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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Zuckerberg Defends Meta in Court; Meta Accused of Intentionally Designing Addictive Features; Denmark's King in Greenland; Eight Skiers Killed After California Avalanche; Japan's Parliament Reelects Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi; Indonesia Announces Major Purchase of U.S. Goods; Mikaela Shiffrin Takes Gold. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired February 18, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton in New York. Jim
Sciutto is off. You are watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes the stand in a landmark trial against social media companies. Denmark's king visits
Greenland amid tensions with the U.S. over the island's future. And U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin ends an eight-year Olympic medal drought, winning
gold in the women's slalom.
And we do begin with that landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before the jury at this
hour. The case focuses on whether Meta intentionally designed its platforms, especially Instagram, to make young users into addicts of their
platform. The plaintiff is a now 20-year-old woman who is also accusing Alphabet's YouTube of intentionally using addictive features.
Now, Meta's lawyer argues her difficult family life, not social media, caused her mental health problems. The outcome of this case could be
consequential for the social media industry as a whole. And it's the first of more than 1,500 similar lawsuits. Also, worth noting here, TikTok and
Snap settled before this trial began.
David Weinstein is a partner at Jones Walker. He is also a former federal and state prosecutor. Good to see you again, especially as we're trying to
parse what this trial means. Now, you have been watching the testimony today. Obviously, Zuckerberg being there is pivotal. What's your initial
reaction? And did you hear so far, any testimony, any moments that you believe could be a game changer in this case?
DAVID WEINSTEIN, PARTNER, JONES WALKER: Well, Paula, what stands out to me is this is the type of case that's akin to the landmark tobacco cases back
in the 1990s. If everyone who's watching remembers, there were memos internally that were written about the addictive properties of tobacco.
Those were hidden from the public. In public, the executives all denied that tobacco was addictive, and they were trying to get people to be
addicted to their substances.
And here, what we have, the public-facing format, is that this is not addictive. We offer this to you. We do everything to protect. There's
nothing here that makes it addictive. Yet there are some internal memos, and they questioned them about those internal memos, that said that one of
the features and one of the purposes was to get people more engaged with the social media aspect of this, specifically with Instagram.
And so, his testimony about that is going to be critical. Can he disprove what others believe his company said internally? And then at the heart of
this is how deeply are they vetting people who log in and try to sign into Instagram? Again, his testimony was if you're under 13, you can't log in.
We try very hard to vet. But he did, during some of his testimony, admit that that's not a perfect plan and that it is not foolproof. And there are
people who can trick the algorithm and make them think that they're of age. So, I think that's what we're going to be focusing on during the course of
the trial.
NEWTON: The issue of addiction here is fascinating, especially as you point out those internal meta documents that show that some young users
were actually spending more than 16 hours in a day on the platform. I wonder, though, as much as someone might look at that and say, of course,
that's harmful legally, how does the evidence like this play out?
WEINSTEIN: Well, that's where the question becomes, is what they're interacting with, is it created and is it made in a way that causes you to
become addicted to it like it would with any drug, or is it simply a lack of self-control on the part of the people who use social media? And I think
the critical issue here is the formation of young people's minds.
We're all aware that young people's minds are not fully formed. They become more susceptible to this type of addiction. And so, I think that's where
the argument's going to be. As you pointed out, we're all aware that young people's minds are not fully formed. They become more susceptible to this
type of addiction.
[18:05:00]
And so, I think that's where the argument's going to be. As you pointed out, the plaintiff in the lawsuit is now 20, but started using it when she
was much younger. So, the question becomes, is it created? Is the algorithm made in a way that's going to tap into those immature minds and cause them
to be addicted, or is it simply just poor self-control?
But when you look at how the legal framework works here, we discussed that Meta's defense is that, look, there are parental oversight tools here,
right? There are safety features. And yet you do have evidence from internal research studies at Meta that found that parental supervision, you
know, all parents know this already, they didn't need the internal memo saying that actually that kind of supervision has little impact on kids'
compulsive use of social media. I'm wondering, what kind of weight could that hold legally here?
WEINSTEIN: Well, they're going to have to introduce some sort of testimony that is going to convince these jurors that no matter what a parent did,
taking away the device, closing down the computer, limiting hours, didn't detract from what they're claiming, which is that it is inherently
addictive. And even with those parental controls.
So, there's going to need to be some testimony provided that talks about either from experts who are going to weigh in on this, or parents
themselves to say, look, I cut them down to one or two hours a day, and they were still incessantly going back to it. It was an addiction. That's
what this jury is going to have to weigh.
NEWTON: And with 1,500 similar lawsuits filed, what kind of precedent do you believe this trial could set? And that's whether or not, you know, Meta
actually has any accountability for this or doesn't?
