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One World with Zain Asher

South Korea Fires Warning Shots To Tell North Korean Troops To Get Back To Their Side Of DMZ; U.S. Wildfires Rage Across Parts Of The Western Country Forcing Thousands To Flee For Safety; Boeing CEO Set To explain his company's safety record; President Biden To Take Executive Action To Protect Hundreds Of Thousands Of Undocumented Immigrants From Deportation; "Pig Butchering" Cyber Scam Grow By Leaps And Bounds In The U. S.; Justin Timberlake Charged For DWI. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired June 18, 2024 - 12:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:00]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, right now Vladimir Putin is on his way to reunite with Kim Jong-un.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, two strange bedfellows. "ONE WORLD" starts right now. An act of defiance and desperation. The Russian President

is visiting his North Korean ally for the first time in almost 25 years.

ASHER: Also ahead, running for their lives. Thousands in two Western states are evacuated as firefighters battle blazes across the region.

GOLODRYGA: And just hours ago, megastar Justin Timberlake was arrested in the Hamptons. We'll tell you why he was detained in the wealthy Summer

Beach Enclave.

ASHER: All right, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching "ONE WORLD". Two close allies are set to get even closer. Any moment now, Russian President

Vladimir Putin is expected to land in North Korea. He's meeting with Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un for the second time in less than a year.

ASHER: Yeah, Pyongyang is rolling out the red carpet with portraits of Mr. Putin lining the streets ahead of his first visit to the country in more

than two decades. He's expected to seek more support for his war in Ukraine. One lawmaker in the U.S. says that shows the Russian President is

really running out of options.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): It signals desperation, frankly. I mean, if Vladimir Putin, who believes that he runs, you know, the inheritor of the

Russian Empire, of the Soviets, is forced to go hat in hand to a country where the GDP per capita is $1000 per person per year, the whole thing has

a ludicrous feel to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Let's bring in Mike Valerio, who's following the story from Seoul. So, we expected the two to sign a strategic partnership agreement.

Explain more as to what that entails.

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. Well, you know, Bianna, that is the main question. And Zain, it's great to see you, as well. So, what we're

watching for acutely is to see whether the strategic partnership is going to be small ball, like economic measures, trading in rubles instead of

dollars right now between North Korea and Russia, tourism measures.

Or are they going to play fastball and hardball with new military cooperation, perhaps military drills in some of these disputed islands

close to the border of North and South Korea, or perhaps a mutual defense agreement that seems to be a little less likely for reasons that we're

going to explain in a few seconds from now.

But in terms of what each country wants, why they're growing closer to each other, it's because they need things from each other acutely, Bianna and

Zain. So, what North Korea wants from Russia, whole laundry list we're talking about, help with their satellite program, with their ballistic

missile program, help with food security, energy, of course.

And, of course, Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, wants the, quote, unquote, prestige of standing with a, from their point of view, strong

leader like Vladimir Putin. Again, I stress from their point of view. What Russia wants, they need more ammo constantly to help prosecute their war

with Ukraine against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

And, you know, interestingly enough, Bianna and Zain, we heard very public comments from Vladimir Putin last week when he said that he was thanking

South Korea for not, I repeat, not sending lethal weapons to Ukraine to help President Zelenskyy.

And for that reason alone, there are so many experts we've talked to who have said because President Putin is grateful to South Korea not sending

these lethal weapons to Ukraine, perhaps he may not rock the boat here on the peninsula too, too much. Listen to a few words on that point. Let's

listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER WARD, RESEARCH FELLOW, SEJONG INSTITUTE: Korea remains committed to not providing lethal aid to Ukraine. And this is very much the Kremlin has

made this made it clear that this is a red line for them. But by the same token, if the Kremlin were to upset or annoy or anger Seoul too much, then

the threat is, of course, that Seoul may start to provide lethal aid to Kyiv.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIO: Okay, so the atmosphere of what is happening as all this song and dance goes on is also critically important to talk about. You know, Zain

and Bianna, earlier this morning around 8 A.M. local time, we had not one, not two, but between 20 to 30 troops from North Korea straying beyond the

military demarcation line, which is pretty much the middle of the DMZ.

[12:05:05]

South Korea firing warning shots to tell the North Korean troops, hey, get back to your side of the DMZ. And that is notable because that's the second

time in two weeks that has happened. We've also seen new telephoto images side of the DMZ, and that is notable because that's the second time in two

weeks that has happened.

