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Connect the World
CNN Speaks To Alexey Navalny's Chief Of Staff; Russian Court Set To Rule On Alexey Navalny Jail Term; Officials Warn Virus Variants Could Fuel Another Surge; Officials Fight Vaccine Myths & Manufacturers; Saving The World's Biggest Fish; Impeachment Process Ramps Up A Second Time. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired February 02, 2021 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN, Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. It is 7:00 pm in Moscow where we are connecting you to first this hour. Alexey Navalny's
fate is now in the hands of a Moscow judge. He was in court earlier for violating his probation.
Navalny faces 3.5 years in prison, but the prosecution willing to credit him for time spent he has spent in house arrest, although Navalny's
supporters outside the courtroom including his wife are risking arrest to back him a scene that is being playing out over and over in the past few
weeks in Russia.
Well, our next guest knows Alexey Navalny's situation very well. Leonid Volkov is Navalny's Chief of Staff and he too is wanted by Russia, and
joining us by Skype from Lithuania this evening. Sir, first let me get your reaction to the court hearing today.
LEONID VOLKOV, ALEXEY NAVALNY'S CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, we are quite sure that the verdict is already well known. The delay of the verdict still it
is late night in Moscow is actually done with the idea that like not to let peoples assemble in the center of Moscow after his verdict.
And the fact of the delay itself is quite proof that the verdict will sent Alexey to prison for 3.5 years, which is something we anticipated - the
assumptions that we're ready for and that something for which we have a plan that we discussed with him in Berlin before he came back to Russia.
ANDERSON: How does he feel about that, were that to be the case?
VOLKOV: Well, of course, we don't like the ideas that he will spend some time in prison, but we're sure like hell that we will be able to get him
out from that prison earlier than 3.5 years. We have a lot of tools for these both domestic and international levels including increasing pressure
internationally on Vladimir Putin and his allies and his wallets.
And of course we organizing rallies and getting more political pressure on the table domestically inside Russia. We are already able to prove that
we're able to mobilize hundreds of thousands of supporters and we will build better.
ANDERSON: You - yourself, were charged in absentia last week by the Russian government for allegedly recruiting minors to attend demonstrations and
take part in illegal actions. What is your response to those allegations?
VOLKOV: Using a Tiktok account which I even don't possess. So these allegations are quite ridiculous, and it is just another propaganda plot as
they pretend that this kind of deal with our protest moments and minors, which is not true, because like the average age of the protestors measured
by independent pollsters was around 30 to 35 years in most of Russian cities.
We have a nationwide movement now, so actually before there were situations when the protest in Russia could be described or could have been described
in terms like protestant of - big cities or protest of middle class.
It's gone now but its seen in the last weekend was a nationwide protest that's all demographic groups all income groups, all really all types of
Russian people protesting on the streets of these cities just being very tired the of Putin.
ANDERSON: You have suggested that governments of the west hit President Putin's inner circle with personal sanctions and a move you say might
create in-fighting among Russia's elite.
Now the United Kingdom and the European Union have imposed sanctions on several individuals after Navalny's poisoning last year, and the U.S. has
yet to do so, and what is your message to the new Joe Biden Administration? Have you been in contact with them, and if so, what have they told you?
VOLKOV: We are not in contact, but we have actually already submitted our proposals and the Executive Director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation -
sort of wrote a letter to President Biden. Our message is plain and simple, go after money. As we have managed to prove with this investigation about
Putin's Palace. Putin is very concerned about money and only about money.
[11:05:00]
VOLKOV: And what is really painful for him that would be sanctions against his oligarchs and against those who are actually nominal holders of his
assets. So the previous sanctions were targeting like security service officials who don't travel abroad, they don't have assets abroad and feel
actually not vulnerable towards the sanctions, but Putin's wallets are very vulnerable.
ANDERSON: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussing Navalny's case with his Swedish counterpart earlier today saying Russia did not receive
any evidence to confirm Navalny's poisoning, and I just want our viewers to have a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEI LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We have not received information that really shows justifiably accusations against Russian authorities. If
you accuse someone, you should prove their guilt. If you say we are not going to tell you anything, because it is classified or the patient,
himself, does not give the permission, then we have all reasons to consider it as being staged.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That is the Kremlin's position, your response?
