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Connect the World
CNN International: USAID Set to Shrink from 10,000 to Some 300 Employees Globally; Macron Speaks to Al-Sharaa, Invites Him to France; Elon Musk Targets UK PM Starmer Over Abuse Scandal; Fallout Over Offensive Tweets by Best Actress Nominee; LeBron Makes History as Oldest Player to Score 40 Plus. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired February 07, 2025 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ERICA HILL, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: All right, you are looking at a live picture of Washington, D.C., the White House there, of course.
President Trump set to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later this morning. It is 09:00 a.m. right now in Washington, and also
right here in New York. I'm Erica Hill in for Becky Anderson today.
Thanks for joining me on "Connect the World". Also ahead here, the union for federal workers fighting back in the U.S. suing President Trump over
his attempt to shut down effectively USAID. And an Ebola outbreak in Uganda, highlighting the impact of dismantling that agency. Plus, the first
U.S. jobs. Numbers of President Trump's second term are out, but they tell us about the economy.
The stock market here in New York set to open in just about 30 minutes, and -- will be keeping a close sign you have a look at the futures there on the
heels of that first jobs report of President Trump second term coming out just about a half an hour ago. From the moment almost that he took office
for that second term, Donald Trump has been working with Elon Musk to dismantle large swaths of the federal work force.
Their biggest initial target is now on the verge of a near total shutdown. USAID provides critical assistance to global hot spots. And it is
anticipated the White House intends to retain only about 300 of the agency's 10,000 staffers currently stationed around the world.
The president has repeatedly and without evidence, accused USAID of massive fraud, while Musk, on his X platform, has said he and his team are quote --
that they quote, spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.
Labor groups representing employees at the agency are now suing to try to stop the purge. Earlier on, CNN, a top USAID official, explained the far-
reaching impact of firing almost the entire staff of the agency, replacing them on indefinite leave.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDY CHESTER, USAID VICE PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSN.: We will be effectively closed. We will not be able to do any work that we have
been doing for the last 60 years, since USAID was founded. Humanitarian assistance will stop. Food aid will stop being distributed. Medication to
fight HIV will stop. Immunization programs will stop.
Programs that support the private sector development and create jobs and countries overseas will stop. Our partnerships with American companies will
stop. And not only that, in addition to the 10,000 USAID employees, the private sector and the nonprofit sector will also face tremendous layoffs
as they are forced to reduce their staff because they no longer have funds from the U.S. government.
These are groups like World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children, numerous small businesses in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who was once a very strong supporter of USAID's global mission, and is now has been named its acting
director, is defending the dismantling. Alex Marquardt spoke with Fredricka Whitfield last hour about the legal moves at play now to try to save the
agency and the strong push back over the administration's actions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: They are hoping to put a stop and reverse essentially what the Trump Administration has
been doing over the course of the past few weeks, which is essentially gutting USAID and moving it into the State Department.
So, this lawsuit was filed yesterday in federal court here in Washington, D.C., two different labor groups representing these USAID staffers,
essentially accusing President Trump, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury and their departments of doing something that is illegal,
that they are not allowed to do under their executive authority.
This is something we've also heard from Democratic lawmakers saying that only an act of Congress can actually do what they are doing to USAID, and
that's essentially having it absorbed by the State Department. As you noted, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is now the Acting Administrator
of USAID.
And at the same time, we are learning about a dramatic slashing of the USAID staff. All of the direct hires, so the U.S. government employees who
are not contractors, are to go on leave as of midnight tonight. We are told by multiple sources that some 300 essential personnel around the world will
be kept.
So that, of course, is a small portion of the around 10,000 global staff of USAID. Now the Former USAID Administrator Samantha Power under President
Joe Biden, she spoke with CNN just last night, and she put it this way, take a listen.
SAMANTHA POWER, FORMER USAID ADMINISTRATOR: If we did this to military families, just summarily told them to pack their bags and leave a place
that they had been deployed, there would be broad, bipartisan outrage.
