tv CNN This Morning CNN February 16, 2024 3:00am-4:00am PST
3:00 am
bogeys and five birdies. tyagarah is going to have a little work do today. >> if he hopes to make the cut. but kasie back here in indianapolis all star weekend, always so much fun of course, tomorrow night you got the three point you've got the dunk contest, you got that special three-point contest between steph curry and sabrina ionescu and of course tonight things are going to get started with the rising sorry, we got victor wembanyama at all star weekend for the first time. so looking forward to it, now, it sounds awesome. i'm jealous. sounds like a great weekend for you and also caitlin clark, man, what a legend that performance out of this world? >> it's going to be so much fun as we get closer to march madness with caitlin clark involved, kci cannot wait. >> it's it's so much fine. and to watch her play, it's just an absolute thrill and i love that. it's making, it's given women's basketball a real boost, andy. thank you so much. i have on this weekend
3:02 am
and also for the fate of his business empire in new york. take the stand. again, this of course, comes on the heels of a day of explosive testimony. could disqualify her from that election racketeering case against donald trump. now, she has denied under oath she was already in a secret romantic relationship with the special prosecutor. she hired that special prosecutors and paid more than $650,000 for his work on the case and allegedly took willis on lavish vacation. that's a lot of what we heard yesterday >> you and mr. wade met in october 2019 at a conference? >> that is correct. f not think you want to be a motion who tried to implicate on slept with him at that conference, which i find to be extremely offensive. you started dating surely thereafter, correct? a lie. that's one of your lives. >> you've been intrusive good into people's personal lives. you'll confused. no, no, no, no. this is a true >> judge and good. >> he has a lot uc mr. much,
3:03 am
the >> former president and his family business needs to pay in damages the fine could be as much as $370 million. also, the trial date has been set in trump's hush money payments trial. it will proceed next month after a judge rejected trump's it's request to delay it >> we want delays, obviously, i'm running for election. i get how can you run for election that we sitting courthouse him an agile day long >> and if all that was not enough for you any day now, we can expect a crucial decision from the supreme court, trump making his final pitch that he has absolute immunity from prosecution as he tries to delay going to trial on federal charges brought by special counsel, jack smith. >> so with all of that, let's first break down the highlights from that very fiery testimony in georgia, you're seen as nick valencia nothing very anxious to have this conversation with them today i ran to the court,
3:04 am
was defiant. fulton county da fani willis, i take listed today after weeks of fighting allegations that she personally benefited from our romantic relationships she had with nathan wade, the special prosecutor. she hand-picked to spearhead the sprawling racketeering charges against donald trump and his allies. >> i probably had some choice words about some of the things that you see that were dishonest within this motion. so i don't know that it was a conversation. as you know, mr. wade is southern gentlemen me not so much willis, not hiding her anger over the allegations at one point being called a hostile witness by the defense. >> i'm very much want to be here, so i'm not a hostile witness. >> well, both weight and willis have admitted to the relationship they had. they say it began only after wade took the job that timeline also so a major point of contention in the hearing today before willis took the stand, the first witness of the day directly contradicted waited willis's previous statements to the
3:05 am
court, you have no doubt that there romantic relationship was in effect from 2019 until the last time you spoke with her? >> no doubt. >> that's three years earlier than wed way said in an affidavit, their relationship started, but wade holding firm to that date when he took the stand, when he 22 was the start of any intimate sexual relationship with the district attorney as did willis. >> when did you start getting when i started dating mr. wade, it was right around then april 2022, 20 around the i don't know. like it's not like when you're in grade school, when you send a little letter and it says, will you be my girlfriend and you check it. >> but then there's the money trail defense attorneys pressing on whether or not weighed paid for willis, where the two vacation together trying to suggest that he used money he made from his taxpayer funded college track at the da's office. willis both maintained that they split their vacation expenses.