VOLKOV: Well, this is not a position, this is a lie. Actually, we have to say also very plain and simple. So Foreign Minister Lavrov says that
France, Germany, Sweden and the OCW, the Chemical Weapons Prohibition Organization is lying, because all of them have independently proven the
Novichok poisoning.
So now he just pretends like into the face as it what - exports and 14 German medical professors have found is just like never happened. This is
actually such a blatant lie that I think that like measures should be taken also against the Minister Lavrov. It is a shame that such a person
represents Russia now on the international level.
ANDERSON: Finally, sir, Alexey Navalny and his wife Julia cracking quite a lot during the hearing, even cracking jokes it seems and you tweeted during
the hearing, the following, a sense of humor is generally the most important thing to defeat an authoritarian regime. What is Navalny's end
goal here? Is it to bring down Vladimir Putin?
VOLKOV: Our goal is to bring down Vladimir Putin. Our goal as a democratic European Russia where we have rule of law and political competition that's
also very simple that we have stated it many time, and yes, I fully agree with what has been said previously, humor if something could work with him.
ANDERSON: With that, we will leave there. We thank you very much indeed for joining us out of Lithuania this evening. Let's get you on the ground in
Moscow Matthew Chance has the wider position. First though, let's you just outside the courthouse itself where Fred is standing by, Fred?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Becky. It is certainly was a remarkable court hearing that is taking place
today here in Moscow. As you have noted, right now, the judge is deliberating on what to do next, and what sort of verdict is going to be
reached here in the case?
That could take maybe a little bit under an hour, and of course, Leonid Volkov was just saying they're already expecting that they believe that
Alexey Navalny will probably have to go to prison, but of course we're going to have to wait and see when that verdict comes down.
But again a remarkable hearing that took place also because of the combative nature that Alexey Navalny showed in that meeting. First of all,
he challenged the whole premise of this trial, saying essentially he believed that it was a sham trial.
Of course, we always have to remind our viewers that the reason why this trial is happening here is because they say that Alexey Navalny violated
his probation of a suspended sentence, because he was in Germany receiving treatment after he had been poisoned with the chemical nerve agent
Novichok.
Alexey Navalny telling the court repeatedly that he was in a coma, there was simply nothing that he could do to come to any of these probation
appointments that he apparently had there in Russia. But then he launched into about a 15-minute tirade aim at Vladimir Putin saying he believed he
was on trial here because Vladimir Putin was angry.
One of the things that he said was "The reason of this is the hatred and fear of one person" referring of course to the Russian President, who was
hiding in the bunker. I have offended him so deeply by the fact that I have survived that he said. Of course, we always have to mention that the
Kremlin has repeatedly denied being behind the poisoning of Alexey Navalny.
[11:10:00]
PLEITGEN: And then he said and this was one of the things that I think shocked a lot of people in that court room. He said "There was Alexander
the liberator - the wise and there will be Vladimir poisoner of underpants".
Of course, Alexey Navalny there referring to the fact that apparently Novichok that poisoned him was administered through the seams of his blue
underwear that he was wearing that day as he was in that hotel.
And later he says you can't jail millions of people of course referring to some of the police crackdown that we've seen over the past couple of weeks
as demonstrations on behalf of Alexey Navalny were taking place not just in Moscow but in other places in Russia as well so a very, very interesting
court hearing.
The judge was shocked at some of the things Alexey Navalny said told them that there was an objection Alexey Navalny shot right back at this judge
saying, I don't need your objections. A combative hearing and certainly one that many people here in Moscow and in the rest of Russia will have been
following very closely and certainly one that many people in this country will not soon forget, Becky.
ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is outside of the courthouse. Matthew, you heard my interview with Leonid Volkov who was Navalny's Chief of Staff wanted as
well by Russia joining us tonight therefore from Lithuania. Your thoughts on what he said?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think that what many people who support Alexey Navalny want is indeed to topple
Vladimir Putin. The big question is of course has their movement gained enough momentum to achieve that aim?
Well, we have seen, you know, tens of thousands of people across Russia and more than 100 cities across Russia, not just this weekend, but last weekend
as well, turning out onto the streets sometimes in freezing conditions, sometimes intense that haven't seeing protester of this nature before.
