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First Move with Julia Chatterley
President Biden set to Speak in Michigan; 19 Congressional Democrats Call on Biden to Step Down; Biden Vows to Stay in the Race; Judge Thrown Out Case Against Alec Baldwin; Greek Prime Minister on the NATO Summit; NATO Members Wrap up NATO Summit in Washington; NATO Members Committed to Ukraine; Meta Removes Restriction on Trump Accounts; India's Lavish "Wedding of the Year"; Novak Djokovic Takes on Reigning Champion Carlos Alcaraz. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired July 12, 2024 - 18:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN HOST, FIRST MOVE: It's 6:00 a.m. in Taipei, 1:00 a.m. in Athens, 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."
A warm welcome once again to "First Move." And here's today's need to know. Pressure points. President Biden set to speak in Detroit as more Democrats
and donors say time's up.
Summit Shadow, the president's struggles are front and center as the NATO Summit concludes. We'll discuss what was achieved with the Greek prime
minister.
A wedding wow, India's Ambani family hosts some of the biggest names in Bollywood, Hollywood, business, and politics to celebrate the marriage of
their son.
And is it revenge or repeat Novak Djokovic taking on reigning champion, Carlos Alcaraz, in this year's Wimbledon final, all that and plenty more
coming up.
But first, President Biden continuing his campaign in the crucial battleground State of Michigan, despite pressure now from 19 congressional
Democrats to end his re-election bid. We're expecting to hear from him any moment in Detroit, and we will take you there live the moment it begins.
He's also ramping up his outreach to Democrats who have concerns about his candidacy. Earlier, he held a call with the Hispanic caucus. On Saturday,
he'll be speaking with the new Democratic Coalition and the Progressive Caucus. Yet, $90 million worth of campaign contributions is reportedly
frozen by donors as long as President Biden stays at the top of the ticket. That according to a report in "The New York Times." Arlette Saenz has the
very latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Joe Biden on the move to Michigan today, looking to get his candidacy back on
track.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: There's more to do. I know I'm only 41. We've got to finish the job and I promise you I am -- I'm OK.
SAENZ (voice-over): The president working behind the scenes to shore up support, scheduling at least four meetings with key groups on Capitol Hill,
including Asian-American and Hispanic lawmakers.
The outreach coming after a private meeting between Biden and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Who said he directly expressed the full
breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives, and conclusions about the path forward. A source familiar with the meeting telling CNN, Jeffries spoke
bluntly about House Democrats' views, and did not offer an explicit endorsement of his own.
Biden hoping his Thursday press conference would put the Democratic doubt to rest, but some still vocal with their concerns.
REP. BRAD SCHNEIDER (D-IL): We can't have a situation where every day we're holding our breath.
MAGGIE KULYK, DEMOCRATIC DONOR: I think persisting in this direction is really a huge mistake.
SAENZ (voice-over): Actress Ashley Judd writing "I now ask President Joe Biden to step aside." Biden's top allies argue it's time for Democrats to
accept the president's decision.
CRAIG MELVIN, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Should the conversation about the president getting out of this race, should that conversation continue?
REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): No, it shouldn't. If he decides to change his mind later on, then we would respond to that. We have until the 19th of
August.
SAENZ (voice-over): As he heads to Michigan, Biden is eager to turn the focus back to Donald Trump.
BIDEN: But do you think our democracy is under siege based on this court? Do you think democracy under siege based on Project 2025?
SAENZ (voice-over): While one House Democrat from the state has called for Biden to step aside, the president will be flanked by elected officials in
a show of force, in a state the campaign argues is key to Biden's victory in November. The president's speech taking place at the same site where he
made this pledge in the 2020 race.
BIDEN: Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else. There's an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future
of this country.
SAENZ (voice-over): But four years later, Biden charging ahead as the Democratic nominee.
BIDEN: What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited in terms of the economy, our foreign policy, and domestic division. I've got to
finish this job because there's so much at stake.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:05:00]
CHATTERLEY: Thanks to Arlette Saenz reporting there. Joining us now, Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky. Julie, good to have you with us. For
all those that have said look, time up, you need to step down, we need somebody else. There's more than 70 Democrats that have publicly said,
look, he should continue. The clear divisions, though, I think are obvious to everyone. Is time running out for President Biden?
JULIE ROGINSKY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND CO-FOUNDER, LIFT OUR VOICES: Well, I don't know if time is running out for President Biden, time is
running out for the Democratic Party to get itself together. I don't agree that we have until mid-August, if not late August, before the convention to
resolve this. This needs to be resolved. I would hope by the end of this weekend, but if not, it has to be resolved by next week.
