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Quest Means Business
IDF: About 450 Hamas Targets Struck In The Past Day; Images From Gaza Show Israeli Military Detaining Blindfolded Men Stripped To Their Underwear; UN Security Council To Vote On Ceasefire Resolution; US Adds 199,000 Jobs In November, Beating Expectations; UK Regulator Examining Microsoft, OpenAI Relationship; Pressure Growing On UPenn To Fire Its President; Jon Rahm Leaving PGA Tour For LIV Golf; Hunter Biden Facing Nine Charges In Federal Tax Case; Protecting A Symbol Of The Andes; How To Break Up With Your Phone: Establishing A Balance; U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution On Gaza Ceasefire. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired December 08, 2023 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:26]
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A lot of trading on the final day of the week. The markets that are opening their business there, now you have
it.
From early afternoon, it has been a steady rise throughout the course of the day. The markets and the main events that we're covering from the UN
Secretary -- the UN Security Council is set to vote on a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The Secretary-General is warning that
humanitarian support system in Gaza may collapse.
Hiring in the US remains robust, and this is in despite a slowing economy. So now, what does it mean for interest rates? And it may be the toughest
breakup you will ever have.
Tonight, reading for succeeding, how to reset, control-alt-delete, change or improve your relationship with your cell phone.
Live from London tonight, on Friday, December the 8th, I am Richard Quest and I mean business.
Good evening. We begin tonight with Israel stepping up its offensive in Gaza. While in New York, the United Nations is voting on a resolution
calling for a ceasefire.
On the military side, the IDF says it struck about 450 targets over the last 24 hours. That's the highest number since the end of the truce a week
ago. An Israeli flag has been raised in Palestine Square in Gaza City. A symbolic victory of the Hamas militants were seen in the area following
Israel saying it took control of northern Gaza.
On the diplomatic front, we go to the United Nations. There, the Security Council is expected to meet where they will be discussing a ceasefire
resolution. It follows the Secretary-General invoking a rarely used clause to bring the issue direct to the Security Council.
Meanwhile, the head of the UN's aid agency in Gaza says its operation is on the verge of collapse. The UN Sec-Gen spoke to the Security Council about
the conditions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN SECRETARY-GENERAL: I deeply regret to inform the council that, under current conditions on the ground, the fulfillment of
this mandate has become impossible. The conditions for the effective delivery of humanitarian aid no longer exists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now, in terms of what both sides are saying on controversial images that have appeared on social media. So these are the pictures. You may have
seen them already. They show dozens of men stripped to their underwear. The exact circumstances of the detentions are not clear.
An IDF spokesman said the men are suspected Hamas members. CNN has learned at least one is a journalist.
Family of those held are not tied to Hamas. Hamas spokesperson is accusing Israel of kidnapping and disrobing a group of displaced Palestinian
civilians, has called the act a reprehensible crime.
So Ben Wedeman is with me from Jerusalem. Jennifer Hansler is at the US State Department. We've got both of you.
I think since I believe, Jennifer, I'm going to start tonight with you, if I may. Just give me an update on where this ceasefire resolution has come
from, and bearing in mind the US or the UK, whatever, could veto it, it's going nowhere.
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Well, that's right, Richard. This is a United Arab Emirates-backed resolution calling for an
immediate humanitarian ceasefire and also the release of all hostages. We are standing by to see how the members of the UN Security Council will vote
on this resolution.
It is very likely that the US will vote no on this resolution, if it exists, in the form -- we have seen the trap -- because it does call for
that ceasefire. That is something the US has opposed throughout this conflict. They haven't said advocated for what they call humanitarian
pauses, which they say are limited. They are defined as opposed to an indefinite ceasefire.
And, of course, this has put them in stark contrast with all of their Arab partners, many of whom are here in Washington today. They are just a couple
of hours away from meeting with Secretary of State Blinken.
Just this morning, the foreign ministers from this delegation called for the passage of this resolution. They said a failure to do so sends a
message that Israel can continue with the killing of civilians in Gaza with impunity.
[15:05:06]
So we will wait and see whether or not the US will move at all, if they will vote no, and whether or not any of their allies will abstain or vote
yes on this resolution -- Richard.