And so I think the message that will have been received loud and clear by the Kremlin is that there is significant amount of support for what Alexey
Navalny is calling for, and certainly for the anti-corruption campaign that really seems to have struck a chord amongst the general population in the
country.
For instance his report on the palace that he alleges to have been built at the cost of $1 billion or so for Vladimir Putin on Russia's south coast got
more than 100 million views on YouTube. And that sort of outstripping the kind of the reach that even the Kremlin controlled state television can
achieve.
And so given that, obviously, Navalny represents a threat to and a challenge to Vladimir Putin but is that threat strong enough to shake the
foundations of Putin's Russia, and that is the real sort of nub of the question here.
Are these street protests that we've seen for the past couple of weeks going to be enough to force real change in this country even with the
addition of international in the form of sanctions that the Alexey Navalny's supporters are calling for?
Well, at this point, it is unclear whether there is enough momentum in this latest round of protests to achieve that, but, you know, time will tell,
and we will be watching closely as will the rest of the international community as well Alexey Navalny and his supporters to, you know, to see
how much momentum can build if any from where we are right now. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. You pose some very good questions, and just how effective domestically will this demonstration of support for Alexey Navalny be and
indeed what more from the international community at this point?
And Matthew is, as we were discussing with Navalny's Chief of Staff there, we have seen action from the EU. We've seen action from the U.K. in
response to Navalny's poisoning last year with sanctions, no response to that end from Washington at this point. The bigger picture, of course, it
is frayed relations between the west and Russia at this point. And just how damaging is this latest episode if you will?
CHANCE: Well, it could potentially obviously depending on what happens with Alexey Navalny this evening? Whether they do go with you know a multi-year
jail term for him, that will of course you know have a backlash internationally that probably will be there could well be more sanctions
imposed on Russia by the United States and by the European Union as well.
But for instance, when it comes to the EU, it is a very complicated attitude toward Russia. It is not, you know, unanimous the way that Russia
should be dealt with. There are different, you know, categories of the relationship.
[11:15:00]
CHANCE: It is a complex relationship, and for instance, there are concerns about Alexey Navalny about the way he was treated the fact that he was
poisoned as a problem and a concern about the general principle of human rights in Russia, and various other things like Russia's intervention in
Eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea.
But at the same time there are important trade relations between the European Union and Russia. There are concerns that the two sides if you
like needs to cooperate when it comes to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and other issues as well like the Iranian nuclear question is something that
many people in the international community and many countries in Europe believe that Russia needs to be involved in as a partner.
And so there is this sort of divided attitude toward Russia and that's a sort of division I think that Russia may want to exploit and perhaps use to
weaken any drive towards really strong sanctions against it.
ANDERSON: Matthew Chance and Fred Pleitgen, to both of you thank you very much indeed for what is a reporting on a developing story. And as we get
more on the judge's decision, viewers, of course, we will bring that to you immediately. Thank you, both.
Ahead on to the show, health officials around the world are warns new variants of the COVID-19 virus could fuel another case surge. We'll tell
you why the U.S. President's Chief Medical Adviser is urging people to get vaccinated as soon as they possibly can?
Well, in less than six months the Olympics will go ahead according to the organizers, but what will they look like for athletes and the audience,
more on that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN ON COVID-19: We need to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we possibly can, and
when vaccine becomes available to individuals please take the vaccine even though there is a diminished protection against the variants, there is
enough protection to prevent you from getting serious disease including hospitalization and deaths. So vaccination is critical. When it is
available get vaccinated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that is the U.S. President's Chief Medical Adviser on COVID-19 there urging Americans and indeed this is a message to the rest of
the world of course, get vaccinated when you can. As variants of this virus continue to spread around the world, he warns that even people who have had
COVID-19 before have seen high rates of re-infection with some of the new mutated versions.
Well, this constant drip feed of information can be hard to digest, can't it? And to sort of work out what's best and what we understand to be
current thinking well, my next guest started a blog earlier in the pandemic to give his family and friends practical advice on staying safety. That
blog went viral gaining millions of views.