3:06 am
>> all of the vacations that she took, she paid you cash for >> yes, ma'am. >> willis confirming the same it her testimony because we went out multiple times that probably went to the level of more than $100. but we're doing for tat like that. i probably paid for as many meals as he paid for and so oh, i did not receive any gifts from him. >> and at times forcefully pushing back with the defense attorney, who first launched the allegations. >> these people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. i'm not on trial no matter how hard you try to put me on trial >> willis is expected to continue her testimony later this morning, and we could hear from other witnesses this including the district attorney's father, the judge, who's presiding over this case has already said he is not going to make a ruling from the bench. omar erica >> all right. thank you. nic. >> we have lots of >> talk about so let's bring in cnn senior crime and justice reporter katelyn polantz, cnn legal analyst, michael moore strategic communications expert lee carter, and cnn and political commentator errol louis. all right, katelyn, i
3:07 am
want to go to you. obviously that was talking about the case in georgia. let's look at the new york hush money case in here in new york for for to start with, judge set a trial date march 25th. how significant is that >> this is a pretty sobering moment for the country. a former president now as his first criminal trial date, five weeks from the beginning of next week, that is not a long time between now and when we see donald trump as a criminal defendant before a jury march 25 is when in new york he will go before the jury. jury selection begins on that date the trial itself could be anywhere between six weeks to months. there were a couple of different ideas of how long that that will last, but it looks like there will be a trial that will very likely result in some sort of verdict for donald trump by the end of may. now when you put that up against the calendar, that is well after the bulk of the primary season and before the
3:08 am
republican nominating convention. and so this is a moment where donald trump is spending his time, not on the campaign trail, but in a courtroom facing these charges of business falsification of records related to money he was trying to hide in 2016 and important point of clarification on x also want to ask you about what we could learn today is that he actually has to be in court for that, correct. all these other moments, despite what he may claim that he has to be there, he does not. those are choices that he has made. this time. he does need to be there by all accounts. >> we would expect. i mean, there are certain circumstances where you don't actually have to be in court as a criminal defendant, but we should write pretty much expect him to be there before the jury on this. and the reality of it, too, is that he's going to keep claiming that he's not being allowed to campaign, and yesterday in court, the judge heard that from his lawyer. fn said that's not a legal argument
3:09 am
>> so that one didn't really work. >> not in this case, but look, we got there's a lot of cases here, a lot of places to go. i want to go back to the georgia case because obviously it was pretty stunning moment where fani willis actually gets on the stand. it did not feel like a typical witness who would be cross-examined it felt like it was a prosecutor pushing back against attorney. so i'm curious i'll start with you. leigh, what were your initial impressions from what we heard and fani willis is posture on that witness stand. >> well, i think what's really interesting is you're going to take away from it what you wanted to. it was great television. it was very dramatic if you believe that this is irrelevant to the, to trump's case, they're going to leave saying this is completely irrelevant to trump's case. if you believe that this is a demonstration that this system is rigged, that democracy isn't working as it showed that the political system is all corrupt. you're going to leave this and say, you know what, they should never have happened. and i don't know why anyone would have put themselves in this position, so
3:10 am
i don't think this is going to move the needle all that much as entertaining as it was as defiant as she was as you know, as all of this came out. i don't think it's really going to change anyone's mind at the end of the day. there's there's the perception, there's almost a political aspect of it. there's also the legal aspect of it. so michaels, you're watching this did you find the questions effective in terms of getting at evidence if it is there to support these allegations >> i'm not really i mean, i think there were things that could have pushed a lot harder on and maybe a little dealt delved into specifics, a little bit more, especially when we're start talking about things this is a nebulous is cash payments and there's no way to track it. and how much cash was paid. what did you really just pay for the hundred and $50 to negotiate the taxi or was there how would you do with the $4,000 you took? i think they could have pushed that. i also thought that it just was not credible. it reminded me of watching a criminal defendant take the daniel. they don't have to do that you see it and you can tell that the defendant
3:11 am
thinks that they're smarter than every lawyer in the room. and it just becomes a train wreck. and so that's sort of how i felt this is just went off the track. >> when you say it wasn't credible, are you referring to the testimony from referring to the testimony. are you referring to the line of questioning? >> but. to the testimony, i thought that there were things that he was going to her house or envision her alone, some number of times years before she claims are year before they claim they were night. right. that's strikes me is a little bit odd. i mean, not a big deal, but what she had another entertain and other members of the prosecution team know it was just him. nobody was there to see it they. want to talk about the credibility of the lady at the da's office who testified the witness who predates the relationship she had as much to an ax to grind as they did and probably they have more at risk than she does. so when the judge weighs out credibility, who may have a reason to lie or who has a reason tell the truth and which one seems to be more believable. you know, i have a
3:12 am