[09:05:00]
And that is what we are doing to public servants who have also given their lives serving alongside our military in really hazardous places. This is no
way to treat public servants, and it is no way to advance America's interests.
MARQUARDT: So, Fredricka, the directive that has gone out to those direct hires around the world is essentially you have 30 days to get home. They're
not ordering them home, necessarily, but if they want their expenses paid for, then they essentially have 30 days to figure out.
And then you have thousands of contractors here in the U.S. around the world who are being furloughed or put on leave, blocked out of the system.
But it is just a dramatic reduction in both the work force and the scope of USAID.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, President Trump's plans, meantime to call 2 million jobs from the federal government are now on hold, after a federal judge ordered the
deadline for those workers to accept a deferred resignation officer at the so-called buyout, after order that be extended to Monday. CNN's Jeff Zeleny
has more of the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: A midnight deadline for federal workers to accept an offer for an early resignation
was halted on Thursday by a federal judge in Massachusetts. Three federal labor unions came together to ask the judge to put a pause on this plan
being pushed by the Trump Administration.
Now the judge agreed to hold a hearing on Monday, which means it puts this entire question of the federal work force being reshaped, at least in this
respect, on hold until Monday. Now, one of the central questions here, as federal workers are deciding whether to return to the office or decide to
lead the government altogether, will they actually be paid?
Now some federal labor unions are warning them there could be issues with this. There is deep skepticism and suspicion among the ranks of federal
workers, largely because of comments like this from the White House Press Secretary.
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We encourage federal workers in this city to accept the very generous offer if they don't want to show
up to the office, if they want to rip the American people off, then they're welcome to take this buy out, and we'll find highly competent individuals
who want to fill these roles.
ZELENY: So late Thursday, all federal workers receiving a message from the Government saying that they have now until Monday at midnight to accept
that offer, which would extend payments until September in exchange for leaving work early. But that is very much an open question, based on how
the judge rules on that.
So, we have one more example here of a federal judge stepping in to block or at least temporarily hold a Trump Administration move. Jeff Zeleny, CNN,
the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: The Trump Administration's decision to up and foreign aid comes as U.S. health officials are warning of an Ebola related outbreak in Uganda.
USAID provides critical assistance to that nation and, of course, to many other vulnerable places around the world, including across Africa. CNN's
Larry Madowo spoke with Fredricka Whitfield last hour from Kampala, Uganda.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've been hearing from USAID staff, local contractors across Africa, but also from beneficiaries of projects up and
down the continent. And this news has led to confusion, chaos, panic and anxiety about the future of these projects.
Now you can understand about a third of USAID funding comes to the continent of Africa. For instance, Uganda is the third largest recipient of
just health funding. A lot of that money goes into humanitarian causes or to health care. And just in this region alone, there is so much happening.
We have the situation in Goma in the eastern DRC, where a rebel group has taken over a major city of 2 million and already hundreds of thousands of
people were displaced there, USAID funded the shelters, the food, the medicine for these people there. Here in Uganda, there is a lot of refugees
that defend -- depend on USAID to eat, for where to sleep.
There are 1.4 million people in Uganda who are on antiretroviral therapy. These are people living with HIV who depend on money from USAID for their
regular treatment. That's what keeps them alive. And all of them now are afraid that when they run out, some of them already have stock outs.
They don't know if there's going to be more coming. And all these things from USAID come in these boxes branded USAID from the American people. And
right now, so many of them on the continent are telling me, surely 1 percent of the U.S. budget, the American people, can afford that.
But there's a counter argument here. I spoke to Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who says he's a beneficiary of U.S. funding and foreign aid, but he
agrees with President Trump.
PAUL KAGAME, RWANDAN PRESIDENT: President Trump's unconventional ways of doing things. I completely agree with him on many things.
MADOWO: Even though it will hurt U.S., Rwanda, which depends on some USAID to fund your health care and development.