QUEST: So, Ben, in Jerusalem, Ben, these -- I mean, there's two aspects in terms of the military. You've got the fighting, obviously, that's underway
and the ferocity of that fighting, which continues. But then you've got these appalling pictures, which we're now starting to see with, seemingly,
no satisfactory explanation.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Israelis are saying that they believe they're Hamas members or have possibly connected
with Hamas, and that the reason why they were stripped down to their underwear is out of fear that they might be carrying explosives.
We understand that these are people who were essentially rounded up from UN schools that are being used as shelters or people just staying behind
despite the fact the Israelis have come in. And they've just been detained and brought in for questioning.
Now, I've seen similar things done on the West Bank in 2002 when we captured with our camera as well, images of all of the men between about 15
-- so really boys -- and to about 60 rounded up, had their hands tied behind their back, kneeling on the ground, waiting to either be taken away
or questioned by the Israeli army. These are jarring pictures. But certainly, for those of us who have been covering the story for decades,
not the first time. No, Richard.
QUEST: And, Jennifer, how far to either -- not so much with the Security Council, not to go about its business, but in terms of the political aspect
for the State Department and Antony Blinken and the administration, the worst this gets, the more difficult it becomes for them to not only stand
against the ceasefire, but even to hold the line that they tried to hold so far.
HANSLER: Well, that's absolutely right, Richard. We have heard from US officials that they are pressing Israel to wrap up at this offensive in the
coming weeks. However, we've also seen the Israeli government rebuff a lot of this US pressure to this point. It took a lot of trips and calls by US
officials to get them to move on humanitarian aid, for example, to agree to the first round of that humanitarian pause a few weeks ago that eventually
collapsed.
And we have seen Secretary Blinken speak out, calling for Israel to do more to protect civilians. He said they have taken some important steps, but
that there is a gap between the intent and the reality there on the ground.
And we have, at the same time, seen this pressure growing from the world and here in the United States as well from people who are really calling
for the US to push for a ceasefire ...
QUEST: Okay.
HANSLER: ... and the barrage of civilian casualties that we are seeing in Gaza.
QUEST: Ben, finally to you, I just like an assessment, please. Is it likely that this is so serious from Israel's point of view that this traditional
view, you know, will keep going until the Americans finally tell us stop IDF?
Netanyahu is not having any of it this time. They're going to continue. They -- in their view, my -- their -- my words, but their view, you know,
they're going to finish the job as they see it regardless of what pressure comes their way.
WEDEMAN: That's certainly the impression one gets that the Israelis, after the events of 7th of October, are going to go all the way. They'd -- even
though, for instance, Secretary Blinken had said that the United States doesn't want to see Israel repeat the kind of civilian casualties,
destruction and displacement, in the south that it did in the north before the ceasefire -- the truce, excuse me. But I do get the feeling that the
Israelis have decided that they want to eliminate, destroy Hamas whatever the cost.
And the cost so far, we've seen, is extremely high. We're talking about 17,500 dead as of today, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, two-
thirds of whom are women and children.
We have seen the other destruction of northern Gaza. Our -- people who deal with geolocating images say they're having a hard time because the entire
landscape in northern Gaza has been completely obliterated. We're talking about 85% of the population being displaced.
And even if the war were to end tomorrow, most of these people would have no homes to go back to. But the Israelis are determined, as I said, to go
all the way and perhaps to do that without the tacit approval of the United States -- Richard.
[15:10:07]
QUEST: Ben, I'm grateful. We have Ben and Jennifer there. Thank you very much.
US labor market is standing tough despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to cool the economy. Employers added 199,000 jobs in November with employment
falling to 3.7%.
Now, that resilience is what the Fed has to consider. The usual thinking is that number of people to have to lose their jobs to lower inflation.
The US seems to have broken or bent that rule. Consumer prices have fallen without a spike in unemployment. Inflation though is still above the Fed's
2% target.
Rana is with me -- Rana in New York. Rana, that's exactly the point there. I mean, I can give -- I'm not going to give you too much ground here
because I will argue that the theory still holds true because you haven't got back to target. You haven't done -- now, you may answer you don't have
to get back to target, but the last mile hasn't been reached.
RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: The last mile hasn't been reached, but Richard, I mean, we have come a long way. And this is pretty
unprecedented.
Let's just look at it in the global context for starters. I mean, what's happening in the US really puts this country well out in front of any kind
of rich developed country peers. I think this is something very unusual. And frankly, I think it speaks to the demise have trickled down as a
stimulus strategy and the rise of a certain new kind of fiscal-led policy that is showing itself to have a longer tail.