hard time just thinking about a dap and everything in cash, nothing wrong with cash, but it's convenient right now the trial in new york, i mean, it's a chick were looking at what we wouldn't cash shuttled around on the day. this is just cash money, somebody's claim the visits there, the it's sort of the indignation. i just didn't think they'd better much good. her indignation would have seemed a lot more sincere had she come out about two months ago. but remember, even as she is, they're saying wanted to get into the throughthe and she's shaken the documents and the court filings around in front of everybody. her office is fighting. everything their fight and every witness subpoena. they don't want the records to come in and she's refusing to let bank records and other things come in. they're hiding behind the privilege from his divorce lawyer who they're claiming was a friend, but maybe a divorce lawyer. so we really shouldn't have to say anything and we've still got this string of texts mr. bradley had with one of the defense lawyers from his merchant. let's see what those texts because apparently and she told the court, i've got information where he says this
3:13 am
happened before. so if that's another witness let let's say let's let mr. wade and willis lead us >> it was compelling television. we had it on our newsroom. and so you couldn't get away from it. she had a certain command of the situation and said a lot of things, some of which might or might be plausible. i chose not to go down the rabbit hole in part because she's already got three guilty pleas from three of trump's lawyers, in part because there's a lot at stake here and i didn't think they did such a good job of trying to tie it back. i understand that in sort of the dog fight of the moment, you're trying to get certain facts before the judge and try to nail down on certain dates in certain amounts of money and the casualties it makes it that much harder and so forth. but i kept again because i'm i'm sort of like dipping in and out and i'm thinking it's like what does this have to do with the guilt or innocence of the defendants in the case where yell at this plan if she got hit by a bus, if nathan wade was disqualified or went away
3:14 am
nothing really changes. we've still got the defendant's you still got the evidence. you've still got prosecution and got guilty pleas and three of trump's former lawyers who are cooperating with the prosecutors just goes to the whether or not the american people are going to trust the system. the system that's supposed to be. i mean, there's no reason why she had to put a lawyer that was compromised in this position can because you have to go i mean, when when you know that only 4% of americans trust the political system to work as it should, only 14% of americans trust the government to work as it should. you can't have this kind of when you're ana trial at this level of this importance, it's got to be above any kind of dispute. it's it's just it's it's really unfortunate that this is what we're talking about and not the merits of the case you know, talk about the defendant's that's exactly right. >> exactly. yeah. and look, she's been me back on the stand today. we'll see how that concludes. we don't expect the judge to make any ruling on it just yet, but obviously, a critical portion of this case. thank you. all. katelyn
3:15 am
polantz, michael morley, car, errol louis, really appreciate you guys. >> we are also learning more this morning about what led up to that mass shooting after kansas city super bowl rating, we have those nice phil for you just ahead and overnight vice president kamala harris arrived in germany. she's about to reassure european allies of america's commitment to nato after donald trump's remote mark sparked global outrage when to take you live to munich, coming up >> the whole story with anderson cooper sunday on cnn >> pure harvest smart farms than abu dhabi does they technology enabled agribusiness, solving global challenges were taking proven methods of farming and decoupling the relationship of food production from climate and instead marrying it to technology, energy, and capitalism given its heritage in farming, great infrastructure to build a company and the ability to attract foreign talent. abdelbary made a ta sense for us. our aspiration is that we're accompanied that this country can be proud of now at
3:16 am
t professionally installs google nest products >> you're all set on the system. we should go with the >> most trusted name and home security as the intelligence of google, you have a home with no worries brought to you by adt. >> when did i call the filter? when i saw my gutters overflowing we filter is a permanent gutter solution. so you never have to worry about constantly damaged from clog gutters again, it's easiest call you can make khalid 33 leaf filter today, more visit lee filter.com >> the first time you connected your godaddy website and your store was also the first time you realize, well, we can do anything. >> she's k cookies he manage all your sales from one place with a partner that always puts you first. we'd started today at godaddy.com when it's time for date night, he's always ready >> rex md. >> i can get to their online stay in the moment with rex and
3:17 am
ag one works by making foundation on nutrition easier combining vitamins, probiotics, and whole foods, sora, nutrients into one comprehensive formula. start simplifying your nutrition today. at drink a g1 dot com for over 25 years, loves sack has been rewriting the rules of comfort it's okay to change your style it's okay to change your mind and to change things up >> yep messi >> yet >> immersed >> with loves sack. >> you make the rules >> for your most brilliant smile crest as you covered my smile >> thanks, chris, 3d white, 100% more stain removal crest
3:18 am
>> live life. well, where every day feels like a vacation, valencia in florida, like gl hubs premium 55 plus living in for prime florida locations who are just homes from the 400s to 2 million world-class resort style living 24/7 >> huge >> clubhouses on-site dining, pickleball, and more effortless low maintenance living, sunlen cia live life well experienced, more as alencia, florida.com sleep more deeply and wake up, rejuvenated purple mattresses, exclusive del flex grid draws away heat, relieves pressure, and instantly adapts sleep better lives purple, right now, save up to $800 off mattress. that's during purples president's day sale because it purple.com or store near you hi, donie nyquil, severe honey, powerful, cold and flu relief with a dreamy honey taste nyquil honey. the honey wishes nighttime sniffling, sneezing,
3:19 am
coughing, aching fever best? with the cold medicine >> the lead with jake tapper, cnn to it for overnight people in kansas city holding a vigil for the victims of wednesday's shooting that left one person dead, and at least 20 others injured. many of them children. so far, police have not sounds to any charges, although two teenagers are in custody, the shooting happened at the end of the chiefs super bowl victory celebration were about 1 million people were packed downtown. listen to samuel bianna, one of the youngest victims. he was shot in the rib let me see, people fighting >> and then they pull out >> a gun and started shooting three times and i don't like and then one of them, hit you felt like guinea stead >> and please say the shooting erupted after a dispute that spiraled out of control. let's go now to cnn's whitney wild,