We've also seen new telephoto images, satellite images of new construction along North Korea's side of the border. That is drawing some raised

eyebrows from both American and South Korean officials. China, for its part, met with South Korean security counterparts.

China does not want to see any kind of increased Russian-North Korean major military cooperation because, of course, Bianna and Zain, anything that

could add more American troops, that is not in China's interest. So, we will be acutely waiting and watching to see what is the concrete

deliverable tomorrow when this wraps up by Wednesday evening.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it may be a short-term game for Vladimir Putin, but no doubt that the bigger picture globally, it is a big fall from grace for

Vladimir Putin just the past 10 years, given his illegal actions in Ukraine. He was a member of the G8 10 years ago, no longer. Now, it's the

G7. And I think it's pretty safe to say he would not have been visiting Pyongyang to visit with a hermit state leader, a dictator.

ASHER: Having to go hand in hand to ask for assistance. All right, Mike Valerio, live for us. Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And we'll have much more on the Putin visit to North Korea later in the hour. Meantime, happening right now in the U.S., wildfires are

raging across parts of the Western country, forcing thousands to flee for safety. In New Mexico, a nightmare. Look at this unfolding as two wildfires

are racing across a tribal reservation and converging on a village. Five thousand residents there were forced to evacuate their homes.

ASHER: The blazes, fueled by gusty winds, high temperatures, low humidity, as well, have rapidly burned through thousands of hectares. And further

west, thick smoke and red skies loom over parts of California. A fast moving fire near Sacramento, known as the area of fire, has burned more

than 2000 hectares since Monday.

In L.A., crews are battling the latest of the blazes called the post fire. So far, six thousand hectares have burned and it's only about 24 percent

contained. California residents tell us the horror -- the horror that they felt as the fire has raged through their properties.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: I'm still in shock that it actually devastated the property as much as it did. But I am just so grateful that we didn't lose anything

else.

UNKNOWN: The wind was horrendous and the fire spread and split at rates not normally seen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right. CNN's Natasha Chen joins us live now from California. Just talk us through what is going on here in terms of the winds, the low

humidity, the high temperatures, this perfect storm, essentially, that is fueling the blazes.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Zain and Bianna, this situation is getting worse and worse by the year. It seems we're seeing

more and more wildfires grow larger and larger. Some in recent years, we've seen some that were supposed to be once in a century events becoming a

couple of times a season.

And we talked to the public information officer here at the command center for the post fire here in Los Angeles County about this. He says the

strategy now is to just send way more crews to attack the fire more quickly. As in this case, 15,000 acres burned, more than a thousand people

evacuated over the weekend with this post fire. And he says if they just quickly wrap this fire, they can prepare potentially for the next big one.

Right now, they've got the northern perimeter of this fire contained well, but the southern perimeter is a bit difficult because of the rugged

terrain. They are still expecting high winds with a red flag warning through about midday today. Just about now is when they're hoping to see

things taper off a little bit.

But they have to actually send in crews, shuttle them by boat on a lake to get to the southern perimeter in certain parts. And that, he says, they've

never seen in this county. So, they're using all sorts of tactics, really, to get at this fire.

Now, while the conditions may improve here in California, the situation in New Mexico is very dire. We are talking about the southeastern portion of

the state that has the highest level of drought designation in the U.S. right now, labeled exceptional drought. So, you can imagine the fire

dangers there. Here is a resident who had to deal with two fires converging on the village.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ENID CHEE, EVACUEE: Unfortunately, we got evacuated.

[12:10:00]

It hasn't affected our house, but we still can't go home. The ones that got affected by the fire, you know, it's going to take a lot to get everything

back. But, you know, as long as lives are saved and, you know, homes are always replaceable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: And that fire -- the South Fork fire near the village of Ruidoso grew to nearly 14,000 acres just overnight. And on the other side, you have

the salt fire. So, really, the officials say that town is like the middle with two fires acting like a pair of tongs, just squeezing that village. A

lot of danger and concern for those thousands of people trying to evacuate. Zain and Bianna.

ASHER: Absolutely. I mean, your heart really goes out to them when you hear these sorts of stories. Terrifying what's happening in California

right now. Natasha Chen, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right. Take a look at this video shot in Meizhou, southeastern China. You actually

see widespread flooding caused by torrential rain there. The storms also collapsed buildings and damaged farmlands as well.