[09:10:00]
KAGAME: I think from being hurt we might learn some lessons to -- not do things we don't do that we shouldn't be doing this. Why I'm saying, yeah,
it's aid thing, which I've never been a friend of it much as I'm really beneficiary.
MADOWO: It's extraordinary to hear President Kagame say that. It's a thought that there are many on the continent that share. They say, for
instance, so much U.S. foreign aid is just stolen here, or it goes into administrative costs buying people big cars and fancy lifestyles, not going
to the people that need it.
But to Fredricka, that African countries, those that depend on this funding, need to learn to be self-sufficient. They can be relying on the
generosity of others forever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: All right. Thanks to -- Larry Madowo for that. Just ahead here the intrigue behind Syria's new leader who has gone from jihadist to politician
in just a matter of weeks. A journalist who interviewed Ahmed al Sharaa pulls back the curtain for us. You're watching, "Connect the World". Stay
tuned. Much more news ahead after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Syria is facing the tremendous task of rebuilding its infrastructure, economy and entire political system after decades of Bashar Al Assad's
dictatorship and its transitional president is turning to regional powers now for support. Ahmed al Sharaa taking his first international trip this
week, visiting Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
He was very quickly has become the face of the new Syrian state, but his evolution from jihadist to politician has many wondering just who exactly
he is, and also what's ahead. "The Economist" sat down with Al Sharaa, asking bluntly, warlord, jihadi or nation-builder? Becky Anderson spoke
with Gareth Browne, "The Economist" Syria Correspondent about what he learned.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR CONNECT THE WORLD: Gareth, you sat down with our show. What was your sense of his ambition for Syria, both domestically and
in the Middle East, as he courts these key regional players?
GARETH BROWNE, SYRIA CORRESPONDENT AT "THE ECONOMIST": Yeah, I think domestically, he has two key challenges. One is security, securing, you
know, not just Damascus, but the whole country. And the other is the economy, getting the economy back on its feet.
Obviously, there's a very, very strict sanctions regime in place against Syria at the minute. One thing that really struck me, you know, he spoke
about, in the context of these visits to Saudi Arabia, the visit of the Emir of Qatar and Turkeys. He doesn't want Syria to be dependent on
handouts, dependent on the U.N.
I think he's, you know, under no illusions that in the short term, the country is going to need a lot of foreign aid. But really, he spoke about
the sovereign wealth funds of the Gulf states, you know, coming to Syria and investing in large infrastructure projects that would not only benefit
the Syrian people, but also that they could profit from.
So, you know, this is a man who really thinks that the economy, the free- market economy and the private sector can play a very big role in rebuilding Syria.
[09:15:00]
ANDERSON: And there is some clear appetite and ambition for support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Qatar and from Turkey as well. We are also
seeing offers of support from France President Macron calling Al Sharaa and extending an invite for him to visit France. How important are these
dynamics at this point?
BROWNE: They're hugely important. I think the strategy of Al Sharaa and HTS now is to mainstream. That is how they're going to create gain credibility,
not just in Syria, but also internationally.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
BROWNE: That's probably their best chance of marginalizing the extremists. There's plenty of groups in Syria, which are designated terror
organizations. So, I think the more he's seen as a statesman, the more he's invited to France, to Europe, and seen as bringing Syria back into the
international fold, the more his position at home strengthens.
But you know, getting invited to Paris is one thing, but the real big one is the United States. I mean, and that is, you know, the core of the
sanction's regime, which is really crippling Syria's economy, even now. And until he can win over Washington and get Washington to issue wider sanction
sanctions waivers, particularly on the financial sector, on the Central Bank.
You know, any recovery is going to be really, really crippled. So, Europe is important. It's important that he's going to go and, you know, meet
Macron, meet these other leaders. But until he cracks Washington.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
BROWNE: It's very difficult for him to realize many of these ambitions.
ANDERSON: And how confident is he of progress with Washington?