3:20 am
who is in kansas city for us. so whitney, obviously a lot has happened since the shooting, but what more do we know oh, about where the investigation stands >> well, omar, a law enforcement source tells cnn's josh campbell that the atf is processing the ballistic evidence that is going to be a crucial part of this investigation because there was so much gunfire because firearms were recovered at that scene right now, here in kansas city, there is say, race to find justice new details are emerging about the people being held by police and the terrifying moments that led to one person killed. and more than 20 hurt, including half of them children. >> unit. thank you, everyone. if that shooter kansas city police say wednesday shooting was the result of a personal dispute in the area, not an attack of terror on the celebration. >> preliminary investigative findings have shown there was no nexus to terrorism or homegrown violent extremism
3:21 am
case. cpd detained three people, including two juveniles. the third person was let go after police determined there was no connection to the shooting. law enforcement also recovered several firearms >> we have nine gunshot wounds. >> the 22 victims age range between eight years old and 47 years old. at least half of our victims are under the age of 16 >> lisa lopez-galvan, a local dj and mother of two, was tragically shot and killed. she's remembered by the radio station she volunteered at as an amazing person who gave so much to kk f phi, and the kc community. >> lisa leaves behind an incredible legacy you see, she comes from a very large family of civic leaders, actively and regularly engaged in both the latino community of kansas city, to her friends and family we are, with you
3:22 am
>> and we are working tirelessly to investigate her murder witnesses were called the chaotic scene wednesday were an estimated 1 million people gathered and celebration of the kansas city chiefs at back-to-back super bowl wins. >> and all of a sudden, you're like, holy wow what was that? and then all the cops come running out of the building. they were running into building your first now to running out of the building. and then they tell us to go go go is nothing something you want to be? never. >> there are several accounts of chiefs players, and personnel comforting fans and myths the mayhem, including cornerback luxurious sneed. he told espn he was surrounded by children while seeking shelter in a basement or the coconut oil magnate situation is totally everything's ok. no, just rubbing it back in, just be like this one, be far way they're trying to celebrate, know something a big it calls to mitch for us and yes, charged to celebrate it with them. and for that to happen
3:23 am
case and of course, around >> lisa lopez-galvan family, one of the faces of this franchise, woman world-famous taylor swift, who quickly became a part of this community throughout the course of the season, has pledged $100,000 her go fund me, omar and erica. >> all right. when you while in kansas city, thank you so much >> happening this morning. vice president kamala harris will try to reassure european allies. this after donald trump sent shockwaves through nato, she is in munich now we're going to take you there, live in just a moment. >> and the fbi director says the us and its allies cut off a major russian hacking opera ration those details ahead >> one barbus was the turbotax. >> i've wrote for generations of family tradition with five little words i want to make. perfume >> getting my business off the ground was a full-time job so i made barbers new side the count a guaranteeing 100% accurate
3:24 am
filing in a maximum refund make your moves to will make them count into its herbal tax, 100% accuracy guaranteed >> every detail counts. so i live my life lexi b2 hearing aids power by boat. when i began experiencing here hamas, i knew i needed the best of the best lexi b2 hearing aids power by bows are abc controlled and self fitting, which means i can tune and customize them to my needs and preferences on the and enjoy high-quality hearing. take the lead and call order online at lexi hearing.com to receive your lexi b2 hearing aids power by bose today, tempur-pedic design that we're go pro smart base to help you fall asleep more easily. it's gentle massage and relaxing sounds help calm your mind every night. for a limited time, steve, up to $500 on select tempur-pedic adjustable mattress sets >> wealth changing question as your advisor create a portfolio based only on your age and risk
3:25 am
tolerance. that's simply not good enough. your money deserves better and soda you that create a planning. our private wealth managers learn about you first and then they create a customized plan and portfolio by partnering with our in-house money managers accountants, and attorneys don't settle for a standard portfolio. book. your free meeting today, i create a planning.com. create a planning, a richer way to wealth hi, i'm chris and i lost 57 pounds angola go low, isn't complicated. i don't have to follow a restrictive diet and i don't have to spend a lot of time making meals using goal was truly transformative it was easy and inexpensive >> have your anyone, you know, ever been stationed at marine corps base camp lejeune. camp lejeune, water was contaminated by fuel leaks. if you had any water contact while at camp on june had been diagnosed with cancer or parkinson's disease, you may be entitled to compensation as a marine who was stationed at camp on june myself for four years. this cause hits close to home. so if
3:27 am
go-to sweats. we have what you need to stay warm all which her mom go to fabletics.com yet 70%, every single thing i'm katie bo lillis in washington >> and this is cnn >> just into cnn, the idf says, it's detained more than 20 people suspected of taking part in the october 7 attacks as its rate of the largest functioning hospital in gaza continues the israeli military also says it found weapons inside the facility, but you didn't hasn't been able to independently verify that photograph, the idf though says the mission inside the hospital is still ongoing. want to get to cnn's nic robertson, who is live in tel aviv for us. so nick, what more are you learning? >> well, there's a couple of things about the hospital with from the world health organization, say they are trying to work with the israeli authorities to get access to the hospital and stabilize the situation there according to
3:28 am
