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Hala Gorani Tonight

Iran's Ali Khamenei Speech Signals Breakdown in Trust with West; Mike Pompeo Announces Investigation into Lev Parnas' Yovanovitch Text Messages; Week of Extremes in Washington; Andrew Yang's Wife Evelyn Shares Her Story Of Sexual Assault; Harry And Meghan's Frogmore Cottage Staff "Redeployed"; Britain Decides If Brexit Is Worth A Bong; Actors To Pick Best Performances At Sunday's Award Show. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired January 17, 2020 - 14:00   ET

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


[14:00:20]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN's world headquarters here in Atlanta, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.

Tonight, a defiant message from Iran's supreme leader as the U.S. reveals almost a dozen soldiers were injured in that missile strike.

Plus, Donald Trump prepares for his impeachment trial. He's adding some big names and familiar faces to his defense team.

Plus, a harrowing account of sexual assault: Evelyn Yang, wife of presidential candidate Andrew Yang, shares her story.

Iran's supreme leader led Friday prayers for the first time in eight years, and he used the rare moment to slam the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN (through translator): These Americans clowns who, with lies and utter evil, say they stand by the Iranian people.

They should see who the Iranian people are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a defiant message, Friday, after days of public anger and protests over Iran's mistaken shoot-down of a

passenger jet last week, which killed everyone on board.

Now, this comes as the U.S.-led coalition now says that 11 American troops were indeed injured during Iran's missile strike on an Iraqi air base,

which housed U.S. forces. The Pentagon initially said no one was hurt in that attack.

Well, for more on these stories, Nick Paton Walsh joins us now from London and Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon.

I want to go first to Nick on that speech we heard, that the -- the announcement -- well, I guess the speech at the -- the ceremony there in

Iran. We heard from the supreme leader for the first time since 2012. It's not unusual, of course, to hear from Iranians chanting death to America,

but it was unusual to hear from him. Why did he speak?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: I think, really, it marks, perhaps, his bid to try and put his hand firmly on the tiller of

Iran, show that he is, as we know, the primary official, the leading authority in Iran as supreme leader at this tumultuous nearly 50 days that

Iran has been pushed through since the killing of Qasem Soleimani, their top military figure.

His message? Not too different from what we've heard before, frankly. And that may actually be the big news takeaway, that this extraordinary

opportunity he had to address the Iranian people, he very much delivered messages of familiarity.

He called the American officials, suggesting that they had support for Iranian protestors in the street who'd been out protesting economic woes

but also the mistaken shoot-down of that Iranian -- sorry, the Ukrainian airliner that had so many Iranians on board it, and Canadian citizens too.

He suggested Americans pledging their support were clowns and simply were getting close -- I paraphrase here -- so they could stick the knife into

Iran itself.

Turned his back on diplomacy with America --- well, frankly, that looks on the surface now to be mostly dead -- but also it seems with the Europeans,

who have triggered a dispute mechanism over the so-called nuclear deal, and Iran has said it will no longer be held by the enrichment clauses therein,

essentially spelling its death knell.

But he was clear that he believes the Europeans are an iron fist that has been the veil of a velvet glove, and people who, quote, "kept talking and

talking from all sides of their mouths," meaning that, quote, "I have no trust in them."

So a breakdown, certainly, for opportunities of diplomacy, but a broad message, I think, of trying to appeal to most parts of society, and not

veer too much off a previously established text.

KINKADE: I want to go to Barbara now on the news that U.S. soldiers were indeed injured in that missile strike, carried out by Iran on that Iraqi

air base. Because initially, the United States said all is well -- that was the tweet we got from Trump, that no casualties were involved in this. What

is the Pentagon saying about this now? Because this news is coming out, nine days after that strike.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, what has happened is, they were conducting their regular protocols. When troops are anywhere near

a blast zone, that you're supposed to report any symptoms that they have, similar to concussions, and they monitor them for this.

Apparently what has happened, over the last several days, is 11 troops did have some symptoms of concussion-type injuries, perhaps traumatic brain

injury. But they have to be evaluated for this.

So now that this has come to light, as the symptoms have developed over the past days, 11 of them have been evacuated out of the country. Eight have

gone to the U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl and three to Kuwait for further evaluation, where there's sophisticated equipment that can be used

to try and diagnose their problems.

[14:05:00]

I mean, I think there's still a good deal of dismay that this didn't come out just as soon as people knew it was happening, but there were some early

reports about it, in fact. And it was yesterday, when they were evacuated out of the country and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, one of his meetings

that he was in, he was actually interrupted so he could be informed of this -- Lynda.

KINKADE: Thanks to you, Barbara.

Just stand by, I want to go back to Nick on the fallout after Iran shot down that passenger jet. Just how is the regime dealing with that?