I mean, look at these numbers. We are seeing, as you pointed out, falling inflation at the same time that you haven't crushed the jobs market. Big
deal. I mean, there is no way to argue that this isn't something new.
QUEST: Well, hang on. (Inaudible), sorry.
FOROOHAR: Although I guess we will try to argue that.
QUEST: Well, I was just having a bit of indigestion because you conveniently ignored the rising deficit. Yes, the fiscal spending, but it's
come at such a price.
FOROOHAR: Well, yes. And you know that as a good Midwesterner, I am worried about debt and deficit. But let's step back and look at this in a broader
historical context.
Yes, under the Biden administration, we've seen more fiscal stimulus than we have since the Eisenhower administration into the real economy ...
QUEST: Right.
FOROOHAR: ... Into mainstream, not into Wall Street.
And it's hard. I mean, it is really hard to say, Richard, that we didn't need that at this moment, you know? I mean, put aside just the COVID
payouts which, frankly, it cushions the blow for a lot of consumers and, I think, have really led to a strong recovery.
The Fed has put out a report on that. We're rebuilding. We're putting real money into Main Street. That has been needed for several decades. And then
ultimately, in the midterm, I think it's going to have a productivity growth payoff.
QUEST: The UK regulators are looking at Microsoft's ties to OpenAI, the whole ChatGPT. The gist of it, as I see it, is that they're basically
saying, has Microsoft bought the company without actually having to do all of the regulatory nasty, say, hard work of doing so, the de facto they are
the owners. Is the CMA, the Competition of Markets Authority, are they overplaying in their hand?
FOROOHAR: That's a good question. I think what they're doing is trying to put a stake in the ground for the UK in terms of tech regulation. You know,
you saw the UK coming out with the big AI summit at Bletchley Park and saying, look, we want to play in this regulatory game, too. I think they've
been seeing the EU and the US making their own moves.
Look, I think this is a legitimate concern. You know, AI is something that needs big computing power, which means big tech platforms. When you look at
how this technology is being embedded at Microsoft into all of the elements of the company, into all the business offerings, I think it's pretty hard
to look at past cases and say this isn't something regulators action want to take a look at.
QUEST: The state of the economy, I'll grant you, is much better than we might have expected or hoped for, but it's not universal. I mean, I was in
...
FOROOHAR: No.
QUEST: ... Africa last week. I was down in Tanzania, over in Zanzibar. And there, you know, the trade issues there are very real. They have not
benefited as fully as they should.
FOROOHAR: Well, I think that's a great point, and I think it speaks to the fact that we are in a post global era, right?
QUEST: Yes.
FOROOHAR: We are in an era for many reasons where things are decoupling. We've been in a world for really the last 40 years or so where asset
classes, geographies, things have been sort of rising in tandem or falling in tandem.
QUEST: Right.
FOROOHAR: Now, there's a decoupling. There's a much more multipolar world. We have to get ready for that.
QUEST: Finally, Rana, I don't need your answer. I don't need your answer one way or the other. But if I was to ask you, does calling for the
genocide of Jews violate Penn's rules or code of conduct? Would you have difficulty answering it?
[15:15:16]
FOROOHAR: Oh, boy. Well, I wouldn't have had difficulty giving you my personal feelings. But I would have to look carefully at their code of
conduct to answer that. And perhaps, I'll just leave it there, Richard.
QUEST: Rana, I'm grateful. Thank you. That's the problem.
FOROOHAR: Thank you. That's the problem.
QUEST: That is exactly the issue that we'll be talking about after the break because some lawmakers and now major donors want the presidents of
major US universities fired. And you see the difficulty of doing it because what they said in Congress, but actually what the policies are (inaudible).
QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: And so to the question that was asked by a member of Congress and the answer given by university presidents, a group of Republican lawmakers
say the University of Pennsylvania should fire its president. She's Liz Magill, who was called to Capitol Hill -- you know the story -- for a
hearing on campus antisemitism. The leaders of Harvard on MIT were also there. Heres the exchange that has her critics so upset.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): Ms. Magill, at Penn, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn's rules or code of conduct, Yes or no?
LIZ MAGILL, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment, yes.
STEFANIK: I am asking specifically calling for the genocide of Jews, does that constitute bullying or harassment?
MAGILL: If it is directed and severe or pervasive, it is harassment.
