Return to Transcripts main page
First Move with Julia Chatterley
O.J. Simpson Dies At Age 76; O.J. Simpson's Complicated Legacy; Japan, U.S. And Philippines Historic Summit; U.S., Japan, Philippines Leaders Meet At White House; Japan PM Addresses U.S. Congress; Ohtani's Former Translator Charged With Bank Fraud; Asia's Growth Forecast; Asian Economy Growth; Trump Hush Money Trial Starts Next Week; Attack On Kyiv Power Plant; Key Ukrainian Power Plant Destroyed; Capital Of Colombia Rationing Water; CNN On Board A B-52 Bomber. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired April 11, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: But our wildest dreams have come true. Just in time to make sure it's not a cruel summer for all the Swifties around the
globe.
If you ever miss an episode of "THE LEAD," you can listen to the show whence you get your podcasts. The news continues on CNN with Wolf Blitzer
in "THE SITUATION ROOM." I'll see you tomorrow.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: It is 6:00 in the evening on Thursday here in New York. 6:00 in the morning in Shanghai. 8:00 breakfast time in Sydney.
I'm Richard Quest. Today, Julia is off and you've got me. And wherever you are in this world, it's your FIRST MOVE.
And a warm welcome to your FIRST MOVE. This is what you need to know as you start your day. O.J. Simpson has died. He was 76 years old. We will look
back on a controversial life filled with spectacular highs and equally spectacular lows.
The leaders of the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines are holding their historic trilateral summit, and China's military might is at the top of the
agenda.
Shohei Ohtani's former translator has now been charged with bank fraud, accused of stealing $16 million from the baseball star.
And Oren Liebermann gets exclusive access to a B-52 bomber mission that passes near China, Russia, and North Korea. We'll have that and a lot more.
It's all coming up.
We start with the death of O.J. Simpson. One of the most controversial figures of modern times is the former football star, U.S. football star,
who became a hated villain to many who ultimately believed he was responsible. He was the murderer of his ex-wife and her friend.
Who can forget this image seared into the minds of tens of millions of us? The slow-speed white Ford Bronco Chase in 1994. Police were trying to
arrest Simpson. It was among one of the most watched events in TV history. It rewrote the rules on how we cover these sorts of cases. Live helicopter
pictures that were beamed worldwide for hours.
The jury found O.J. Simpson not guilty of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The trial was a year after his eventual arrest. And then
in 1997, a separate civil trial jury found him liable for their debts.
If only that was it. In 2008, O.J. Simpson was finally convicted, this time of armed robbery and a variety of other felonies in Las Vegas. He served
nine years of a 30-plus year prison sentence.
He largely stayed out of the limelight in recent years and his family said earlier today he died of cancer at the age of 76. Stephanie Elam now looks
back at the life of O.J. Simpson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, O.J. Simpson dead, leaving behind a controversial legacy.
JOHNNIE COCHRAN, O.J. SIMPSON DEFENSE ATTORNEY: If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.
ELAM (voice-over): Some only know him for the so-called trial of the century for double murder after the infamous slow speed chase.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have O.J. in the car.
ELAM (voice-over): Others recall Simpson's heyday as one of the best running backs in football.
O.J. SIMPSON, FORMER FOOTBALL STAR: Boy, what a beautiful day it is here in Las Vegas.
ELAM (voice-over): This is the last public statement Simpson made on social media in February, about eight months after announcing he had
cancer.
SIMPSON: Let me take a moment to say thank you to all the people who have reached out to me. My health is good. I mean, obviously I'm dealing with
some issues, but hey, I think I'm just about over it and I'll be back on that golf course, hopefully, in a couple of weeks.
ELAM (voice-over): Simpson died two months later. Reaction from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, celebrating his on-field success as "the first
player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14- game season when he topped 2,000 yards."
KATO KAELIN, WITNESS: I'd like to express my condolences to the children.
ELAM (voice-over): Kato Kaelin, who rose to fame as a witness in the murder trial, put the focus on O.J.'s ex-wife Nicole Brown and friend Ron
Goldman, who were stabbed to death outside Brown's L.A. home in June 1994.
KAELIN: Nicole was a beacon of light that burned bright. May we never forget her.
ELAM (voice-over): Others reflecting on the polarizing life Simpson led.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're scaring everybody, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going to hurt anybody.
ELAM (voice-over): The football star led police on a shocking low-speed chase on live TV after he was charged in the murders.
JEFF MAILES, PHOTOGRAPHER, KCAL-TV: With every freeway overcrossing, there began to gather more and more crowds of people.
SIMPSON: Absolutely 100 percent not guilty.