PATON WALSH: Well, from the speech we heard today at Friday prayers -- you said the first time that Ayatollah Khamenei has appeared at Friday prayers

in eight years -- he was clear to offer, I think, his best bet, I think, to try and draw a line under it.

He was clear that he said the crash of this flight brought us sadness and tears, but he also stressed how Iran's enemies had, quote, "felt joy"

because they believed it was something they could use against Iran. He said that their hearts ache and are broken irreparably because there's so many

Iranians lost in that.

Remember, there were protests on the streets because for days, Iranian officials suggested that this in fact had been an accident, a technical

problem that had occurred rather than, it seems, possibly as many as two surface-to-air missiles shooting the aircraft by mistake.

Now, he went on, though -- and this may be the one takeaway from this speech that is perhaps the most revealing -- he went on to say, "I am

grateful that the responsible officials with the Revolutionary Guard Corps did give explanation" -- remember, after a delay, they came forward and

said it was their missiles that shot it down. "An investigation must be pursued, and things that emanate from this, such as the recent incidents

that we have witnessed, must be absolutely forbidden and not take place."

Now, he may have been suggesting he didn't want to see a repeat of the protests that occurred when people found out that it was in fact the

Iranian military behind this plane being shot down, but it may also be, too, he was saying very clearly to the Revolutionary Guard Corps that

essentially they made a fundamental error in doing this and damaged the Iranian government's reputation internally at a time when it's already

facing extraordinary economic pressures as well.

So that, probably the most interesting part of this speech, the ambiguity there, still, all the same, leaving to this to be quite a calm even-handed

moment of great symbolism, though, from the most sort of authoritative figure in Iran, taking that stage to address the nation but essentially not

using the opportunity to massively change Iran's policy.

And I think that's the takeaway from this, they've been shaken over the past 15 days or so. They've lost a top military figure, they've launched

extraordinarily missile strikes against American military facilities. But at this point, it doesn't seem, apart from eschewing diplomacy to some

degree, that Iran is massively changing course -- Lynda.

KINKADE: It was indeed, Nick, a fundamental error and an absolute tragedy when they did shoot down that passenger jet.

I wonder -- to you, Barbara -- if -- if President Trump or the Pentagon may have known that there were injuries from this missile strike at this Iraqi

air base at the time, and it's possible they tried to keep it under wraps to prevent a further escalation of tension between the United States and

Iran?

STARR: Well, I suppose we'll never know absolutely, but it seems a bit unlikely because if there were U.S. troops that were experiencing symptoms

of traumatic brain injury of this kind of invisible wound of war, there certainly would have been an obligation to tend to them immediately.

So while people may think that, I think it's pretty unlikely. One of the challenges here, again, is that traumatic brain injury symptoms can emerge

days after a soldier or military member is in a blast area, and that's why they screen them for this kind of injury.

KINKADE: Fair point. Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon, Nick Paton Walsh for us in London. Good to have you both with us. Thanks so much.

Well, several days after bombshell allegations involving the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, America's top diplomat is breaking his silence. Mike

Pompeo now says his department will investigate whether Marie Yovanovitch was under surveillance while in Kiev.

Well, earlier this week, Democrats released text messages involving Lev Parnas. He's the indicted associate of President Trump's personal lawyer

Rudy Giuliani. And those messages not only suggest that Yovanovitch was being spied on, but that her personal safety may have been in jeopardy.

Ukrainian officials have already announced their own investigation into that matter.

During an interview with a conservative radio host, Pompeo had this to say.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

HUGH HEWITT, RADIO HOST: Do you know Lev Parnas?

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Never met him.

HEWITT: All right. Until this story broke, were you aware that Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was being surveilled while serving as ambassador?

POMPEO: Yes, I never heard about this at all, Hugh --

HEWITT: OK. Now --

POMPEO: -- until the story broke, I had -- best of my recollection, had never heard of this at all.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KINKADE: This is certainly another interesting piece to the puzzle. Kylie Atwood joins us now from the U.S. State Department.

[14:10:02]

So, Kylie, 48 hours after evidence emerged that the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine may have been spied on by Trump allies, we are now hearing from the

U.S. secretary of state, saying that there will be an investigation. But from what he said in the interview, it sounds like he's already made up his

mind as to what happened.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN SECURITY REPORTER: Yes. Well, he definitely shone a little bit of light in terms of where he thinks this is heading, saying

that he's essentially skeptical of what has already come out, in these text messages that show that there were two folks -- one of them a Giuliani

associate -- that were discussing the whereabouts of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.

But at the same time, it is significant here that he has come out as the secretary of state and says it is his obligation and the obligation of the

State Department to do an investigation here.

And so it took two days for the State Department to eventually come out and say this, so it took them a while for him to commit to this. But the bottom

line is that they are going to be investigating it. And I also heard from a senior State Department official who said that this investigation was

actually opened on the evening that these text messages were revealed.

