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One World with Zain Asher
Biden And McCarthy Scheduled To Have Talks On Debt Limits; Meta Platforms Fined For Data Transfer; Sudanese Army And Its Rival Commit To A Seven-Day Ceasefire; Paul Whelan Remains Optimistic About U.S. Government's Efforts To Bring Him Home; Russia's Belgorod Region Governor Claims At Least Three People Were Injured In A Border Town Attack; Brazilian Football Star Faces Racist Insults; Senator Tim Scott Announces He Will Run For President In 2024. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired May 22, 2023 - 12:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm Zain Asher here in New York and this is ONE WORLD. The clock is ticking down to a looming
deadline that has the potential to trigger a global financial catastrophe. U.S. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are set to sit
down for high-stakes talks on the debt ceiling in the coming hours. Mr. Biden raced back to Washington on Sunday, cutting his time short at the G7
Summit in Japan. Here's why.
In less than 10 days, America could potentially default on its debt for the very first time ever. But both sides remain far apart on the issue.
Republicans call the current debt unsustainable. The President, meanwhile, is accusing the House Speaker of catering to his party's extremist
minority. Still, he appears optimistic after speaking to McCarthy by phone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, how was your phone call with House Speaker McCarthy?
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: It went well. We'll talk tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us live now from the White House. Only 10 days to go, Arlette. You know, we are sort of used to seeing this every so
often. Washington tends to cut it close. But is it different this time? How nervous should we be?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Well, Zain, it's very different just based on the fact that the U.S. has never defaulted on
its debt. And right now, the U.S. is staring down that possibility of that occurring as early as June 1st. Now, in about five and a half hours,
President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will once again meet here in the White House.
They're trying to resume these negotiations, trying to find a way to avert defaults. And at this very minute, negotiators from the White House and
Speaker McCarthy's Representatives have been meeting up on Capitol Hill for close to three hours as they're looking to lay the groundwork for these
talks between the President and House Speaker.
Now, both sides have acknowledged that there are very real differences that they have in their approach to a budget agreement. One of those key
Republican negotiators earlier today said that there are very serious obstacles that they have to get through. One of the key items is the issue
of spending levels.
The White House has proposed freezing spending at current fiscal year levels, while Republicans want to revert back to Fiscal Year 2022 levels.
Now McCarthy has called Democrats -- accused Democrats of engaging in an addiction to spending while President Biden says that he has proposed
spending cuts but insists that tax revenues do need to be on the table -- that table -- that is something that Republicans have said simply would be
a non-starter for them.
But what you also heard from President Biden this weekend, as he was warning of potential default, he stressed the need for this to be a
bipartisan deal and said that Republicans need to start to offer some concessions as they are in these negotiations. But bottom line here, both
sides are facing an incredibly real time crunch. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen yesterday reaffirmed that the U.S. could default on its debts as
early as June 1st, saying that that is a hard deadline for raising the debt ceiling.
And then there's just the prospect of if there is an agreement, it would take time to move any legislation up through up on Capitol Hill. Both sides
would still need to corral their members together to try to get enough support to get a deal across the finish line, but still heading into this
meeting between the President and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Both sides have continued to stress that they still have varied differences on the
table --very real differences on the table as they're in these negotiations. We'll just see whether there is any actual room for agreement
heading into this meeting with the potential of a U.S. default occurring in as little as 10 days.
ASHER: Yeah, we're gonna be watching what happens pretty much every single day to see if it ends up being an agreement. They are cutting it close
though, as you point out. Arlette Saenz, live for us there. Thank you so much.
Facebook's parent company, Meta, has been slapped with a record fine for transferring user data across the Atlantic. The $1.3 billion fine is the
largest levied under Europe's privacy data law. European regulators say Facebook transferred the personal data of E.U. users to servers in the
United States.
Meta plans to appeal and says the ability to transfer data from the E.U. to the U.S. is essential for the operations of many internet companies. CNN's
Melissa Bell is following this story for us. She joins us live now from Paris.
[17:05:00] This really does sort of highlight the differences, Melissa, between Europe's strict view when it comes to privacy and the U.S. which is seen as
somewhat relaxed, somewhat lax, especially because there is no sort of federal privacy law here. Just walk us through where the points of tensions
are.