We cannot continue to have attention paid to whether Joe Biden is capable of doing the job or not for four more years when, on the other hand, you
have a president -- former president, who is committed to the destruction of democracy as we know it. Somebody who has embraced the collapse of NATO,
if in some, if not in substance. Somebody who has met with Viktor Orban, a week after Viktor Orban went to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin.
Somebody who has embraced Project 2025, which would spell doom to the institutions that we cherish and hold dear in this country.
So, for all -- and somebody who, by the way, brags about overturning Roe versus Wade. Everything that I'm talking about right now has not been the
subject of discussion by either the White House or the Biden campaign for the last week and a half, two weeks. We cannot continue this way.
CHATTERLEY: And yet, President Biden said to a question in that press conference on Thursday night, no one's telling him that he can't beat
Former President Trump. Do you see a clear path to the presidency for President Biden? Can he beat Trump based on what you're seeing?
ROGINSKY: Well, you know, I would love to take -- listen, I think Joe Biden's been the most successful president of my lifetime. I truly believe
that. And I think if you watch that press conference yesterday, you saw somebody in command of the issues and command of his presidency.
Having said that, what he did not do is lay out a path to win the White House again. And it's not just a question of whether he's neck and neck
with the president in national polls, we need to see him lay out a path to win the Electoral College, which unfortunately is not reflective of the
popular vote in this country.
And so, he talked a great deal about what he's done, and I'm glad he did that. He did not talk much about how he was going to get there in November.
And in the absence of that, there are concerns that a lot of us have about what that path looks like. If he has a way to assuage those concerns, not
just about his health, not just about his stamina, but also about the path to the Electoral College that he needs to gain in order to win, then we
need to hear it, and we need to hear it now.
Just saying, take my word for it, pat us on the head and tell us to just be good soldiers, there's too much at stake. There's too much at stake. The
future of the country is at stake. We cannot take anybody's word for it, even if it's somebody who a lot of us love and respect like Joe Biden.
CHATTERLEY: So, what I'm hearing is actually the answer is no, you're not seeing a path today and you need to hear that from the president, I think,
and from the party as well. How important is the report in "The New York Times" about a potential $90 million dollar funding freeze now with some
donors saying, look, as long as he's at the top of the ticket, we're not handing over the cash.
Clearly, they've raised more money, but a credit crunch at this stage is going to have profound implications for advertising. However, much is -- of
that case will be allocated or has been allocated to advertising, particularly in some of the battleground states. Julie, how important is
that?
ROGINSKY: Well, I don't know if these donors are just saying this now, waiting for him to get out of the race as a kind of a stick to prod him out
of the race. If he decides to stay, and he is the Democratic nominee in November, I hope every single one of those people will open up their
wallets and send that money in, because this is not about Joe Biden or anybody else, it's about Donald Trump and making sure he does not regain
the White House. There's too much at stake.
These people were not giving money because they are enamored of Joe Biden or love Joe Biden, maybe they did. Maybe they didn't, but I think the main
reason that a lot of them gave their money is to make sure that Donald Trump stays out of the White House. And if that's who Donald Trump runs
against, if it's Joe Biden, if it's Kamala Harris, if it's the Ficus tree in my backyard, whoever it is, that's the person that we need to support
because that's who we need to make sure defeats Donald Trump. That's what's at stake. The future of this country is at stake. I hope they're not going
to be that shortsighted if, in fact, Biden decides to continue with the campaign.
CHATTERLEY: Julie, good to get your insights. Thank you so much for joining us today. All right. Breaking news now into CNN. A judge has thrown
out the case against Alec Baldwin. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer has dismissed the indictment against Alec Baldwin. The case was dismissed with prejudice,
meaning prosecutors cannot bring it back. It's related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer on the movie set of "Rust."
[18:10:00]
Earlier today, the judge called a halt to proceedings to consider a defense motion to dismiss the case over disputed ammunition evidence in the killing
of Halyna Hutchins. And this is now the result, that case thrown out. Any further headlines on that, we will bring them to you. But for now, I'll
repeat, the case against Alec Baldwin thrown out by the judge in the last few minutes.
All right. Straight ahead, domestic politics crashes the party at NATO's 75th anniversary commemorations in Washington D.C. The prime minister of
Greece joins me with his perspective on President Biden, NATO's fresh support for Ukraine, and debunking some six-day workweek reports.
Plus, the three-day wedding to end all weddings is underway in Mumbai. The son of Asia's richest man tying the knot in a billionaire bash. But it's
the talk of India and beyond. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." World leaders attending NATO's just concluded summit in Washington, D.C. found themselves caught up in the
political dramas gripping the U.S. Capitol. Casting a shadow over the alliance's 75th anniversary commemorations were deep concerns over
President Biden's political future as well as the future of NATO if Donald Trump wins the second term in November.