KINKADE: All right. Kylie Atwood for us from the U.S. State Department. We'll see how those investigations play out. Thanks so much.

Well, now that ceremonial oaths are over, the substance of President Trump's impeachment trial begins next week. Now, opening statements are

scheduled for Tuesday.

Mr. Trump is adding some pretty big names to his legal team. Kenneth Starr has made the list, he's the former independent counsel whose investigation

led to Bill Clinton's impeachment; as well as Alan Dershowitz, who has represented O.J. Simpson as well as Jeffrey Epstein, among others.

I want to bring in CNN's Kevin Liptak, who joins us from Washington with more on all of this. So we are seeing the president beef up his legal team.

Does that suggest that he is now taking this impeachment trial seriously?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Well, this has been something that we'd been tracking for weeks. We had heard from officials that the

president wanted to add more lawyers to this defense team. He wanted some seasoned attorneys. But chief among his qualifications, what he was looking

for most was lawyers who had some experience on television, who could go before cameras in the Senate chamber and really perform to his

expectations.

And these are all names that he had seen on television: Kenneth Starr was a contributor on "Fox News;" Alan Dershowitz also appeared frequently on

"Fox News." And this is really how they came on the president's radar, how he appealed to them and how they eventually ended up on his legal team.

Now, Alan Dershowitz, the president actually personally asked to join this team. He has been a legal name for decades in the United States. Of course,

now he is embroiled in some of the Jeffrey Epstein questions; some aides had privately counseled the president that that could complicate matters,

they actually advised him against asking Alan Dershowitz to join the team. The president did so anyway.

Kenneth Starr, of course a very famous name in Washington. From the last impeachment proceeding during the Clinton era, he was the special

investigator. So there's that tie between this impeachment saga and the last impeachment saga.

There are a few other names that the legal team announced today that they would be adding: the former attorney general Pam Bondi; Jane Raskin, who

is a white-collar defense attorney who had been on the president's legal team during the Mueller investigation.

So all of these names are going to supplement the lead attorneys on the president's team, led by the White House Counsel, Pat Cipollone, and the

president's personal attorney Jay Sekulow.

The president had been expressing some concerns about Cipollone: He has never appeared on television, he doesn't have a lot of experience before

the cameras. He has other qualities. He's a very buttoned-up, articulate lawyer with a lot of experience in Washington, but the president was a

little bit concerned about how he would come across on television.

So these new names are getting something of a mixed reaction, here in Washington, maybe chiefly described by Monica Lewinsky, the former intern

who is implicated in the Clinton impeachment proceedings. She wrote on Twitter, "This is definitely an are you F-ing kidding me kind of day" --

Lynda.

KINKADE: That sums it up. Kevin Liptak, good to have you with us as always. We will of course be following that impeachment trial very closely

next week, starting Tuesday.

[14:14:30]

Well, still to come tonight, as we've discussed, it's been a crazy week in U.S. politics but it hasn't all been bad news for the president. So how did

he fare? We're going to talk to our politician commentator Michael Smerconish when we come back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. Well, 2019 was a tough year for China's economy. It grew just 6.1 percent, and while that figure would certainly be exciting

for a developed economy in the West, it represents the slowest growth for China in 29 years. Our David Culver has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's all in how you word things, and that's especially true when it comes to the reporting of

China's GDP for 2019. Here's state media is characterizing it in a more positive light. Instead of saying what many are reporting -- and that is

that China has slowed to its weakest pace in nearly three decades -- they instead are showing that China has met its target. That is the case, though

many (INAUDIBLE) have often questioned the reliability of such data.

One thing is certain, and that is, China is feeling the economic woes. They have pointed to the trade war with the U.S. as a big contributor of that,

and it's played out in consumer confidence being weakened, debt has been rising and things such as the port crisis, causing a lot of folks here in

their everyday buying of staple meat like pork, to have to pay upwards of double compared with this time last year.

Now, China is also saying that they are expecting 2020 to be more positive. And Liu He, the vice premier in Washington, signing phase one, said that he

believes in signing phase one of this trade deal, they'll move forward with more stability and perhaps 2020 will be more positive for the Chinese

economy. David Culver, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, President Trump believes history will remember his dealings with China long after his impeachment trial fades. This, of course, was a

week of stark differences, as House Democrats formally signed over impeachment articles to the Senate. They focused on what they called Mr.

Trump's abuse of power, while he highlighted two trade breakthroughs as a soaring stock market that shattered records yet again.

We're joined now by political commentator Michael Smerconish, host of "SMERCONISH." Good to have you on, as always. I want to get your take --

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you.

KINKADE: -- on the week because we obviously saw the impeachment trial in the Senate begin -- he is the third president in U.S. history to be

impeached -- and we saw him sign the two trade deals, or at least a breakthrough at the start of one important phase to the China trade deal.