[18:05:00]
ELAM (voice-over): But Simpson fought the charges in a trial that divided America. It happened as racial inequality in the justice system was front
and center, following the 1992 acquittal of the LAPD officers who beat Rodney King and the riots that followed.
The nation stopped in its tracks to hear the Simpson verdict read on live TV.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Orenthal James Simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder.
ELAM (voice-over): Was he framed by the police or did he get away with murder? The debate raged at the water cooler and Simpson capitalized on it,
writing a book entitled "If I Did It," which the publisher ultimately never released.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's never closure. Ron is always gone.
BRYANT: The family of Ron Goldman who won a wrongful death civil suit against Simpson in 1997 won control of the book rights and released the
book under the title "I Did It: Confessions of the Killer" in 2007.
SIMPSON: I didn't know I was doing anything illegal.
ELAM (voice-over): It wasn't until 2008 that Simpson would go to jail, serving nine years for kidnapping, armed robbery and assault with a deadly
weapon after he broke into a hotel room to retrieve his stolen belongings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we have is satisfaction that this monster is where he belongs.
ELAM (voice-over): The legal turmoil overshadowing what had been a trailblazing life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: O.J. Simpson granted a rare interview with the correspondent at the Legal Edge during his Las Vegas trial. He's part of that interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHEL BRYANT, CORRESPONDENT, THE LEGAL EDGE: Let me ask you how important your faith is these days.
SIMPSON: Well, it's not just these days. My faith has been important to me my whole life. You know, I grew up in Evergreen Baptist Church in San
Francisco and the lord has been the basis of my life. He's been good to me. You know, he helped me overcome so many things in my life.
You know, as a kid, having bone problems with my legs to go on to be an all-American and an all-pro. I mean, I don't think that could have happened
without my mother's prayers and without the lord in my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Michel Bryant is the journalist who conducted that interview joins me now. As you reflect today on O.J. Simpson's passing, what do you think?
MICHEL BRYANT, CORRESPONDENT, THE LEGAL EDGE: You know, he was such a -- we've heard the word polarizing figure, you know, people even today are
wrestling with whether he did it or didn't do it, got off on a double murder, and was the conviction, that I was there to cover and did the
interview in relation to, was at that payback?
Was that just, you know -- those who were so upset about what he and their minds got away with? We're going to get him this time and we're going to do
it no matter what it takes. And, you know, when I did that interview, Richard, it was three days before he was convicted. That sounded like a guy
who's concerned that he's about to go to prison.
You know, he beat a double murder wrap. So, he's probably thinking kidnapping, robbery. You know, that's nothing. I got this beat, and yet, as
we know, he did not.
QUEST: Yes, and I was talking to Jean Casarez, our correspondent, who you'll know, and she was in court as well, and she said that it became
obvious during this trial that the judge didn't like O.J. Simpson. And I think if you look at the sentence, 30-plus years, which, considering nobody
got hurt, and there was at least a valid defense of what he said, it does sort of seem to make sense.
BRYANT: Yes, as I was watching it unfold, I felt the same thing. Like, if this jury doesn't have enough evidence in front of them, and I think they
did, they won't need it anyway, because there was so much built-up animosity over the years that maybe felt even almost an obligation that we
need to make up for what the jury failed to do in their eyes in L.A.
QUEST: What was he like? I mean, you saw him every day.
BRYANT: He's the nicest killer I ever met, Richard, I'll tell you. He's a charming dude. If you want to talk about his favorite subject, that's O.J.
Just start talking about his sports career, his health, his family. He's just happy to chat. And he had this weird way of kind of compartmentalizing
his life. You know, hey, yes, I'm on trial right now. I could go to prison for the rest of my life. But let's talk about my days of football as an
all-American.
He's a bizarre character. He was a bizarre character. I'm still not quite used to it. But that's how I got to, you know, get to him. And I know you
said he granted an interview, in fact, it was -- Richard, I kind of stalked the guy. And found out where he was going to be, and he could have brushed
me off, but he likes to talk, and he did.
QUEST: What do you make -- I mean, we have to quote President Clinton at the time, "We have to respect the jury's decision." That's always a good
bromide that people trot out, isn't it, when a decision comes out. But with hindsight, what do you make of that jury's decision back in 1995?
[18:10:00]
BRYANT: You know, it was so messy. What a mess that was. And I'm an attorney. So, I do take some pride in the system, but that was a nightmare.
Was it the TV coverage that caused that nightmare? I don't know. Was it the judge? Was it the carnival atmosphere? Who knows?
But I don't think the jury was focused on the case. I think they were focused on all of the distractions, and that led them to a decision that
maybe was not, in my opinion, consistent with the evidence.