hospital authorities electricity in the icu unit and possibly oxygen oxygen supply. there are well as well are in critical condition. and this could threaten the lives of several patients and infants that are within the, within the icu, the critical care unit at the hospital there. but to the what the idf is saying that they have now rounded up 20 she suspects. they say who were involved in the october 7 attacks. they've released photographs of a few of them that we cannot independently ourselves verify were involved in the october 7 attacks, the idf described one of them as an ambulance driver again, something we can't verify the idf originally went into the hospital. they said because they had credible intelligence that there were possibly the bodies of hostages there. they had this intelligence they say from their sources and from other hostages. the idf point to the fact that hostages had been held in hospitals before
3:29 am
an according to a hospital officials at the nasser hospital the idf were digging up bodies and some of the temporary graves that have been dug inside the hospital to check those bodies. but later in the day yesterday, thursday, the idf said that they were becoming aware that there could be a terror operatives hiding amongst the displaced people within the hospital and they began to filter out the displaced people for from the hospital, taking into custody those suspects and now they say 20 suspects involved october 7 have now been rounded up from that hospital well, nic robertson going to continue to follow those updates. thank you so much. >> overnight. vice president kamala harris arriving in germany for the munich security conference where she will try to reassure allies. the us has their back. this of course, on the heels of comments from donald trump saying he encouraged russia to attacked the members that don't meet defense spending guidelines. european nations. now thinking about investing in their own defenses in case they have to face a war without the cnn's
3:30 am
nick paton walsh is joining us from munich so it is obviously a consequential moment here. the allies have, allies will be listening. obviously for some sort of reinsurance. but the reality is there's also an election looming >> yeah, absolutely. and kamala harris can only provide limited assurance, frankly, but the mere fact she needs to come here to essentially an annual gathering that is often the core of nato policy. nato amber's here is a reflection of how significant trump's comments have indeed been not a real new position for him, but the fact he felt he needed to reiterate it, sending shock waves here to a gathering really, it has enough on its plate put aside that you continuing israeli assault on a rafah and european calls for the protection of civilians. you hear a lot of that here as well. ukraine is now heading into its third year of a war against russia, a war in which it's fair to say that ukraine is on the losing side. now, we are seeing significant potentially advances by russia around the key town called avdiivka. ukrainian president
3:31 am
volodymyr zelenskyy. well, he'll be here tomorrow onstage. he is on it this way currently in berlin, i believe then on to paris, then back to here signing agreements with the germans and the french separate security agreements, essentially that possibly a substitute from ukraine's broader desire to become part of nato, a bit though i think for europe to make it clear how important ukraine's security is here. because ultimately, if russia succeeds in ukraine than there are fears, its militarized. economy won't necessarily feel it can or wants to stop there. and so the real background larger issue is us money for ukraine, $60 billion held up by it's fair to say republican dysfunction in congress so far it hasn't arrived. it's impacting ukraine's front lines already, but ultimately hear vice president harris is going to have to stand up in front of a crowd and try and offer assurances despite the fact that there isn't a very loud clock ticking behind her for those november elections. and frankly, this maybe the last time this white house gets to
3:32 am
speak outside of a thorough and aggressive election campaign to its allies had a forum like this. >> yeah, back to point. nic, appreciate it. thank you >> meanwhile, an elaborate russian hacking operation has been cut off according to the fbi, russia's military intelligence agency was using a network of more than 1,000 hacked internet powders for cyber operations against the us and its european allies. now the fbi chief says, the hackers are now locked out. let's go to cnn cybersecurity reporter sean lyngaas, who joins us from washington. so shawn, just explain what this means and how serious of a threat this is or was well, omar, this is classic cyberespionage. it's kind of a years-long cat and mouse game. in this case between the fbi and the russian gru, military intelligence agency. what the fbi says that the gru did is they set up this vast network of infected computers that they use to spy on people and
3:33 am
particularly us and european governments, collect intelligence off computers trying to presumably track information related to the ukraine war that sort of thing. so it's not entirely uncommon, but it was, it takes a lot of resources to set that up and what the fbi announced yesterday was this disruption where they cleaned out some of those computers, kicked out the hackers and now forcing them to rebuild and reset. they'll come back. but this in the us law enforcement eyes makes it a bit harder for them. the russian spies to do their job. so it's very much the cat and mouse game that they claim victory yesterday, but it's a long ongoing espionage game. yeah. now, look, this also comes as the white house confirms, a serious national security threat is related to russian anti-satellite capability. and that the us is known about it for months what more are we learning on that front? >> well, you chairman mike turner, the chair of the house intelligence committee or
3:34 am
republican, dropped a bombshell, very cryptic bombshell this week when he alluded to this major national security threat without giving many details, it caught the white house off guard. national security adviser jake sullivan was set to brief some of the house intelligence leaders yesterday. and so the administration is trying to deal with the fallout of that revelation, but what we know so far from cnn's reporting is that it's, it's sort of a medium to long-term threat. it's not eminent, but it's something that officials are very concerned about in terms of how the russians might use the space as a means of setting back us interests. we're going to get more information i suspect as the days and weeks come come forward, but right now it's still a bit a bit up in the air. omar >> cyberspace and outerspace. sean lyngaas, thanks for covering at all now, a former fbi informant charged with lying about president biden and his son's business dealings. what this means for the republicans impeachment inquiry. that's next.
