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First Move with Julia Chatterley
At Least 14 People Died in Beirut Airstrike; Key Hezbollah Commander Killed in Beirut; U.N. Security Council Meets Over Israel-Lebanon Crisis; Intense Round of Strikes Between Israel and Hezbollah; IDF Investigating Soldiers Throwing Bodies Off Rooftop; Harris Launches Ad Linking Trump to Mark Robinson; Republican Governor Nominee Defiant After CNN Investigation; Dodgers' Ohtani Becomes First MLB Player Ever to Join 50/50 Club; North Korean Elites Blamed for Deadly Floods; Dining Alone on the Rise Around the World; Chechen Warlord Claims Musk Disabled His Cybertruck. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired September 20, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up Sunday on State of the Union, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, also Republican Senator
Tom Cotton of Arkansas, both of them will join me. That's Sunday morning at 9:00 Eastern and again at noon here on CNN.
You can follow the show on X, @TheLeadCNN. If you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can listen to the show whence you get your podcasts. The news
continues on CNN with Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room. I will see you again on Sunday morning. Have a great weekend.
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR, "FIRST MOVE": It's 7:00 a.m. in Tokyo, 3:00 p.m. in Los Angeles, 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."
And a warm welcome to "First Move," as always, and here's today's need to know. At least 14 people are believed to have died following an Israeli
airstrike in Beirut. Republicans rocked. The nominee for governor of North Carolina, remaining defiant after a CNN investigation finds racist and
sexist comments he made online.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of a kind player. One of a kind season. Shohei Ohtani starts the 50-50 Club.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Shohei, showstopper. The baseball superstar becomes the first player to hit the 50-50 milestone. And going solo? Why, dining alone is on
the rise around the world. The CEO of OpenTable joins us live. That conversation and plenty more coming up.
But first, to Lebanon, where at least 14 people are known to have died following Friday's airstrike in Southern Beirut. A short time ago,
Hezbollah confirmed a top operative from its elite force was among those dead. The strike happened in a crowded neighborhood, destroying a high-rise
tower. It ends a week of deadly chaos in which dozens of people lost their lives and thousands more were injured in attacks using modified pagers and
walkie-talkies. Lebanon's prime minister accusing Israel of carrying out acts "akin to genocide," quote.
From Tel Aviv, Jeremy Diamond has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Third time this week, death and destruction on the streets of Beirut. At least a dozen
people killed and many more injured after Israel struck a multi-story residential building in the Lebanese capital. The Israeli military says it
killed one of Hezbollah's most senior military commanders in the strike, Ibrahim Aqil, the group's operations chief, alongside commanders from
Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force.
Aqil was also wanted by the United States, accused of involvement in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI, IDF SPOKESPERSON (through translator): There were about 10 commanders who were killed, and we're talking about the commanders
who planned the shooting every day of missiles, rockets, the operation into Israeli territory. I know that the residents of the north have been going
through a very, very difficult reality in the last few months. We've been working since the 8th of October in a very determined way to change this
reality.
DIAMOND (voice-over): The Israeli military says Aqil and the other commanders were meeting beneath this residential complex when Israeli jets
struck. One building flattened in the strike, piles of concrete and mangled steel all that remain as residents and first responders rush to find and
evacuate the wounded.
The strike dealing a heavy blow to Hezbollah after four days of Israeli attacks that have shown Hezbollah to be vulnerable and exposed, and how
quickly Israel is willing to climb up the ladder of escalation.
YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): I believe that we are at the start of a new phase in the war. The center of gravity
is moving north.
DIAMOND (voice-over): On Tuesday, Israel detonated thousands of explosive laced pagers used by Hezbollah, killing dozens and wounding thousands of
militants and civilians. The next day, exploding walkie-talkies drove the death toll even higher. And last night, Israel pummeled Hezbollah rocket
positions in Southern Lebanon, in one of the heaviest barrages this year.
As Hezbollah fired at least 120 rockets into Northern Israel, it's clear Israel is ramping up the pace and intensity of its attacks in Lebanon, as
it looks to beat Hezbollah into submission, even if it means risking a devastating all-out war.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:05:00]
CHATTERLEY: Both Israel and Lebanon clashed at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council a short while ago, which is discussing
today's airstrike and the detonation of wireless devices in Lebanon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDALLAH BOU HABIB, LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): This attack left hospitals and medical workers in an unprecedented emergency
state fully overwhelmed. The aggression also created a state of terror and panic among civilians in all Lebanese regions.
DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Hezbollah has turned Southern Lebanon into a war zone, using civilian homes as weapons depots and
unifield (ph) bases as launch points, digging tunnels beneath them and using innocent civilians as well as U.N. peacekeepers as the human shields.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Military Analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton joins us now. Colonel Leighton, great to have you on the show. The Israeli defense minister
suggested earlier this week that this was just the beginning of a shift in focus on Lebanon to facilitate their citizens being able to return to their
homes in the north. This attack in Beirut that I was just describing just the latest this week.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, that's right, Julia. And it seems that this shift in focus is really meaning that the
Israeli forces are going to move their center of gravity as the defense minister called it from the Gaza area all the way to the north. And this
means that they are certainly getting ready for something against Hezbollah, whether or not it's going to actually mean that they are going
into a full-on ground type invasion. That's a completely different story.
I don't think that the preparations are completely finished for a standard ground invasion, but they have certainly proved that they can do the aerial
attacks plus the unconventional attacks, as we saw with the pagers and the walkie-talkies, and that is clearly, I think, phase one or so of this new
operation that the defense minister announced.
CHATTERLEY: I spoke to the United Nations secretary general in January of this year, and his warning even at that point was that the situation in
Gaza, and obviously, we're a lot further on today, could very easily be mapped in Lebanon, and that was the bigger fear. There's obviously
asymmetries in size, scope, and scale between Hamas and Hezbollah, too.
To your point about this perhaps being stage one of what we see, it's a very different prospect to see some kind of ground invasion in Lebanon. But
how do you foresee this in some way playing out? And I appreciate it's difficult to predict.
LEIGHTON: Yes, it certainly is difficult to predict, Julia. But what could happen is that the Israelis mass more forces on their northern border. They
clearly want to make a condition secure for their citizens in the northern towns to go back to those northern towns. There are at least 60,000 or so
Israelis that are affected by the evacuations that they conducted in, you know, the past year.
So, the Israelis will probably move forward. They will continue to use various means, especially air power to go after Hezbollah. And if they feel
ready, they may very well go in to a part of Lebanon, to the southern part of Lebanon, and seek to really exchange -- extend their territorial control
all the way up to the Litani River, just like they did a few decades ago, back in the early 2000s, and that could very well proved to be the
beginning of a major conflict between them and Hezbollah.
CHATTERLEY: I mean, the two sides have been exchanging rocket fire now for many months. How much further, whether it's operational blows or morale
blows that Hezbollah faces, can be seen before they respond in some kind of way? Because neither side, I think, wants a sort of more dramatic
escalation beyond here. But how do you manage this without preventing or unpreventing that?
LEIGHTON: Yes. Managing this is going to be very difficult for both sides. You know, not only does Hezbollah not want a major war, its main
benefactor, Iran, also does not want a major war with Israel at this particular moment in time. The Israeli government is in a bit of a
different role in this particular case because, from a political standpoint, in some ways, the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu does
benefit from increased conflict. It allows them to say that they're securing a part of Israel that has felt unsecured in recent times.
So, as far as this playing out, what could happen is that they do similar attacks up to a point. These would include air attacks against major groups
figures within Hezbollah, major installations.
[18:10:00]
And one of the key things to note about this latest attack, the one that killed Ibrahim Aqil, which was the head commander that the Israelis spoke
about, that is akin to, in essence, killing the head of special operations forces, and that is what the Israelis attempted to do in this particular
case.
And if these reports from the Israeli side are borne out, then what they're really showing that they can do is, in essence, decapitate the command
structure of Hezbollah, and that is clearly a war aim of the Israelis at this point.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, they said they were the architects of a plan to raid those communities in Northern Israel. So, certainly, from their
perspective, this is strategic still at this stage, highly strategic. Colonel Leighton, great to get your insights, sir, as always. Thank you so
much for your time.
All right. We're also following a very disturbing story from the occupied West Bank, and we warn you, the next video is hard to watch. The Israeli
military says it's investigating soldiers for throwing men off a rooftop during an incursion near Jenin. CNN can't confirm whether they were already
dead, but they are motionless and do appear lifeless.
Israel calls it a "serious incident," quote, that does not coincide with IDF values. It did not identify the individuals, but says it killed seven
militants during clashes in the area. Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti calls it a "barbaric act," quote, that shows the degradation and
brutality of the Israeli army.
Kamala Harris campaign linking Donald Trump to a Republican accused of posting sexist and racist comments on a porn site. Mark Robinson is running
for governor of North Carolina, a potential swing state in the U.S. presidential election. He denies making the comments, which were unearthed
by CNN and predate his political career.
But in the wake of that report, the Harris campaign quickly put out an ad highlighting Trump support and praise for Robinson. Dianne Gallagher is
following the story from North Carolina. Dianne, good to have you with us. North Carolina is an extremely important state in the presidential
elections, and I think both sides wondering just what impact, at least at the presidential level, this scandal will have. What discussion has been --
what kind of discussion and what has it been like there since the report was released?