QUEST: Michel, I'm going to go on a whim here, if you'll humor me, and because you're an attorney, and you do cover legal matters, and you are an
expert, what do we need to be careful of next week when the Donald Trump trial starts in New York? How does one be careful that that doesn't turn
into?
I mean, the judge seems a lot more vigorous than Lance Ito was in this moment. But what would your caution note be?
BRYANT: Yes, I think all judges now are afraid of becoming the next dancing Itos, as they were on "The Tonight Show" back then. It was -- I
mean, it was a joke. And I'm not sure that it could ever reach that level again, Richard. I do think we've learned, and judges are much more strict
with what is done inside the courtroom. And as you can see with the gag orders that are handed out like popcorn, they try to keep control on what's
happening outside the courtroom as well.
So, I don't think we'll ever see another O.J. L.A. trial. But Trump brings a lot of circus with him as well. So, we'll have to see how it's tamped out
in this case.
QUEST: Mr. Bryant, I'm grateful to you, sir. Thank you very much. Send the bill to the usual place. Thank you.
The leaders of the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines have just wrapped up their historic trilateral White House summit. The number one subject, of
course, was China's growing military might and its recent aggression in the South China Sea.
President Biden was hosting the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and the Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The three have announced
plans for closer maritime security ties and other military initiatives. And the U.S. president said that the three nations stand as one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: And I want to be clear, the United States, United States defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are
ironclad. They're ironclad. As I've said before, any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels, or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our
mutual defense treaty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now, earlier in the day, you see the prime minister address the joint session of Congress and put forward a forceful argument for U.S.
engagement, not only in Asia, but across the globe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER: As we meet here today, I detect an undercurrent of self-doubt among some Americans about what your role in the
world should be.
Without U.S. support, how long before hopes of Ukraine would collapse under the onslaught from Moscow? Without the presence of the United States, how
long before the Indo-Pacific would face even harsher realities?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: MJ Lee is with me from the White House. I think one of the most interesting things is that the prime minister spoke in English when he --
at least in a large part when he did, which sort of reinforces, in many ways, the close ties that exist. And the White House would have been very
grateful, surely. Well, you tell me, with that sort of America we need you to lead.
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly fit in with the theme of this week. You know, when you look at this trilateral
meeting today at the White House, which was, by the way, the first of its kind, bringing together the leaders of the U.S., the Philippines and Japan,
the clear backdrop here was the provocations from China in the region, and particularly in the South China Sea.
An administration official who talked about this trilateral meeting said that the summit was explicitly meant to counter China's intimidation and
that the message that this meeting was supposed to send was that it is China that is an outlier in the region.
Of course, some of the context here is that the pressure on, particularly the Philippines, has been growing regarding the issue of the contested
waters in the South China Sea. You know, when we heard the president speaking in front of reporters ahead of this trilateral meeting, his
comments were explicit but rather broad. You know, he said the U.S.'s defense commitments both to Japan and the Philippines were ironclad.
[18:15:00]
But you know, it was also important because this was a meeting, a trilateral meeting that came just one day after the president hosted
singularly the prime minister of Japan here at the White House, not just for any visit, but for a state visit featuring a state dinner, which, as we
have talked about, is one way in which the White House really indicates the strength of the U.S.'s alliance with a country with all of the pomp and
circumstance that comes.
And of course, when you looked at the many deliverables that were announced yesterday from that bilateral meeting, it was very clear. Again, Richard,
the theme that you mentioned before, just that this is about U.S.'s leadership in the context of trying to counter China's aggression, again, I
think was a clear thorough line that we saw both yesterday and in today's trilateral meeting as well.
QUEST: MJ Lee is at the White House. I'm grateful. Thank you.
The former interpreter for the baseball player Shohei Ohtani is now facing federal charges of bank fraud after allegedly stealing millions of dollars
from the Superstore. This is what the U.S. attorney had to say earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN ESTRADA, U.S. ATTORNEY: Our investigation has revealed that due to the position of trust he occupied with Mr. Ohtani, Mr. Mizuhara had unique
access to Mr. Ohtani's finances. Mr. Mizuhara used and abused that position of trust in order to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani. Mr. Mizuhara used an
abused at position trust in order to plunder Mr. Ohtani's bank account to the tune of over $16 million.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Correspondent Nick Watt is with me now with the detail. This is fascinating, isn't it? A, that the allocation is, you know, so serious, and
B, that no one noticed.
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is amazing that no one noticed, that's the question we've all been asking ourselves over the past few weeks. How
could this possibly be?