BROWNE: You know, I think he is going to give President Trump a chance. He did say to us that he saw Trump as a man of peace. He said that he was
hopeful that diplomatic relations with the U.S. would be resumed in the coming days. So that would be, you know, an initial first step.
But, you know, I don't think these guys, whether it's Al Sharaa himself or the people around him, really have any idea what's going on in Washington.
And I think to that extent, they're probably a little bit out of their depth. So, their guess is probably as good as anyone's, but the intent is
there.
They want to have relations with America. They want to see America lifted, lifting these sanctions. It's certainly a priority for --
ANDERSON: Yeah, and they certainly had support from around this region, where I am, and in Europe, about just how important lifting at least some,
if not all of those sanctions are al Sharaa called Syria a democracy for the first time in your interview, quote, in our region, there are various
definitions of democracy.
If democracy means that the people decide who will rule them and who represents them in the parliament, then yes, Syria is going in this
direction. How sincere did that seem to you when he also said, a constitution, an election will take years?
BROWNE: This was a key thing that we wanted to try and get out of the interview. You know, he had spoken about elections on quite a few
occasions, but he never used the word democracy. And we wanted to just sort of, you know, push him to see if he would actually say it publicly and he
did.
I think what you'll notice in that quote is, he does leave a little bit of wiggle room, you know, he sorts of questions, well, what is democracy, you
know? And he said he was committed to having elections, presidential elections, so that's the position he occupies at the minute.
That's important. But I think only time is going to tell is his idea of democracy, or a Syrian democratic state. Is that having elections once in a
few years' time, and him winning a resounding majority, and then, you know, feeling that he never has to do it again? Is it repeated elections?
Is it all the institutions that we know come with democracy? You know, a vibrant parliament. You know, a civil society that can really speak out and
do as, it pleases. There's some wiggle room there.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
BROWNE: So, I think it was really important that he used that word. But I don't think we can say for sure yet how committed he is to our sort of idea
of democracy.
ANDERSON: Gareth, I want to get your sense of who this man is. He has drawn a lot of attention for example, his new style observers noticing that he's
matched his ties to the flags of the country's leaders that he's meeting with, maroon for Qatar, a green for Saudi Arabia, red for Turkey.
He appears to be sport in luxury watches. He's flying in a private jet. From what you have witnessed, the time that you spent with him and what you
are hearing on the ground? Who is he?
BROWNE: I mean, that's a great question. And I think if you ask Syrians, it sort of depends where the Syrian comes from, what they see as him. I think
many people, especially in Damascus, in Homs, where I am, haven't and will not forget his past.
[09:20:00]
You know, he was a senior member of the Islamic State of Iraq. He was a founding member of Jabhat al Nusra, the official al Qaeda franchise in
Syria. But I think if I were to sum him up in one word, it's pragmatic. You know, he's clearly a very conservative, very religious man, but he's deeply
pragmatic.
And I think he's going to do whatever it takes to. I think he wants to stay in power. But I also see him wanting to, you know, see Syria restored, and
if that means compromising on other things religious issues, I think he's going to do that. I was really struck in our meeting by the relationship he
has with his Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, who was in the interview that we did.
Shaibani, of course, was at Davos just a few weeks ago. You know, this is a man he really trusts. And I think if you want to understand Ahmed Sharaa,
you have to understand his foreign minister. Because I think the foreign minister is really a source of a lot of the ideas.
He's the machine. He's the engine of this new administration. But you know, he's met with a lot of Syrians in the last two months since he took power.
And something that comes through when you speak to Syria, to have met him, is that he listens. He does listen. He takes on board advice and criticism,
and he acts on it. And that's something that Syrians haven't seen in a leader, in a president, for more than 50 years.
ANDERSON: And I had the privilege of spending some time with the foreign minister in Davos just a couple of weeks ago, and he was on one of the
panels that I was running. And you're right. I mean, it's -- he is a very interesting guy, and I know is regarded very highly by Al Sharaa.
So, we will watch both of them as the days, months and weeks continue ahead. Thank you very much indeed. Really appreciate your time. Gareth,
good luck.