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And I think to your point a moment ago in reading that defense or that -- that reply from Meta,
this is an issue that impacts not just Meta, but so many other companies, as well, and that's why it's so important.
As to the size of the fine, it's huge. One point three billion dollars, it is historic. Of course, there have been fines imposed before Amazon saw a
large one a few years ago. There have been some on the platforms run by Meta Facebook, but this is the first time that it should be this large and
it is according to the European regulators, an important signal to say, it doesn't matter how big you are, we will take action in order to protect the
rights of European citizens under that Data Protection Law, the GDPR. Now, of course, it's coming up to its fifth anniversary now, Zain, in just a
couple of days. And I think it is no coincidence also that this strong signal is coming at particularly that moment.
From their point of view, what Meta says as they announced that they will appeal is also that some more fundamental solution has to be found. That
issue that you mentioned a moment ago, that disconnect between the way American laws work and the requirements of European laws is something that
European and American legislators keep trying to tackle. So, there have been several versions of the data flow frameworks that allow, that have
been hammered out between Washington and Brussels over the years.
Each one keeps being struck down by the European court which tends to find that each one after the other has not been sufficiently far in protecting
those privacy rights of Europeans. Even now, the American and European administrations are trying to hammer out a new framework. A deal could be
found as early as July. It could be as late as October, Zain. And that, of course, will have a material impact on how Meta is able to continue, and
other companies are able to continue doing their business in Europe.
But for now, $1.3. billion, it is a strong message that Europe is sending and a steep price that Meta looks like it may have to pay because of this
unresolved issue. What they also point out is that because of the lack of a framework, they are obliged in order to do their business and allow things
like Instagram and Facebook to function in Europe to use these instruments that allow for that transfer of European data. It is precisely the use of
those instruments that the European regulator is objecting to, Zain.
ASHER: Yes, you mentioned the largest fine ever levied on the company since those strict privacy laws took effect five years ago. Melissa Bell, live
for us there. Thank you so much.
Another attempt to stop the bloodshed in Sudan is set to go into effect less than four hours from now, after more than five weeks of fighting. The
Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary rival have expressed their commitments to the seven-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and by Saudi
Arabia, as well. The pause is intended to allow for the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid. All previous attempts at truces have
fallen apart.
Paul Whelan remains optimistic the U.S. government will eventually succeed in bringing him home. He has been wrongfully detained in Russia since 2018
and was sentenced to 16 years on espionage charges. In an exclusive interview with CNN, he says he feels confident that his case is a priority
in Washington. He just wishes it would go a little faster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL WHELAN, FORMER U.S. MARINE: I feel that my life shouldn't be considered less valuable or important than others who have been previously
traded. And I think there are people in D.C. that feel the same way and they're moving towards a compromise and resolution to this as quickly as
they can. There will be an end to this and I hope it's coming sooner than later. But it is depressing on a daily basis, you know going through this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Jennifer Hansler joins us live now from the State Department. I mean, when you think about what he's been through, he's seen other
Americans released before him. Of course, Brittney Griner, for example, recently released. Whelan was unfortunately left behind. A lot of the
attention right now is on Evan Gershkovich, "The Wall Street Journal" Reporter who is now being held in Russia. Does Paul Whelan feel as though
it could happen again, that there is a strong chance that he could end up being left behind again? How optimistic is he this time around?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Well, Zain, when I spoke to him yesterday he said he was positive and confident that there are U.S.
efforts underway to secure his release, that the wheels are turning on that process. But he is also a bit concerned that he could be left behind again.
When I last spoke to him it was back in December, right after Brittney Griner had been released in that prisoner swap that U.S. officials said
Russia would not include him in.
[17:10:00]
And he was very disappointed, very downtrodden at the fact that he had been left in Russia for a second time last year. When I spoke to him yesterday,
his outlook was much more positive, much more optimistic. He said he felt more confident than he did in December, that he had been made a priority,
that U.S. officials had said they are working on Evans' case, but they are working on his case, as well, and that they understand the toll this has
taken on him and his family.