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, I've covered politics in the State of North Carolina for years, and the experience that
I had yesterday, before the CNN KFile story was even published, is unlike anything I've ever had here.
I had Republicans calling me all morning asking what was going to be in this, and expressing their stress and their fear about what yet another
story about Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson may do not just to all of the statewide and down ballot races, but Former President Trump's chances at
winning North Carolina and thus, winning the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The fallout from CNN's bombshell report about Mark Robinson spilling over into his second day.
LT. GOV. MARK ROBINSON (R), NORTH CAROLINA GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE: I'm running for governor of North Carolina.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The GOP nominee for North Carolina's governor moving forward with his campaign after the deadline passed for him to
withdraw, as absentee ballots are sent out to voters Friday.
The fresh swirl of controversy follows a KFile investigation that found Robinson made a series of inflammatory comments on a pornographic website's
message board more than a decade ago, referring to himself as a black Nazi and expressing support for reinstating slavery, among other salacious,
lewd, and gratuitous statements.
ROBINSON: Thank you so much --
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Robinson categorically denying the allegations.
ROBINSON: This is not us. These are not our words, and this is not anything that is characteristic of me.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The controversy extending beyond the Tar Heel State's race for governor, with Robinson having received the endorsement of
Former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly praised the conservative firebrand.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is Martin Luther King on steroids, OK?
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris highlighting the ties between Trump and Robinson in a new ad Friday.
ROBINSON: We could pass a bill saying you can't have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason. Abortion in this country, it's about killing a
child because you aren't responsible enough to keep your skirt down.
TRUMP: I've been with him a lot. I've gotten to know him, and he's outstanding.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The former president is set to hold a rally in the state on Saturday. Sources tell CNN that Robinson has not been invited to
the event despite being a regular presence at Trump's events in the state, including two last month.
Now, some Trump allies are dismissing the potential impact on the former president's campaign.
REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): We're going to be fine in North Carolina. This issue is going to come and go. But the reality of what's happened in our
country remains, and that's why Donald Trump's going to win the State of North Carolina.
[18:15:00]
GALLAGHER (voice-over): As Democrats in North Carolina seek to turn Robinson's controversy into a challenge for other Republicans.
GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): I think that when people go to the polls, they need to think about these candidates who have supported and encouraged
somebody like Mark Robinson and continue to do so.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Even some Republicans acknowledging the fallout could affect others on the ballot in November.
REP. GREG MURPHY (R-NC): Well, I think any bad news of a particular candidate in a personal life can have a deleterious effect on other
candidates.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GALLAGHER (on camera): And we are seeing Democrats take advantage of this already. Every single Democratic candidate for statewide office here in
North Carolina is doing the exact same thing that the Harris campaign is doing at the national level, they are trotting out photos of the Republican
opponents with Mark Robinson and touting the fact that they either endorsed him or said kind things about him, plastered along with this CNN KFile
investigation and quotes from those posts, Julia.
I can tell you that there was supposed to be a fundraiser with the Republican Governor Association chair, the governor from Tennessee, Bill
Lee, for Mark Robinson next week, that is no longer taking place as Bill Lee is not coming to North Carolina.
CHATTERLEY: Dianne, when you tell me you've seen nothing like this before, I believe you. Thank you so much for that report. Dianne Gallagher there.
Thank you.
All right. Straight ahead. Call him perhaps the GOAT-Tani, the greatest of all time. Of course, Japan waking up Friday to news that Shohei Ohtani has
entered the record books. The first 50-50 player in history. We'll discuss what next for the Japanese superstar.
Plus, does a dinner reservation for one sound like fun? Well, it sounds peaceful. Why dining solo is the way to go for more and more people around
the world. The head of dining app OpenTable will be here to discuss the trend. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." And for all our viewers in the U.S., U.K. and Latin America, TGIF and happy Saturday morning, of course,
to all our First Movers across Asia.
Topping today's Money Move, a Friday feel on Wall Street, U.S. stocks finishing mostly lower, but closing out a winning week thanks to the Fed's
big half a percentage point rate cut on Wednesday, the Dow gaining a little bit of ground and finishing at fresh record highs.
[18:20:00]
Meanwhile, FedEx weighing on sentiment, its shares falling 15 percent on disappointing earnings, the package delivery firm lowering guidance and
reporting a sharp drop in profits. In Asia on Friday, strong gains for Japan's Nikkei, the Bank of Japan keeping rates steady and hinting it's not
in any hurry to raise them once again. China's central bank also keeping rates unchanged too, although, traders expect new stimulus measures to be
announced there very soon.