You know, for the last few weeks we have been told that it was $4.5 million. Today, we were told $16 million. So, how did he do it? Well,
apparently, this interpreter opened a bank account for Shohei Ohtani and told all of Ohtani's other advisers that Ohtani himself wanted this bank
account to be private. And this was the bank account that all of Ohtani's actual baseball earnings went into.
Then, apparently, the interpreter, Mizuhara, when he was speaking to bank officials, he pretended to be Shohei Ohtani and, you know, provided all
the, you know, biographical details you need to get past the security in order to get the bank to wire this money from Ohtani's account to the
bookmaker's account.
And, you know, this all came out because investigators were looking into illegal bookmaking and they saw Shohei Ohtani's name on some wire
transfers. Now, initially, Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter, came out and said, Ohtani was loaning me the money. Pretty quickly, Ohtani's people said
that is just completely not true. This money was stolen. And that's where this all began.
So, bank fraud is a charge, possible 30 years in jail. We're told he's going to turn himself in tomorrow and make his first appearance. I mean,
it's a crazy story, Richard. Also --
QUEST: But, Nick --
WATT: Yes.
QUEST: Nick, there's also the whole thing of none of his advisers, his accountants, his agents, and his managers, I mean, these people don't live
in sort of an isolation, they live in a world of advisers and no one noticed.
WATT: Well, because this interpreter positioned himself between Shohei Ohtani and all of these other people. And when you read the complaint, a
lot of the tax advisers, et cetera, were asking questions saying, what's the deal with this account? We want access. And that's when the interpreter
said, no, no, no. Ohtani wants this to be completely private. And so, he managed to get away with it, 16 million bucks allegedly. It's crazy.
QUEST: Where were you the night of O.J. and all of that? Where are you? I mean, are old enough even?
WATT: I am old -- you know, I was working in New York at the time and I remember watching it and I remembered the next day being out on a boat with
a fisherman who made a very uncomfortable comment about the verdict, and I was two miles offshore and just had to whimper.
It was really uncomfortable. I mean, that's -- to me, that was in my personal experience of how that really divided the country in terms of, you
know, yes, crazy times, huh?
QUEST: Now, you're on the West Coast, part of the craziness. Nick Watt, I'm grateful for you, as always. Thank you, sir.
WATT: Cheers, Richard.
QUEST: Time of the up to minute weather forecast. It's just ahead.
Also, Russian airstrikes. This is quite dramatic. It has destroyed Kyiv's largest power plant. And the Ukrainian president says new defense -- new
air defense systems are urgently needed.
The outlook, the economic outlook for South Asia is looking brighter despite what's happening in China. The ADV, the Asian Development Bank,
we'll talk about it after the break. I can't resist it.
[18:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: A very good morning and a good evening. This is FIRST MOVE. I'm Richard Quest. Julia is off for the day. And so, madness is raining.
In today's "Money Move," stocks in the United States closed mostly higher. Tech was the big winner. The giant chip Nvidia and Apple both rose 4
percent. And Amazon -- I've got the Q&B bell here. I'm going to use it regardless. Amazon hit all-time highs. The investment bank, Morgan Stanley,
fell more than 5 percent on reports that the U.S. has begun an investigation into its wealth management arm.
About a day for U.S. economic data. U.S. wholesale prices rising less than expected, bearing in mind that what we saw on the CPI, that's welcome news.
And Asian stocks all over the place. The Shanghai composite rose about a quarter of a percent. And new number showing Chinese consumer prices barely
rose in March. Inflation still well below target due to consumers' reluctance to spend.
And in China, wholesale prices fell 2.8 percent year-on-year, the eighth straight monthly drop. Chinese factories are continuing to produce too many
unwanted goods. And where on earth are they going to go?
The Asian Development Bank has got its new economic forecast just ahead of the IMF meetings next week for China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific. It
says China will not hit Beijing's target of 5 percent, but robust growth in other parts of Asia will compensate. Tourism, consumer spending and chip
exports.
Albert Park is with me, the chief economist at the ADB, the Asian Development Bank. It's good to see you. I mean, the decoupling and the
ability of China in a sense not to play the full role that one would hope or expect, but you're saying the rest of the region manages quite nicely,
thank you anyway.
ALBERT PARK, CHIEF ECONOMIST, ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK: Right. Well, if you exclude China, the rest of developing Asia will grow from 4.8 percent last
year to 5 percent this year to 5.3 percent this year, offsetting the gradual reduction in growth from China.
But the rest of the region is still linked to China in many ways because China is still very closely tied through trade and investment links to
other countries in the region.
[18:25:00]
QUEST: So, what's your main worry looking at this report? What is your main concern of what can go wrong?