STEFANIK: So the answer is yes?
MAGILL: It is a context-dependent decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: That response did not sit well with some of UPenn's graduate and supporters. The Wharton Business School, one of the absolute creme de la
creme of business school -- they've not "the" in the world. The board of advisers wants Magill fired. Former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman says it's
not even debatable and a major donor says he'll take steps that will cost the school $100 million unless he goes.
Now, the president of Harvard made comments similar to Magill's during the hearing. Claudine Gay then apologized in the student newspaper, "The
Crimson," saying she amplified distress and pain.
[15:20:06]
Matt Egan is in New York. Matt, now, we can look at this in various ways. But the reality is that the answers that they gave, technically, were
probably right, that it is a contextual question, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, that depends on the policies the way that it's being phrased --
I've got here -- but you just don't answer that sort of question and that sort of way under these sorts of circumstances. That's really what this is
about, isn't it?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: You nailed it, Richard. I mean, this was a barely four hour-long hearing. And it all boiled down to just a few minutes -- a
few minutes where the leaders of some of the most prestigious schools on the planet, they struggled, right? They struggled to answer what many
people would assume would be a simple question, right? Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate the rules?
And they sort of hemmed and they hawed, and they kind of fumbled their response. None of them explicitly said, yes, it would violate the rules.
And so, you know, in this highly charged political environment ...
QUEST: Right.
EGAN: ... they came off as, you know, maybe too politically correct, as too academic, maybe even too lawyerly. And in this viral society, you know,
that was enough. That was enough to sit up this groundswell of controversy.
And even in just the last 36 hours, we have these six members of Congress from Pennsylvania calling for Liz Magill to resign. You mentioned the
Wharton Board of Advisers calling for an immediate change of leadership, this power donor at Penn threatening to cancel a $100 million gift unless
the school makes a leadership change, and John Huntsman saying that it's not even debatable that, of course, Liz Magill should go.
So it's been stunning to see just how quickly -- from just a few minutes of that hearing, how quickly all of this has come together. And now the school
is under very significant pressure ...
QUEST: Right.
EGAN: ... to make a change.
QUEST: But so the way I'm looking at it, do we now -- it's sort of slightly bifurcated. You've got Harvard who's apologized. And as far as I can see,
that one might just dwindle away and -- the noise and fury. But the Penn one is more tricky because now you've actually got somebody putting a price
tag on that answer of $100 million.
So if you are Liz Magill, you're thinking, well, do I go to so sector to keep the university having a $100 million?
EGAN: Right, I think you're right that the Penn situation is trickier for three reasons. One, the one you just mentioned, that now there is this
dollar figure that you can say if they keep her, it's going to cost $100 million. That's a tough pill to swallow for anyone.
But also, because in Liz Magill's attempt to try to clean up and do some damage control, I don't think that she went as far as the Harvard
president. Liz Magill didn't actually come out and apologize as we've heard from the Harvard president in the school paper today.
The other really important factor here is that Liz Magill was under enormous amount of pressure, Richard, for months now, right, dating back to
steps that really go back to even before the October 7th terror attack in Israel. And so, for all of those reasons, she is under even more pressure.
And I think it's an open question right now whether or not her presidency survives this crisis.
QUEST: I'm grateful to you. Thank you, Matt Egan.
A shocking defection by the world's number three golfer is raising questions about a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Jon Rahm has
joined LIV Golf for a deal that reportedly worth around million dollars. The figure comes from ESPN. It's a named sources, but a lot of money even
if it's less than that.
LIV Golf in the PGA announced a partnership this summer. This talent grab could be a sign that the agreement is far from settled. There's not much
time left. The deadline to reach a framework agreement is December the 31st.
Patrick Snell is with me. He is in Atlanta. So what's the nub of this? There's -- that the two are coming together anyway, so why is he taking
this deal? Why is this deal on the table? What's the issue as far as you are concerned?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Richard. Yes, well, are the two coming together anyway? We know the
deadline is the 31st of December.
Why else, Richard? Why would LIV Golf sanction a deal of such gargantuan proportions if that deal were truly eminent? That is one hot talking point
in the world of golf right now.
June the 6th, certainly earlier in this year, is the day everything changed. Jon Rahm, himself, spoke about a sense of betrayal that he was
feeling once it became clear that both the US PGA Tour and the -- what was the European Tour, now the DP World Tour, were going into this commercial
entity with the LIV Golf series.