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: Erin Bromage is a Professor of Biology specializing in Immunology at the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth, and joins us now. I just
want to concentrate on this new variant or these new variants for a moment.
Dr. Fauci there emphasizing just how important the speeds of these vaccination efforts are and how important it is to get vaccinated when a
vaccine is available to you? Look, sir, we are broadcasting around the world.
There will be folks watching this who do not have access yet to vaccines, and not least some of those of course in the states, and in the developed
world. Let's just talk here about how a speedy vaccination campaign will help prevent new variants and what is your advice?
ERIN BROMAGE, PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTES DARTMOUTH: So, with vaccination, we really are in a race right now. The virus cannot
mutate if it does not have a host. So, the more hosts we get it, and the more people who get infected, the more opportunities it has to tweak its
genome to make itself better at spreading between people or making them sicker.
So we really are in a race right now to get as many people immune as we possibly can, and do the other things as well such as making sure that
where we are wearing the masks and distancing and staying away from those enclosed places with lots of people so that it cannot infect those of us
that are not protected yet.
ANDERSON: OK. That is good advice. I want to talk about a lot of the misinformation that is out there, because it is really, really concerning.
I just want to get your kind of bottom line on a number of things. Like the misinformation of the sort of unsubstantiated claims, and you know, the
Chinese vaccines, you know, they don't work, and why you are taking them?
And there is a lot of politics involved in what is going on, and indeed on these MRNA vaccines. A lot of the myths associated with those. Like that
they were fundamentally changed your DNA, these of course are a brand new type of vaccines. It is understandable that some people are concerned about
new vaccines, and Pfizer/BioNTech is an MNRA vaccine. What would you tell somebody to allay their fears?
BROMAGE: Well, they're not new vaccines. The technology that's been with them, around them has been around for over a decade. They are new to the
general public, and what is really unusual I think Professor Natalie Dean said it really well.
Normally, we will see science at the end, but for the first time the general public is actually seeing science as it is happening. And science
is iterative, it keeps changing as we go along until we do get to sort of settled science, and so people are seeing how everything is being made,
like the science is evolving and our understanding evolving and it is - you know it can be quite confusing.
So what we need to know is that, yes, these specific vaccines were made in a very fast period of time. But it is based on technology and science that
has been with us for a very long period of time. In fact, the Department of Defense funded MNRA vaccine research back in I think it was 2012 or 2014.
We had a SARS, the original SARS vaccine and not MNRA but we had that vaccine they were looking at that at 2009 to 2012. So the platform that
we're built off to make these new generation vaccines has a very long history associated with it both safety and efficacy.
And it has been there for a long period of time, and it is now just applying the new information that we have generated from this particular
pathogen into the technology going forward. And what we are seeing is that the MRNA vaccines, the Adenovirus vaccines are all very effective in
regards to blocking severe diseases.
And MNRA vaccine will not change your genome. It does not alter your DNA. It is a blueprint for making a protein. That is all it is doing, and all it
is putting inside your body, giving your body a blueprint to be able to make the spike protein which we know is important for generating an immune
response so that the real virus cannot infect you.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: Yes. These vaccines will help stop you getting ill from the symptoms of COVID, and that of course is good news. Look, there has been
and you have eluded to this, a lot of concern over the speed of the rollout of a number of these vaccines not least for example Russia's Sputnik V
vaccine.
Just today interim results published in the Lancet Magazine say it is almost 92 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 disease and better
against the severe disease. I just wonder this is another vaccine in what is becoming a sort of relatively long line of vaccines now.
People are concerned that these were developed before these new variants were sequenced and I'm not sure how much you can tell us about this
particular vaccine, the Russian vaccine? But again, how concerned should people be about the fact that the vaccines were in development earlier on
in the year, as I say, before the emergence of the variants?
BROMAGE: Yes, so the Russian vaccine, the Sputnik vaccine was done not using traditional testing methods that we would use in the United States,
Australia and in Europe. They sort of rolled it out, and then got the data as it went through.
But, again, it is an adenovirus vaccine and it is a skeleton of a virus that we know a lot about, not the Coronavirus, but the adenovirus. And then
they've changed it so that it actually contains some of the information from the Coronavirus there, particularly this spike protein.