WEINSTEIN: I think if there is a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs and against Meta, that you're going to see a lot more settlements. Again, it
wasn't until the first tobacco case folded, and there was a settlement there because of these smoking gun memos that went out, that all of the
tobacco cases started to fall in line and precedents were set.
So, this will be a precedential setting case. And very much those remaining cases are going to hinge upon what happens here, what happened in this
first case. If it falls badly against Meta and isn't overturned on appeal, it's going to cause for a lot of settlements in those remaining cases. On
the other hand, if it goes the other way, or the appellate court has to go the other way, these cases will just continue to churn out, and they'll
have to be tried one by one.
NEWTON: Yes, and not an overstatement to say that hundreds of millions of people really have a stake in this case. David Weinstein, for us, thanks so
much as we continue to watch this trial. Appreciate it.
Now, to Greenland, where Denmark's King Frederik landed earlier today. It is his second visit in less than a year amid U.S. President Donald Trump's
threats to try and seize the island. Now, the king will stay until Friday, signaling unity with Denmark's self-governing territory.
Now, tensions have been strained for months between NATO and the U.S. after the unrest caused by Mr. Trump. The U.S. president walked away from Davos
last month, saying he had reached a so-called framework deal with NATO on the island's future. He dropped his tariff threats and said taking
Greenland by force was off the table. But what's in that Greenland deal still remains very vague. And the Danish prime minister said just last week
that Mr. Trump's desires, in fact, have not changed.
I'm joined now by Danish lawmaker Rasmus Jarlov. He is a conservative MP and the chair of the Danish Parliament's Defense Committee. And I want to
welcome you to the program as we continue to watch this visit on the sidelines. We pointed out it's the second visit to Greenland within a year,
given the Danish prime minister warned, as I said, just last week that President Trump still wants to acquire Greenland. How can this visit really
work to reaffirm Greenland's identity and its independence?
RASMUS JARLOV, DANISH CONSERVATIVE MP AND FORMER DANISH BUSINESS MINISTER: Well, it reaffirms that King Frederik is the head of state of Denmark and
thereby also the head of state of Greenland. And he's very popular in Greenland because he spent a lot of time in Greenland. He's trained in the
dogsled patrol that are special forces in northeastern Greenland. And he has very strong ties to Greenland, always been there a lot.
So, it's, of course, an opportunity for him to affirm his connection to Greenland and for the Greenlanders to also show that they are proud of
their head of state and they don't want to replace him with an American one.
NEWTON: And so, this visit there is symbolic. And yet, in these geopolitical times, perhaps more than that, I do point out that your prime
minister said that, you know, she spoke to Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, had constructive talks. I mean, are you reading anything into
that? And how do you think Denmark's response will be here? Because it is stark that she says that, look, President Trump's intentions have not
changed.
[18:10:00]
JARLOV: I don't know much about President Trump's intentions that hasn't been spelled out in the public. But I'm hearing that there are good talks
with the American counterparts of the Danish government. And I hope that we can find an arrangement that the Americans can accept. And we can reconfirm
the access that the Americans already have to Greenland. We already have the defense agreement that allows them to put troops and bases up there as
much as they want.
And if there's anything else that the Americans are interested in, like mining projects or anything else, we can talk about how to achieve those
objectives. As long as we're not talking about handing over sovereignty or ownership of Greenland, because that's out of the question for us.
NEWTON: You know, Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich also indicated that, look, they want allies that can defend themselves. There are a lot
more resources being put into Arctic defense, obviously from Denmark, but also from European allies, even Canada. Do you believe this will be enough
for President Trump?
JARLOV: Well, it's hard to say. But what we should do is we should sit together and we should try to analyze if there's any capacities missing in
the Arctic. There's basically four nations in the Arctic, United States, Canada, Denmark. And then you also have the United Kingdom, which is close
to the Arctic and certainly control the North Atlantic together with the United States and Denmark.
So, we should sit together and talk about how to analyze if there's anything missing up there that could make the Arctic more safe and work
together about how to achieve it. We have invested a lot in Arctic security. We've invested 14 billion euros in the past year and a half,
which is a lot of money. And it's not only the dog sleds that President Trump has been talking about. It's also helicopters, ships, drones, radars,
missiles and many, many other things. So, we are investing a lot.
And I think that's one thing that's really important to understand as an American, and that is that the Americans have a base in Greenland, but they
do not protect Greenland. That base that the Americans have, which is their only military presence in Greenland, protects the United States from
missiles flying from Russia over the North Pole towards the United States. But it does absolutely nothing to protect Greenland or Denmark.
So, the Americans are not protecting Greenland. Denmark is protecting Greenland and NATO is protecting Greenland.
NEWTON: But given what you just said, talking about the alliance, I mean, do you believe the president may just drop this once these points are made
to him, perhaps by his own secretary of state?