During the summit, NATO leaders offered fresh pledges of support to Ukraine. President Zelenskyy saying F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air
defense systems will soon be on their way to help in the fight against Russia. NATO also called China a "decisive enabler of Russia's war in
Ukraine," a charge that China strongly refutes. Officials saying China has become a greater focus for the alliance overall.
I'm pleased to say joining us now, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister of Greece joins us now. Prime Minister, always a pleasure to have you on
the show. Welcome.
KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS, GREEK PRIME MINISTER: Thank you.
CHATTERLEY: You've been on the world stage for many years. You've also known President Biden for many years. Can I just begin by asking you
personally if you've seen a noticeable change and whether you understand the concerns that are being expressed at this moment?
MITSOTAKIS: Well, Julia, I understand the interest in this topic, but I'm not going to jump into it for obvious reasons. President Biden was present
throughout the meetings at NATO. He was always there. He spoke eloquently about important topics. And the U.S. election is a topic for the U.S.
citizens to decide.
[18:15:00]
CHATTERLEY: Certainly. Did you get a chance to speak to him, may I ask?
MITSOTAKIS: I did, yes. I did, but, obviously, in this context, as you know, you don't really have too much time to speak to the host. But, you
know, he was always pleasant and very engaging, as he always is with me.
CHATTERLEY: Just one more thing. He unfortunately misspoke and introduced President Zelenskyy of Ukraine as President Putin. He very quickly
corrected himself, and I'll make that clear. Did it feel as bad and as awkward in the room as it did for those of us that were watching?
MITSOTAKIS: Well, I was not there because that took place during the press conference. He didn't misspeak while I was there. You know, I understand
the awkwardness, but, you know, in public, you know, events, these things, you know, occasionally happen.
CHATTERLEY: They certainly do. You've long been a strong supporter of more aid and support for Ukraine. Do you think enough has been done to ensure
ongoing support for Ukraine and also a path to membership at NATO too, as a result of these talks?
MITSOTAKIS: I think what was clear at the summit was this commitment that Ukraine's membership of NATO is irreversible. And, you know, all of NATO
countries, I think, have gone out of our way to support Ukraine, both bilaterally and as an alliance, and I think the end result of this meeting
was that the NATO alliance is stronger than it has ever been.
It has 32 members now, and a clear commitment by all members to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense. I mean, Greece has been doing that
for many, many years, and I'm happy to see that other countries, which over the past years, have clearly not spent as much as they should on defense,
are clearly catching up.
And of course, Julia, this is also an issue of great interest to us Europeans because we cannot just rely on the U.S. for our own defense, we
also need to spend more as Europe. And I've been a strong proponent of this concept of European strategic autonomy. I think it works -- it is a concept
that is very complimentary to NATO. If all European countries end up spending more on defense, NATO will also be stronger.
CHATTERLEY: And I think that's an important question, something that's been long raised by the former president, and again, a focus certainly here
in the United States, but I think beyond. For those that are talking about the prospect of Trump proofing NATO, is that rise in spending to the limit,
if not beyond, of the 2 percent of GDP in terms of defense spending perhaps the best way to organically Trump proof the organization?
MITSOTAKIS: Well, let me point out that we have to spend at least 2 percent, and maybe 2 percent is not enough in this changing geopolitical
landscape. So, whoever makes that argument on the U.S. side I think is in principle right. And I think that the European countries, after the war in
Ukraine, have realized that this is a necessary spending.
And of course, I do need to point out, Julia, that this spending is, of course, out of our national budgets. But at some point, we should also
consider, in Europe, a European defense facility that will complement our financial firepower with more European money if we really want to take our
defense seriously. This is a discussion that needs to take place in Europe.
It's a question I have already raised at the level of the European Council with my Polish counterpart Donald Tusk. We've proposed the concept of a
European Iron Dome, a European air defense shield that will protect the European airspace, and I think that the discussion that will match our
financial firepower with our stated ambitions needs to take place sooner rather than later.
CHATTERLEY: You are one of the key proponents, as you said, of common projects in Europe and common defense projects in particular. But, you
know, I look at the recent European elections, I look at what we just saw happen in France, and I think there are those that will look at this
situation and say, we've seen a concerted rise in nationalist populists, both actually on the left and the right of the political spectrum, and the
center is weaker as a result. It makes this kind of common projects that much harder to agree to.
MITSOTAKIS: I'll say yes and no. First of all, we have a majority in the European Parliament. I mean, the centrist parties together have a majority,
and I think this will be also proven with the confirmation of Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the Commission.
In my country, Greece, the center centrally has been holding. I have the privilege of leading a center right government that is governing also from
the political center, and we have many other governments of a similar sort of nature in Greece. And I think that the fears about the right -- the rise
of the far-right at the European level, to a certain extent, had been exaggerated. At least the European elections did not prove a dramatic surge
of the extreme right. It's a reality we have to deal with.