PARK: Well, we have a few areas we're concerned about. One is conflict in the Middle East and other geopolitical tensions. We've seen that this has
led to rising shipping costs because, obviously, for trade between Asia and Europe you have to go around Africa. And we've done some analysis which
suggests that that will raise inflation up to 0.4 percent in the region later this year. And if that persists, that continues to create some
pressure.
We're also concerned about U.S. Fed policy, which, obviously, is very impactful to financial conditions in the region. And so, the concern that
the Fed may hold interest rates a higher for longer would probably be create some kind of downside risk for the region.
QUEST: Yes, but you can't have it both ways. But you can't have the Fed holding off cutting rates, therefore that creates a risk. But at the same
time, if they cut and stoke inflation or at least give the embers a bit of a bellows warming, then that also is a risk.
So, between the devil and the deep blue sea, what would you prefer the Fed to do?
PARK: Well, what you're describing is the same dilemma or balance that all central banks in the region are facing, they're trying to address inflation
but support growth to achieve that sweet spot. In general, we're expecting inflation to moderate in the region from 3.3 percent last year to 3.2
percent this year and 3 percent next year. We still feel that despite recent price pressures, both energy and food prices will normalize over
time.
And so, the Fed, we're still expecting to eventually cut rates later this year. We think that lower interest rates in Asia, which will be more
facilitated by a Fed cut, would help to spur greater investment in the region as well.
QUEST: Good to see you, sir. Thank you. Enjoy your day ahead. It being Friday, you are ever closer to your weekend than I am. Thank you, sir.
Now, turning to the fierce storms that have hit the southern United States, tornadoes, flash floods, Florida's capital Tallahassee, it's all a bit of a
mess. More than a month's worth of rain fell on the city in just two hours. Chad's with me. Chad, it's an enormous amount of rain. And I think the
issue is how much more to come or is it over?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's over for Tallahassee. It's over for New Orleans and New Orleans had a terrible flood as well. Parts of Tyler,
Texas and those areas there in Kirbyville really picked up tremendous amounts of rain.
But this is what the wind damage did. 100 miles per hour, 160 kilometer per hour tornado ripped through parts of the Southern State of Louisiana. Now,
that weather has moved toward the northeast. And we still have a tornado watch, but it's over the mountainous areas of Kentucky and West Virginia
and even on up toward Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh, you have a flash flood warning going on right now because it has been raining, especially in the western suburbs so hard for so long,
and that's a very hilly area. The water all rushes downhill.
In an area that's not hilly down here across the deep south of the U.S., very flat land here, this is what it looked like in Tallahassee, the
Florida capital here, water through the streets, water up to the doors of many residences.
Now, we take you someplace completely different to the Ural River in Russia. This is what happens when you automatically take the temperature
from zero Celsius to 20 or from freezing to about 70 and all of the water melts out of the snow. And we did have this river run through some of these
dams that hold back the water and into the streets and into the towns here in Russia. There are thousands of people without power and without homes,
at this point in time, that have been evacuated from this flooding, even as far as Kazakhstan. Richard.
QUEST: Chad Myers, I'm grateful for you, sir. Thank you.
MYERS: You're welcome.
QUEST: This is FIRST MOVE. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
QUEST: A warm welcome back. It's FIRST MOVE. A look at the international headlines this Thursday night and Friday morning.
The U.S. State Department has restricted U.S. government personnel from traveling to some parts of Israel. It's a decision that comes as Iran is
accusing Israel of a strike on its consulate in Syria. In that strike, several top Iranian commanders were killed.
The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem has posted a security alert on Thursday. It is telling their employees not to travel outside Greater Tel Aviv,
Jerusalem, and Be'er Sheva, and those areas until further notice.
A Vietnamese real estate tycoon has been sentenced to death for financial fraud. Truong My Lan was found guilty of multiple charges, trying to
embezzle more than $12 billion. His lawyer says she plans to appeal Vietnam imposes the death penalty over violent offenses as well as financial
crimes.
The convicted crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried is appealing against his conviction. The FTX founder is now looking at the prospect of 25 years in
prison for stealing $8 billion from customers. The 32-year-old was convicted last week on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.
And here's your top story, the death of O.J. Simpson. He was 76. The former football star, arguably one of the most controversial figures of the late
20th century.
He began carving out his legacy at a young age. He won the Heisman Trophy in college and later being admitted to the Football Hall of Fame. The
legacy on the patch of the light was overshadowed when he became the main suspect in the brutal murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her
friend, Ron Goldman. His trial was broadcast gavel-to-gavel. It captivated the nation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNIE COCHRAN, O.J. SIMPSON DEFENSE ATTORNEY: O.J. Simpson, in a knit cap from two blocks away, is still O.J. Simpson. It's no disguise. It's no
disguise. It makes no sense. It doesn't fit. If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: He was ultimately acquitted in that trial, however, it shaped the media coverage and how legal cases are covered for the foreseeable future.