GOLODRYGA: Days of heavy rain and landslides throughout the region in southern China have claimed at least nine lives and 17 people reported

missing. All right. To Gaza now, where two deadly Israeli strikes have taken a heavy toll. This video was shot after an attack on the Nusrat

refugee camp in central Gaza. Officials say at least 15 people, all of them members of two families, were killed. We want to warn you, the next video

is disturbing.

ASHER: Yeah, journalists witnessed the grief and the heartbreak of the survivors as bodies were taken to the hospital. Among the victims, the

mother of an 11-year-old boy who also lost his siblings as well. Here he is crying out in anguish.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): Why didn't God take me with my mom? My mom is gone, my siblings are gone. Who is left in this life to stand by me?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Beyond heartbreaking, listening to that little boy there. U.N. Human Rights Chief says he is appalled by the scale of death and suffering

happening in Gaza right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLKER TURK, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: I am appalled by the disregard to international human rights and international humanitarian law

by parties to the conflict in Gaza. There has been unconscionable death and suffering.

More than 120,000 people in Gaza, overwhelmingly women and children, have been killed or injured since seven October as a result of the intensive

Israeli offensives. Since Israel escalated its operation into Rafah in early May, almost one million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced yet

again, while aid delivery and humanitarian access deteriorated further.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The U.N. also released an alarming report on the human cost of war. The number of civilian casualties from conflicts, including wars in

Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, surged a whopping 73 percent last year.

ASHER: Yeah, the U.N. Human Rights Chief says conflicts have intensified and warring parties across the world have gone beyond what is acceptable

and actually legal on many fronts. All right, now let's turn to flaring tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. A U.S. special envoy says that

Washington is trying to prevent full-scale war breaking out right now between Israel and Hezbollah.

GOLODRYGA: Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut Tuesday for talks with Lebanon's top officials, including an ally of Hezbollah. His visit comes

the day after a stop in Israel, where he met Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior officials. Hochstein says that it's in everyone's interest to

end the conflict now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMOS HOCHSTEIN, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY: The conversations that I had here today in Beirut and the ones that I had yesterday in Israel, both are being

conducted because the situation is serious. We have seen an escalation over the last few weeks, and what President Biden wants to do is to avoid a

further escalation to a greater war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Hochstein latest visit to the region comes after cross-border hostilities fled up significantly last week.

GOLODRYGA: The escalation has driven tens of thousands of civilians from their homes. CNN's Oren Liebermann reports on the situation from northern

Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the main drag in the city of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel, Amatzia Dahari works

alone, taking orders from customers who won't come in person.

AMATSYA DAHARY, NORTHERN ISRAEL RESIDENT: There is no people here in the city. My customers don't come to my gallery, and I feel alone here.

[12:15:03]

LIEBERMANN: The stores and restaurants near his frame shop are closed. The city is nearly empty, under constant threat of rocket attack from Hezbollah

in neighboring Lebanon. But Dahari shows up to work here every day.

DAHARY: I think it's wrong to leave Kiryat Shmona. I think everybody had to be here.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The first launches fell in this city soon after October 7th.

LIBERMANN: This was the safety room, the security room, and the mortar tore right through it.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The city was evacuated two weeks later, the charred remnants of a life hastily abandoned, visible inside. Mayor Avichai

Stern says less than 10 percent of the people here have stayed. Since the 8th of October, we've been attacked every day, Stern says. I don't think

there's any nation in the world that would be prepared for its citizens to be fired upon every day.

At a nearby location, the mayor shows us a much larger rocket that hit the street. It's shrapnel tearing into nearby homes. Also this, Stern says,

this is shrapnel. Look and hear, you'll find them in every place. Along Israel's northern border, once thriving villages have become ghost towns.

In Shlomi, the spirit of the country may be strong, but its people have left.

Approximately 60,000 people have been evacuated from the north to hotels across the country. According to Israel, Hezbollah has fired more than 5000

rockets and drones since the start of the war. Israel has carried out strikes against Hezbollah targets and commanders amid fear of a simmering

conflict boiling over into a war.

"We are approaching the point where a decision will have to be made", says Chief of Staff Herziya Levy, and the IDF is prepared and very ready for

this decision. In recent weeks, the north isn't just under fire, but on fire, sparked by Hezbollah attacks and missile intercepts.

Locals caught this video of an interceptor explosion, which rained burning shrapnel on the area. Firefighters are still coping with smoldering embers

that reignite in the dry conditions, a fire that keeps burning on a border that threatens to do the same.