[18:20:00]
And I'm always very careful when I refer to these parties because the grievances that our citizens are expressing by voting for these parties
Julia, are real. They're very concerned about issues such as the cost of living, about migration. But the answers offered by these populist parties
are very, very simplistic, and unfortunately, usually unattainable. It's up to us, I mean, the mainstream parties to offer credible answers and real
policy solutions to real grievances.
CHATTERLEY: As Greece knows well, sir. Let's talk about the tourism season. It's a huge and important part of the Greek economy. We're well
underway. What are you expecting and what provisions have you put in place for what is, what, three times the population of Greece that come in such a
short period? Can the infrastructure -- can the environment withstand it?
MITSOTAKIS: Well, I think that's a very, very good question, but the people who come to Greece seem to be having a good time, and that's the
reason why they're coming back. But it is our obligation to ensure that our tourism industry is protected against climate change, and one of our main
priorities is to spread out the tourist season in order for not all tourists to show up on our islands in July and August, and this, to a great
extent is happening.
Actually, this the best way to address concerns regarding over tourism. I don't think that Greece has an over tourism problem. It may have a problem
in certain islands in July and August, and we need to make sure that we address concerns about infrastructure during those months.
But overall, visitors who come to Greece enjoy, you know, usually a very, very good time. That's why they keep coming back, and that is why I think
that this year is also going to be a record year for our tourism. We're attracting significant investment in our tourism infrastructure, and our
goal is always to upgrade our product and to make sure that all investments that take place meet the high standards of sustainability that we expect
from our tourism industry.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, if my experience is anything like it, you don't want to leave when you do arrive as well. I have to ask you, and I'm sure you're
going to be furious with me, but you did make headlines around the world. I need you to debunk what has been, for what I've now read in more depth, is
a myth that you introduced some kind of six-day work week in Greece.
MITSOTAKIS: Well, I'm happy that you agree with me that it is a myth. Greece does not have a six-day work week. Greece has a five-day work week.
Actually, we offer our employees a possibility to work for four days if they meet the 40 hours threshold and if they can agree with their employer,
under extraordinary circumstances in any of those businesses that function 24/7. And this a very, very small minority of the businesses with the
agreement of the employee, between an agreement between the employee and the employer and with significant additional pay, can we add a six day of
work?
But no, Greece has a five-day work week, and that is not going to change. And we take the protection of labor rights extremely, extremely seriously.
That is why we have clamped down on employers who have hired, you know, workers illegally. We have -- we impose very, very hefty fines in case that
we identify them. And we want to make sure that our workers are fully, fully protected. And we have, I think, one of the most sophisticated and
modern labor protection legislations in Europe.
CHATTERLEY: Except for you, Prime Minister, because I know it's 24/7. Great to chat to you, sir. I've got plenty more questions.
MITSOTAKIS: Thank you, Julia. Thanks for having me.
CHATTERLEY: Likewise. Great to have you with us, sir. Thank you. The prime minister of Greece there.
All right. Returning to the breaking news now that a judge has thrown out the indictment against Alec Baldwin. Just take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Per State versus Lemire, where discovery violations inject needless delay into the proceedings, courts may impose meaningful
sanctions to effectuate their inherent power and promote efficient judicial administration.
The state's discovery violation has injected a needless incurable delay into the instant jury trial. Dismissal with prejudice is warranted to
ensure the integrity of the judicial system and the efficient administration of justice. Your motion to dismiss with prejudice is
granted.
Now, with respect to the jury, I don't imagine you all want to return on Monday. I will take care of the jury.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Your Honor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are in recess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: The reaction there from Alec Baldwin says it all. As we mentioned, the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning prosecutors
cannot bring it back. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the movie set of
"Rust."
Turning now for more from Josh Campbell in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Josh, wow, is all I can say. What more do we know about what led to this moment?
Because the defense had questioned the validity of evidence used in this case.
[18:25:00]
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this truly a stunning moment. And I'm looking here behind me is actually the sheriff who is
addressing the press right now. Alec Baldwin has already left the courthouse.
But a truly stunning moment. What -- just to give you the background here, earlier today, Baldwin's attorneys had filed a motion asking the judge to
throw out the case alleging misconduct by the prosecution, and what they said was that earlier this year, someone came to sheriff's investigators
and provided ammunition, which they said could have been related to the scene of the shooting. What Baldwin's team says is that that was never
handed over to them by the prosecution.
The prosecutors eventually said today in court that that evidence was not relevant to this case. But under U.S. law, whether it's relevant or not,
that prosecution at least has to let the defense know about certain items of evidence that they have. And so, what the judge did earlier today was
essentially bring this trial to a halt. She sent the jury home. She said she wanted to hear from additional witnesses about the nature of this
evidence in question.