Now, Shohei Ohtani made baseball history Thursday night, creating a new record.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He swings. It's a drag to left. This ball is back. There it is. Number 50. The first player in the history of Major League
Baseball to have a 50 --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: The Dodgers superstar is now the inaugural member of the 50-50 Club. For non-baseball fans, that means at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen
bases in a single season. Ohtani clinched the record after a spectacular performance against the Miami Marlins. He hit three home runs in a single
game for the first time in his career, that Dodgers ended up winning by a whopping 20 to 4.
For more on this, I'm joined by Patrick Snell. Patrick, it literally must have happened seconds after I let you go yesterday.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes. I know, and I was kind of -- I was slowing up just, you know, taking my time over wrapping with you, Julia, in
the hope that something might happen.
CHATTERLEY: And I was checking my e-mails, you know.
SNELL: Anyway, but look, we didn't have to wait too much longer, did we? It was incredible to witness. Such a privilege to be able to be reporting
on this. Shohei Ohtani getting to that magical, historic, and exclusive 50- 50 Club Thursday night.
No one in baseball history has ever hit 50 home runs, getting 50 stolen bases in just one season. We actually didn't think it was going to happen
on Thursday night in Florida against the Marlins. He needed two home runs and a stolen base, but Ohtani went out there and had arguably the greatest
game in baseball history.
The Japanese icon leading off the game with the Marlins with a double and then would steal third moments later for steal number 50. Ohtani then
singled in the second inning and stole base number 51. So, the stage was set and the crowd expecting we needed two home runs to see history. Well,
in the sixth inning, Ohtani at the plate launching home run number 49. At this point in the game, Ohtani is four for four with a home run, five RBIs
and two stolen bases, a game most players dream to have.
But Ohtani far from done, he would come up to the plate in the seventh with history on the line, fans on their feet, and he delivered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He swings. It's a drag to left. This ball's back. There it is. Number 50. The first player in the history of Major League Baseball
to have a 50-50 season.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Oh, boy, did he deliver. Could never hear enough of that amazing radio calls in both English and Japanese. What a game. And get this,
Ohtani, Julia, getting up again in the ninth. And this time he was facing a position player with L.A. up 14 to 3, nd he homered, would you believe it,
for number 51. Ohtani finishing the game six for six at the plate with 10 RBIs.
He's the first player ever with three home runs and multiple stolen bases in a single game. And of course, now the first ever to get to that 50-50
Club.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHOHEI OHTANI, LOS ANGELES DODGERS (through translator): I'm glad that the team won and it was something I wanted to get over as quick -- as quickly
as possible. And you know, it's something that I'm going to cherish for a very long time.
DAVE ROBERTS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS MANAGER: This game has been around for a long time, and to do something that's never been done, he's one of one. And
he couldn't be a more talented player. He couldn't be you know, be more humble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Yes. Manager Dave Roberts there really, really insightful words, powerful words. I tell you, whenever he speaks. What an occasion, Julia.
And Ohtani already back in L.A. ahead of tonight's game against the Rockies. You know, the -- maybe even the 60-60 seasons in play. Maybe
that's maybe a bit too farfetched, but you never know with this guy. He's just quite incredible. He really is remarkable.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, he's in the zone and on the top of his game. We put nothing past this man. I love that quote as well. What did you say? I
wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
SNELL: Yes. And I love the line you had earlier in the setup, the GOAT- Tani.
CHATTERLEY: Exactly.
SNELL: I think it was GOAT-Tani, amazing. I've got to use that in my next hit, I think.
CHATTERLEY: OK. I can't take credit for that. Some awesome writing on the show today.
SNELL: Brilliant, brilliant. Whoever wrote that, just brilliant.
CHATTERLEY: Exactly, gold star. I'll name him at the end of the show, or her. Patrick, great to have you with us.
SNELL: All right.
[18:25:00]
CHATTERLEY: Thank you so much. Now, Ohtani quickly becoming a legend in his own time, joining baseball superstars like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio.
He's also energizing the sport, both in the U.S. and abroad. In the words of one fan, the game has gone global. As you might expect, no place feeling
the excitement more than Ohtani's homeland of Japan. Just take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It's great that a Japanese player has made such inroads in the major leagues. And it's really amazing
to have set a major record there. I'm so happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Everyone was buzzing about it at work today. I think it's amazing. I doubt that record will ever be broken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: And Natasha Chen joins us now from Los Angeles. Natasha, you're actually there by the pitch. Tell me, have you spotted the superstar
of the moment?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Julia, all the media is out here waiting for him to show up. We are watching other players
during batting practice right now. It looks like we are just under four hours from when this game is supposed to start. And we already saw people
out there earlier today trying to take pictures outside the stadium. A lot of those fans from Japan that you mentioned.