What do you think his take is on this week? Is it a good week or a bad week for the U.S. president?

SMERCONISH: In any other week, the Dow, the USMCA, the trade deal with China would be front-page news. But, Lynda, impeachment is taking all the

oxygen out of the room. And I think it's only going to get worse in that respect for the president, beginning on Tuesday and for the foreseeable

future.

This process will probably go on for a minimum of two to three weeks. To the extent new witnesses get added to the impeachment debate, there'll

probably be a break, there'll be depositions taken, then they'll resume. We could go not only through the Iowa caucus, which is just two weeks away,

but conceivably into the New Hampshire primary.

[14:20:06]

So it's a juxtaposition the president certainly doesn't want, but there's not a lot that he can do about it at this stage.

KINKADE: How important is all of this, Smerconish? Given that we -- I mean, everything points to the fact that he's not going to be convicted in

this trial. How important is it going to be, looking ahead?

SMERCONISH: Interestingly, when you study the polling data -- as I have -- or some of the focus group data of swing voters in critical states, when

you ask them -- and the candidates running will tell you the same thing when they're out on the stump -- what are the issues that seem to resonate

the most with voters? Impeachment doesn't make the top five.

It's all about the economy, it's about jobs, it's about health care. So even though there's such a fixation now on impeachment -- and frankly, how

couldn't there be, given that it's only the third time, as you point out, in the nation's history that we've gone down this road -- sometimes I

wonder if there's not an enormous disconnect between the level of attention and that which matters most to voters.

So we really don't know.

KINKADE: It's a fair point you make, and it does seem that Donald Trump is still very much in campaign mode. He is focused on 2020, given that he just

signed phase one of this China-U.S. trade deal. He wants to tick off those election promises that he made in the lead-up to 2016.

In terms of the Democrats and how they're faring, we are seeing a lot of infighting, even between the so-called friends. We saw Senator Warren and

Bernie Sanders on the Democratic stage, after the debate was over, having a go at each other. Do you think at this stage things are looking good for

him, heading to 2020?

SMERCONISH: The difficult thing for Senators Warren and Sanders is that I believe each needs the other's constituency in order to secure the

nomination. When voters are asked -- those who are Sanders supporters or those who are Warren supporters, who's your second choice? They usually say

the other, as between the two. And so that was the significance when, this week, they seemed to cross swords.

Now, here's an added wrinkle. The added wrinkle is that you've got four members of the United States Senate who are running for president -- three

of them are top-tier candidates -- who now are commanded to be in Washington for the foreseeable future with the impeachment process. So they

are off the campaign trail.

Now, the conventional wisdom is that that's harmful to them in campaign season. I happen to see it a little differently, I think it could actually

be to their advantage because the eyes of the country will be on Washington, and they will be in the thick of it.

But the big takeaway is, it's yet another intangible and a reminder, you just can't predict what's coming next.

KINKADE: You certainly cannot.

Michael, just in terms of the economy, you mentioned it. It obviously is one of the biggest issues that voters are considering when they will go to

the ballot later this year. If the economy continues to tick along the way it's going -- and we've seen the Dow, of course, break those records again

this week -- does it mean that Donald Trump will essentially be re-elected? Is that the biggest thing that will help him get re-elected in November

this year?

SMERCONISH: If the economy stays strong, it means that he's probably the favorite because he's the incumbent. You could look at it as a glass-half-

empty analysis, and you could say, where will he be in the event the economy takes a turn? He's never, in terms of his job approval, been above

water, as we say. He's never been above 50 percent. And that's with a very strong economy.

You know, on any other president's watch, with these kind of economic indicators, they'd probably have an approval rating that would be closer to

60 percent. My point is, he needs the economy and if it should turn, I think it will imperil him. But it's the best argument that he has, going

forward.

And especially when you take a look at who's benefiting the most because it's a lot of the high school-educated working-class voters who were so

integral to his success.

KINKADE: Michael Smerconish, host of "SMERCONISH." We will be tuning into your show this weekend. Good to have you with us, thank you.

SMERCONISH: Thank you.

KINKADE: Well, 2019 was the second-hottest year on record according to U.S. government scientists. The report, coming as bushfires in Australia

are ravaging the continent. Many climate experts warn even more extreme fires, floods and food shortages could be down the line.

But increasingly, more companies are trying to help tackle climate change. Microsoft is pledging to become carbon-negative by 2030. It's following in

the footsteps of other companies like BlackRock, which is including sustainability in its business strategy. While, at the same time, a new

survey shows the number of Americans alarmed by climate change has tripled over the past five years.

Well, for more on Microsoft's announcement, we're joined by Alison Kosik, live from New York. So, Alison, just exactly what does this all mean,

Microsoft planning to go down this path? And how are they going to achieve it?