And Zain, part of what undergirds this optimism, he told me, is the public messaging he has heard from the U.S. He was actually able to watch his
sister give a speech before a U.N. Security Council meeting that was chaired by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov. He was also able to
see parts of President Biden's speech at the Correspondents' Dinner, in which the U.S. President called for the release of Americans detained
around the world. So, take a listen to what he told me about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHELAN: The public displays and events such as, you know, the Press Corps Dinner and the U.N. visit demonstrate to not just me, privately, but to the
world that our leaders are impacted by this and they do want me back and they are working to try to get me home. And if you consider all of the
people and all of the agencies in my four countries that are working on this, it's incredible. And I think they're going to get it done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANSLER: So, Zain, as you heard there, he is hopeful, he is optimistic that he will be able to come home here to the U.S. but he just wants that
process to move more quickly. He said his day-to-day life there in the prison camp is quite depressing. I should also note that Secretary of State
Antony Blinken has said that the U.S. has given Russia a proposal to free Paul Whelan, and they have not engaged on that proposal. Zayn.
ASHER: I'm sure his day-to-day life is depressing. I think he talked about, you know, forced labor and what that was like. All right, Jennifer Hansler,
we have to leave it there. Thank you so much.
Basketball Star, Brittney Griner, speaking of, got a standing ovation in her first home game since she was released from Russia in a prison swap
last year. Her team, the Phoenix Mercury, took on the Chicago Sky in the WNBA season's opening weekend. Griner put on a great show, moving up to
third place on the all-time list for most blocks. She scored a game high, 27 points. Her team lost but the day was so much bigger, of course, than
just this game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITTNEY GRINER, PHONIX MERCURY CENTER: It may have been a little dusty in my eye. It was a little dusty, but no, it was emotional in the back, just
hearing, seeing some of the clips and then coming out. You know, part of the process of healing was just kind of letting it out. So yeah, I got
choked up a little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs attended the march, as well.
Russia is accusing what it's calling a fighting group of saboteurs of crossing into its territory from Ukraine. The governor of Russia's Belgorod
region claims at least three people were injured in an attack on a border town. He says damaged three residential buildings, an administrative
building and a kindergarten are in a village nearby. A group of anti-Putin Russian nationals who are aligned with the Ukrainian army are claiming
responsibility. Kyiv, meantime, says Bakhmut remains the epicenter of fighting and it's denying the besieged city has fallen to Russian forces.
Meantime, Ukrainian soldiers are building can-sized bombs by hand under instruction from British explosives experts. CNN's Nic Robertson shows us
how these small bombs are having a big impact on the battlefield.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: The cold affects them so, after three or four days in the cold, if you're leaving it outside or if there's no heating, these will last
probably three weeks.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ukrainian troops get a lesson on covert bomb making.
UNKNOWN: And that goes through your battery.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): British explosives and counterinsurgency specialists pass on decades of know-how to soldiers already well-versed in
normal frontline combat.
UNKNOWN: Killing somebody, blowing up property -- we are showing just how it' done.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): But these are no ordinary bombs. They are secret weapons in Ukraine's clandestine arsenal to kill Russians on Ukrainian
land.
UNKNOWN: If we have a high-priority target, we, of course, use this equipment against it.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): And it's not just individual targets, similar technology already in very experienced Ukrainian hands was used to bring
down a building on dozens of Russian troops recently in Bakhmut.
[17:15:00]
UNKNOWN: This equipment is used to destroy the enemy. We use it to produce explosive devices we can use on the ground, on the battlefield or in the
air as munition for drones.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): But it's not just the subversive skills and techniques the British experts bring that are needed in undercover
operations. It's the bomb components, too. Sophisticated switches, specialized microchips, night vision goggles, covert monitoring devices,
even 3D printers. Some relatively easy to buy outside Ukraine are in high- demand because troops here are in a race against time against the Russians. And getting them through NATO partners simply takes too long.
UNKNOWN: It's hard to measure this help with words or numbers because it's a great moral support for us straight to our hearts. And we are very, very
grateful for this help.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): It's a measure, even on the eve of an expected big counteroffensive, of just how much help that more than a year into the war
even the smallest of components, the most modest of hands on help, is so gratefully received. Nic Robertson, CNN, Eastern Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Tensions boil over during a football match in Spain. Is racism growing in the sport, or will changes improve things out for players? We'll
take a look, and later, a one-on-one with Imran Khan. Here's some of what the Former Prime Minister of Pakistan is saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IMRAN KHAN, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN: My entire senior leadership is in jail. Tuesday, I'm going to make an appearance for various bails in
Islamabad. Eighty percent chances are that I will be arrested.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Spain is known as a country of racists. That's according to the Real Madrid Forward, Vinicius, Jr. That outrage comes after the player was
taunted with racist abuse throughout Sunday's match against Valencia in Spain. Tensions boiled over.