You know, L.A. Tourism Convention Bureau told me that 80 to 90 percent of Japanese visitors to Los Angeles are making a trip to Dodger Stadium during
their visit. So, that is the type of energy we are seeing in, as you said, a very global game.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHEN (voice-over): There's a new 50-50 Club and it's got one member. Dodger superstar Shohei Ohtani is the first to ever hit more than 50 home
runs and steal more than 50 bases in one season. It's a rare feat of power and speed.
SALVADOR REYES, DODGERS FAN: I always wanted to see something special again with the Dodgers and what we're witnessing right now is the Babe Ruth
of this era.
CHEN (voice-over): And like Babe Ruth, Ohtani is a two-way talent who can both pitch and hit. Kazuo Imai is a local tour guide witnessing the
incredible wave of Japanese tourists who have flooded Los Angeles holding tickets to Dodger Stadium.
KAZUO IMAI, TOUR GUIDE: Maybe 80 percent. Japanese tourists are coming to see Ohtani.
STAN KASTEN, DODGERS PRESIDENT AND CEO: They have always been supportive of us, but nothing like this.
CHEN (voice-over): The team has a dozen new Japanese sponsors this year. Japanese language tours four days a week. Stadium food now goes beyond the
Dodger Dog to the Kurobuta Pork Sausage Dog. Sushi, chicken katsu, and takoyaki, which are round fritters filled with octopus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American taste.
CHEN (voice-over): It's America's pastime, and there's nothing more American than bringing together a melting pot of people.
REYES: It's a global game now. It is super important, and it's super important that we recognize a foreign-born player who does his interviews
in Japanese, and we are humbled by it. We take it in and we say, you know what, this is the way baseball should be played.
CHEN (voice-over): The Ohtani effect has energized L.A.'s Little Tokyo. At Farbar, customers get a free Shohei shot every time Ohtani hits a home run.
CHEN: Did you ever think you had to buy this much sake for this season?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not at all.
CHEN (voice-over): Gary Lee is the owner of Dodgers Nation, an online fan and news site with a YouTube show. Just looking at clicks he's getting from
Japan.
GARY LEE, OWNER AND CEO OF DODGERS NATION: I know our traffic increased 1,250 percent from Japan.
CHEN (voice-over): But he says the most gratifying part is not the number of followers.
LEE: I'm so proud because growing up I didn't have an Asian American or Asian person to really look up to. And that's my initial reaction. It's
just like I'm so happy for this generation of Asian American kids. They're allowed to dream like he broke that barrier to dream.
CHEN (voice-over): The larger-than-life role model is now depicted in a 150-foot painting that moves with augmented reality when fans scan a QR
code on their phones and raise them to the wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's time for Dodgers baseball.
CHEN (voice-over): Artist Robert Vargas says he painted this mural to bring everyone together in the city's crossroads of Asian and Latin
American communities.
ROBERT VARGAS, ARTIST: I definitely had a premonition that he was going to do something amazing. To see him actually not only meet those expectations
but exceed them is just incredible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHEN (on camera): And I also just spoke with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in the dugout. He is half Japanese himself. And he told me that this is
really special from his personal point of view. He said his mom and her friends are all buzzing about Shohei Ohtani. Of course, now the Dodgers
have clinched a spot in the postseason playoffs. And so, that is what their focus is on now. And the energy is just going to go up from here. Julia.
[18:30:00]
CHATTERLEY: Natasha, what a great report. He's an idol for kids, adults, wherever you are in the world, quite frankly, if you love sport, but also
particularly for Asians and Asian Americans in this country. Yes, what a role model. Great to have you with us. Thank you. And fingers crossed you
see him soon.
CHEN: Thank you.
CHATTERLEY: Natasha Chen there in Los Angeles. All right. Now, nothing clearly can rain on Ohtani's parade, but it will be a wet weekend, I'm sad
to say, in store for Japan. Twin storms bringing rain across much of Asia. Chad Myers joins is now from Atlanta. Chad, just how wet are we talking?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, for Tokyo, pretty good, not too wet. But if you get up towards Sendai, yes, you're going to get 100 and 150
millimeters, you get down Kyushu, you may get 250 millimeters from the tail end of a separate -- completely separate storm. It is tropical season here.
So, there's tropical moisture in the air, it is going to rain hard at times, when -- even when you get a non-named storm, not even a storm, just
sitting there spinning around and it rains most of the day.
Now, we did pick up about 70 millimeters in Shanghai, about three to four inches in some spots, especially west of the city. But the heaviest
rainfall over the next couple of days will be over Southern South Korea and also into Northern Japan.