3:35 am
>> and prince harry speaking for the first time since he has father's cancer diagnosis his thoughts on how that diagnosis could potentially help unify his family shingles >> some describe it as posting electric shocks or sharp stabbing pains this. painful, blistering rash can disrupt your life for weeks, a pain so intense, you could ms out on family time the virus that causes shingles is likely already inside of you if you're 50 years or older ask your dr. or pharmacist about shingles? >> you're shipping manager left to find themselves leaving, you lost your need to hire. i need indeed, indeed you do indeed instant match, instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description visit indeed.com
3:36 am
slash higher >> won't scalp label this anymore. >> he has something called osteoarthritis pain. its joint pain that hurts him all the time. watson no, there's libretto the first and only once monthly injection to control your dogs oa pain. veterinary professionals administering libretto, who are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding should take extreme care to avoid self the injection, which can cause allergic reactions like anaphylaxis i felt a cheaper price on my minutes with single care. >> did you say single care? i use single care >> whenever my customers asked me if there's a cheaper price on their meds. i always tell them about single care. >> i found it cheaper prices okay. >> i know download the single care app free today >> did you know there's a way to cut your dishwashing time by 50% try don power, wash, dish spray. it removes 99% of greece and grime in half the time, don power wash has three cleaning
3:37 am
boosters not found in traditional dish soaps that remove food in five times faster. >> and >> because it clean so well, you can replace multiple cleaning products for counters, stoves, and even laundry stains. try don power, wash, dish spray, brand power helping you buy better. >> sunday, laura coates examines the federal criminal charges against former president trump. is i'm going to be difficult to meet this burden of proof. >> how strong is the visit send
3:38 am
info kit.com mutual physicians mutual. >> more liebermann at the pentagon and this cnn close captioning bronchi by gilt visit guilt.com today for up to 70% off designer brands house the designers that get your heart racing had inside a prices new every day curry, they'll be gone in a flash designer sales at up to 70% or shop guilty.com today cnn breaking news. >> and we are just coming back, joining you with breaking news.
3:39 am
cnn has learned that alexey navalny has died. that's according to the russian prison prison service. rather i want to go straight to nick paton walsh, nick, as we get this news, there had been some movement of course, in the last several weeks, he had been moved to this very difficult work camp by the arctic circle. what more are we learning this morning about when this may have happened? and are there any potential details at this point? >> yeah. look, i should couch this in. what we have at the moment are reports from russian state media. but frankly, given how the information system in russia works it's as close to the state version of events as you might expect to see. and they essentially have an ipad for a while. now, the full custody of alexei navalny, two separate state media sources saying he has in fact died. now one of those state media sources talks about how he went for a walk on the morning of february the 16th, lost consciousness and they weren't able to revive them, whereas he
3:40 am
well, recently he was moved to your maulana knits, curl autonomy, this region that's up near the arctic circle to serve out some of his term in the correctional facility. number three, there, a very harsh regime, but temperatures that conditions, frankly, for many inmates, threats to their health by itself. and this, of course, a man who survived at poisoning attempt inside of russia tunnel flight fled to germany to convalesce and then returns to russia to find his immediate arrest. i'm interesting point to raise here, though that essentially he was still part of the information system. me able to communicate with the outside world through social media. but once in prison, perhaps represented less of an acute threat. to the kremlin. and the fact indeed that he has lost his life in prison. now fingers will point towards moscow, certainly behind all that. if indeed there is confirmation of his death and there appears now to be some of that from the russian prison service itself but a stark reminder perhaps of how vladimir putin views threats around him. i should
3:41 am
say there's no reason to point the finger directly at the kremlin at this stage, although this is a key opposition figure, and as we've seen repeatedly over past years, those who oppose the kremlin meet a dark and most recently you've guinea prigozhin, the man formerly known as putin's chef dying in a suspicious plane crash after leading heeding a short-lived rebellion towards the capital itself. so a key moment here, certainly inside of russia, one, i think that suggests if indeed it is proven in the fullness of time that's his death could somehow be attributed to state action, the conditions he was serving his time in their exceptionally harsh, certainly that shows the fragility of being an opposition member in russia, even deed, if you are behind bars because of that opposition. and some might potentially say the enduring nervousness of the putin regime at this time, if indeed people begin to point the fingers in that direction, but a seismic moment, frankly for those who we've observed, navalny's presence in russia over the
3:42 am
past years. and the opposition he persistently held to the kremlin, a rare individual, frankly, to have that level of tenacity and courage and i think a stark moment to as to where russia's future may be heading, even though his behind bars, he appears to have lost his life there. and that i think shows as this the war in ukraine heads into its third year, the fights like grip potentially the kremlin wishes to sustain over any form of political discourse within its country. and also to exactly how deadly and awful it is for those who choose to oppose the putin administration. >> and nic, i just want to talk a little bit about, about, again, if these reports end up being true, i know you've captured them with russian state services at this point, just to talk about who he was at this one, obviously this is someone who rose to prominence initially blogging about
3:43 am
anti-corruption in russian state companies. he of course, is known opposition leader, assassination attempt survivor, just sort of break down the significance of who alex navalny has been especially in regards to the kremlin yeah. >> i mean, look, he initially i think games fed said gained prominence through, as you say, these very lengthy and at times lured expose a's of corruption within putin's in a circle, the yachts indeed pointing the finger at an extraordinary palace. his outfit said putin, built for himself along the black sea coast, remarkable indeed. and then other parts of really suggesting quiet tau many critics refer to the kleptocracy of the putin administration had continued to engorged itself over the past decades in which it's been in power. and then i think would have been embarrassing. certainly the to the kremlin, but also an eye-opener for some russians who made perhaps a bought into the russian state narrative of gala terrorism and the state coming to its