And then, just a short time ago, she issued her ruling from the bench, essentially laying into the prosecution for not following proper
procedures, proper evidentiary procedures, as you just heard from her there just before you came to me. She essentially said this puts the entire
judicial system at risk. If people don't have confidence that evidence will be handed properly. One thing she also said is that, at this stage in the
trial, we're already here toward the end of week one. She said "There is no way for the court to write this wrong."
She said, not disclosing this information essentially deprived Alec Baldwin's team of the ability to properly prepare for trial. It impacted
their strategy for trial. There was nothing the court could do to remedy this failure to disclose. And so, in this stunning move, she essentially
threw out the entire indictment. Julia, this trial is now over.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. And without prejudice. So, it can't come back either. And I think the stress that you can see on Alec Baldwin, we're showing videos
of him sort of crying throughout as he's listening to this. Josh, I've got a question for you -- or two questions, really. What more in terms of
missteps did the prosecution do? And I also think, Josh, as a follow up to this, will this have implications for the armorer who also was jailed and
is now appealing for -- she got a jail sentence of, what, 18 months, I believe? Could this have implications for her appeal as well?
CAMPBELL: No, it's great questions. And that scrum you just saw behind me there, that was the prosecutor who was just leaving. She hasn't answered
questions from the press throughout this trial, which is not surprising. But obviously, some questions that a lot of us have for her right now.
As you mentioned, you know, this entire prosecution has been quite rocky. This indictment was first brought against Alec Baldwin early last year by
the district attorney, the head prosecutor here in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. She eventually handed it over to a team of special prosecutors.
There was controversy on the team where one of those lawyers had to resign over some e-mails that indicated that she had made political comments about
the trial and then they eventually brought the case back. But it's been on again off again. As of right now, there, according to this judge, it is off
for good.
CHATTERLEY: Wow. Josh Campbell, great to have you with us. Thank you so much for that. We'll be back after this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
CHATTERLEY: And returning now to our top story. U.S. President Biden's campaign crisis now facing a credit crunch potentially too. Some Democratic
donors are cutting off funds to a pro-Biden Super PAC to the tune of $90 million. That, of course, follows last month's disastrous debate
performance. The news breaking the same day as Biden makes a push in the swing State of Michigan, and all this as dozens of current and former
democratic lawmakers call on Biden to step aside.
And about an hour ago, a group of 24 former senators and representatives called for an open convention. They're open letters saying the nation needs
a candidate with more "energy and stamina." Now, it remains to be seen if Biden can successfully fend off both Trump and the rebellion within his own
party.
Sunlen Serfaty joins us now from Washington. Sunlen, and that's the key question. How much longer can this go on with more congressmen and women
saying, look, time for change?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: That is the question up here on Capitol Hill, Julia. And now, we have 19 sitting Democratic members of
Congress who have called for him to step aside.
And just a remarkable moment earlier today that Congressman Mike Levin, who's the latest congressman to call for him to step aside, he did so
directly to President Biden. This was on a virtual call with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. And Levin said, look, I think it is time for
you to go. And on that call, according to a person briefed on that call, President Biden pushed back and defended his record, but then acknowledged
that that's why it's important for him to get out in front of people. Let's let them know, he says that he's still moving well and healthy.
But this congressional push back that keeps growing by the day comes now that lawmakers are headed home to their home states for a week-long recess
where they'll be hearing from constituents. And we know that concern that has been voiced by many constituents has really influenced many members
decisions whether to call for President Biden to go or not.
We heard earlier today from Congresswoman Cori Bush. She's a key member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She has not said what she feels if
President Biden should stay or not, but she says 100 percent of the calls come into her office are call for him to step aside. So, certainly
significant members are listening and they're headed into a period of time where Biden's out in the campaign trail, but they're also hearing from
their own constituents about his political future, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: And how much discussion, Sunlen, has there been about this report in "The New York Times"? As I mentioned that up to $90 million worth
of campaign cash is potentially frozen until there's a change at the top of the ticket for the Democrats here. That has to be a huge concern too, if
more and more donors start to say, look, we're not going to hand over the cash until this is sorted out.
SERFATY: That's absolutely right. This significant. And money speaks, money speaks, especially in campaigns, especially with whomever is going to
be the top of the Democratic ticket is going to be running against a very well-funded campaign of Former President Donald Trump. So, that was
significant that the Super PAC in support of former president -- excuse me, in support of Joe Biden came out and said these funds are frozen right now
until we potentially get a new nominee.
So, there is concern. That has been one of the concerns we heard from Democratic lawmakers saying that this money is going to potentially dry up
if we do -- don't do something fast.