With me now is Court TV anchor Ted Rowlands. He covered O.J. Simpson's many legal travails, including for this network. So, what was it like when you
covered these sorts of cases?
You're aware in a sense that you're part of that media circus. But so much of that circus does have its genesis back in the trial of O.J. Simpson.
[18:35:00]
TED ROWLANDS, ANCHOR, COURT TV: Oh, absolutely. It changed everything, Richard. If you think about before O.J., court cases were -- yes, they were
on television, but nobody watched them. Court TV launched in 1991. 1994, they were actually on the map and they had some viewers. And to this day,
they're -- you know, after covering trial after trial for CNN and now Court TV, you'd get a big one and it would always be, wow, this is almost as big
as O.J. When in reality, it wasn't even close to being as big as O.J.
He was an individual that broke through the American audience as a football player. And then here he is. He's accused of murdering his wife and of Ron
Goldman. It had everybody's attention and it changed the landscape in terms of the American obsession with true crime forever.
And covering those cases, covering his cases, it was like no other. Anything he did, said, looked around the courtroom, it was noteworthy.
QUEST: And the whole discussion, of course, not just him and his fame and notoriety, but also whether the jury gave a true verdict on the facts.
ROWLANDS: Well, this country was right down racial lines in terms of reaction to that '95 verdict. The bottom line is that had O.J. been tried
now with the advent of DNA -- I mean, remember back then DNA was a science, but it wasn't accepted. People didn't know necessarily that, oh, yes, this
is this is a real deal. And his defense team did a fantastic job of poking holes in the most damning bits of evidence, including the DNA.
How did Ron Goldman's DNA and blood get in O.J.'s house? Well, the jury didn't believe that it got there by -- that it was the crooked and racist
cops. If you remember the trial, there was evidence that there was racism within the LAPD and Mark Fuhrman was on the stand and confronted with it.
And also, keep in mind, this is right after the L.A. riots, the distrust from the Downtown Los Angeles jury with law enforcement was huge. And when
that verdict was read, half the country was one way, half was the other way. And in that half that thought he should have been guilty, most of
those people were white, on the other side, they were black.
QUEST: Ted, I'm going to take the opportunity, moving on from O.J., next week we have Donald Trump trial starting jury selection and then it moves
on through that -- through the process. It's not going to be the same sort of circus that we saw with O.J., but it is historic in its own right. And
now, as one of the top experts in court cases and covering in court cases, what should we be watching for?
ROWLANDS: Well, you should be -- unfortunately, you can't be watching it. And so, this is the difference between what we saw with O.J. and other
trials. There are no cameras in this case against Donald Trump. If there were cameras in this courtroom for this trial, the world would be watching
every minute of it.
Now, in his Atlanta case, Georgia case, if it goes to trial, there will be cameras. That will be different. This one will be interpreted by reporters,
there's only so much room in a courtroom. Yes, everybody will be watching it, but everybody won't have the luxury of seeing the evidence for
themselves and making their own judgments. That's going to be the big difference here, Richard.
Frankly, Donald Trump can't even touch O.J. when it comes to eyeballs in a courtroom if you take the cameras out.
QUEST: Ted, I'm grateful for you, sir. Good to have you. Thank you.
ROWLANDS: Good to see you, Richard.
QUEST: FIRST MOVE continues. The Russian missile attack leaves many Ukrainians in the dark, literally. And the crucial power plant is out of
commission, in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
QUEST: The situation in Ukraine is increasingly desperate after a Russian missile strike destroyed the largest power plant in Kyiv region. This is
what was left of the burning power station after that attack.
The black smoke is pouring from the record. There were no casualties, but multiple missile attacks in the Kyiv region has left more than 200,000
people without power. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports now on how these strikes are adding to Ukraine's call for military aid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kyiv's largest power plant destroyed. The energy company, Centrenergo,
declaring Thursday, "a black day." The dark smoke on the skyline marking the end of the company's energy supply.
All three of its power plants across the country either destroyed or occupied. Russian strikes systematically targeting power facilities have
been a constant in Ukraine since late 2022, but have ramped up in recent weeks.
DTEK, Ukraine's largest power company, saying two of their plants were also targeted overnight. They say their facilities have suffered their worst
attacks this month since the war began, with 80 percent of their infrastructure already destroyed.