LIEBERMANN: Even with Amos Hochstein in the region, there are still reports of hostilities across Israel's northern border, reports of Israeli

strikes in a few different locations in southern Lebanon, as well as reports and video from a Hezbollah drone that was flying over Haifa, the

city we were in, and one of the largest cities in northern Israel.

Israel's foreign minister said it is actions like that that bring Israel and Hezbollah closer to war, even as the U.S. and others try to avoid that

exact scenario, the fear there is that Hezbollah is a much stronger organization with Hamas, with an exponentially larger arsenal. So, even if

the conflict there is simmering, if it explodes, it could be absolutely horrific.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and this is Israeli officials recently have vowed that residents there would return by September 1st, obviously that being the

start of the school year, next year, some 60,000 people displaced, obviously the same goes for southern Lebanon, as well. Oren Liebermann,

thank you.

All right, coming up for us, damning new safety claims about Boeing, why at least one member of the U.S. Senate now says there's mounting evidence that

the company should be prosecuted. Also ahead --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Were you in love?

UNKNOWN: I was. Yeah, I really felt like I trusted this person.

UNKNOWN: How much money did you lose?

UNKNOWN: In the end, I ultimately lost $150,000.

GOLODRYGA (voice-over): Wow, fake crypto investment schemes are on the rise and sometimes come with tragic endings. How to recognize signs of the

so-called pig butchering scam. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right, in just a couple of hours from now, the CEO of Boeing is going to be sitting in front of a congressional committee to try to explain

his company's dismal, let's be honest, safety record. But Dave Calhoun probably won't find many friendly faces in the hearing room.

That's because an investigation into Boeing's safety procedures by the congressional committee has turned up a number of very, very troubling

stories. And the committee chair says it is time to hold Boeing responsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): There's mounting evidence that Boeing should be prosecuted. And I'm going to withhold judgment until we finish

this hearing and the investigation. The Justice Department is now doing its own inquiry. But I do think there's near overwhelming evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: And earlier today, the committee released information from a whistleblower at a Boeing plant in Washington state. He said the company

would hide broken or out of specification parts from safety inspectors. And he suspects those may have been later installed into Boeing planes.

ASHER: All right, in just a couple of hours, Joe Biden is expected to take executive action to protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented

immigrants from deportation.

GOLODRYGA: The order will provide legal status to anyone who has been living in the United States for 10 years and is married to a U.S. citizen.

Now, under the old rules, those undocumented spouses often had to leave the country before applying to return. The new system will protect around

500,000 people from deportation and would be the largest relief program for undocumented immigrants in more than a decade.

ASHER: This is obviously a very serious topic. But the notion of marriage as being a way to get around immigration laws has long been fodder for

fiction, the so-called green card marriage. Marriage fraud is a crime but it has been, of course, fertile ground for movie comedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Your visa application is denied. You're being deported.

SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS, "THE PROPOSAL": Deported? It's not like I'm an immigrant or something. I'm from Canada.

UNKNOWN: If you're deported, you can't work for an American company.

UNKNOWN: If there was any way at all that we could make this thing work.

BRYAN REYNOLDS, ACTOR, "THE PROPOSAL": Pardon the interruption.

BULLOCK: I understand the predicament, but there is something that you should know. We are -- we're getting married.

REYNOLDS: Who is getting married?

BULLOCK: You and I. You and I are getting married. Yes.

REYNOLDS: We are.

BULLOCK: Getting married.

REYNOLDS: We are getting married.

BULLOCK: Yes. Can't find a love like ours. So, are we good?

UNKNOWN: Make it all legal and we'll put this whole thing behind us.

REYNOLDS: I'm not going to marry you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The chemistry is just -- unbelievable between the two of them. Remember we were talking about "Green Card", another movie from the '80s,

and similar topic, as well.

ASHER: Maria Cardona joins us live now -- CNN's political commentator. So, Maria, I just want to sort of clear something up for our audience, just so

that everybody can understand. I mean, I think that a lot of people believe that one way to get around immigration laws in this country is to get

married, right? The so-called "Green Card Marriage". And this idea that some people who are undocumented in this country can get a Green Card

through marriage as a way of staying in this country.

But it's a little bit more complicated than that because if you do not come into this country through a visa, if you come into this country by crossing

the border, you then have to leave even after being married to a U.S. citizen.

[12:25:03]

So just walk us through that.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That is exactly right, Zain. And you just said it. If you are already undocumented in this country, if you

came in without papers, then -- and if you happen to marry a U.S. citizen, you don't just automatically get a Green Card. In order to legally come in

without papers, and if you happen to marry a U.S. citizen, you actually have to leave and go back to your own home country, and you can be barred

from coming back to the United States for 10 years.