But this is why this feels different in such a big way, Richard. This is seismic on so many levels.
Jon Rahm is a massive global superstar. He is probably, for many, Richard, the best golfer in the world. He is the reigning masters champion. He's a
former US Open winner as well, and he's probably not even at the peak of his playing power.
[15:25:11]
Either, you can see the growing momentum now with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series. They've got three out of the last five major winners. But let's
listen more now to Rahm's reasons for joining the LIV Golf circuit. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON RAHM, FORMER PGA PLAYER: I believe in the growth of the game of golf. I've largely spoken about how Seve improved the game of golf in Spain. And
I've always said how I would like to do the same thing over there. And if I can reach a bigger audience, it would be amazing. And I do believe this
process will help me do that.
At the end of the day, a man is going to make a decision what's best for him and his family, right? It's that simple, which is what this boil down
to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Right. Jon Rahm there, Richard, referencing his idol, the Spanish great Severiano Ballesteros. So I will say that this is a great U-turn for
Jon Rahm because, earlier in the year, he had spoken about how he wasn't motivated by money. He wasn't a format of the controversial 54-hole
tournament format the fact that they have shotgun start, the fact that there's no cut. Well, times are changing in a big way -- Richard.
QUEST: Patrick Snell, Patrick, the -- if I give you $300 million, I mean, you know, it's a lot of money, isn't it?
SNELL: It's a huge amount of money. But I do think to Jon Rahm, specifically, Richard, he'd spoken about the history of the sport ...
QUEST: Right.
SNELL: ... how important the history of the sport was to him, how -- he was motivated by legacy for playing in the great tournaments, you know,
thinking tournaments which have names to Jack Nicholas, the great Arnold Palmer. Those were also important to him in terms of legacy. And now, it's
all about team golf for him. It's about the LIV Golf series.
I didn't see this coming.
QUEST: Three million?
SNELL: I didn't see this coming.
QUEST: Three -- all right, sir. Thank you very much.
Hunter Biden says Republicans are trying to ruin his father's presidency. The new criminal counts which Biden has been charged -- Hunter Biden -- in
connection to his taxes.
[15:30:10]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:54]
QUEST: Hello, I'm Richard Quest. We have a lot more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS together.
Another year of strong sales and higher production costs on rising prices appear to be taking a toll on the motorcycle giant Ducati. I'll be talking
to the CEO in the United States.
And are you a slave to this? To your screen? We'll speak to the author encouraging people to break up with their phones as our Reading for
Succeeding series continues. Only after the news headlines. This is CNN and here, the news always comes fast.
Ukrainian officials say Russia fired a barrage of missiles at Kyiv.
Military officials say the air raid lasted almost two hours. It's the first cruise missile attack in nearly 80 days. Ukrainian officials say most of
the missiles were destroyed. Some homes there were damaged by falling debris.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will run for re-election next year. It will be the first time the people in occupied Ukraine can vote in
Russia's presidential election. If he wins a fifth term, President Putin could remain in power until at least 2030.
Yes, there's approved a new therapy using the gene editing technique called CRISPR for sickle cell disease. That technique enables scientists to make
precise cuts in DNA for editing. Sickle cell is a painful inherited blood disorder that affects an estimated 100,000 people in the United States.
Hunter Biden says House Republicans are investigating him as a way to destroy his father's presidency, and that they are in his words, trying to
kill me.
He made the comment in a podcast released today. The interview was apparently recorded before Joe Biden's son was hit with nine new federal
charges. They include failure to file and pay taxes, filing a false return and evasion of assessment. This stems from Hunter Biden's overseas
business, he could face up to 17 years of prison if convicted.
Evan Perez is in Washington. Evan, I mean, there's always a possibility of more charges on the horizon. But were you surprised -- were you and others
surprised by these latest tax charges that are handed down?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, Richard, because I mean, this is an investigation that has been going on for five
years. It's a point certainly that Hunter Biden and his legal team make all the time, which is why has this taken so long? Why have -- is the
government still pursuing this with no new -- really, no new facts that you see in these 56 pages that contain these very salacious allegations.
And, of course, we know that Hunter Biden was struggling with addiction during the period that the government is talking about, 2016 to 2019, where
he was not paying his taxes. And he was spending money on these things that the government really did goes into great detail here. They talk about how
he had a spent $188,000 on adult entertainment, he spent -- he was trying to deduct on his taxes a $10,000 membership in a sex club. He was spending
money on exotic cars and exotic dancers and trying to claim them as business expenses.