Employees trying to repair and to rebuild. The burnt-out skeleton of their facilities needing to be back up and running as soon as possible, echoing
each other's calls for the world to ramp up its weapons support.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We need more air defenses. If we don't have air defenses, there won't be anything left. A lot of missiles
and drones get through, and we get a lot of hits.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): It's a call heard many times over, with the Ukrainian president currently in Lithuania to meet European leaders, and to
ensure those calls do not become white noise in this very long war.
Warnings by generals also becoming more desperate, with the country's parliament voting on Thursday to overhaul mobilization rules, potentially
allowing the military to call up more men.
GENERAL YURIY SODOL, COMMANDER, JOINT FORCES OF UKRAINE (through translator): The enemy outnumbers us by seven to 10 times. We lack
manpower. We are holding the defenses on the last breath.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The bill still needing to be signed into law by Zelenskyy is a sign of an exhausted front line. Civilians in Kyiv spending
the night, once again, underground. A routine too familiar for a country resilient as ever.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Delphi, Greece.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: The capital of Colombia has started rationing water to the roughly nine million people in and around Bogota. It's the result of the drought
fueled and powered by El Nino, the weather phenomenon. Bogota isn't alone. Mexico City is also worried about running out of water. Stefano Pozzebon
has more from Bogota. And there, the reservoirs are at record lows.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: We are in the reservoir of San Rafael. It is one of the few that provide fresh waters to the city of Bogota. But as you
can see, this reservoir is mostly dry. In fact, less than a year ago, the ground I'm standing on was covered in water. And right now, I don't even
need to wear rain boots for walking here because of how dry the ground is.
[18:45:00]
The situation is so troublesome that Colombian authorities have called for water rationing measures in the city of Bogota, which is about 10
kilometers that way, starting today.
Now, Bogota's mayor has urged his fellow citizens to save as much water as possible, at least until the rains come back. In fact, much of the supply
of water to the city comes from surface water, like this one, which are highly dependent on precipitation. This year, however, rain has been
scarce, in part because of a linear climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean, which is hundreds of miles from here. And then, you can have
different effects at different latitudes. But, in Colombia, it largely means less water.
And the Colombian government has issued a natural disaster decree as early as in January to mobilize resources to prevent the effects of El Nino.
SUSANA MUHAMAD, COLOMBIAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER (through translator): We must have a deep thought about the type of development we want. We can't
keep handling emergencies. It's not sustainable to break through the water cycle, ignoring the time nature needs to recover and then expect the water
to keep flowing as if anything is happening.
POZZEBON: Colombian authorities as well as scientists say that it's incredibly hard to predict how long this drought would last. But what is
most worrying is if droughts like these become a yearly thing, and this becomes the new normal.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: In just a moment, we ride along on one of the U.S. military's longest missions in the world. It's an exclusive report from the B-52.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: As global uncertainty grows, the United States wants the world to know it's always watching and always ready to respond to any threat. CNN's
Oren Liebermann, our Pentagon correspondent, gained exclusive access to the ultra-long-range U.S. Air Force mission That's meant to send a clear
message to friends and foes alike. That mission comes with challenges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: MYLAR113, runway 33, wind 330.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under the shroud of predawn darkness, flight MYLAR11 roars out of Louisiana's Barksdale Air
Force Base.
It's the start of one of the longest military missions in the world, a nonstop 33-hour flight by this B-52 strategic bomber group to the other
side of the world, flying near Russia, China, North Korea and back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you can see, it's dark outside. The cockpit has red light once again for the night vision here.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): CNN is the first news crew ever allowed on one of these extensive B-52 missions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only are we out of the visible and flexible legs of the nuclear triad, we can have a B-52 where you need it, when you need it
within 48 hours.
[18:50:00]
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): These flights are intentionally high-profile. Two years into the war in Ukraine, as Russia challenges the U.S. and NATO, the
Kremlin is meant to know about our bomber flight. So is China, with Beijing pressuring Taiwan and Chinese Coast Guard vessels harassing ships of the
Philippines, a U.S. ally.
MAJ. GEN. JASON ARMAGOST, COMMANDER, EIGHTH AIR FORCE: Both the national leadership of Russia and the national leadership of China, what do they
react to? We see that they publicly comment about our bomber task force missions, particularly when it involves others in very joint and public
ways.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tanker 1, contact.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bomber 1, contact.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Five hours into the flight, we hit our first of four aerial refueling off Alaska's coast, taking on as much gas as we can.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep track of your own fuel state. I'd like for you guys to be with us all the way to Yankee Zulu Papa.
[04:50:00]
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): After an hour of formation flying during this refuel, we arc out over the Pacific and towards Japan.