And so, this is what the President's announcement today fixes. In addition to, as you know, there are up to 11 million undocumented immigrants in this

country who are long-settled undocumented immigrants. We're talking mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, business

owners, veterans, health care workers, first responders.

And so, President Biden, in the face of an intransigent Republican Congress who refuses to do anything to fix our immigration system because they are

listening to Donald Trump, who only wants to weaponize the issue, two weeks ago, and I'm sure you all reported on this, he signed an executive action

to increase border security and make it stricter to apply for asylum in between ports of entry.

And so now, two weeks later, he is doing the balance, what we call the balanced approach, stronger border security in addition to expanded legal

pathways for those long-settled undocumented immigrants who, by the way, according to economists, have injected more than $7 trillion into the

United States economy.

And so, I think it's very smart policy. It's incredibly smart politics. You have Latino voters supporting this. You have swing voters supporting this.

But importantly, the vast majority of Americans support this. Upwards of three-fourths of Americans support the balanced approach because they know,

they probably know some of these undocumented immigrants. They are in all of our communities. They are American citizens in every sense of the word

except for that piece of paper.

GOLODRYGA: Maria, I'm not going to get into the polling because I watched an earlier segment on CNN between you and Scott Jennings and got quite

heated on which polls are accurate on this issue. It was collegial, but it got quite heated. And we should note that this is a very important issue, a

top priority for many voters, not just Republicans but Democrats, as well.

And under this new legislation from the President, it would also apply to the children of undocumented people here in the country who are married to

U.S. citizens with their step-parents essentially are U.S. citizens.

I'm just curious politically, Marie, why wasn't this done simultaneously with the executive order? Because there are some who say this is just a

political stunt that it's done to quell some of the outrage given that executive order among the progressives. It seems rather disjointed, some

would say. Why not do this at the same time and say I am unrolling today, maybe two weeks ago or today?

ASHER: That's a great question.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Why not say here is my full immigration plan as opposed to what looks like is piecemeal?

CARDONA: Well, I think part of the problem is exactly what you all have rightly been saying. This is an incredibly complicated issue. And so, I

think that the President, and again I think smartly, wanted to divide it into the two big pieces so that Americans can focus on the importance of

each of those two big pieces separately but now together.

Because let's remember a couple of things. The very first thing that President Biden did when he walked into the Oval Office was he put together

a bill. He presented Congress with a comprehensive immigration bill.

And you all know that Republicans in Congress have been the ones that have repeatedly starting in 2013 when we had the biggest chance to pass

comprehensive immigration reform with a gang of eight senators, four Republicans, four Democrats, when it came over to the House, Republican

Speaker John Boehner said famously to President Obama, I cannot bring this bill to the floor because I cannot have something pass with majority

Democratic votes. And he shut it down.

So, this for Republicans, they have always focused on weaponizing this issue instead of offering real solutions. Americans want real solutions.

This balanced approach, this two-pronged approach is a real solution. Now, let's be very clear. This is still the purview of Congress. The President

can't do it all.

[12:30:01]

This is not a perfect solution. This is a Band-Aid. Republicans still should join Democrats and really prove to the American people that they

want to solve this. But when they have Donald Trump as their presumptive nominee who has said to them don't give President Biden a win on this,

don't give them anything on immigration because I need this in order to run. I need to weaponize this. I need to dehumanize and demonize immigrants

or else I'm not going to win -- that's why the President is doing this now and that's why he's doing it in this way.

ASHER: This issue is about politics much more, unfortunately, than policy. And obviously for President Biden, he wants to really sort of shield

himself from some of the criticism that he's gotten from liberals. Of course, this is going to be a major topic, especially from Donald Trump's

perspective at the debate next week.

CARDONA: Yeah, it is.

ASHER: Maria Cardona, we have to leave it there. Thank you so much.

CARDONA: Thank you so much, ladies.

GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Maria.

