old. So, what could be the first guest at the cafe? Thanks for having us.
KINKADE: Just to add some stress to opening night, we thought we'd bring you on a television.
DEL BALZO: No pressure.
KINKADE: Can you us what's on the menu?
DEL BALZO: Sure. So, we got -- I mean, it is Memorial Day weekend, so why wouldn't we have burgers on the grill? So, we got burgers, grilled
chickens. We've got some shredded brisket quesadillas. Right behind me, we've got our grilled chicken salad. So, we've got a whole slew of stuff
cooking on the grill today.
KINKADE: Sounds delicious. And it's around dinner time, so it's making me hungry.
DEL BALZO: Yes.
KINKADE: Inflation, of course, is hitting the hip pocket for many people. We know that barbecues are going to cost more than last year. What have you
noticed in terms of costs trying to open this cafe?
DEL BALZO: It's -- so this is -- I opened a restaurant about 10 years ago. And I'm noticing that the money that I spent in this kitchen is more than
double what I spent opening up the last -- I mean, between the food cost. Salaries are up, utilities are up. There's almost nothing that not worse
now than it was back in 2014 -- 2012 (INAUDIBLE).
KINKADE: Yes. So, it's across the board. It's not just food. It's labor, utilities, gas, all of it.
DEL BALZO: That's right.
KINKADE: But let's just focus on the food for now before I get to some of your money saving tips. I understand you make some award-winning pulled
pork. I love pulled pork. What's your secret?
DEL BALZO: So, the secret of my food is love. So, I actually was the caterer for some pretty big shows. (INAUDIBLE). I cooked for Bobby Flay. He
told me that -- he came back and he had my food and he said, hey, Rob, that was some pretty good food. So, if I could impress Bobby Flay, I'm a pretty
happy guy.
[18:50:00]
KINKADE: Love. The secret's love. Good to know. Of course, you know, money saving tips is what we want to hear as well as people are trying to buy
their goods for this weekend. What's your advice?
DEL BALZO: So, when you're looking at your -- bottom line, when you're having -- when you're hosting parties, let's focus on some of the salads.
Let's focus on the cheaper cuts of meat. So, ground beef is clearly cheaper than like a strip steak or a ribeye. My hit here that we're talking about
is the pulled pork.
So, pork on a whole is a lot cheaper. I've got a phenomenal pulled pork recipe and it goes on everything. So, we do full pork sandwiches. We'll put
pork on the burgers. Chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are way cheaper than chicken breasts and they're much more tender.
So, you know, when you're costing and when you're checking out prices you know, just take a look at, and they're just as flavorful and they're just
as resourceful as some of the bigger names like the ribeye and more common names.
KINKADE: And they go great on a barbecue, right?
DEL BALZO: You're darn right about that.
KINKADE: What sort of seasoning, spices do you recommend?
DEL BALZO: So, I do a chipotle barbecue sauce. When I'm doing my dry rub, I use a little cayenne and cumin. Listen, you can't go wrong with just simple
salt and pepper. I think that's -- I think people are trying to become super chefs nowadays. And salt and pepper on a piece of meat, as long as
you grill it properly, don't try over too high a heat. You always cook it evenly and firmly and you're always going to be in good shape there.
KINKADE: Sounds delicious. Have you got any food that we can see that's, that's already prepared?
DEL BALZO: I do, I do. So, actually, here, we're cooking -- we've got one of our burgers here. So, actually, if you look at my lovely cook over here,
Jackie's on the grill. She's cooking up some grilled chicken. So, we're doing a grilled chicken avocado wrap.
In fact, avocados are terribly expensive right now. As long as you get them at the right firmness and let them ripen up. We've got some grilled
chicken. There's some burgers on the grill right now. We're going to (INAUDIBLE) you set some fresh guacamole up on that.
KINKADE: Yes, I remember the days when an avocado --
DEL BALZO: (INAUDIBLE).
KINKADE: I remember the days when an avocado would cost $7 for one.
DEL BALZO: Absolutely. Well, you know, they go -- they fluctuate. I mean, it's all seasonally priced. So, if you go to get an avocado in Cinco de
Mayo, you're obviously going to spend more than you are if you're getting an avocado today. So, it's a lot about supply and demand as well.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Cook food that's in season. That's another good tip. Good to have you with us.
DEL BALZO: That is it.
KINKADE: Rob Del Balzo --
DEL BALZO: Thank you so much for having me. Yes.
KINKADE: Pleasure. Good luck with your cafe this summer.
DEL BALZO: What an absolute please. Listen, it's here in Montrose, New York. We're at 238 Kingsbury Road. Follow us on chef Rob's Cafe and Pool on
Facebook and Instagram.
KINKADE: I'm getting hungry. Sounds good.
DEL BALZO: Well, the next time you're near, you can come visit. Come visit us.
KINKADE: I might just do that. Thank you and happy Memorial Day.
DEL BALZO: Thank you so much. Have a great day. Happy Memorial Day, everybody.
KINKADE: Well, AAA says more than 40 million Americans will be taking to the roads and skies this Memorial Day weekend. The auto club says it
expects to see the highest number of drivers since it started keeping track back in 2000.
And extreme weather isn't taking any time off. Day trippers will have to contend with record heat and thunderstorms and, of course, possibly some
more tornadoes. Ryan Young has more on the unofficial start of summer from Atlanta International Airport,
RYAN YOUNG, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Lynda, the number here when it comes to travel for Americans, it's going to be crushing because they are breaking
the records that have been set and we're going to see an increase and get back on pace to travel before the year 2019.
In fact, the second most travelers flew in the country just yesterday, a 2.9 million. But it's all about these points behind us right here. We've
seen travelers show up to Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in droves. They broke a record just yesterday in terms of 111,000 people.
They're on pace to break that record already. Now, they're telling people to get here ahead of time. And that goes for all of the cities across
America because they expect travel to be up some 9 percent.
We know people have been worried about the economy. And so far, as we talk to some passengers, they're not worried about breaking the bank to get out
there to fly this holiday weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's hype. It's overrated. Absolutely, it's overrated.
YOUNG: Tell me why.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because jobs, money. If you got a hustle on -- I'm old school. So, if you want to hustle, you can get paid.
YOUNG: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, this economy thing. I think it's over blown in my opinion.
[18:55:00]
YOUNG: So, you're willing to spend and do what you have to do to get out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. Absolutely. It helps the economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG (on camera): Lynda, that pent up demand is showing itself right there in the pocketbook. Because people say they understand the prices are
higher. But they really want to get back to traveling, they want to get back to some normalcy.
As you heard that one traveler say, yes, prices are higher. Yes, people are talking about the economy, but there's in no way going to stop them from
getting out there and traveling. And you got to think about this, it's busy over here. It's also busy in the international concourse. Americans are
really getting out there to fly. Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Our thanks to Ryan Young. And safe travels for all traveling.
Well, finally on "First Move," a treat for stargazers this week. May's flower moon has been blooming in the night sky. And you may be feeling a
bit moonstruck, because it's been putting on quite a show. Isn't that spectacular?
May's full moon gets its name from a reference to its appearance in late spring here in the Northern Hemisphere. But the celestial spectacle has a
number of monikers. There is also Milk Moon in Old English and Planting Moon among the Dakota and Lakota people of the U.S. Great Plains. Some
spectacular shots there.
Well, that just about wraps up our show. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for joining us. I hope you have a really great and relaxing weekend. See you
next time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