Again, it is that target that we are after to neutralize the virus so that it can't get in. So it is built off of the technology that they already had
the adenovirus vectors to actually develop a vaccine. So the rollout was a little bit unusual, the end of the results that they've got from their
trials is wonderful.
It is another tool in the arsenal for protection everywhere. It's a very similar vaccine to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that showed pretty good
results this past week as well. Now, in regard to all of these vaccines and the variants and that obviously is quite concerning.
The good side of things is especially with the MRNA vaccines, we had the sequence for this new virus in middle of January and by the very beginning
of February, we had a vaccine formulate and delivered to the CDC for the use in the first trials.
It is a very quick technology to adjust once you have got the safety and efficacy data that you can just change the blueprint but still put it into
the same package and deliver. So, if we need to adjust the MRNA vaccines, it is actually quite a fast process, the manufacturing will take a little
bit longer but it can just go into the same pipeline with the same machines that are making the current vaccines.
So if an update is needed, it can be done fairly quickly. The adenoviruses vaccines will take a little bit longer to adjust. So they would be a few
more months behind if we did need to tweak the formulation of the vaccine a little bit.
But we have seen over the last couple of weeks, there has been some really nice studies done that actually show that particularly the variant that
originated in the United Kingdom that the people that are vaccinated with the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have
good neutralizing ability against that variant.
A little bit less with the variants that we are seeing in South Africa and in Brazil, but still they overshoot the amount of immunity needed by quite
a bit. So even if we do have reduced immunity to these new variants there may be and it looks like there is enough left in the tank to be able to
neutralize it or at least give you a good head start on the type of the immune response that you need to stop severe disease developing from those
new variants.
So vaccination and the rollout and the speed in which we get these vaccines in will have a very big effect on whether the population is going to be
subject to what is going to be the second, third, fourth wave depending where you are in the world?
ANDERSON: With that, we will leave it there, but some really good advice and we appreciate that enormously on this show. Thank you very much indeed.
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Well, some very sad breaking news to report here on "Connect the World" now. Captain Tom Moore, the 100-year-old NHS hero has died. Moore
captured the hearts and donations of people around the world last year by raising tens of millions of dollars for Britain's National Health Service
just by walking 100 laps around his garden.
The World War II veteran's daughter says that he was recently hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia and he was just knighted last summer for his
heroic fund-raising efforts Captain Tom Moore who has passed away at the age of 100.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: The Olympic Games will be held this year no matter what the COVID situation is? That is according to the Head of Tokyo's 2020 Organizing
Committee as it is known. He says they will come up with "New Olympics". But with only 170 days to go that is less than 6 months. There are no real
details on what he means by that or what the games will look like for athletes and spectators?
Well, our next guest is the Former Deputy Chairman of the London Olympics, the London Organizing Committee for both the Olympics and the Para-Olympics
back in 2012. He is also the Chair of the Invictus Games Foundation which has just announced those games won't be going ahead this year Keith Mills
joining me now via Skype from London.
It's good to have you sir. First of all, what do you make of the Tokyo Olympic President's comments that these games will go ahead no matter what?
KEITH MILLS, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Well, clearly that has to be their objective. They're facing some
incredibly difficult circumstances right now. But I have no doubt that the organizing committee in Tokyo, the IOC in fact the whole Olympic family is
doing absolutely everything they can to make sure that the Olympic Games and the Para-Olympic games are going to take place this summer.
But they are doing with a moving target, because although, in fact, if anyone was going to organize Olympic Games in the middle of a pandemic, I
can't think of any country better than Japan, because they are such a well organized country.
[11:35:00]
MILLS: But, you know, lots is happening around the world and it is what happening in other countries that will affect the games, too.
ANDERSON: Let's be quite clear around this, and with respect sir, yes or no, should these games go ahead in any form?
MILLS: Yes, they absolutely should go ahead, providing they can go ahead safely, and that will be their most - that would be top of their list of
priorities, making sure that the people in Tokyo are safe, and the athletes and all of those coming to Tokyo for the games will be safe. I don't' have
any doubt that they are doing absolutely everything they can to make sure that happens.