ASHER: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right, North Korea and Russia are cementing their ties with a visit from Russia's President. Vladimir Putin is due in Pyongyang in the

next few hours. It will be his first visit to the country in more than two decades. Leader Kim Jong-un is rolling out the red carpet, posters, line

roadways, a sign of deepening ties between the two autocrats. According to the U.S., a key part of that relationship is North Korea's willingness to

supply weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

[12:35:01]

GOLODRYGA: Time now for The Exchange and a closer look at President Putin's visit to Pyongyang. We're joined by Alex Gabuev, he is the director

of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. Sasha, great to see you, as always. And as we said earlier in the show, 10 years ago, 12 years ago, before his

illegal adventures in taking over parts of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin would have never imagined himself going, hat in hand, as Zain said, to a hermit

state like North Korea, yet here we are.

And what he said is, I want to quote for you and have you respond. He said, "We will develop alternative mechanisms of trade and mutual settlements

that are not controlled by the West and jointly resist illegitimate unilateral restrictions.

The countries would build an architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia." This in an attempt to circumvent global sanctions. Is this

just a statement for statements' sake, or do you think that he actually, the two of them together, will be able to achieve that?

ALEXANDER GABUEV, DIRECTOR, CARNEGIE RUSSIA EURASIA CENTER: It's not just a statement. I think that the visit will be like an iceberg. We will see

the part that's above the water, that small symbolic military parade, a statement. But there is the big underwater part of the iceberg, which is

really crucial. And that's exactly where they're working to circumvent Western sanctions, decrease the pressure on both of them, and give each

other what they need.

Russia is in bad need of ammunition to bridge the gap between its own production and needs for frontline in Ukraine, while North Korea needs new

sources of revenue and needs more modern military technology to upgrade its missile program and space program.

ASHER: And just in terms of what this means politically, because you have the possibility that Donald Trump is going to become the next President of

the United States. What will that mean for this sort of autocratic alliance we're seeing between, for example, Russia and North Korea, and obviously

China as well, and the idea that the United States might end up not only turning a blind eye to it, but also not even supporting NATO? Just walk us

through that.

GABUEV: I think that the autocratic nature of this regime is of secondary importance. What's really important is capabilities that they help each

other to develop to threaten the U.S. and its allies, both in Europe and in the Pacific. If you take Russia and North Korea, Putin's goal is not only

to get the artillery ammunition that he needs from North Korea, but also to help North Korea get stronger and to build it as a bigger problem for the

U.S. and its treaty allies in Japan and South Korea.

And that's a way to pay America back for what he believes is American support for Ukraine in America's proxy war against Russia. That's his

worldview. And this sheer amount of capabilities, for example, if Russia helps North Korea to develop missiles that can strike not only Guam, but

the mainland territory of the U.S., that's pretty scary, and the U.S. needs to develop tools to address that threat.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, that is something that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington right now just expressed concern of, that

specific issue that you just raised about further help that Russia could provide North Korea with its nuclear and missile program. That speaks to

concerns beyond just Ukraine, right, that this would be a global threat and Russia would, in essence, be able to contribute a lot more to make their

program much more sophisticated than it is right now at a relatively fast speed.

GABUEV: It's true, and that might embolden Kim Jong-un to do some adventurous, more aggressive masculine foreign policy on the Korean

Peninsula where South Korean allies and the U.S. troops might be on the line. That regime is very much centered on survival, but it's still

unpredictable. We don't know exactly what drives Kim Jong-un and how aggressive he can become getting those tools and this technical assistance

from the Russians.

GOLODRYGA: Quickly, Alex, in the final moments we have with you, what specifically will you be watching for in this two-day meeting?

GABUEV: I think that very crucial element is transfer of Russian technology, and Putin is accompanied by the people who are in charge, like

his first deputy prime minister, Denis Manturov, who is the key guy in this.

He will be accompanied by his new minister of defense. So, there will be a lot of discussions around that. I don't think that it will be public. And

we will see what North Korea gives in return to Russia.

[12:40:05]

And unfortunately, we're going to see very soon all of these items in the battlefield in Ukraine and in missiles that are pounding civilian

infrastructure in Ukraine.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Alexander Gabuev, thank you so much for joining us. We'll be paying close attention to this two-day visit.

ASHER: All right, now, you may think that it couldn't happen to you but you were scammed out of your life savings and left feeling completely

ashamed. Coming up, we hear from some of those who fell victim to a fake investment scheme.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: An enemy has declared war on the rest of the world without really telling any of us that we are at war, and we are not fighting back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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GOLODRYGA: All right, one particular cyber scam is growing by leaps and bounds in the United States. It's called pig butchering because it involves

gaining a victim's trust over time or fattening them up before taking everything they have.