And there, what the government is saying is that he had plenty of money from all of those business dealings that he had in Ukraine and China, and
chose not to pay his taxes that not all of that time was he encumbered, so to speak, by his addiction.
So, we're going to see this code of trial in Los Angeles, perhaps, in the next year or so. The government says that he could face up to 17 years,
none of us thinks that this will get to that point, obviously.
And obviously, Richard, one of the biggest things is, you know, whether a jury in Los Angeles finds this case compelling enough to send the son of
the president to prison, given the fact again, that he paid those taxes in the end.
[15:35:03]
And so, you know, the point that I think Hunter Biden's attorneys and his allies make is that really this is -- this case is being brought because
pressure from Republicans and the political landscape given the fact that we're entering an election year, Richard.
QUEST: Evan Perez, thank you.
One of the greatest tools man has ever made is the cell phone. I'm just going to try and call up something to see, there we go, look. Now, it's
also one of the world's greatest distractions. Don't even get me started on my screen time, there you are. If you were quick enough, you've probably
screenshot it.
Eight hours 55 minutes a day, up 30 percent from last week that's because I was traveling and therefore using it more. That's my excuse and I'm
sticking to it.
Well, the author Catherine Price will be with me after the break to teach us how to break up with our phones, be gone, be gone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: The Tropical Andes is one of the Earth's most important resources storing five billion tons of carbon and they provide the majority of South
America's water. And one biologist is participating in the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon expedition and researching one
of the ecosystem's most iconic and endangered species.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): High above the Amazon rainforest. Crossing the borders of Ecuador, Colombia and Peru is the Andean cloud
forest. It might sound like something plucked from a fairy tale, but it is very much real. And it's one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the
planet.
RUTHMERRY PILLCO HUARCAYA, COORDINATOR, ANDEAN BEAR PROJECT: The Cloud Forest has its name, because it's -- most of the time it's covered by
cloud. Here we have the trees with an array of orchids, mosses and many other epiphytes that are covering the trees, and they act like a sponge.
They capture the moisture and it's helping to take back there in the water into the -- into the system. So, playing a key role in this way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): Alongside the thousands of species of rare plants and songbirds, lives one of South America's most iconic
mammals.
HUARCAYA: The Andean Bear is the only bear we have here in South America. They are median-sized bears in comparison to their cousin, the North
American bears.
[15:40:08]
The main characteristic is the facial markings. So many of them have white facial markings that look like spectacles. That's why also they're called
Spectacled Bears.
So, these facial markings are unique for each individual. It is how we can identify different individuals.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): The Andean Bear is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, with fewer than 10,000 remaining.
Ruthmerry has spent the past two years studying the remaining population in the Cloud Forest in order to develop a conservation strategy for the
species.
HUARCAYA: If we want to make a management plans, conservation strategic to do environmental education, we need to know the basics. We need to know who
are the Andean Bears, what they are eating, how much space do they need.
Andean Bears play a crucial role in the regeneration of the forest because they help to disperse many seed species. And also, because they are big
mammals, they are very good tree climbers.
So when they climb to the trees, they tend to break the branches in order to get the food. So this make gaps and the gaps allow the light to get into
the understory and thus help to wake up many seed species that are sleeping.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): Using camera traps and tracking collars, the Andean Bear project is accumulating a database of the creature's
habits. And the role they play in the ecosystem.
MARK THOMAS, REASEARCHER AND DATA ANALYST, ANDEAN BEAR PROJECT: We basically get a deep dive into the life of an Andean Bear, we basically are
able to see where it spends most of its time. So, is it in like Puna, grasslands, upper montane forests, we can also see how it interacts for
example with the roads that we have that go on here.
The communities rely on these kinds of cloud forests or habitats as much as the bears do. For us, understanding all of this information and it gives us
the opportunity to be able to work on the where do we need to protect, what do we need to protect.
HUARCAYA: For conservation to have success, we need to work with people and in this case, we need to work with local communities that are the neighbors
of Manu National Park of this forest. It's like a chain of information.
Our forest is water and water is life. Not only for plants, animal but also for us humans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: For more go on Call to Earth, go to CNN.com/CalltoEarth.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:27]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: We are on a constant mission to improve ourselves. It is a struggle that seemingly never ends, and there's no shortage of assistance towards
ambition. Indeed, for as long as I can remember, self-help books have been there.