ANDERSON: What do we mean by safe? What does it mean to suggest that the athletes and the spectators if indeed there are some are safe?
MILLS: Well, I think that the organizing committee in Tokyo will be doing everything they can to make sure that whilst they are in Tokyo, so the
athletes' village for instance probably has 18,000-odd athletes and coaches in it. And the way they move the athletes and coaches around Tokyo to the
various venues that that is done as safely as possible.
And I'm sure that they are looking at both vaccinations and quarantining and all sorts of other mechanisms to try and make sure that the people who
come to Tokyo are safe. The thing that is less in their control is what is happening in the 200-odd nations around the world, many of whom are facing
very significant COVID-19 problems.
And indeed, there are many countries that are putting the restrictions on travel right now. But I think their focus is to make sure that the games
take place, and they may well have to have games perhaps without spectators, live spectator, and they will make whatever adjustments they
need to make to make sure that these games take place.
ANDERSON: You are also an Invictus Games Chairman. That event has just been postponed for a second time, until 2022. What led you to make that
decision, and why should that call be different to the Olympics, I wonder?
MILLS: Well, the first thing is it was scheduled to take place in May rather than the summer, so our decision-making had to be really now. And
secondly, the competitors for the Invictus Games are those that have served their country and have been wounded or injured or are sick, and therefore
their - their health is a paramount importance.
And therefore, we took - actually we looked at every conceivable alternative from the smaller games with fewer nations and fewer competitors
to virtual games even on online games, but we concluded on the basis of the safety for the competitors and the competing nations. It would be safer to
move the games from this May to next spring in the Netherlands.
ANDERSON: None of these decisions of course can be easy, and you have made it quite clear that, you know, there are, a myriad of issues not least the
pandemic, itself, preying on the way that these decisions are made. But it is very good to have you on and thank you very much indeed for joining us.
MILLS: Thank you.
ANDERSON: We are going to take a very short break back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: "Call to Earth" is a call to action for the environment to share solutions on critical issues like global warming or deforestation or
plastic waste. Well, that's the initiative here at CNN, and this week the films that we have been showing or are showing are all about endangered
species and the people working to protect them.
Well, in today's report, Marine Biologist, and Rolex Award Laureate Brad Norman enlists the help of thousands of citizens, as citizen scientists
worldwide to track the world's biggest fish. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD NORMAN, MARINE BIOLOGIST: I love jumping in with whale sharks, but it can be intimidating, they are the biggest fish in the sea, they're big as a
bus and have such a huge creature coming at you out of the deep blue, it sort of does take your breath away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): Marine Conservationist Brad Norman has been coming to - over 25 years to study this endangered species.
NORMAN: I have - with whale sharks on thousands of occasions but I still get a buzz every time I go out. Whale sharks are a gentle giant. They're
the biggest fish in the sea but they're actually not dangerous. They feed on very, very small organisms.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): Whale sharks are endangered because of human activity with populations estimated to have dropped more than 50
percent in the past 75 years according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Norman says the biggest threats are fishing,
habitat destruction and climate change.
NORMAN: Climate change can have a dramatic effect on the prey of whale sharks, can change water temperatures, and it can change current and it can
change areas that whale sharks might normally move to feed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): The turquoise waters of this Western Australian Nature Reserve are where Norman first fell in love with the
ocean.
NROMAN: This Island has a long history of my life. We used to come here on our school holidays and it was here that I got to swim and snorkel in this
beautiful environment, and that really encouraged me to want to go down the path of being a marine biologist.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): Norman has made public awareness key to his research, helping found a photo identification program for whale sharks
that maps their global hot spots and migrations with submissions from over 10,000 people in more than 50 countries.
NORMAN: We are starting to find areas of critical importance to whale sharks where they are traveling to for important aspects of their life?
Whale sharks are covered in a pattern, a beautiful pattern of - dots, but how do we compare one pattern whilst against another.
So we adopted an algorithm that NASA scientists used in - space telescope to start in the night sky. We mapped the pattern of spots on the skin of a
whale shark and then like fingerprint recognition, scan that photo against the thousands of other photos, and if it is a match, it is the same shark.