But watch the tail of the storm just rain out over Kyushu over the next couple of days. So, that's where the heaviest rainfall will be, Kyushu,
this place right there. That one right there. That's where the heaviest rainfall will be as we look at the rest of the afternoon tonight. A little
bit of breeze comes through, probably around 30 to 40 kilometers per hour, but that is all she wrote. And then by the Saturday and Sunday, all that
rain and all that wind is gone.
We're still seeing rain, though, for Vietnam into Laos and even farther to the west than that. Look at the thing of Vietnam, 135 millimeters just in
about 24 to 36 hours. And notice the spin. This is what a low-pressure system looks like just kind of on a radar. This is a fake radar. It's what
the computer model thinks the radar is going to look like, but that's kind of the low pressure that we're going to have over the next couple of days.
And it just piles up rainfall, even for the province here of Hainan. You're going to see temperatures probably only in the lower 60s and 70s in the
afternoon because the rain is going to be there just all day long.
Now, for closer to North America. We also have something tropical brewing possibly. Somewhere over here in the Bay of Campeche, this is the Yucatan
Peninsula, Mexico, right there, there is a 50-50 shot, and the computers are saying a higher shot than that, but 50-50 over the next week, that
something develops, something very sinister could be developing here for the Gulf of Mexico, too. We'll have to keep watching this. I cannot put a
nine-day forecast out for a hurricane, but the longer-term models are hinting at such. So, we'll certainly Keep an eye on that.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, it's nice to know you're watching it for us, Chad. So, we'll be back to check in on that. And in the meantime, it's an umbrella
filled weekend. Yes, Chad, have a fantastic weekend. We'll see you next week.
MYERS: You too.
CHATTERLEY: Chad Myers there. Stay with us. We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." And to North Korea, where the government has reportedly executed dozens of officials following deadly
flooding. Leader Kim Jong Un, as shown here, visiting affected areas last month. A South Korean intelligence agency says the ruler is looking for
someone to blame and lower-level officials are paying the price.
As many as 30 people may have been executed. It's the latest sign the Kim regime is turning deadly for North Korea's elite. Will Ripley reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): North Korea is facing its worst flooding crisis in decades, overwhelming destruction, an
unknown number of dead, a catastrophe caused by heavy rains and human failure. Lack of planning and preparation, plenty of blame to go around.
Kim Jong Un's absolute power means he can't be criticized. He's going on a rampage, punishing local officials, removing some from their posts, perhaps
going even further. South Korea's spy agency says it's closely monitoring signs. North Korea may have executed multiple officials over the flooding.
One report put the number as high as 30, citing an unnamed South Korean official. Any numbers are nearly impossible to verify, given North Korea's
extreme isolation and rejection of all-outside aid.
RIPLEY: Did you ever witness A public execution in North Korea?
CHOONG-KWON PARK, ELITE NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR (through translator): When I was in middle school, I saw a soldier getting publicly executed. I went out
of curiosity. I couldn't eat for several days after that.
RIPLEY (voice-over): That traumatic experience, one reason, Choong-Kwon Park says he ran away from North Korea 15 years ago, despite his elite
upbringing. Today, he's a South Korean lawmaker.
PARK (through translator): It doesn't make sense why these public executions are still happening in North Korea. But you know, Kim Jong Un
killed his own uncle.
RIPLEY (voice-over): That execution sent chills through the North Korean elite, made up of top party officials, diplomats, and senior officers.
Kim's uncle, Jang Song-thaek, was the second most powerful man in North Korea. South Korea's unification ministry says only around 50 elite North
Koreans fled under Kim's father. That number has almost tripled under Kim Jong Un, coinciding with his crackdown on corrupt officials.
PARK (through translator): The reason for the elite defections is that in North Korea, there's fewer benefits for the elite now. Secondly, it's no
secret that North Korea has a lot of problems. And thirdly, there's no hope among the young people.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Late last year, a high-ranking North Korean diplomat defected from Cuba. South Korea's foreign ministry says North Korea has
been closing consulates, embassies, and offices around the world. The number of elite defections is rising, even as overall defections are down
dramatically since the pandemic. The result of massively increased North Korean border security, not just to keep people out, but to keep them in.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: All right. Coming up for us here on "First Move," if you've eaten out at a restaurant on your own, well, you're not alone. Why more
people are opting to go solo. And some do's and don'ts to provide some food for thought. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." And a table for one, please. We've all been there walking through a busy restaurant to sit on your own
can at times be a little excruciating. It was also immortalized in the movie, "Shirley Valentine." But growing numbers of us are choosing to eat
out on our own.
According to data from the reservation platform, OpenTable, solo dining is up 8 percent year on year in the United States. It's actually even higher
in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Australia, and it's especially prevalent in Japan. OpenTable says solo diners are doing it for self-care,
to try out new places and to enjoy a quick bite.