CHATTERLEY: Certainly. Sunlen, great to have you with us. Thank you. All the chaos in the Democratic Party clearly a boon to Former President Donald
Trump. And here's a potential additional one. Meta, Facebook parent, announcing Friday it would remove restrictions on Trump's Facebook and
Instagram accounts. That's ahead of the Republican National Convention beginning next week.
With us now, Sara Fischer, senior media reporter at Axios, and she broke the story. Sara, fascinating. I think a lot of people will be like, hang on
a second, Trump was added back to Instagram and Facebook in what, January of last year? So, what restrictions still applied and what does this change
mean?
[18:35:00]
SARA FISCHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: Yes, absolutely Julia. So, if Donald Trump were to have violated Meta's policies either on Instagram or on
Facebook, he would have been subject to more strict responses or restrictions than the average user.
So, for example, if he had even like a minor infraction, posting someone's address without their permission, he had probably potential to be blocked
or banned for up to two years. And so, the fear amongst Meta executives were if he were to do something like that now, then potentially his account
would have to be banned leading up to and through the election. They did not want that because they think that it's fair for all users to get access
to content from both Joe Biden and President Trump ahead of the election. That's why they're deciding to roll back the policies.
And I should note that Meta's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, also made a point to say that that policy was created during times of really
intense circumstances that don't exist today.
CHATTERLEY: Call me crazy, Sara, but do you think there's some vested interest here because no one wants to be accused of potentially
restricting, upsetting the potential future next president?
FISCHER: Potentially, but I also think that Donald Trump's team and those -- people running those accounts hadn't violated any of Meta's policies up
until this point. And so, I think Meta felt like it was a safe time to be able to remove those restrictions because there was no evidence of any
wrongdoing up until now.
But you do make a really good point. I mean, whoever controls the next administration dictates a lot of regulation around these types of big tech
companies. That's everything from privacy to antitrust. And you should know, the Biden administration and the Trump administration before that has
opened a competitive antitrust case against Facebook. And so, they're always mindful of making sure that they're not, you know, displeasing
either party.
CHATTERLEY: Diplomatically said. And just to be clear, going into this election as we often -- and you've been on this show talking about the
concerns that surrounding the impact of A.I., misinformation, disinformation, how hot are platforms like Meta going to be in trying to
debunk issues like that, particularly over the next four or five months?
FISCHER: It's an interesting question, because following the January 6th Capitol siege and following COVID, all these tech platforms put in very,
very strict regulations around things like vaccine misinformation or election denialism, and they've actually started to walk them back ahead of
2024, again, arguing that the times are different and that we're no longer in this sort of heightened state of emergency.
So, heading into 2024, some rules have been rolled back, but we actually have new rules to address new technologies. So, A.I., for example, the new
rule from meta and other platforms is that if campaigns are to use A.I. to digitally alter campaign ads, they have to disclose that.
There's a number of new rules that they've put in place, but so far, actually, we're pretty optimistic. Things like deep fakes that we were very
worried about, they don't yet seem to pose a massive threat, but the tech platforms are ready if they would become a bigger issue.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, fascinating. We'll talk more about this again. But I like the sound of being optimistic about this because I think it could have been
very different. Sara, great to get your wisdom and thank you again breaking the story on that. Media reporter there at Axios.
All right. Coming up, billionaires, Bollywood, and Bieber. They're just some of the worlds colliding this weekend as the son of Asia's richest man
gets married in Mumbai. More on that, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." Wall Street stocks bounce, U.S. banks announce, but inflation not yet trounced. All that and more in
today's "Money Move." U.S. stocks going green. NASDAQ gaining back some of Thursday's sharp losses. The Dow touching an all-time high Friday. Now,
that's despite a higher-than-expected rise in prices at the U.S. factory gate last month. The inflation equations still not over.
U.S. banks posting mixed quarterly results to kick off earning season on Wall Street. J.P. Morgan posting a 25 percent profit jump, but also set
aside more money for credit card losses. Wells Fargo shares dropping 6 percent after a key measure of profitability missed estimates.
And AT&T lower too after news of a mind-boggling data breach. The telecom giants saying hackers have stolen the phone call records for more than 100
million U.S. cellular customers.
And a volatile Friday across Asia. The Hang Seng cent rallied more than 2.5 percent, but a more than 2 percent drop for the Nikkei. The yen gaining
ground once again against the U.S. dollar amid speculation the Japanese government could end up propping it up.
And Indian stocks ending the week at fresh records. Helpful if you're trying to pay for an expensive wedding. But they can afford it. The son of
Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, got married this weekend. His wife is no slouch either. She's heiress to a pharmaceutical fortune. This weekend is
the culmination of seven months' worth of celebrations.