The whale book for whale sharks is an online database that encourages members of the public to be citizen scientists. If they get to see a whale
shark and they swim with one, to take a photo of special I.D. area which is behind the gills, send it into the wild book, well, as we find out more
about these animals, it is going to help us work out the systems, and ways to protect them in the long term.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): This type of crowd source data is vital to the whale shark conservation, says Norman, and through responsible eco
tourism in places like Ningaloo, it can introduce the public to new ways of helping these gentle giants.
NORMAN: Over the past few years, the numbers of sightings that have been coming in is increasing all of the time.
[11:45:00]
NORMAN: It is so important to have the members of the public to assisting with our project by taking a photograph and helping us with our research.
We can all work together to save the species.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We will continue showcasing inspirational stories like this as part of the initiative at CNN and let us know what you are doing the answer
the call with the #calltoearth. You are watching CNN, and we will be right back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: This is CNN Breaking News. A reminder of our breaking news this hour Captain Tom Moore is 100-year-old NHS hero has died. Last year we had
the distinct pleasure to welcome the Captain and his daughter on our show at the hype of his fundraising efforts. Take a listen what he told my
colleague Hala Gorani about his NHS campaign?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HALA GORANI, CNN HOST: First of all, I want to ask you, Mr. Moore, you're reaction to this unbelievable sum that you have managed to raise 18 million
pounds and that is $23 million, and what is your reaction?
CAPTAIN TOM MOORE: I'm absolutely overwhelmed by the sum of money. When you translate it into American dollar, it is even bigger. Really, never ever
thought for a minute that we would get to this source of money which started off with a little modest figure, and though we thought - we might
try and raise 1,000 pounds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, I want to bring in Isa Soares who is in London. And Isa, social media, I have to say full of tributes to this wonderful, wonderful
man. You are never too young to make a difference and Captain Tom Moore really embodying the idea that you are never too old to make a difference
either.
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Becky. He was an inspiration to so many people. He really united this country during the worst pandemic. He
was a hero for so many. And this is the man of course who, you remember walked 100 lengths of his 25-meter garden to raise money for the NHS, and
you just heard there in the little sound bite with his interview with Hala Gorani, he only wanted to raise a very modest $1,000.
So just a little bit over $1,000 or a thousand pounds, but really he raised over $40 million and worth remembering he did that you know walking in a
Zimmer frame, he really showed how much unity and how much you can unite behind the national health service.
He was an inspiration, and he was so humble. And I think people really saw him as really a hero for these very difficult times. And if you can
remember, he was also knighted in July by her Majesty the Queen, and in the last few minutes we have heard, we have seen a statement from the Queen.
I'm just going to read it out if I may.
[11:50:00]
SOARES: It says here that the Queen is sending a private message of condolences to the family of Captain Tom Moore. Her majesty very much
enjoyed meeting Captain Tom Moore and his family at Windsor last year, her thoughts of the Royal Family are with them.
Incredibly sad news you would have remembered that he was taken to the hospital on Sunday with pneumonia, but also COVID. And this is of course,
something that no one wanted to see a national hero, Becky, for so many here in this country.
ANDERSON: And the Queen recognizing the inspiration that he provided for the whole nation and others indeed around the world Isa, thank you. And a
statement from the HSI Foundation reading and I quote, he was so passionate about the foundation's vision for a more hopeful world and equal society
and was immensely proud of the growing legacy that it was establishing in his name. Going on the say, thank you, Captain, Sir Tom, because of you,
tomorrow will be a good day for so many more.
Preparations for the second impeachment trial of Former President Donald Trump are ramping up. Last hour, House Democrats began outlining their
case, and pretty soon Trump's lawyers will move forward. In just about ten minutes time, and that is noon in Washington, Trump's new legal team will
file its formal response.
On Monday next week, February 8th, more paperwork, and one week from today, the House of Representatives can file its rebuttal and the trial in the
U.S. Senate can begin. Here's what Donald Trump's lawyers are saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID SCHOEN, TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT DEFENSE LAWYER: This process is completely unconstitutional, and this is a very, very dangerous road to
take with respect to the first amendment putting at risk any passionate political speaker which is really against everything we believe in this
country and the foundation of the first amendment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Trump accused of incitement leading up to the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol. Well, Former Ohio Governor and CNN Senior
Commentator John Kasich joining us now to talk all things the impeachment, conspiracy theories, the post-Trump era and U.S. politics. There is a lot
to go through and not an awful lot of time, and so let's dig deep quickly. You just heard from one of Donald Trump's lawyers, and your thoughts?