[14:25:05]

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Those are all very good questions. Because right now, it's all theoretical, isn't it? But Microsoft

is making a huge ambitious pledge here, saying it's looking to shrink its carbon footprint, not just at its headquarters but at its, you know, global

campuses and throughout its supply chain as well, going carbon-negative by 2030. And carbon-negative basically means removing more carbon than

emitting it.

So how does Microsoft plan to do this, considering that it says it's responsible for 16 million metric tons of emissions across its

transportation uses, across its office operations and its supply chain?

So Microsoft says it's going to do several things: looking to buy enough renewable energy to offset all -- meaning a hundred percent -- of its

electricity use by the year of 2020 (sic). It's looking to develop carbon reduction technologies through a new $1 billion climate innovation fund.

It's looking to also look at the environmental impact at its headquarters near Seattle, but also investigate the energy used and emissions released

by the production of its products, like the Xbox game console and other products. It's looking to also convert its transportation fleet at all of

its campuses -- meaning globally -- into all-electric.

And it's looking to expand its internal carbon fee program, and that's basically what all of Microsoft's business units have to pay, depending on

how much emissions they give off. Now, that's going to be expanded to areas including manufacturing and business travel and electricity that actually

consumers emit as well -- Lynda.

KINKADE: So this, of course, is one prime example of a business being environmentally friendly, but I'm wondering if -- what the motivation is

here, whether it is about making a sacrifice that could cost them financially to save the planet, or whether it's a result of market pressure

and consumer pressure?

KOSIK: I think it's fair to say it's all of the above. When CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella made this announcement yesterday, you know, saying,

look, it's not just for Microsoft, it's for all of us.

And I think there's a realization going on in the business community, that there -- there are damages because of global climate change that we haven't

even accounted for, and they come in -- you know, in various forms, whether it's agricultural yields that would decrease, whether it's human health,

whether it's infrastructure and natural capital effects.

This is affecting, you know, countries from the United States all the way to India. You look at even Florida. Rising tides could put property values

-- could cut property values and reduce tax revenue. In India, rising temperatures and the resulting loss in labor because of the effects of

working out in those conditions, that could hurt GDP in India. And those are just a couple of examples, not even including the insurance industry,

which clearly would get hit hard when we have all of these unexpected weather events going on -- Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly widespread impact --

KOSIK: Yes.

KINKADE: -- it will have. Alison Kosik, good to have you from New York.

KOSIK: Sure.

KINKADE: Thank you.

[14:28:15]

Well, still to come tonight, a terrifying story of sexual assault, told by the wife of a U.S. presidential candidate. A CNN exclusive report, coming

up in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:47]

KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.

Well, Evelyn Yang, the wife of U.S. presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, is revealing something she kept secret for years even from her husband.

For the first time, Yang is speaking out about being sexually assaulted by her doctor. She shared her story exclusively with our Dana Bash. And I need

to warn you that the details are graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Evelyn Yang has a story so secret she never even shared it with most of her own family.

But spending time with her husband, presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, on the campaign trail and hearing so much gratitude from voters for talking

about son Christopher's autism, made her feel newly-empowered.

EVELYN YANG, WIFE OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ANDREW YANG: Meeting people and seeing the difference that we've been making already has moved me to share

my own story about it -- about sexual assault.

BASH: It was 2012. She was pregnant with her first baby and found an OB-GYN who had a good reputation, Dr. Robert Hadden. Initially, she says her

visits were routine but after a few months, things changed.

YANG: It started with inappropriate questions around how intimate I was with my husband, sexual activity -- just very inappropriate probing

questions that were unrelated to my health.

The examinations became longer, more frequent, and I learned that they were unnecessary most of the time. Most women don't know what you're supposed to

get when you're pregnant. I didn't know that you're not supposed to get an exam every time you went to see the doctor.

I feel like I put up with some inappropriate behavior that I didn't know at the time was straight-up sexual abuse/sexual assault until much later. And

I regret having put up with that because it ended up in a sexual assault that was indisputable quite blatant.

BASH: Yang says the worst assault happened when she was seven months pregnant.

YANG: I was in the exam room and I was dressed and ready to go and then at the last minute he kind of made up an excuse. He said something about I

think you're -- you might need a C-section. And he proceeded to grab me over to him and undress me and examine me internally, ungloved. And at

first, I was a little bit like what's going on here?

BASH (on-camera): And there was no one else in the room?

YANG: No, no. In fact, when I think back to most of our exams, I don't think there was anyone in the room.

BASH: You thought to yourself, this isn't just inappropriate banter; this is much different.

YANG: Oh, he -- I mean, at that moment, I knew that was -- I knew it was wrong. I mean, I knew. I said -- I knew I was being assaulted.