[17:20:00]
Officials actually paused the game. The stadium announcer asked the fans to stop the racist abuse, but it continued. Vinicius' club, Real Madrid has
filed a hate crime complaint with authorities and Valencia says it will issue lifetime bans to the fans who yelled racist chants.
In a tweet, Vini Jr. says, unfortunately, this happens all the time. Here's what he said, let me read it to you. This is a translation, by the way. It
wasn't the first time, nor the second, or the third. Racism is frequent and normal in La Liga. The competition believes it's normal. The federation
does, too, and the opponents encourage it. I am sorry, the championship, which once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano, or Messi today, now
belongs to the racists.
Racism has long played the entire game of football. It was just 10 years ago that FIFA actually started a racism task force. And there are
complaints going back nearly 40 years, if not longer. And as we saw on Sunday, nothing has changed.
Again, we hear from politicians, like, for example, Brazil's President calling for something to be done. I want you to listen to what he had to
say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIS IGNACIO LA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is not possible that almost in the middle of the 21st century we have racial
prejudice gaining strength in several football stadiums in Europe. It is not fair that a boy who succeeded in life and is potentially becoming one
of the best players in the world, certainly the best at Real Madrid, is attacked in every stadium he plays in. I think it is important that FIFA,
the Spanish league and the leagues in other countries take real action because we can't allow fascism and racism to dominate football stadiums.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN Sports Senior Analyst Darren Lewis has of course covered football for years and joins us live now from London. This is really
nothing new, Darren, but can you -- there is really no other industry where this happens or where this is allowed to happen. I mean, can you imagine
being an actor or a singer on stage and being forced to sort of continue your performance live while the audience hurls racist abuse at you? It just
wouldn't be, it's inconceivable in any other industry, it wouldn't be tolerated. Why is it allowed in football?
DARREN LEWIS, CNN SENIOR SPORTS ANALYST: I'm so glad, you know, Zain, that you put that into perspective in that way because I would imagine people
who only have a passing interest in football would ask exactly that question. Football kind of deludes itself that it has robust controls but
what you've just outlined there is what football calls a three-step protocol. When I say football I mean FIFA, the world governing body and
that three-step protocol which was tweeted out today and put onto Instagram, as well.
There's an announcement made at first, please stop being racially abusive. And then if it continues, the referee takes the players off the pitch. And
then if he brings them back and it continues, then the game is abandoned. The three points go to the opposition team all very well. But as you
rightly just said, in what other industry would you give people three opportunities to be discriminatory, to be racist?
It is absolutely delusional. And football convinces itself that it's the right way to go. But as we've seen today, footballers like Vinicius Jr. are
subjected to what he had to endure. And actually, as you said, it wasn't the first, second, or third time. It was a 10th time across two seasons.
And that is why it is such a scandal in plain sight.
ASHER: What does that do to a person? You know, football -- you've got an auditorium, a stadium filled with people, right? They're essentially
nameless and faceless because you can't really see them, you can't confront them, you can't sort of stand out for yourself. You just have to sort of
endure it. You have crowds and crowds of people yelling at you, all sorts of things that I would not be allowed to repeat on television. And yet you
have to perform under that kind of environment. What does that do to a person?
LEWIS: It's such a good question because I've spoken to so many players who have suffered trauma, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, and a part of that
is exacerbated by the fact that very often football tells you not to speak, not to use your voice, and then you can't use it until you retire. And then
when you retire, you will look around and see lots of other ex-players really robust on this issue. But by that time, football doesn't want to
listen and you are left by yourself to deal with that emotional fallout, to deal with that humiliation, that shame, that helplessness that you suffer
while you're on the field of play. That's the reason why I am so frustrated by football abrogating its duty of care to young black men.