And as you might imagine, it's been a terrific networking opportunity too. Since January, the Ambani's have hosted the heads of Alphabet, BlackRock,
Samsung, and Saudi Aramco, just to name a few. Will Ripley has more on what happens when love meets luxury.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the youngest son of Asia's richest man marries the daughter of a pharma tycoon,
an event seen as India's wedding of the year in the Bollywood capital of Mumbai, of course there's a red carpet. And this one is packed. With some
of the world's biggest stars. Anant Ambani marrying his longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant.
ADITYA MOTWANE, WEDDING PLANNER: The big fat Indian wedding. It's just because of the scale of the people that are attending our celebrations.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The Ambani wedding, a three-day spectacle of extreme opulence and Indian tradition, says this Mumbai wedding planner.
RIPLEY: Indian weddings, a grand scale, the Ambani wedding would be like interstellar scale.
MOTWANE: It is the biggest wedding celebration ever happened on this planet. That is 100 percent.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The lavish celebration of love and luxury began back in March. This weekend's wedding finale kicks off at the Ambani-owned more
than 40,000 capacity Geo World Convention Center. Before moving to the family's private skyscraper, Antilia.
MOTWANE: It's one of the most beautiful, iconic landmarks, you know, of our country. It's where the family resides. It is a beautiful home for
them. It's a home that they've always hosted, you know, people from all across the world, whether it's been presidents, prime ministers,
celebrities.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The guest list, a who's who of A-listers, rich, powerful, and of course, famous. The global glitterati descending on
Mumbai.
Celebrating the union of two 29-year-olds who happen to be mind-blowingly wealthy and not afraid to show it. The couple reportedly paid millions,
hiring Justin Bieber and Rihanna for their pre-wedding parties. People around town have mixed feelings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, you have wealth, but yes, we get it, you have wealth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's fabulous. It's helping the economy. It's helping everyone. So, I think if they have the money, they should spend it.
[18:45:00]
RIPLEY (voice-over): The massive price tag, a drop in the bucket for the Ambani's, with a fortune of well over 100 billion from the family business
Reliance Industries, the energy retail and media giant.
This weekend's highly conspicuous consumption in stark contrast with widespread poverty across India. Critics call the Ambani a glaring example
of the growing wealth gap in the world's most populous country. The family trying to fend off critics by throwing charity events, like this month's
mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples near Mumbai.
Will Ripley, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: I do like the comment, if you've got the money, spend it, and it's helping the Indian economy. Congratulations to the happy couple.
All right. Turning now to the weather in the United States. The west is finally seeing some heat relief. However, the east can expect temperatures
to climb. This as millions of people remain under flood watches following Hurricane Beryl. For more, we're joined by Chad. Chad, tell us more.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, I mean, today wasn't bad in in Houston. It was in the 90s, lower 90s for high temperatures. So, it rained.
So, things were better today than they've been. We didn't get up to 105 for that heat index. It was possible.
For tomorrow, though, it would be in the 90s again. And even Houston, maybe up to 101 102 by the end of the week. But the normal high temperature is in
the 90s anyway. So, we are not really roasting this area like we have been roasting the western part of the United States where we have been 10 to 15
degrees C above normal for now a week and more across parts of from Vegas to Phoenix and all the way into California, that's the area that we're
still seeing the heat, but it's giving up a little bit.
It's just taking down just a little bit here because Sacramento, you were 110 and now, you're in the 90s. So, we'll take that. And even for Las Vegas
at 120 degrees, we'll take that down to 110. I think 110 is still very, very hot, but it's taking down some of the extreme heat out there, the
record heat.
You're talking about the rainfall across the East Coast. The rain is just still coming down here right along a front that just will not move. It will
though by tomorrow afternoon. The rainfall now still with the rain and flash flooding still going on. So, the threat -- flood threat all the way
from Boston, all the way down to the Carolinas, but really, we're only talking about 100-millimeter, three or four inches of rainfall here. But
the problem is the ground has already been rained on, as you said, over and over and over from all of that tropical moisture.
Here's the rainfall forecast. You can see some spots there probably in the two-to-four-inch range. And so, that's better than we had yesterday, which
was a four-to-six-inch range. So, things are kind of calming down.
But as you mentioned, the east is about to heat up. We are about to get the above average temperatures that have been in the west to move to the east.
So, just ahead of that front that doesn't want to move, all of a sudden, the heat and humidity will come into D.C. 96 degrees on Sunday for D.C., 97
in Philadelphia on Monday, and that is well above normal. So, we're not talking about temperatures that are below or above. The difference here is
that people do have fans, they have electricity, they have refrigeration, and they have air conditioning.
So, yes, it will still be hot, Tuesday is going to be pretty much there, about 14 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. But yes, the heat is on the move.
The people in the west are very grateful to get rid of some of that heat for sure.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and crank up the aircon if you have it, I think, in some of those cases. Chad, have a wonderful weekend. Thank you.