BASH (voice-over): She says she thought she was the kind of person who would run away, but she couldn't.

YANG: I imagined myself as someone being -- you know, like I would throw a chair at him and run out yelling bloody murder. It's not what happened. I

was confused and then I realized what was happening and then I just kind of froze like a deer in headlights, just frozen. I knew what was happening.

I remember trying to fix my eyes on a spot on the wall and just trying to avoid seeing his face as he was -- as he was assaulting me. I was just

waiting for it to be over.

BASH: She left that day and never went back.

[14:35:59]

BASH (on-camera): Did you tell your husband, Andrew?

YANG: No. I didn't tell anyone. I didn't tell anyone what happened. I didn't tell Andrew or my family because I didn't want to upset them.

I thought this happened to me. I can -- I can process this, I can deal with it, I can compartmentalize it. And --

BASH: And did you?

YANG: I tried, I tried, but I just didn't want to affect others. And I certainly didn't want Andrew blaming himself for not being able to go with

me to these doctor's visits because, honestly, if he was with me in the room -- if anyone was with me in the room, this obviously wouldn't have

happened.

And at the time, he was traveling a lot for his nonprofit and most of the scheduling just didn't work out.

BASH (voice-over): Many months later, after her baby was born, a letter came in the mail. Robert Hadden had left his practice.

YANG: I Googled him and there it was. There was a headline that said that he had assaulted another woman and she reported it to the police. And at

that moment, everything just stood still. It was this sense of relief, of finally realizing that I wasn't alone in it.

He still picked me but that it wasn't because of -- right, it wasn't something that I did. It was -- you know, this was a serial predator and he

just picked me as his prey.

BASH (voice-over): It was at that point she told husband, Andrew.

YANG: I just needed to tell someone, you know. I needed to share in that moment because it felt so big to me. I needed that support. And I told him

and he cried. He wasn't bawling -- there were tears.

BASH (on-camera): Yes.

YANG: And he said it's because he remembered when I told -- when I came home one day ranting about pervy doctors. I said something like, why do

they let men be gynecologists? It makes no sense.

And he remembered that I had made this comment and he felt so bad. He felt guilty that he didn't make the connection or ask me more.

BASH (voice-over): She found a lawyer who discovered the Manhattan district attorney had an open case against the doctor. Several other women had come

forward with similar stories of being assaulted by him.

YANG: And that was just life-changing. It felt so good to not be alone in this.

BASH: She worked with an assistant district attorney who was collecting information from 18 women, including Yang, with allegations against Hadden.

Yang testified before a grand jury, which indicted Hadden on multiple felony sex charges.

YANG: Every time I talked to the ADA, the case was going great. And she was always telling me how strong this case was, how we were going to put him in

jail, how he wasn't going to be able to do this to anyone ever again. And all of a sudden, there was this drop-off. I didn't hear from her for

months.

BASH: Finally, in February 2016, she was told the D.A. agreed to a plea deal with the doctor. He would lose his medical license, register as the

lowest level sex offender, but not go to jail.

YANG: He was getting off with a slap on the wrist, basically.

BASH: Not just that. Although he was charged on nine counts involving six accusers, he only pleaded guilty to two charges involving two women. Evelyn

Yang was not one of them.

YANG: They said that the punishment was the same. Regardless of how many counts he pled guilty to, that the punishment would have been the same, so

it didn't matter. And I thought well, it matters to me for obvious reasons. And it wasn't until after MeToo and the Weinstein case came out that the

victims in this case realized that we were betrayed twice. First --

BASH (on-camera): That's how you feel? You feel that you were betrayed twice?

YANG: Oh, absolutely. It's like getting, you know, slapped in the face and punched in the gut. It -- the D.A.'s office is meant to protect us. It's

meant to serve justice and there was no justice here.

[14:40:15]

BASH (voice-over): The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance is the same one that was lenient with Jeffrey Epstein over his registering as

a sex offender, and also initially failed to prosecute Harvey Weinstein.

When asked for a response, the D.A.'s office told CNN that obtaining a felony conviction was the goal in this case. And, "While we stand by our

legal analysis and resulting disposition of this difficult case, we regret that this resolution has caused survivors pain."

Though Hadden was not a big name, like Weinstein or Epstein, Yang says he did have a powerful protector, Columbia University, which runs the medical

facility where he practiced.

YANG: The fact that it's a name-brand university behind this doctor and using their influence to protect themselves at the expense of the victims

in the case.

BASH: Some six weeks before Yang says she was assaulted, police went to Hadden's office and arrested him. Another patient told police he sexually

assaulted her and licked her vagina during an exam. The arrest was voided and he went back to seeing female patients.

YANG: What happened to me should have never happened. He was arrested in his office and he was let back to work.

BASH (on-camera): Without anybody in the room.