3:44 am
benevolent it a bid to enter the political system by him certainly, but he never managed to get a foothold within the electoral system is tightly controlled by the kremlin. poisoned on a flight inside of russia came to germany to convalesce. most people pointed the finger towards the kremlin. remember, they've been previous kremlin critics alexander litvinenko in the united kingdom, poison by a rare radioactive agents nearly two decades ago. now. and so many think, thought perhaps this was likely the work of putin's intelligence or security services returned to russia in a bid to try and maintain the voice he had as an opposition figure. and immediately arrested, but still able to communicate with the outside world through social media. once inside prison, and a coterie of close advisers, loved ones outside and being sure that that message could consistently be heard. and then as his prison term continued,
3:45 am
that clearly spelt to perhaps have been by the russian authorities, not an adequately strict terms for him. so he was moved to this arctic circle colony number three in the next region. and that tough conditions all by themselves. but i presume tougher if you are essentially the leading opponents publicly to vladimir putin. and now these horrifying reports day that are, i would say, consistent with how we know russia treats its political opponents, but still nonetheless shocking. >> yeah, absolutely. in touch to forget to when he, before he was ultimately moved to that colony, that prison near the arctic circle, he was essentially missing for a number of days. nic stay with us. i also want to bring in cnn political and national security analyst, david sanger. david as, as we're just hearing there from nic, as he's reminding us right. of the work, the life's work in many ways of alexey navalny, the fact that he could still communicate with the outside world and continued to influence conversations and perhaps even some politics,
3:46 am
resistance politics within russia. can you put that into context for us? what it will mean if in fact these reports are confirmed well, it seems very likely that they that it is true and of course it's come out as an official statement by the russian >> prison sentence. >> know, erica, there is never really been a dissident in modern times, like navalny one who had such a charismatic affect about him such followers and such an ability to communicate as you suggested even from prison. and his decision to go back to russia from germany, where he had been recovering from the last effort to kill him with a poisoning was remarkable. it seemed suicidal to people who had known him are covered him. >> but >> it also reflected his own belief that in prison, he could
3:47 am
still lead a movement. it also tells you something about vladimir putin today >> putin is, has systematically been getting rid of those remnants of opposition to him, added some elections that are coming there was goshen, who of course mounted an attempt that look like military overthrow though he said he was not trying to overthrow putin himself. >> but just as >> military commanders, he was stopped or stopped himself, 150 miles from moscow and a few months later died in a plane crash now, navalny, the most prominent dissident so putin enters these elections basically having crushed all of those who have in there very few in number who have made up case for the incompetence and for the evil nature of the rule
3:48 am
that they've been under >> yeah. >> david sanger, don't go far. i want to bring in cnn chief international correspondent clarissa ward, who is on the phone with us course. i know you've spoken to navalny several times over the past a few years, including, right before he made the decision to come back to russia where he was essentially initially taken immediately taken into custody. >> why >> did he want to come back to russia and sort of describe what his relationship has been like or as posturing has been like, as opposed to the kremlin well, you know, it's so interesting because obviously, once he had made this decision and i had the opportunity to talk >> to him while he was making this decision. i asked him, why would you go back to russia when you know the risks, you know that you've poisoned with novichok, you know? oh, that it's only by the grace of god and one pilot who made a decision to land a plane early, that you are still alive. why would you still go back with
3:49 am
all the risks that entails? and i remember it so vividly, he said to me, i would never give putin such a gift. as to not return to my country, to not continue to serve the russian people because alexei navalny understood implicitly that to live in exile as the dissident was to lose relevance to the very people to he wanted to serve who he wanted to represent. and i do think he understood the risks that he was encouraged by going back. i do think also there was an element to which he hoped that his return might precipitate some kind of an uprising or a revolution, or nasad sweeping street protest movement that could potentially affect putin's cemented grip on power obviously and it became clear
3:50 am
very quickly that that wasn't going to happen. those protests that did take place upon him being taken into custody on his return. we're very quickly and very brutally crushed. >> and >> yet, as your other deaths have been noting, he continued to be a voice even from within the confinement of a penitentiary, even when he was moved to a stricter and more remote penal colony, even west and his health was in dire, dire condition. he was talking about the fact that he was being loaded with 50 different kinds of antibiotics for a stomach ailment that was only making him much, much more sick and so you have this extraordinary combination of idealism pragmatism, and frankly, a stunning level of courage that i think few of us and fathom, and few of us as
3:51 am
journalists have really seen playing out in such well on the ground. >> and clarissa, it's fascinating to watch that to, and you really hit it there. the courage that he continued to show and as he continued to speak out, but those messages out there, juxtapose with what we understand and i know that you as part of an investigation, i believe it was 2020 when you went along with bellingcat and you were able to idea the russian special id, the russian specialist so we're trailing him before he was poisoned, knowing what the reaction could be, knowing how vladimir putin deals with those who oppose him that only played into it. and i think surprise perhaps a lot of people that he would still have such access to information and communicating in the outside world >> well, i think what you have to realize, like the great strengths of navalny and the great threat that he posed to putin was not that he was so outspoken even for say, but
3:52 am