JARLOV: It would be the reasonable thing to do, and it would be reasonable to talk about what the Americans could have of access to minerals or any
other things they could need up there. There won't be any gains from the Americans, even if we hand it over Greenland for free, which we are never,
ever going to do.
And even if it didn't mean the downfall of the entire Western alliance, that you start going after each other's territory, even disregarding that
and pretending that the Americans could just get Greenland, they wouldn't achieve anything that they don't already have. They would only get more
expenses because Denmark pays a lot of the expenses in Greenland today and invests a lot in the Arctic security. And the Americans would then have to
take over those expenses and deal with a very hostile population out there that don't want to be American.
So, the setup that we have today works really, really well. Denmark protects Greenland and helps sustain a society. The Greenlanders run the
country and take care of all local matters. And the Americans are partners up there and have access to Greenland. Really good setup. It has worked
very well for many, many, many decades. And we should strengthen that setup rather than tear it apart.
NEWTON: Yes. And we shall see. We'll see in the coming months. Also, Congress has more to say about this and the vice president or the secretary
of state as well. Rasmus Jarlov, I want to thank you for your insights. Really appreciate it.
JARLOV: Thanks a lot.
NEWTON: Now, it's the deadliest avalanche in California's recorded history. Officials say eight of nine backcountry skiers buried amid heavy
snow near Lake Tahoe. They have died and one person remains missing and is presumed dead. Rescue efforts have been hampered by treacherous conditions,
including heavy snow, gusty winds and the threat of another avalanche.
CNN's Stephanie Elam has the latest on the search and ongoing tragedy in California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the final leg of a three-day cross-country skiing trip when the avalanche hit. Eleven skiers
and four guides were traversing the backcountry at Castle Peak, a more than 9,000-foot summit in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe. When
catastrophe struck.
SHERIFF SHANNAN MOON, NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: There were nine women and six men. We were able to rescue one man and five women.
E ELAM (voice-over): Eight people died on the mountain.
MOON: All six were rescued off of the mountain. Two of the six were not mobile. They could not walk. One was a Blackbird Mountain guide and five
survivors were clients on that tour.
[18:15:00]
ELAM (voice-over): According to the sheriff's department, the survivors said the group was trying to get out when someone saw the deluge of snow
and yelled avalanche, an avalanche of snow, ice, rocks and debris about as long as a football field, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The local
sheriff's office received a 911 call around 11:30 Tuesday morning, saying much of the party was trapped.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Castle Peak, reported as nine to 10 people buried, three others attempting to dig them out.
ELAM (voice-over): There were storm warnings to avoid the area as early as Friday. The National Weather Service in Reno issued a haunting forewarning.
Will you be able to make it home with forecasters predicting that the storm would drop several feet of snow when all is said and done? And on Sunday,
the Blackbird Mountain guys, the company leading the trip, forecasted a weak layer of snow that could create unpredictable avalanches. Then on
Monday, the powerful winter storm began pummeling the Sierras before Tuesday's tragedy struck. Now, as recovery efforts continue, an urgent
plea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please avoid the Sierras.
ELAM (voice-over): Stephanie Elam, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Stay with us. We'll be right back with more news in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: And welcome back in today's Business Breakout. Green arrows on Wall Street with tech in the lead. Stocks held on to their gains even after
the release of those latest Fed minutes. Now, they showed Fed officials still worried about inflation. Some members even suggested rate hikes might
be needed if numbers don't improve.
Oil meantime rose 4 percent amid fears the U.S. might soon launch military strikes against Iran. Tehran said yesterday's indirect talks with the U.S.
were positive, but U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance says Iran has not yet agreed to core U.S. demands.
Now, Japan's parliament has reelected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after her party's landslide victory last week at the polls. Takaichi said she
hopes to strengthen her relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington.
Now, the Trump administration has outlined Japan's upcoming investments in the U.S. They include a natural gas plant in Ohio, a crude oil facility in
Texas, and a synthetic diamond plant in Georgia. Now, this is all part of a $550 billion trade deal struck with the U.S. last year.
[18:20:00]
Tomohiko Taniguchi was an adviser to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and he's now a special advisor to Fujitsu Futures Studies Center. And thank you
for joining us, especially as these are momentous political times in Japan right now. President Trump has certainly praised this new prime minister
and her re-election. But I am wondering, what does her role now, with such a strong mandate, what does it mean for Japan, and Japan's role in the
region, really?
TOMOHIKO TANIGUCHI, SPECIAL ADVISER, FUJITSU FUTURE STUDIES CENTER AND FORMER SPECIAL ADVISER TO SHINZO ABE: Ms. Takaichi is endowed with,
obviously, the single biggest amount of political capital, and she is ready to use that to change a lot of things, including tax credit system,
budgeting system, which is very much important, in order to cover not just a single year, but multiple years with a single budget. That's a
considerable departure from the past regime.