BROWNE: My pleasure.
HILL: Tech billionaire Elon Musk is not only focused on shaking up the U.S. government, he also has his sight set on Britain, targeting British Prime
Minister Keir Starmer over a sex abuse scandal from more than a decade ago, when Starmer was a prosecutor. CNN's Nic Robertson examines how Musk's
actions are now opening old wounds in one Northern England town?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning demands for a National Inquiry into grooming gangs, very close to the center of which is Elon Musk.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): In these northern English streets, gangs of predominantly Pakistani heritage men
groomed and gang raped vulnerable young girls, exploiting them under the noses of authorities.
ROBERTSON: It is this painful national scar that Elon Musk has helped reopen, using his social media platform X to call for a national inquiry
into these awful events more than a decade ago.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): His intervention targeting the U.K. Prime Minister is winning Musk fans.
SAMANTHA WALKER-ROBERTS, CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVOR: I honestly can't thank him enough for doing this because we need justice, and we can't keep
going on year after year, decades on and still getting nowhere.
ROBERTSON: What's different this time?
WALKER-ROBERTS: Everyone's finally listening.
ROBERTSON: Because of Elon Musk?
WALKER-ROBERTS: Yeah.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Sam, who was raped by a South Asian grooming gang, doesn't want to show her face, fearing a backlash.
WALKER-ROBERTS: I went to the police station to report a sexual assault that had just happened. There was two men behind me. They interrupted and
said, we can give you a lift, which the officer said, yeah, go with them.
ROBERTSON: So, the police handed you over to two abusers?
WALKER-ROBERTS: Yes.
ROBERTSON: You were how old then?
WALKER-ROBERTS: 12. Yeah, as children were meant to trust officials. I was hurt from that.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Musk appears to have picked Oldham and the abuse scandal to reignite attacks on U.K. PM, Keir Starmer, that began last
summer, picking up again early January, when Musk began accusing Starmer, who was the chief prosecutor as the child abuse scandal, surfaced of
failing, tweeting prison for Starmer, Starmer must go.
Starmer accused Musk of, quote, lies and disinformation. The region's former chief prosecutor defends his and his boss at the time, Keir Starmer
record.
NAZIR AFZAL, FORMER CHIEF PROSECUTOR AT NORTH-WEST ENGLAND: We had gone from being poor to having the highest conviction rate for child sexual
abuse in British history.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Says Musk's motivation is not about helping Sam and other victims.
AFZAL: He's just stirring up a racist pot.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Worse, he says, Musk's right wing tweets amplifying posts focusing on crimes committed by quote, migrants. Pakistani Muslim and
Asian gangs are putting girls at risk.
AFZAL: When you just focus on the brown guy, you're telling girls be aware of the brown guy.
[09:25:00]
You're not telling them that they are 40 times more likely in this country to be abused by a British white guy.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): For years, rape was happening in plain sight, institutional failings repeated.
ROBERTSON: According to an Independent National Inquiry, the child abuse scandal spanned dozens of British cities, affected thousands of children
through shame on national institutions heightened racial tensions, particularly in cities like Oldham, historically poor with higher than
national average immigration.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Oldham, a rust belt type of town, is also pushing back.
ABDUL WAHID, OLDHAM COUNCILOR: Not just Elon Musk, anybody who gets the opportunity to be fair. You know, when they want to drive an agenda, Oldham
seems to get used.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Councilor Wahid supports Musk's call for an inquiry, but not the way is doing it.
WAHID: Some of the rhetoric he's coming out with is probably not helpful.
ROBERTSON: Which --
WAHID: Well, making comments that are specifically aimed at a race and a religion and cultures, et cetera.
ROBERTSON: Why is it unhelpful?
WAHID: It's unhelpful because everybody starts pitching against each other.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Musk's divisive on slaughters forced armors hand, triggering new legislation and a new but non statutory inquiry for Oldham.
Sam says it's not enough. What she wants from Musk is to stop enabling the right wing.