QUEST (voice over): The humble self-help book dates back in some form or other to ancient Egypt.
Today, in modern times, self-help was brought into a new era. With work like Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.
The personal growth industry is worth more than $10 billion in the U.S. alone. We all know books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People, Think and Grow Rich. The insight that they offer is greatly valued by many.
But there's also a view that says it's all simply nonsense. And that's what we're going to find out.
QUEST: For this edition of reading for succeeding, we're going to come right into the 21st century. How do we handle our mobile phones or digital
communications? How are they holding us back? How are they getting in the way?
We want to use the phone, but not be abused by the phone, which is why this latest book How to Break up with Your Phone, by Catherine Price proved to
be such a winner when I read it.
QUEST (voice over): Catherine Price says our lives are what we pay attention to. When you grab your device, ask yourself where you plan to
focus your attention. This makes your phone use intentional, cutting down on the mindless or random scrolling.
Secondly, when the urge to check your phone comes, Catherine Price believes finding alternatives is essential. Must you check your phone right now? Or
are you reaching for it out of a habit or trying to get a fix?
Finally, Price recommends taking a pause before checking your device. We reach for our phones 144 times a day. Before doing so, take a breath and
acknowledge that urge to check it.
CATHERINE PRICE, AUTHOR OF HOW TO BREAK UP WITH YOUR PHONE: A lot of these apps, a lot of the most problematic apps make money based on how much time
we spend on them, the attention economy. So they have every motivation in the world to get us to spend more attention and time on their apps. And
they do that by copying techniques that they got straight from slot machines, which are why they're considered to be the most addictive
machines ever to have been invented.
And what they do is they slot machines hook us by triggering the release of dopamine, this chemical that gets us to repeat behaviors. And our dopamine
systems are essential to the survival of our species because dopamine helps us remember to eat and to reproduce. But it's a totally nondiscriminatory
system, the dopamine system does not care if it's a habit you want to pursue or need. Or if it's a waste of time or destructive.
That means that if you want to create a product that will hook people, all you need to do is make dopamine triggers into the products design. And
that's going to reinforce the idea that doing it is worth doing again and again.
So, all the problematic apps, social media, shopping, games, news, all of those have different forms of dopamine triggers baked in. in the case of
those two categories, I would say novelty and unpredictability are two big figures.
QUEST: But you have to balance this often, don't you? And this is -- as I read your book, I found that the difficult side, balancing of the utility
of this magnificent machine that will give me maps, it will let me do banking, it will do all at the same time.
With the negative. How do you balance it?
PRICE: Well, that's the challenge, right? Because our phones are essential now, and in many cases enjoyable. But they're packed with all these
distractions and time sucking things too.
So, I think the first step is the awareness that your phone is not just one monolith. It's a collection of different apps, each of which have different
values.
And I've never met anyone who's gotten sucked into Google Maps, or who's like, just spend hours a day in their banking app. You know, like, I
actually get to the point that I've taken so much off my phone, but I have personally checked my health app to look at my cholesterol numbers again
and again, because they're pretty good.
But in general, that's not a time suck. So, I think the first step is to ask yourself, what parts about your phone do you find necessary practical
or enjoyable and what to keep? And then what parts are sucking you out of your life in a way that feels bad? Those are the things you want to reduce
or eliminate.
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QUEST: Where is this, screen --
PRICE: Screen time under settings.
QUEST: Where's the screen? Oh, crikey. That can't be right.
PRICE: Here, like there's not actually that many hours in it.
QUEST: No. With the exception of these last couple of days. If I look back over the last three or four weeks, having read the book and put in place, I
can see definite reduction.
PRICE: Oh, interesting. And how do you feel? Even more importantly than the absolute number.
QUEST: Fine. I feel excellent about it. It just made me notice my husband's use of his phone.
PRICE: I thought you're going to say, it's made me notice his smile.
QUEST: No, no but that's what you say, you refer to this in the book.
PRICE: Yes, once you see -- once you see this, that's the caveat. Once you start noticing this, then you can't unsee it. So I tell people it's like
kind of like seeing a family member naked where you can't erase it from your mind. Like once you start noticing how much everyone's on their phone,
like you're kind of not able to get that out of your head.