YANG: Without a chaperone -- without a chaperone. I mean, at the very least, the bare minimum would be to make sure that there's an aide all the

time. I -- and that's what's very painful is knowing that actually what happened to me could have been prevented.

BASH (voice-over): Yang's attorney says there are at least 32 women who now accuse Hadden of sexual assault. Most of them including Yang, are part

civil suits against Columbia University, its affiliates, and Hadden. Among the allegations, accusing Hadden of aggressively penetrating and groping

their bodies and genitalia, forcing them to strip naked, groping their breasts, digitally penetrating them, and licking their vaginas.

The suit also claims Columbia knew about allegations against Hadden, received numerous complaints of serious misconduct, and kept the complaints

secret to avoid negative publicity. The lawsuit is still ongoing. Hadden denies all the allegations against him except the ones he pleaded guilty

to.

CNN sent detailed questions to Columbia, including why Dr. Hadden was allowed to return to work after his initial arrest, but the university only

responded that the allegations against Hadden were abhorrent and they deeply apologize to those whose trust was violated.

Yang fought in court for more than two years to keep her identity anonymous, which makes going public now even more remarkable.

BASH (on-camera): Why do you want to do this now? What do you want to accomplish now?

YANG: My personal life and this growing public life, they're not separate. In this case, my experience with the sexual assault and then what happened

-- all that happened afterwards is such a powerful and upsetting example of the truth that women are living with every day and I just happen to be able

to have a platform to talk about it.

I need to use that voice. I feel like it's something that's an obligation, but also a privilege and a gift that I get to share my story now and also

help other women.

The process of getting to this point is very hard. You know, I, like haven't slept in days. This is very hard to come out with but I hope it's -

- and I have to believe that it's worth it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: And that was Dana Bash reporting there with that exclusive interview.

Well, still to come tonight, it's been a challenging week for the royal family after the duke and duchess of Sussex decided to step back from their

royal duties. We're going to tell you about the latest fallout, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:45:55]

KINKADE: Welcome back.

Well, CNN has learned the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are redeploying staff at their English residence, Frogmore Cottage. A source says the couple is

not firing staffers as they prepare to split their time between the U.K. and Canada.

Well, the couple's bombshell decision to step back from their royal duties has sparked a media frenzy. But for the most part, the royal family has

been tightlipped about future plans.

CNN's Nick Glass has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK GLASS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We've had a good 10 days of it so far of this new royal family crisis.

And frankly, we don't know that much about the detail what, for example, was said at the so-called Sandringham summit, out of being a fly on the

wall inside the room. But we still have had plenty to say about it day and night, in good old English weather.

The story has been irresistibly addictive, obviously potentially another episode for the crown with some imagined regal dialogue. We've only

glimpsed the Queen once on her way to church on Sunday. A very personal and supportive statement about Harry and Megan was issued after Monday's

summit.

ROBERT HARDMAN, JOURNALIST, DAILY MAIL: It was a landmark statement. The Queen really doesn't speak about family matters like that very often.

Reading between the lines as we always do, it was -- what came through was her sadness, but also her pragmatism. She wants to get this done and she

wants to get it done quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Queen's fury as Harry and Megan say, we quit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meghan flees to Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Queen fights to save monarchy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Royal soap Oprah.

GLASS: The media having shifted camp in sunshine to outside Buckingham Palace would love to know more. But Prince Harry is only currently talking

about sport online about his Invictus Games.

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: In 2022, the Invictus Games will travel to a new country, a new home for respect for our armed forces.

GLASS: And in person about the Rugby League World Cup.

PRINCE HARRY: Lebanon

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lebanon, so the Lebanon go --

GLASS: At one point, some journalists did manage to shout out the question.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harry, how are the discussions going on your future?

GLASS: Harry didn't respond, just apparently smiled and walked on.

A lead editorial in the Sun Newspapers claimed that skin color has nothing to do with the Royal couple's decision. Not everyone agrees.

AFUA HIRSCH, JOURNALIST: Many, many people of color have said to me, it's unbelievable that the racism involved in the story is being ignored and

denied.

HARDMAN: If you look back at the coverage the couple have received, most of it since the Royal Wedding has been very favorable, some of it has been

critical. And then some people have pointed to that coverage and said, oh, well, you know, there's a racial motivation to it. I simply don't recognize

that.

HIRSCH: Even when race isn't part of the overt narrative, singling someone of color out and saying, I just don't like you, something about the way you

look that I don't like, which is something that a senior anchor on the British media said about Meghan Markle is I just don't like the look of

her, it's impossible to ignore the racial undertones to that commentary.

[14:50:03]

GLASS: As for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they've been back on duty and out and about in the northern town of Bradford, rather pointedly two

leading tabloids both reached much the same judgment. The Daily Mail's headline was Kate dazzling Duchess shows how it's done. The Sun went

further, the Duchess of Cambridge showed how Royal duty should be done.