WALKER-ROBERTS: He needs to say that this is about survivors, not about everyone else. Too many people are jumping on this bandwagon.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): A bandwagon Musk, perhaps figures might drive Starmer from office. Nic Robertson, CNN, Oldham, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: CNN has reached out to Musk's team for comment. We have not heard back. Stay with us. You are watching "Connect the World".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Welcome back to "Connect the World". Just about half past the hour here. Thanks for joining us. We are, of course, just waiting for the
markets to open in the United States. There you go, getting ready to ring the opening bell there at the NYSE.
[09:30:00]
As we -- see the countdown about 15, 20 seconds or so until that bell will ring for the U.S. market, of course. And there we have it. And this comes
on the heels of just about an hour ago, the first jobs report of Donald Trump's second term. Those numbers coming in just a bit below expectations.
While the U.S. labor market did continue to grow in the month of January, it didn't grow as much as economists had expected. 143,000 jobs added last
month. Economists had been looking for 170,000, the unemployment rate dipped from 4.1 to 4 percent. U.S. lawmakers, meantime, are set to make a
major move in the U.S. against deep sake, DeepSeek rather.
Later today, they are set to propose a bill that would ban the Chinese AI chat bot from all U.S. government devices, citing national security
concerns. Australia has already done that. The move comes after the company released the chat bot, which, of course, took the AI industry by storm.
Here's more from Will Ripley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Lunar New Year message live from Beijing, a stage full of humanoid robots powered
by artificial intelligence. China projecting itself as the world's next AI superpower, just days after the World rattling announcement from tiny
Chinese tech startup DeepSeek.
Last month, DeepSeek was a little-known company on the fifth floor of this non-descript Beijing office block. Now it's making global headlines.
DeepSeek's Founder Liang Wenfeng, once dismissed as a nerdy engineer with a bad haircut. Now hailed by Beijing as China's next tech visionary rocking
the global AI industry, leaving Silicon Valley scrambling.
His company employs around 140 engineers, mostly in their 20s and 30s, many interned at U.S. tech giants, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Nvidia. The same
companies that lost billions when DeepSeek announced its AI chat bot. DeepSeek's AI model is not just powerful, it's a Silicon Valley disruptor,
developed at a fraction of the cost the company claims.
But there's one major obstacle, hardware. The U.S. has tightened export controls on advanced AI chips made in Taiwan, aiming to slow China's
progress, but Beijing is determined to catch up fast. The global spotlight is already exposing cracks. DeepSeek servers often overwhelmed, also
growing concern over censorship.
RIPLEY: When we asked DeepSeek about one of the most sensitive topics in China, the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. It didn't just avoid the
question, it shut it down. But when we asked whether Taiwan is part of China, DeepSeek did not hesitate to give us the official communist party
line.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Critics argue U.S. AI models also restrict content. But in China, it's not the tech companies setting the limits. It's the
government. Now, with the help of AI, Beijing can shape conversations far beyond its borders.
RIPLEY: What happens if China wins, definitively wins?
MATT SHEEHAN, CHINA AI RESEARCHER: They could use that to impose all kinds of controls and costs on the United States, on all competitors.
RIPLEY (voice-over): China AI researcher Matt Sheehan says artificial intelligence could revolutionize productivity, cure diseases, drive
economic growth, it could also spiral beyond human control, potentially destabilizing the world.
RIPLEY: Are you nervous?
SHEEHAN: I'm very nervous.
RIPLEY (voice-over): DeepSeek, just over took ChatGPT as the most downloaded AI app in the U.S., once again, triggering national security
fears over data privacy and the growing power of another app controlled by China's Communist Party. Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: He's 40-year years old, but likely not slowing down anytime soon. LeBron James setting yet another milestone in this already storied career.
[09:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Oscar nominee Karla Sofia Gascon is vowing not to bow out of the race for best actress, this despite the growing scandal over her offensive
social media posts. The controversy arising after journalists shared screenshots of Gascon now deleted.