Debby Soo is CEO of OpenTable. She's drawn up some commandments on solo dining and joins us now. Debby, fantastic to have you on the show. Just
talk in more depth about what you're seeing and what's driving this. I know in Japan specifically they actually have a term, a specific term for solo
diners.
DEBBY SOO, CEO, OPENTABLE: Yes. Well, it's great to be here, Julia. Thank you for having me. Yes, solo dining is a global trend. As you said earlier,
we're seeing plus 8 percent year over year of solo diners in here in the U.S. and double digits and some of the other markets you mentioned. In
Japan, there is a special word for it.
And I think it comes down to a couple of things, the rise in remote work, the return of business travel, but primarily, we think it's because of the
rise of self-care. And I think the stigma of going into a restaurant by yourself, the clip you just showed is largely antiquated and people these
days are more comfortable and it is more widely accepted to go into a restaurant by yourself with a book or perhaps on your phone, really take in
all that the restaurant has to offer.
CHATTERLEY: Restaurants doing to encourage this as well, because it sort of ties to the commandments that you've put together for the do's and
don'ts effectively if you are going into a restaurant alone and dining. But I know it can also help with some of these reservations where it's
literally impossible in certain cities to get a reservation anytime soon.
SOO: Yes, there's a large narrative out there about how difficult it is to get reservations, especially in dining meccas like New York City.
CHATTERLEY: Yes.
SOO: And there are about a handful of restaurants that are in New York, for example, that are really hard to book and impossible to find a spot in.
So, if you dine by yourself, or you go and walk in, the likelihood of you getting a spot is probably higher.
However, what we see, though, is even if you're dining in a group or with another person, if you're flexible on your time or your date, often, even
at the hardest to book restaurants, there will be availability.
CHATTERLEY: OK. And we're just showing some of your dining solo tips as well. And things like put your phone down to appreciate where you are for a
second, which actually I really loved. I mean, I feel like that applies in all aspects of life. Talk to me specifically about A.I. and what you're
doing with A.I. at OpenTable to kind of utilize and make some of these restaurants and their ability to book more efficient.
[18:45:00]
SOO: Yes, I mean, we are really in the early days of A.I. I'm sure I'm not the first CEO that's come on that has said that.
CHATTERLEY: You're not.
SOO: But it is very exciting what we're seeing. And we've built a myriad of different products. We're experimenting on the restaurant side, right,
for a small, medium sized business, reading about A.I., hearing about A.I. can be really daunting. You might not know exactly what to use or how to
use it or how to get access to it.
So, at OpenTable, we make it a priority to really take care of our restaurants. And A.I. is definitely a trend and it is here. It has begun
and it will change the world and it already has. So, for example, we built a product called Review Response. So, many restauranteurs respond manually
to the online reviews that they receive every night about their restaurant. Some restauranteurs spend hours a day doing this.
So, instead of having them manually do it, we created a chat bot that responds to the reviews in the tone of the restaurant, on behalf of the
restaurant, saving restaurateurs a lot of time. And there are going to be so many other tools like this that are coming out both for our restaurant
base and helping them run their businesses more effectively and productively, but also internally here at OpenTable, by making our own
employees more productive and efficient.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, there are so many ways, I think, in which there can be productivity gains even for a restauranteur, they want to focus on their
customers, on providing great food, and providing great service. Responding as important as it is if you can automate that in some way. Awesome.
In many respects, you are also an economic bellwether to give us a sense of the consumer and how much they are willing to eat out and how often. What
are you seeing? Is there anything that might surprise us in terms of perhaps slowdown from consumers, some cautiousness feeding in wherever we
look around the world? Can you give me your sense of what you're seeing?
SOO: Sure, sure. So, we're seeing dining activity or dining demand to be relatively stable year over year and we're seeing that globally worldwide,
which is great to see. And we're heading into real busy season here with the fall and the winter coming with the holidays.
September, for example, was a little bit slower than we thought it would be in major cities like New York. Where usually, you know, once Labor Day hits
and school is back, the city comes roaring back to life. Everyone's back in the city. And that's happening, it just happens up like a few days later
than we thought. But overall, demand is holding.
What we see is that even though demand is holding, people are going out and prioritizing the experiential. Check size is being impacted. So, through
the data that we have through our software, we are seeing check size go down, but frequency remains stable.
CHATTERLEY: Interesting. Check size going down. I wonder whether alcohol actually plays a part in that. We have much to discuss. I'll get you back
and we'll talk about it. Debby, thank you so much for your time. I know, that's where my mind went. It's clearly Friday night here. CEO of
OpenTable, great to chat to you. Thank you so much.