QUEST: Did you find family and friends.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST (on camera): We leave our discussion there to go to the United Nations. The United States explaining why vetoed an immediate ceasefire at
the U.N. Security Council.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT WOOD, U.S. DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.N.: We underscored the need to take seriously all reports of conflict related sexual violence.
Yet this council, and many of its members have been conspicuously silent in response to reports that Hamas committed acts of sexual and gender based
violence on October 7th.
These incidents must be investigated and condemned, just as we do in any other conflict.
Equally disappointing is that the author's declined to add language reaffirming that the ICRC must be permitted to access and provide medical
treatment to the hostages, still held by Hamas terrorists and other extremists.
The resolution also fails to encourage the assumption of humanitarian pauses to allow for the release of hostages and an increase of aid.
This formula has worked. It could resume very quickly if Hamas agreed to release women and civilian hostages.
This text also failed to acknowledge that Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism consistent with international law. This is a right
to which all states are entitled.
As I stated earlier today, no country could or should tolerate what Hamas did on October 7th.
If any of our own countries had been attacked in this way, we would all expect this council to reaffirm our right to protect our citizens.
Perhaps, most unrealistically, this resolution retains a call for an unconditional ceasefire. I explained in my remarks this morning, why this
not only -- why this is not only unrealistic, but dangerous. It would simply leave Hamas in place able to regroup and repeat what it did on
October 7th.
Colleagues, a senior Hamas official recently stated, the group intends to repeat the vile acts of October 7th, "again and again and again". And yet,
this resolution essentially says Israel should just tolerate this, that it should allow this terror to go unchecked.
That's not tenable. It's not realistic. And it's a recipe for disaster for Israel, for the Palestinians, and for the entire region.
As long as Hamas clings to its ideology of destruction, any ceasefire is at best temporary, and it's certainly not peace. And any ceasefire that leaves
Hamas in control of Gaza, would denied Palestinian civilians the chance to build something better for themselves.
For that reason, although the United States strongly supports a durable peace, in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and
security, we do not support this resolutions call for an unsustainable ceasefire that will only plant the seeds for the next war.
Colleagues, like you, I am heartbroken by the images out of Gaza. And the deaths of many thousands of civilians, including children.
Every innocent Palestinian life lost is a tragedy that rips apart families and communities.
It goes without saying that the United States supports the renewal of humanitarian pauses to enable the release of and the provision of
additional aid even as we seek an end to this war, not only for one day, or one week, but forever.
Let us be clear, it is the rejection by the resolutions author of the United States sensible indeed essential proposals that is deprived this
council of an opportunity to support the tough work necessary to break the cycle of violence and to lay the foundation for a more peaceful and secure
future. United States will continue the hard work of diplomacy to free hostages, to increase protection of civilians, to expand humanitarian aid,
and to create an opportunity for Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side in peace and security.
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As well, we need to redouble our collective efforts to surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, and create conditions so that
humanitarian assistance can reach people who need it who are in desperate need of food, of water of shelter. We are working toward that every day
with Israel, Egypt, the U.N. and others.
As President Biden reiterated last week, "A two state solution is the only way to guarantee the long term security of both the Israeli and the
Palestinian people."
We will continue to work towards this goal, because as Secretary Blinken has said, that is the only way to ensure lasting security for a Jewish and
democratic Israel, the only way to ensure that the Palestinians achieve their legitimate aspirations for a state of their own.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Today, you have the United States through its Deputy Ambassador explaining why it vetoed the Security Council resolution, calling for an
immediate ceasefire. It was -- it was pretty much expected. And the reasons given were largely along those lines, that it doesn't actually answer the
issues of the elimination of Hamas as a threat to Israel but of course the U.S. emphasizing it's still very much in favor of humanitarian pauses.
We'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Tonight's profitable moment, the issue and arguments over the university presidents took me back to an argument I had with my late
grandfather when I was 13 or 14 years old.
We were watching a late night news program interviewing a Holocaust denier. My grandfather was apoplectic that this man was being given air time.
In my naivety, I attempted to do the old argument freedom of speech. He has a right to say what he's saying, listening to my grandfather.
Well, grandfather, we used to call him pom pom, went absolutely through the roof, the raise voices strong words, and a look of total disappointment in
his grandson.
A few years on and a bit wiser, I now realize the error of my ways then, to be sure there is a time and place for Voltaire (PH) I disagree with you,
but I will fight to the death for your right.
END