that he hit the kremlin where it really hurt, which was to humiliate them too. make a mockery of frankly, they're incompetent. >> and >> so in revealing the nature of his poisoning, he wasn't just showing how deeply cynical and depraved the kremlin had become. and the security services have become and the levels that they would stoop to. he resolved so showing that they were unable even with 30 men working for many years following him all over the country, using a very lethal, toxic nerve agent, they were unable to kill him successfully. they were unable. and if you recall, this extraordinary very moment where he makes a phone call to one of the security operators are six security servicemen who was part of this so-called toxins team. he pretends that he's an aide to nikolai patrushev, the
3:53 am
national security apparatus >> and he fooled this fsb officer into talking on an open line very openly about how he was poisoned and why it didn't work and where they sprinkled the navi chalk in his underwear famously, this was so deeply humiliating and embarrassing first thing for president putin and for the kremlin, because they often enjoy the myth of the darkness, of the evil that's why they use a nerve agent. novichok that is something that they lean into and their messaging. what they don't like is being called in competent stupid unprofessional, and corrupt. and this was the other thing that was big, big part of navalny's platform exposing corruption. russian people may be willing to tolerate a strong man or a dictator, but still,
3:54 am
many people felt sick and, and oh, by the levels of corruption by the state of the kleptocracy, particularly as their continued to become more difficult more expensive. and so that was really his talent, if you will was honing in on areas that were particularly sensitive to the kremlin and also particularly appealing to the broader russian population, even among those who had traditionally been supporters. tacitly even of putin's presidency. >> and of course, just the name navalny became synonymous. the rallying cry for so many, not just, not just in russia who may implicitly are quietly support him, but those are around the globe who are of course, monitoring the opposition efforts that he had had. but also as some of what clarissa mentioned, some of what he was trying to expose in that country as well. of course, don't go far. i want to
3:55 am
bring in i want to bring back in david's saying are to this conference procession. david, obviously this is incredibly big news that we are following right now. i'm curious. what is, what are the global implications of this as other countries monitor? and of course, his health was always a concern, even his location when for weeks nobody could seem to locate him what are the global implications here of this news >> well, a few things. first of all while people have been concerned, the us government has been concerned about navalny and spoken out about it and so forth over many years. >> i don't think that there was a sense this was coming i spent the morning with us officials here in munich who are at the munich security conference. and in my conversations with them, this did not come up. what did come up repeatedly though, and has throughout the opening of this, which is the major national security conference, is a new
3:56 am
and much broader concern about russia. for the past two years, it's all been focused on ukraine. >> there was a >> brief moment when people thought that putin had been weakened last summer during the prigozhin uprising and now there is a sense that putin is reasserting his control will be there for a long time and that europe and the united states have to get ready for a prolonged confrontation with bouton. and i think putin senses that as well. and he wanted to go into this with zero opposition, no way for him to have any cracks domestically i think even in death, navalny will have that reputation for courage that you heard clarissa describing. >> i think he could >> continue from the grid brave, assuming with these
3:57 am
reports are true to be sort of the organizing fall behind the russian opposition. and there's no way that putin can do away with that. >> now, that is for sure, david stay with us. we want to take a closer look now at the life of electing navalny. here's cnn's matthew chance blogger, >> lawyer turned opposition politician and anti-corruption campaigner alexey navalny was a menace the kremlin, who's not afraid to call president putin out directly. >> gosal to it. then you told capuchin, corruption is not just putin for his is the base. he's a man who governs openly with the help of corruption. >> but if former chicago the valley rose to prominence in 28, exposing corruption in state-owned corporations. three years later, he emerged as the leader of mass protests in the country to allegations of fraud in parliamentary elections the
3:58 am
bounty was arrested several times during his life. he cleaning in 2013 after being convicted of embezzlement, charges, just as he was preparing to run for mayor of moscow it was a campaign he would lose probably denied all the charges and called them politically motivated a retrial in 2017 prevented him from running for office this time for president against vladimir people external. same year, he was attacked with a green antiseptic fluid. it caused in damage in the vision of his right eye and temporarily died his skin. greene, the leading one year later, navalny told me what kept him going. what the choice is very simple. you're either scared or you go on. i chose to go on a long time ago. i won't give up on my country. i won't give up on my civil rights >> exercised those rights by calling on his millions of
3:59 am
followers across social media to protest putting him firmly in the kremlin's crosshairs >> in august >> 2020, on a flight from tomsk to moscow ali fell seriously ill. an emergency diversion by the plane's pilot appears to have saved his life. he made an international outcry. he was allowed to fly for treatment to germany where it was discovered he'd been poisoned with novichok chemical nerve agent later, the cnn billing cat investigation revealed that the years navalny had been trailed by fsb agents, the kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement but then assassination attempt, an a medically induced coma didn't deter the valley from taking his fight to a higher level because thanked him whilst recovering in germany, he conducted a sting operation against an fsb agent,
4:00 am
convincing the operative detail in a phone call how the novichok was used against him. that was then broadcast on his youtube channel shortly after he released a video offering, russians are look at what his team called putin's palace a mansion by the black sea, estimated to be worth more than $1 billion it's through material illusionism leah, president putin denied the palace belongs to him or his family members >> look at january >> 2021, navalny returned to moscow after receiving lifesaving treatment in germany. he was immediately arrested for violating probation terms imposed from a 2014 case and sent to a penal colony where he went on hunger strike, protesting against so prison officials refusal to grant him access to proper medical care. he'll be remembered for his bravery in tackling corruption across russia. and as one of vladimir putin's
182 Views
Uploaded by TV Archive on