JOHN KASICH, CNN SENIOR COMMENTATOR: Well, look, I mean, this January 6th has left an indelible impression on virtually all Americans and some that
are in denial, but such an incredible thing that shook not only the United States, but it shook many people around the world.
He is going to be tried as to where the Republicans are right now, and appears that the Republicans will not come down on convicting him. But,
let's see how the trial goes, and let's see what the evidence is?
And Becky, then, you knows, we will have a resolution of this whole thing. I favor that he be removed, but we have got to have to see what the members
of the Senate have to say, the Republican members?
ANDERSON: Yes, and you have spoken out against Trumpism, and you've called on the GOP to stop engaging in grievance politics, I know. What message
will be sent about Donald Trump's hold on the party if the caucus votes to protect him?
KASICH: Well, look, he is right now he is descendent; he is strong inside these - particularly the state party and with the folks in Washington. But
I have to tell you Becky, that there is you know growing dissatisfaction after January 6th, the number of Republicans has left.
The party has shrunk, and there isn't any question and now there is an emerging battle inside the party is to whether we move forward on issues
and ideas or whether there is a situation where we just keep clinging to Trumpism which is really another word for demagoguery in my opinion.
And so how this is all going to work out? Look, I believe that if a party doesn't have ideas, it is not going to be strong. It probably won't exist,
and if the Trumpism was all about being against things really not for anything, playing that game if you don't have something because somebody
else took it.
And so if the party does not come to its senses and begin to advance ideas and I must say the ten Republican Senators that met with Joe Biden and had
a plan as to how we deal with the pandemic relief? That release was a series of ideas as to whether this catches on, we're just going to have to
wait and see.
ANDERSON: Mitch McConnell has issued a rebuke against Marjorie Taylor Greene, slamming this Georgia Republican "Loony lies and conspiracy
theories" Mitch McConnell dubbing them as a "Cancer" for the party.
[11:55:00]
ANDERSON: It is important to note that he did not name her in his statement. She has responded by saying the real cancer for the Republican
Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully, this is why we are losing our country. One, should McConnell have called her out by
name, and two, your response to what she has said?
KASICH: I would not waste my breath on her. I think it is ridiculous, she should be isolated and you know I think Mitch McConnell did exactly the
right thing. He is a traditionalist, and his speaking out was clear about who he was talking about? And what do I think about what she has to say? I
think nothing. I don't want to waste my time or my breath on responding to any of that.
ANDERSON: OK. John, we've only got time for one last question, because I am actually running out of time. I do want to ask you, John Weaver, who is a
long time GOP operative who advised John McCain and did led your 2016 presidential campaign has been accused of online sexual harassment by 21
men according to a "New York Times" investigation. What was your reaction when you heard that news?
KASICH: Out here, we are just shocked and outraged because nobody has the right to prey on people who are trying to get involved in politics or in
anything else. So we were just - I mean it was just outrageous what he was doing?
But I have to tell you, Becky, we had no inkling, no sense of this at all. If we had known anything about this, we would have dealt with it
immediately and swiftly. There would have been no question about it. It is tragic, and you know, what can I tell you?
You know people can lead a life that some of us don't know about. And it was shocking and outrageous, and it is not the way that you are supposed to
behave and we don't tolerate that in our operation.
ANDERSON: John Kasich for you tonight, viewers. John, thank you. And just into CNN and it have been a busy couple of hours of news. Andrew Yang, the
Former Democratic Candidate for President who is currently running for Mayor of New York City has tested positive for COVID-19.
Today Yang, experiencing mild symptoms, and says he will continue to attend virtual events and according to a statement from his campaign two weeks ago
Yang announced he was quarantining after potentially being exposed to COVID-19 from a campaign staffer.
More on that of course as we get it. Andrew Yang has been a regular guest on this show. That is it from us. Stay safe, stay well wherever you are
watching. It is a very good night from Abu Dhabi.
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