All right. Still ahead. Unplugged by Elon Musk. Chechnya's leader claims his Cybertruck was, quote, "disabled" on the front lines of Russia's war
with Ukraine. And he's blaming the Tesla boss. Call it perhaps a Cybertruck cyber hack or is it? We'll explain all after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." A word of warning from the leader of Chechnya. Elon Musk may just be able to shut down your vehicle
with a mere flick of a switch. He claims Musk, quote, "remotely disabled" his new cyber truck when he sent it to the Ukrainian front lines. Anna
Stewart has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Elon Musk, a Chechen warlord, and a Tesla Cybertruck. It is a strange story. It started around a month ago, when
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, known for his loyalty to Russian President Vladimir Putin, posted this video.
Here he is, showing off his new Tesla Cybertruck, mounted with a machine gun. Even stranger than that was the message that came with it, which said,
we received a Tesla Cybertruck from the respected Elon Musk. Kadyrov also said he was sending the Cybertruck to the front line of Russia's war in
Ukraine.
Musk then responded in very Musk language to deny the gift, saying it was ridiculous to think he would donate a Cybertruck to a Russian general.
That, you might think, would be the end of it. But it's not. Kadyrov has now posted to Telegram accusing Elon Musk of remotely deactivating his
truck in a long post, which ends, it's not manly. The iron horse had to be towed. How come, Elon? Is this how it is done? No response yet from Tesla
or Musk.
In the meantime, Kadyrov doesn't appear to be put off. In a new video that looks and sounds like a B movie blockbuster trailer, Kadyrov says he is
sending two new Cybertrucks to the war in Ukraine. Now, it is unclear whether that's actually true and where he obtained them. And while they
look like they are moving OK now, we'll see what happens when Elon finds out.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Our thanks to Anna there. And all this begs the question from my father, actually, as I engaged with him on this subject, does the
Chechen leader understand that fully electric vehicles have to be charged now and then? Could be a problem, just saying.
Now, making a "First Move" on the catwalk now, LG has been given high fashion, a high-tech makeover at Seoul Fashion Week, where it debuted a
line of stretchable screens incorporated into clothing. The company's hoping the screens could revolutionize the way we interact with technology.
Mike Valerio will explain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Technological fashion, something new that I've never seen before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Futuristic and reinventive.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): These panels created by LG can twist, bend, and fold. The South Korean tech giant says
this is a world's first when it comes to displays that are not only high res but also stretchable.
LEE CHUNG CHUNG, LIE FASHION DESIGNER: Yes, very good. We're going to show there are some patterns or like the shape of the bodies and then we change
the like faces in the graphics so that people recognize, oh, it's a display.
VALERIO (voice-over): Created from cutting edge technologies such as flexible interconnects, film, and micro LEDs, LG envisions the screens
molded onto gadgets, displayed on skin and worn. Possibilities explored on this Seoul Fashion Week runway.
CHUNG: I thought it's amazing because as a designer, we have, like, many hurdles to describe some ideas. Especially like IT techniques to the
fashion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was amazing to see how technologies can do to textiles and the patterns were very cool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think like in the future, that's what we'll be.
VALERIO (voice-over): LG debuted the technology in 2022, but it's fast evolving.
CHUNG: It's a small, but I think it's like first step to change the like design world.
VALERIO (voice-over): Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Now, if you think you had a rough week, spare a thought for hiker Yang Men, who's lucky to be alive after plunging down a rain slicked
mountain in Eastern China. The terrifying incident was caught on Yang's 360-degree camera.
[18:55:00]
He was making his way up the mountain range when he lost his footing and plunged feet first off a cliff. Thankfully, a tree broke his fall. He
suffered only a few minor scrapes. His takeaway? Life is really short and we need to cherish every day. And next time, take a rope and tie yourself
to it, I think, perhaps.
And finally, on "First Move," yesterday we introduced you to a superstar attraction at a Thai zoo, Moo Deng, the adorable baby pygmy hippo is
stealing hearts around the world and drawing large crowds that just can't get enough of the fetching little creature.
Well, it turns out a zoo in Southern China is hoping to generate a bit of pandemonium of its own, and perhaps a little bit of controversy along the
way. The two animals you see here may look like pandas, at least from a distance, but are, in fact, chowchow dogs, painted black and white, call
them faux pandas, perhaps.
The zoo calls them panda dogs, or painted dogs. It seems to be a common thing in China, and some zoos have been forced to apologize. I mean, they
really do walk like dogs. But it's OK. We love them just the same. I'm not sure they love being painted. I'm thinking with a little bit of paint,
though, Romeo, yes, he made it to the show today, could pass himself off as a panda too. I'll keep it in mind as we get closer to Halloween. We'll
definitely be back on that one.
And that just about wraps up the show. Thank you for joining us. Have a wonderful weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