[17:25:00]
It's frustrating to look at a sport that continually sends young 20- something men and in their late teens into arenas like the one where Vinicius Jr. was abused by hundreds of thousands of people and says to
them, perform. And rightly, Vinicius said, I'm not willing to do that anymore. I want to speak out. And he may well have tarnished a lot of
people who don't want to be tarnished with that particular brush. But hopefully, that kind of explosive statement that he revealed yesterday will
actually force some of the right thinking people in Spain to say, I don't want to be a part of this. I want to call it out to you.
ASHER: You know, you know, Darren, you say that, but we've seen a lot of publicity over some of the racist abuse that football players have
suffered. I mean, you remember during the championship league, there were three black players who had to score the penalty in the U.K., and they were
playing for England, and they missed. All of them missed, and for about a month afterwards, they were subjected to some of the worst racist abuse
I've ever seen in my life.
And despite the fact that, you know, it made international headlines, we were all talking about it for months, I just don't feel as though anything
changed as a result. So, it was great that Vinicius sort of spoke out on Twitter, and you know, it's making international headlines this time
around, but will it actually really make a difference?
LEWIS: It's a good question, because I think what the next stage is, and I've said this many times, and I've been on CNN talking about it as well,
is that players will take their own course of action. They'll leave the field of play. We've seen it many times before. We first saw it in 2006,
where the Cameroon Superstar Striker Samuel Esso left the field of play when he was a Barcelona player, because he'd said, look, I've had enough.
I'm not here for this.
And we've seen it on other occasions, as well. The France superstar Kylian Mbappe, leaving the field of play with his PSG teammates when he felt that
he had been abused, and we will continue to see it. Now, I spoke to the UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin about this and he said, yeah, we do need
to be robust. And I understand if footballers look at me and they say to me that we're not willing to listen to you because you don't protect us, but
we are trying.
But the bottom line is that we are at a stage, as you say, Zain, where Players have had enough of waiting for solidarity. They've had enough of
tweets telling them that people stand shoulder to shoulder with them. It is time for them to use their commercial power and say, we will not play until
this industry protects us. And I defy any commercial entity not to side with the players in a situation like that.
ASHER: Right, we'll see what happens, whether there is change. You know, because I have a feeling, I'm sorry to be pessimistic, that you and I are
going to be talking about this in a year, no, not, you know, two years, every year we're going to be speaking about this.
LEWIS: You're absolutely right, Zain. I think you are absolutely right. We will, I will see you next year.
ASHER: I'm sure, I'm sure. Darren Lewis, you have to leave it there. Thank you so much.
All right, still to come here on ONE WORLD, another ground-breaking moment for space exploration. Find out who's aboard the latest rocket to launch
into space. Also, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appears poised to enter the presidential race, another group is issuing a travel advisory for
people of color. Details ahead. And Pop Superstar Lizzo calls out one U.S. state's proposed law during a concert and it's getting high praise from her
fans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Hello and welcome back to ONE WORLD. Let's catch up on the headlines. A dormitory fire at a middle school in Guyana has claimed at
least 20 lives. Officials say 19 of them were students. Several people have been hospitalized. Seven of them are said to be in critical condition.
Officials have not yet said what caused the fire.
At this hour, Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho college students, is in court. When asked for his plea, he remains
silent and the judge entered not guilty pleas on his behalf. He's being charged with murder and burglary for the November attack. If he is found
guilty, he could face the death penalty. Another Republican hopes to take on President Joe Biden in the next U.S.
presidential race. Senator Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, officially announced his presidential campaign last hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM SCOTT, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We live in the land where it is absolutely possible for a kid raised in poverty, in a single-
parent household, in a small apartment, to one day serve in the people's house, and maybe even the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Before taking on Mr. Biden, he has to make it past one President, Donald Trump, and several others in the Republican primary.
A second advocacy group is issuing a stark warning about travel to the U.S. State of Florida. Beware, your life is not valued. That's the message from
the NAACP President after he issued a travel advisory for people of color. Derrick Johnson tells CNN that Governor Ron DeSantis is weaponizing race.