It's been a long, long week for veteran Royal observers, so much hanging about having to think of something to say all right, when no one's talking.

Nick Glass, CNN in London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, Britain is officially leaving the European Union at the end of this month. But the big debate right now, should Brexit happen with a

Big Ben bond?

Well, the iconic clock tower is currently under renovation pausing the work to ring the bell would cost about $650,000.

CNN's Anna Stewart has more on who is and who isn't willing to foot the bill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: With just two weeks left in the European Union, there's not a moment to lose. The U.K. isn't spending

that time debating the incredible complexity of getting out of a decade's long union. Instead, the country is obsessed over whether Big Ben should

bong on January 31st.

As you can see, it's under renovation and silent. The government says it won't pay for it to ring, so Big Ben buff, Boris Johnson, the prime

minister, came up with his own idea.

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The bong cost $500,000 pounds. Because --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. That's very costly bong.

JOHNSON: -- but we're working up a plan so people can bong a bob for being dead bong. Because there's some people who want to --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So bong a bong.

JOHNSON: I haven't quite worked that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love the fact you're developing policy live on television.

STEWART: His plan for crowd funding raised over 200,000 pounds and Brexit supporters are clamoring for a vote in the House of Commons. Yet, the House

of Commons commission said accepting public funds would be unprecedented. And the prime minister's spokesman said Johnson's office was now focusing

on other events to mark January 31st.

Brexit supporters have approval for a party here in Parliament square. So-- well, it's unclear whether Big Ben will bong, there'll certainly be a dance

and a sing song.

I'm Anna Stewart outside Parliament in London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: The big questions there, we'll see it come tonight.

Want to know who is going to win the Oscars? Well, once upon a time in Hollywood, will it be there? When we come back, we're going to have a

preview of the award show that could give you a hint about Hollywood's biggest prizes.

And if you think you've worked long and hard, you haven't seen anything yet. This veteran is finally calling it a day from his government job.

Guess how old he is. We're going to tell you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Well, who better than an actor to pick the best acting performances of the year? Well, the Screen Actors Guild hands out its top

honors this weekend. The SAG Awards, has been known, has seen as a key indicator of which films and performances will be the winners at the

Academy Awards in February.

Well, CNN Stephanie Elam has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brad Pitt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brad Pitt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brad Pitt.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This year's best bets like Brad Pitt --

[14:55:02]

BRAD PITT, AMERICAN ACTOR: Anybody accidentally kills anybody in a fight, they go to jail.

ELAM: -- and Renee Zellweger is Judy Garland --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To the rainbow.

ELAM: -- will get their first major Oscar test at the Screen Actors Guild Awards since these voters also make up the largest block of Oscar voters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How was it for you taking on this role and working with Tarantino?

PITT: My mom didn't like the language but --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about the violence?

PITT: You know, she didn't mention the violence, funny enough.

ELAM: Pitt's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" will go head to head with "The Irishman." Once both Oscar frontrunners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

ELAM: Once upon a time has grabbed the momentum so far. But the SAG Awards could bring a Parasite upset. The Korean film is paving its way to history

and could be the first international to film to win a best picture Oscar.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that just shows that Parasite has overcome the language barrier and the barrier of subtitles.

ELAM: It's a hill "Roma" couldn't climb last year. But the Academy keeps growing its international base.

SCOTT FEINBERG, AWARDS COLUMNIST, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: The things that might have previously deterred the academy like subtitles, may not bothers

many people who are used to watching even American movies with subtitles.

ELAM: Diversity or lack thereof is a running theme this award season --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congratulations to those men.

ELAM: -- with the Oscars shutting out both female director candidates and many actors of color. SAG breaks that mold for nominations for performers,

including Lupita Nyong'o in "Us." and "Harriet's" Cynthia Erivo.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here it comes.

CYNTHIA ERIVO, ACTRESS: I think there aren't enough roles for us yet. And I think that that causes upset.

ELAM: SAG continues the Robert De Niro, his disappointing award season, evident when he finally took the stage at the Critics' Choice Awards.

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: I wasn't expecting it, frankly at this point, but it's great.

ELAM: Still, the SAG awards come with consolation. De Niro will get a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In Hollywood, I'm Stephanie Elam.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, a World War Two veteran is finally ready to retire now that he's reached the age of 102 years old. Bob Vollmer has been working as a

land surveyor for the U.S. State of Indiana for nearly 60 years. But he has no plans to actually slow down once he retires, saying he wants to do a lot

of reading, farming, and travel.

Mr. Vollmer says, evidently, he has some pretty good genes. His mom lived to be 108. Absolutely extraordinary.

Well, thanks so much for watching tonight. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END