ASHER: And in one very extreme and actually really tragic case, a grandfather took his own life after losing his savings. Ivan Watson has his

story, and he talked to others who fell prey to similar scams, too.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWN: As soon as I found out that it was a suicide, I was 100 percent sure that it was the scam. It just, it crushed him. It, like, took the life

out of him.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It has only been a couple months since Matt and Adrian suddenly lost their father.

UNKNOWN: I mean, our father was the grand optimist -- he was always. And they -- they extinguished that for him.

WATSON (voice-over): I meet them at Adrian's home in Northern Virginia, where their father's ashes have yet to be buried. Dennis Jones was an avid

photographer, guitarist, and loving grandfather. But last summer, Dennis started withdrawing from the family, instead talking daily to a woman he

met on Facebook.

WATSON: The profile's name here is Jessie Shu. Do you think this person exists?

UNKNOWN: Yeah.

WATSON (voice-over): Over time, Jessie convinced Dennis to invest in cryptocurrency. He pumped more and more money in until it suddenly

disappeared. Text messages show Dennis was desperate, and yet his children say he still trusted his friend named Jessie.

UNKNOWN: I do believe he loved the person that was, that he believed was behind that profile.

[12:45:02]

WATSON (voice-over): Corinna, who works in biotech in Northern California, is also the victim of an online cryptocurrency scam.

WATSON: Were you in love?

CORRINA: I was. Yeah. I really felt like I trusted this person.

WATSON (voice-over): She says she first met her scammer on the dating app Bumble.

WATSON: How much money did you lose? In the end, I ultimately lost $150,000. I mean, I, I went into a depression. I was depressed. I --

ashamed, embarrassed that I had done all this without sharing it with anybody.

ERIN WEST, SNATA CLARA COUNTY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I've been a prosecutor for over 25 years. I spent nine years in sexual assault, and

I've never seen the absolute decimation of people that I have seen as a result of "pig butchering".

WATSON (voice-over): Erin West is a deputy district attorney in Northern California specializing in online crypto scams she calls "pig butchering".

WEST: We've got over $5 billion in losses.

WATSON: In 2023.

WEST: In 2023, and that's up 38 percent from last year. And when crime is growing at 38 percent, that's something you better keep your eyes on.

WATSON (voice-over): Using fake social media profiles, scammers spend months gaining the confidence of their victims before convincing them to

invest in cryptocurrency through fake websites. Those platforms claim huge profits until the money suddenly disappears into the pockets of criminal

gangs mostly based out of Southeast Asia.

A 2023 CNN investigation revealed many scammers are actually themselves victims of human trafficking, like this Indian man named Rakesh. Imprisoned

in this armed compound in Myanmar, he was forced to work pretending to be a Russian woman targeting Americans online.

UNKNOWN: They provide for us. I got a Russian girl. With using a Russian girl fake profile I need to scam people.

WATSON (voice-over): Investigators warn of a mass transfer of wealth, stealing billions of dollars from ordinary Americans, and this year, they

predict it will only get worse.

JEFF ROSEN, SANTA CLARA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Many of these perpetrators are beyond my reach, and in order to establish deterrence, we

need to prosecute some individuals who are running these operations in Southeast Asia.

WATSON (voice-over): U.S. law enforcement say they have yet to arrest a single scammer, though the U.S. Secret Service has had better luck in

recouping some of the lost money.

SHAWN BRADSTREET, U.S. SECRET SERVICE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, SAN FRANSCISCO: We've been able to claw back, you know, millions, but it's

still a small percentage compared to how much is going overseas.

WATSON: Which is billions.

BRADSTREET: Which is billions.

WATSON (voice-over): The scammers flood social media sites to ensnare victims. Tech companies like Meta, Match Group, and Coinbase say they're

trying to spread awareness about the threat, but Deputy District Attorney Erin West says that's not enough.

WEST: An enemy has declared war on the rest of the world without really telling any of us that we are at war, and we are not fighting back.

WATSON (voice-over): Corinna says she spent hours every day exchanging romantic texts with the person she thought she loved.

CORRINA: t's heart-breaking for me to see the state that I was in.

WATSON (voice-over): By the time she realized she'd been defrauded, Corinna says she took out high-interest loans, borrowed money from loved

ones, and had to move back in with her mother.

WATSON: What is the timeline -- like, for repaying your debts right now?

CORRINA: Probably 10 years.

WATSON (voice-over): After Dennis Jones took his own life, his adult children were left piecing together what happened by looking through his

Facebook messages.