MYERS: You too.
CHATTERLEY: Chad Myers there. All right. Coming up after the break, this weekend's Wimbledon men's final. We'll be looking a lot like last year's
contest. The rematch that's bound to cause a racket on center court, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." A wild weekend of sport just ahead from the finals of Euro 2024 to a revenge match at Wimbledon. It's
looking like a super Sunday for fans of football and tennis. Patrick Snell joins us now. Patrick, I was just thinking it could rain as much as it
likes on Sunday.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Oh, Julia. I mean, the Euros, the Copa America, Wimbledon, Scottish Open Golf. We've got it all. But look, let's
start with Wimbledon because there's so many great storylines.
Tell me if you've ever heard this before. A Spanish tennis star losing the opening set of a match they're highly favored in before then turning the
tables and storming back for a rather routine victory? Sounds familiar? Well, Rafa Nadal did that many times. But of course, I'm talking about his
successor, 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz had to come back from a set down on Friday to win twice in his last three matches on -- at Wimbledon.
That was just to get to the semis at this tournament. Now, we can make that three out of his last four.
The defending champ reaching his second straight Wimbledon final on Friday, beating Daniil Medvedev in four sets. It was a cracking match, really
entertaining semifinal out there on center court.
Alcaraz incredibly now eyeing up a fourth Grand Slam title. He's still just at the tender age of 21. Amazing, remarkable career. Well, after beating
Medvedev, Alcaraz's thoughts, Julia, immediately turning to Sunday's European championship final between our beloved England his beloved Spain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS ALCARAZ, DEFENDING WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: Well, I've been in this position before. I will try to -- you know, to do the things that I did,
won last year and try to be better and try obviously to do the things that went well, obviously. But it's going to be a really good day for Spanish
people as well. You know, with the -- I didn't say. I didn't say Spain is going to win. I'm just saying that it's going to be a really, you know, fun
day. But, obviously, yes, it's going to be a really difficult match.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: That's just wonderful. He has to be smart and keep the Wimbledon faithful on his side ahead of the final, right? Speaking of the final,
Julia, Alcaraz will face an old foe, a familiar face in the shape of Novak Djokovic, who outclassed the Italian player Lorenzo Musetti on Friday. This
going to be a rematch of last year's final. So, a bit of a revenge mission as far as Djokovic is concerned.
Julia, we were just talking in the office. This a great start. Yes. There's going to be six hours between the start of the Wimbledon final in London
and the start of the Euros final in Berlin. So, what will Alcaraz do if for some highly unlikely reason they're still playing the tennis final when
Carlos, all he wants to do, I'm quite sure, he'll be itching to watch that footy final. It's going to be a huge weekend.
CHATTERLEY: He's got to make it quick, one way or the other.
SNELL: Yes. Winning straight sets.
CHATTERLEY: Exactly. Yes, not like last time, although that was thrilling.
SNELL: Yes.
CHATTERLEY: I cannot wait. And then, we should talk about England, Patrick.
SNELL: Yes.
CHATTERLEY: Can we do it? Is it coming home?
SNELL: All the pain and all, you know, 1966, England were champions of the world. We've had a long wait, I tell you. But they did get to the final
three lines of the last time the Euros were played, only to lose that final on home soil to the Italians. So, they'll be fired up.
I am quietly confident. I think Gareth Southgate's got a lovely mix of youth and experience, but it's going to be very tough against Spain's La
Roja as Carlos Alcaraz has been intimating. What's your prediction?
CHATTERLEY: I was just about to sing it's coming home then.
SNELL: OK.
CHATTERLEY: But I don't want to --
SNELL: Let's not tempt fate.
CHATTERLEY: I don't want to tempt fate, exactly. I think we can do it. On a good day, I think we can do it.
SNELL: Yes. I'm feeling good about the final.
CHATTERLEY: On a really good day.
SNELL: Yes.
CHATTERLEY: Patrick, thank you for that. Have a great weekend. Fingers crossed. Everything crossed. Yes.
[18:55:00]
And finally, on "First Move," a space embrace. Take a look at this stunning new image from NASA's James Webb Telescope. It's being called a vivid
portrait of two galaxies interacting. NASA says the blob looks, let's call it that, in the center, it's called the Penguin and the smaller oval shaped
galaxy on the left, which looks like a sun, is the egg. It describes them as being locked in an active embrace.
Now, this serenade has been going on for a while. They passed each other for the first time between 25 and 75 million years ago. Now, that is what I
call a long-term romance.
The new image marks the second anniversary of the first photo from the Premier Observatory, which is unlocking the wonders of the universe, eggs,
penguins, and all.
And that just about wraps up the show. Thank you for joining us. Have a wonderful weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]s
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