The NAACP says, quote, the State of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions and challenges faced by African Americans and other
communities of color. The move comes just days after the League of United Latin American Citizens issued a similar advisory. Besides his battle with
Disney, the DeSantis' administration has blocked a preliminary version of an advanced placement course on African American studies, banned the
teaching of critical race theory, which acknowledges that systemic racism is part of American history among other things. Here's what Governor
DeSantis has said back in March about the possibility of a travel advisory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON DESANTIS, FLORIDA GOVERNOR: What a joke. What a joke. Yeah, we'll see how -- we'll see how effective that is. It's ridiculous and we're proud to
be leading the nation in tourism. This is part of the reason why, you know, our country, you know, it goes through all these, we get involved in these
stupid fights. This is a stunt to try to do that. It's a pure stunt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN has reached out to DeSantis' office following the release of the advisory, but has not heard back. Time now for the exchange. Joining me
live now is Marsha Ellison. She's the President of NAACP for Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, as well. Marsha, thank you so much for being
with us. So much to talk about here, but what are the consequences when black people's history is watered down, erased, distorted when there's so
much contention about teaching students about racism and the history of race in this country.
[12:35:00]
What are the consequences of that?
MARSHA ELLISON, PRESIDENT, NAACP FORT LAUDERDALE AND BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA: First of all, thank you for having me. We know that all children
deserve to learn the facts about history. Taking away a teacher's ability to -- to teach true history just shows how our lives are not valuable to
this governor and his followers.
Black children -- children of color need -- it is important for them to see the facts and to see people who look like them, to understand where we came
from, and that they still have the American dream ahead of them. Taking away the teaching, the true teachings of African-American studies in our
secondary and post-secondary schools, just sends a very dangerous message. And it likened to the days when black folk were not allowed to read.
Understanding and knowing your history and the value of it makes us who we are. And the fact that he wants to erase that is just another true display
of how he feels about black people, in particular, and people of color.
ASHER: So, when he was asked a couple of months ago about the possibility that the NAACP might end up doing this, might issue this travel advisory,
he referred to it as a stunt. He totally dismissed it. He sort of laughed it off. What do you make of his reaction? What's your reaction to his
reaction?
ELLISON: Well, if the governor thinks that learning about African erasure of Black, of African American history is a joke, then I see that. If he
thinks that police brutality and those are lives that are lost at the hands of law enforcement due to police brutality, is a joke, if he thinks that
the NAACP and how it's teaching them to educate people to be very aware, when you come to Florida, is a joke, and that our lives and our history
matters and that Black history is American history, is a joke, then I guess, you know, then that's how, that's who he is.
And usually, we say in our communities, when people show you who they are, we believe them. And so, we will do everything in our power to make sure
that we educate people who, black people in particular, who plan to travel to Florida, and then use this as a call to action against this governor and
the administration and the -- his supporters.
ASHER: Marsha, what does a call to action actually look like? Because, you know, when you think about a travel advisory, when I sort of read this
story, I wondered really how much of a sort of real tangible impact and advisory could really have, especially when it comes to travel. I mean,
these policies will affect, for sure, African Americans who live in Florida, who are raising their children in Florida, of course. But people
who are just visiting Florida on a whim, going to Miami for the weekend, are these policies, A, going to have an impact? And beyond a travel
advisory, what sort of meaningful call to action can there really be to counteract some of these policies?
ELLISON: Well, first of all, it is certainly not a travel ban, so people are free to travel.
ASHER: It's an advisory, yes. It's an advisory, right, right, right.
ELLISON: It is a warning that when you travel, these are the things that you can expect when you come here. You know, there are a number of laws
that are on the books that will affect all of us. For example, if you plan to come, just know that, you know, there are laws that talk about you know,
gather large gatherings.
It could be, you could be swept up into that and charged because there may be the interpretation of law enforcement. If you come here and get into
trouble, it could affect your ability to vote. If you're gonna, you know, if you're going to be here, you have to know what the rules are when it
comes to Florida.
As far as people coming here, and, you know, coming here to see the city, it's not what you see just when you're on vacation. You know, there are
those who are, you know, we're having trouble recruiting teachers. It has effect to know that when you talk to the people that are here on the
ground, their everyday lives, you must know that what the people here face on a daily basis.