UNKNOWN: He's saying these are basically evil people. I did not know that such people existed. And he ends it with, the ultimate pain here is that

I've betrayed my family's trust. This is unbearable.

WATSON (voice-over): In early March, Matt, Adrian, and their sister Laura planned to have a meeting to help out their father. The plan was for him to

move in with Adrian here in Virginia.

UNKNOWN: Unfortunately, the day that we were supposed to have the meeting is the day that we found out he died. He died embarrassed, ashamed,

financially devastated, and heartbroken. And if sharing our story helps somebody else or another family, then it's worth it. Ivan Watson, CNN,

Leesburg, Virginia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: All right, police in New York say music superstar Justin Timberlake was arrested for driving while intoxicated in the Hamptons.

ASHER: All right, Timberlake was arraigned in court earlier today and released without bail, according to his attorney. The singer's next court

date is July 26. CNN Entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagzmeister joins us live now from New York. Elizabeth, details scarce right now, but

just walk us through what we know so far.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we don't have all the details right now, but what we do know is that at 12:37 last night,

Monday into Tuesday, that Justin Timberlake was leaving a hotel in the Hamptons in a village called Sag Harbor, and that is when police saw him

swerving in and out of lanes and he ran through a stop sign.

Now, as you said, his attorney tells us at CNN that he was arraigned and he was released from police custody this morning. His next hearing is set on

July 26. We have reached out to representatives for Justin Timberlake, and we have yet to hear back. So, Justin has not posted anything. His publicist

has not gotten back to us yet.

But remember, this is coming at a time that Justin is in the middle of his tour. In fact, his next tour date is this weekend in Chicago, and then next

week, he'll be back at Madison Square Garden in New York.

So, this isn't coming at a time that he's not busy, and you would expect that he will have to say something. Now, Justin has been riddled with some

controversy in his personal life throughout the years, but I do want to point out that this is his first arrest.

ASHER: Yeah, that is important to note. But yes, you point out some of the controversies that he has been caught up in, especially, I mean, you and I

were talking about this, the fact that, you know, he did get caught, and this is a completely separate issue, but in terms of the controversies that

he's been wrapped up in, that he did get caught sort of cozying up with a co-star in recent years, and that brought some negative attention on him,

as well. Just walk us through that.

WAGMEISTER: Absolutely, and that was in 2019. He was filming a movie called "Palmer" and he was photographed with his co-star at the time, and

that actually prompted him to release a statement, which is very atypical for a star of that stature, but when you get caught and you are married to

a fellow celebrity, you have to say something, so that is one of the controversies.

Also, last year, when Britney Spears released her memoir, she said that she was forced by Justin Timberlake to get an abortion when they were dating in

their teenage years. He never responded to that. And, of course, we also remember with Janet Jackson years ago, and that has been something that has

always, always haunted Justin Timberlake.

[12:55:00]

So, again, controversies in his personal life, but this is the first arrest, and obviously a DWI is very serious, and, you know, you wonder, why

wouldn't you take a car, right? You certainly have the means to do so, but also in the age of Uber and Lyft, you know, anybody can drive safely while

they are drinking.

ASHER: All right, Elizabeth Wagmeister, live for us there. Thank you so much.

GOLODRYGA: You come to New York, and the celebrity news follows you, Elizabeth. Good to see you. Well, the Boston Celtics are celebrating the

thrill of victory after winning their record-setting 18th NBA championship. I wanted them to win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Here at the Garden. Get ready to raise an 18th banner, Boston. The Celtics are once again the winningest franchise in the history of the

NBA.

ASHER (voice-over): Bianna glued to the screen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Oh, my God, two of my favorite players, Jalen Brown. Tatum, yeah.

ASHER: Why don't you take it away? I was going to read the next part, but you just do it.

GOLODRYGA: You sure? I'm so excited. So, Boston beat the Dallas Mavericks. I'm a Houston Rockets fan, so that's why I wanted Boston to win -- 106-88

to win the series in five games. Jason Tatum, again, a phenomenal player, led all scorers with 31 points.

Jalen Brown, yeah, he was my favorite. He added 21 points. He was named the most valuable player in the finals. The Celtics finished the regular season

with the best record in the NBA. They lost only three games throughout the entire playoffs.

ASHER: You sold that much better than I did. I mean, you brought so much passion.

GOLODRYGA: It was a fun game to watch. And the parade will be great, too.

ASHER: All right, I'm Zain Asher. Thanks for watching.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you so much. "AMANPOUR" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END