LT. REBECCA "VULCAN" MOORE, ELECTRONIC WARFARE OFFICER: It's important that we communicate to our partners that we mean what we say. And when we
say that we're committed to our alliances. That's an example of what the B- 52 does. We show up when we're asked.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): This 63-year-old Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, decades older than its crew, shows its age. But it remains the Air Force's
primary bomber, taking part in every U.S. war since Vietnam with planned upgrades to its antiquated systems, it'll see nearly a century of service.
This year, the U.S. began producing its next- generation B-21 bomber. China is close behind, promising their H-20 strategic stealth bomber will be
unveiled soon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twenty seconds to the turn. Zero five zero.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Onboard MYLAR11, we pass by Russia's East Coast, closer to meeting up with U.S. and ally fighter jets. Our flight is
unarmed, the mission is not to attack, but to prevent attack, to deter. But this is a bomber, of course.
If we were carrying nuclear weapons, the Air Force would monitor the flight from the joint nuclear operations center back in Louisiana, seen here on
news camera for the first time. It's a 24/7 operation, tracking all ballistic missile silos and airborne nuclear weapons.
On the ground, crews trained to turn the aircraft into an offensive platform, munitions teams or mons as they're known on base assemble
weapons. Outside, loading teams marry bombs to bomber.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And install the bindings.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The B-52 can carry up to 70,000 pounds of bombs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ready to fly?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready to fly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Your jet.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): It is a marathon of marathons to put the B-52 in its crew virtually anywhere in the world.
LIEBERMANN: At this point, we've passed the halfway point on the flight. We've been in the air more than 16 hours. It's the middle of the day here
in Japan where we're over flying at the moment, en route to the mission area where we'll meet up with fighters from several other countries here
and carry out an exercise.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Here on the edge of the East China Sea, fighter jets from Japan and South Korea take up formation off our wings. Hours
earlier during our flight, North Korea test fired a mid- range ballistic missile, a reminder of the threats in the Pacific.
LIEBERMANN: You want to be seen by both allies and adversaries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to be seen by allies and adversaries.
LIEBERMANN: It is still a head-turner --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is.
LIEBERMANN: -- when you take it around the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): But it's China that the U.S. is watching most closely. In October, a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a B-52 flying over
the South China Sea at night, coming within 10 feet of the bomber.
By number of ships, China has the world's largest navy, soon have the world's largest air force according to the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific
Command. Beijing is rapidly modernizing its military, including its strategic forces, and they're not part of any non-proliferation treaty,
obscuring their nuclear assets.
After 19 hours of flying and 14 more to go, a warning light signals trouble with one of the plane's main engines. The crew runs through the checklists.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Throttles, number five.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Confirmed, five.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Confirmed.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): They make the decision to shut down the engine. There is no panic, just a management of risk. Nearing the 30-hour mark of
the flight, we see our second sunrise over Washington States Mount Rainier.
LIEBERMANN: And although the crew is tried, they all know there's still a critical task ahead and that is getting the B-52 back on the ground. And
that is one of the most difficult parts of the mission.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): On final approach, the B-52, which has been in the air nearly 15 hours longer than the longest commercial flight in the
world has won final surprise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One gear not down?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Affirm. Right main gear is not down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead and emergency extend it.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Flight MYLAR11 touches down at 3:00 in the afternoon after 33 hours in the air. A mission that showed the abilities
and the age of a jet that remains critical to the Air Force.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Despite how many years the B-52 has been running, she is a tough girl.
LIEBERMANN: Officers we spoke with in Air Force Global Strike Command say countries like Japan are requesting more B-52 flights. They want to see the
bomber in their skies.
[18:55:00]
It is not just a measure of assurance between the U.S. and its allies. It's also a message to adversaries like China who are very much aware of those
B-52 missions, especially the long-range ones.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a meeting on Wednesday in which they said there would be increased
defense security cooperation, more integration on things like command and control between the militaries and making sure these militaries can
continue to move together. Biden said it is the most significant upgrade to the alliance since it began.
Oren Liebermann, CNN, in the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Fascinating, absolutely fascinating. Finally, for you, new revelations from the ruins of Pompeii. Archaeologists have uncovered a
Roman banquet hall. It's protected with frescoes of mythic figures tied to the Trojan War.
Apollo, the beautiful Helen, Paris, Cassandra, all come to life on the room's walls. And the site's director has pointed out you can imagine how
the images might appear to move in the lamplight. Particularly after a few glasses of wine and they were partial to that, this latest excavation has
also discovered some less luxurious settings including homes, a bakery, even a laundry. Well, somebody had to do the hard work.
And that's FIRST MOVE for tonight. I'm Richard Quest. Julia is back tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