So, you have to know that when you come to Florida, what to expect. You could end up losing your voting rights. You could end up losing your
freedom. If you are, you know, planning to continue on to vote, you know, there could be a problem there. We are, and when we're talking about a call
to action, first of all, to be alerted. When we talk about travel here, we, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP plan to ask for the national
convention to come to Florida in the upcoming years.
[17:40:00]
That won't be happening now. We know that there are other entities who are contractually required to come, because the losses would not be overcome,
but that will, they won't be able to cancel now. But, going forward, they will make a different decision. We know that there are individuals, when
they come, who will make sure that Black businesses are supported not just straight in the state, in the tourist area, but go out and support black
businesses and understand what's really happening to us and our economy that's happening here.
So, will it have an effect? Absolutely. It already has. We have been inundated with calls from other organizations from here. They will now
include a day of action and encouragement of those individuals to certainly to register, to cast their ballots, and to certainly get into teaching. you
know, about African-American studies across the state of Florida and across this nation, because as we know in a few days, the governor will seek a
higher office.
ASHER: Right.
ELLISON: And so, the effect will be great, I can assure you that.
ASHER: And actually, yeah, not only is he announcing this week, but he does actually have a realistic shot at the nomination and potentially,
potentially at the presidency. So, the story, of course, is not going away. We'll be talking about this for many, many months. Marsha Ellison, live for
us there, thank you so much.
ELLISON: Thank you.
ASHER: Pop star Lizzo got emotional at her concert in Nebraska this weekend. A recently passed state bill would restrict abortion and access to
gender-affirming care. During her show in Omaha Friday night, the Grammy and Emmy winner celebrated the diversity of her fans and took a swing at
the legislation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIZZO: I'm gonna tell you who you are, who you are, okay? I see you, you are valid. You deserve to be here every storm. You contain multitudes.
These laws are not real. You are what's real. And you deserve to be protected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The legislation lets the state's chief medical officer make the rules for gender-affirming care for those under the age of 19 and bans most
abortion after 12 weeks.
All right, still to come here on ONE WORLD, most of the votes are in, but Greece's ruling conservative party still cannot form a government. We'll
head to Athens for a breakdown of the results.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:45:00]
ASHER: A boost for the front-runner ahead of a runoff vote in Turkey. The candidate who finished third in the first round of the presidential
election says that he will back President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ultra- nationalist Sinan Ogan says supporting Mr. Erdogan is the right thing for the country and for the people. Ogan received more than five percent of the
vote in the first round. The runoff between the President and challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is scheduled for Sunday.
And despite a crushing victory, the ruling party in Greece fell short of winning an outright majority in Sunday's parliamentary election. The
center-right New Democracy Party got more than 40 percent of the vote trouncing the opposition leftist Syriza Party. The Prime Minister described
the win as a political earthquake, but ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition government. This likely sets the stage for a second election,
possibly next month.
Journalist Elinda Labropoulou joins us live now from Athens. So, Elinda, just talk to us about how the Prime Minister managed to really do
incredibly well in these elections. I mean, how much of it is because of the turn-around that Greece has seen with regards to its economy?
ELINDA LABROPOULOU, JOURNALIST: It seems that it's extremely connected to the turn-around. I mean, Greece is showing great growth, something that the
country has not witnessed for well over 10 years. As you know, the country has gone through a protracted financial crisis through the 2010s.
Now, this is a prime minister that delivered growth. He's someone who has weathered the COVID-19 crisis. He's somebody who has gone through the
energy crisis and is now promising more growth and foreign investments. This is something that obviously has played out very well with the Greek
voters. People are really feeling the pinch in their pocket with inflation and the living crisis costs at the moment.
It was originally thought during the campaign time that other issues such as a wire-tapping scandal, some accusations of pushbacks of migrants, other
issues with the rule of law in Greece would also play a dominant part in this election but it turns out that it is the economy that pushed people to
vote primarily. So, as it is, the Prime Minister has basically clearly said that with these numbers, which are much higher than his party expected, he
has the clear will of the people to go to a second round to be able to win an outright majority. So, he will not be going into coalition talks, and we
do expect that a new election date will be announced soon.