Tweets which then led to accusations of racism and Islamophobia, which of course, is the star of the Netflix drama Emilia Perez and the first openly
transgender person to be nominated for an acting award at the Oscars. Here's CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emilia Perez, Netflix's big Oscar contender with 13 nominations. Now reduced to a
tearful apology from its breakout star, Karla Sofia Gascon, whose controversial tweets shocked Hollywood at the height of her Oscar campaign.
The tweets uncovered by an independent writer include this 2016 post. Islam is becoming a hotbed of infection for humanity that urgently needs to be
cured. Alongside a Muslim family photo, she called Islam a deep disgusting humanity. During protests over the police killing of George Floyd.
Gascon called Floyd a drug addict swindler whose death has served to once again demonstrate that there are people who still consider black people to
be monkeys without rights and consider policemen to be assassins. They're all wrong. In an exclusive interview with CNN and -- Juan Carlos Arce
Niegas, Gascon apologized and said she's not a racist.
I have been condemned and sacrificed and crucified and stoned without a trial and with no option to defend myself, she said, tearfully, adding that
she thought the public made her out to be a terrible monster.
It's a stunning turn of events for Gascon, who made history just last month as the first openly transgender actor to ever be nominated for an Oscar.
CLAYTON DAVIS, SENIOR AWARDS EDITOR AT VARIETY: The reconciling of the moment is like this historic nomination we're supposed to be celebrating.
She would have been prominently displayed and cut to during the Oscar telecast.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): In another resurfaced post Gascon mocked the Oscar telecast itself, calling it a vindictive film award ceremony, I didn't know
if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration or March 8th, apparently referring to International Women's
Day.
The academy immediately unfollowed Gascon on social media, and her co-stars and the film's director are distancing themselves too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He desires to remain anonymous.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Zoe Saldana, who won the Golden Globe last month, is now vying for her first Oscar and spoke to Variety's Clayton Davis.
ZOE SALDANA, AMERICAN ACTRESS: I'm very sad. I'm also disappointed.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Despite the growing backlash, Gascon says she won't pull out of the race. I cannot step down from an Oscar nomination,
she said, because I have not committed any crime, nor have I harmed anyone. Few doubt the power of Gascon's performance.
She plays a complex role, a cartel leader, both as a man and a woman, but now many are asking how Netflix missed a huge land mine on its road to
Oscar gold.
DAVIS: All that work and money was flush down the toilet just a week ago.
WAGMEISTER (on camera): Now, Netflix has not publicly commented on this situation at all. I reached out to Netflix. I have not heard back, but I do
hear that they are actively distancing themselves from Karla Sofia Gascon in an effort to salvage this campaign for the rest of the cast, crew and
creatives who worked so hard on this film. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Elizabeth, thank you. Whenever a year are mentioned alongside Michael Jordan in the history books, that's probably a pretty good thing. On
Thursday, LeBron James joining Jordan as the only players over 40 to have scored 40 plus, points in a single NBA game.
[09:40:00]
Amanda Davies joining me now. I mean, it just keeps going for LeBron -- People want him to retire. He's like, hey, take a look at me on the court
and then talk to me.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: -- I mean, you have to read something into the timing, don't you all that? Talk about Luka Doncic as a rival, and what
does it mean for LeBron? Well, how about answering in style? And that's what he does. He can step up at the big moments.
He sent social media into meltdown, putting on a show. But it's been such a week for 40-year-olds. We've been celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo talking
about being the most complete football ever in history this week, he celebrated his 40th birthday. Just seems to be getting better and better.
LeBron doing the same. But Erica, we're looking at that in a couple of minutes in "World Sport". And it couldn't be Friday ahead of Super Bowl
weekend without looking ahead to the big event in New Orleans. So, we've got plenty on that to come in just a couple of minutes as well.
HILL: Yes, little bit of a match up happening there on Sunday evening in New Orleans. Looking forward to an, Amanda, thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
END