ASHER: Yeah, and as you point out, I mean, Greece really has been through so much. I mean, the worst of it, you know, spending controls,
unemployment, at the height of it was something like 30 percent. The economy shrunk by 25 percent. There was a brain drain. The list goes on,
but that appears to be turning around. Elinda Labropoulou, thank you so much for being with us.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tells CNN that democracy is under threat in his nation. Khan says he fears he will be re-arrested when
he appears in court on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled his arrest and various corruption charges was unlawful and
ordered his temporary release from jail. His detention triggered deadly protests across the country. The former cricket star spoke to CNN's Fareed
Zakaria on Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IMRAN KHAN, FORMER PAKISTANI PM: They are petrified of elections, and because they are scared that PTI and I will be back into power, everything
is being done to dismantle our democracy. So, right now, as we speak, over 10,000 workers have been arrested. My entire senior leadership is in jail.
I'm -- Tuesday -- I'm going to make an appearance for various bails in Islamabad. Eighty percent chances are that I will be arrested.
So, right now, there's no rule of law. The judges, one of the judges cried while saying that he gave people bail and they were re-arrested when they
got out of the court. The Supreme Court Chief Justice, I mean, when he says elections are to be held on 14th of May when his decisions are discarded.
So, we are heading towards the law of the jungle. Might is right. There is, right now, there is no rule of law in this country.
ASHER: Imran Khan was ousted as prime minister last year. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: The International Space Station is a little bit more crowded today. Just minutes ago, a former NASA astronaut and three new astronauts boarded
the ISS for an eight-day visit. This is just the second all private mission to the space station. The visitors include an American entrepreneur and two
Saudi citizens, just the second and third Saudis to ever travel to space.
Guam is bracing for what could be one of the worst storms to hit the island nation in decades. Typhoon Mawa has intensified very quickly in recent
hours and appears to be headed directly toward Guam. Residents are being told to prepare for flooding and power outages. Mawa could hit Guam on
Tuesday. CNN's Meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins us live now. Derek, what's the very latest?
DEREK VAN DAM: CNN METEOROLOGIST: Okay, so this storm is talked about intensifying rapidly. It underwent what we call rapid intensification, and
that's got a specific set of meteorological parameters. But what you need to know in less than 24 hours, it actually strengthened 56 kilometers per
hour. That's sustained winds and that's 35 miles per hour for our U.S. audience.
But it's just incredible how powerful the storm is right now, equivalent to a strong Category 2 Atlantic Hurricane and it continues to gain some
strength, as well. It's about 400 kilometers to the south and east of Anderson Air Force Base. And we're starting to notice on the latest radar
imagery the actual eye of the storm, that's the strongest part of the typhoon. And again, you can see if we map that out, it's about 400
kilometers away from impacting Guam and into the southern portion of these islands, which of course is a U.S. territory. You can see a strengthening
storm.
And if we talk about timeframe, into early Wednesday morning, that's when we anticipate the worst of impacts from this typhoon as it reaches Guam.
And you can see the warnings and watches that are in place, typhoon warning for Guam as we speak and our computer model is really coming into agreement
with winds well in excess of 120 kilometers per hour. So, this is going to cause quite a punch as it reaches the shoreline in the coming hours. Zain.
ASHER: All right, Derek Van Dam, live for us there, thank you so much. Climate activists in Rome shocked tourists during an unusual protest on
Sunday. They dumped charcoal into the water of the Trevi Fountain to draw attention to the hazards of fossil fuel but officials are calling the
protesters echo vandals. Michael Holmes reports.
[17:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A black cloud spreads through the waters of one of Rome's most iconic landmarks as climate activists dumped
charcoal into the Trevi Fountain. All seven were arrested and charged with vandalism. City officials referring to the protesters as eco-vandals,
calling their acts a protest of worrying escalation, and Rome's mayor calling it an absurd attack on the city's artistic heritage.
The activists condemned the use of fossil fuels, pointing to the recent situation in northern Italy where deadly floods have displaced tens of
thousands which researchers say is a sign of the accelerating climate crisis. This latest protest comes after the same activist group dumped
charcoal in the Fountain of Four Rivers in Piazza Navona in May, and in the Barcazia Fountain near the Spanish Steps in April.
And while the Trevi Fountain has now been cleaned, the climate crisis and the mounting anger of activists is far from over. Michael Holmes, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Thank you so much for watching ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. Amanpour is up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