Takaichi is now stronger than ever. I mean, she is one of the strongest prime ministers of all time. And there are two individuals who value power
more than anything else, that President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. So, the relationship between these two nations, Japan, China, Japan, the United
States, will be better and more stable.
NEWTON: I am wondering how important the U.S. relationship is here right now and how that's being received in Japan. This deal was part of the
tariff deal that was struck. I mean, do you see this as a long-term transactional model for U.S. and Japan cooperation? And again, it is a very
broad relationship, even with the military relationship that they have.
TANIGUCHI: I think it's fair to say so. I think the Japanese government has been determined, and that determination has been supported, if you
like, by the massive votes cast by the voters to strengthen even further the U.S.-Japan relationship. That's an investment, long-term investment,
into the United States with the hope that the United States is going to be, continue to be, the hegemon of the world.
NEWTON: In terms of your role with Shinzo Abe, I do remember Abenomics. I was in Japan trying to cover certainly some of the reforms that that
government tried to bring into place. This prime minister, as you said, has an incredible mandate. But what do you believe she should tackle first to
really have an impact on the economy?
TANIGUCHI: Shinzo Abe struggled very much hard with the groupthink of financial officials that valued austerity, frugality before anything else.
And Takaichi wants to change that. And for her, frugality may be important, but what's more important is investment and growth thereof.
NEWTON: So, you think this will be transformational, you believe, this government for Japan?
TANIGUCHI: If Takaichi succeeds, I certainly do think so. The next two years is going to be a golden opportunity for her to use her massive amount
of political capital, because in 2028, July 2028, she's going to have to face another serious test. That's an election for the upper house. And both
houses matter very much. Unlike some other countries like the United Kingdom, the upper house has a tremendous amount of veto power. And
Takaichi must prevail in that house as well.
NEWTON: A lot to juggle there. I don't have a lot of time left, but bluntly, they're putting a lot of eggs in the U.S. basket here. Do you
think she should view U.S. as a reliable partner in all things?
TANIGUCHI: There is no alternative, like it or not. Japan's neighborhood is one of the most precarious, Russia, China, North Korea, and in between.
So, any prime minister, be it Takaichi, whoever else, must spend a lot of time and effort in building and maintaining the best possible rapport with
the president, who just happens to be in the highest office of the United States.
NEWTON: Understood. And I think we understand where she stands right now, as she takes on this new mandate. Mr. Taniguchi, thanks so much. Really
appreciate it.
TANIGUCHI: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, checking some of today's other business headlines, the Financial Times reports that ECB head Christine Lagarde will step down
before her term ends next year. The FT says she wants to give French President Emmanuel Macron enough time to announce her replacement ahead of
French presidential elections. Mr. Macron cannot run again and is reportedly eager to have a say in the ECB's future. The ECB says in a
statement that no decision on Lagarde's future has been made at this time.
[18:25:00]
Shares of vaccine maker Moderna rallied six percent today after a U.S. government policy reversal. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says
it will review the drug maker's first ever flu shot. That's after refusing to accept the application earlier this month. Moderna's experimental
vaccine uses the same cutting-edge technology used for its COVID shots. The FDA has been concerned about how Moderna carried out safety trials for that
vaccine.
And Microsoft says it's on track to invest some 50 billion dollars by the end of the decade to help lower income countries access artificial
intelligence. Now, the company's spending goal comes amid fears that A.I. could deepen income inequality right across the globe. A recent Microsoft
study says A.I. usage in high-income countries is roughly twice that of the global south.
OK. Still ahead for us, we're going to talk trade. Indonesian officials are set to sign a big trade agreement with the U.S. They're also announcing
major new purchases of U.S. goods. We'll hear from the chief investment officer of the country's largest sovereign wealth fund.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: And welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Paula Newton. Here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Meta's CEO testified in a landmark trial about social media addiction and its effect on the mental health of young people. Mark Zuckerberg was
grilled about beauty filters and whether his company set goals for how much time young children spent on Facebook and Instagram. A now 20-year-old
woman filed the suit against Meta and YouTube for mental harm. She says she began using social media before the age of 10 and was hooked.
Talks in Geneva between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. have ended now without a major breakthrough. Russia's state media says the Kremlin's top
negotiator held a closed-door meeting with the Ukrainian delegation after the end of official talks. The formal discussions were described by Moscow
and Kyiv as being difficult, but Ukraine also says progress was being made.
[18:30:00]
Eight skiers have died and one remains missing and is presumed dead after the deadliest avalanche in California's recorded history. Six others were
rescued under extreme blizzard conditions near Lake Tahoe. The group was at the tail end of a guided three-day backcountry ski trip in rugged terrain.
Even now, the area is being hit by heavy snow, strong winds and another avalanche threat.
The president of Indonesia is in Washington this week to attend the first ever meeting of President Trump's Board of Peace. Now, the inaugural
meeting of the board is set for Thursday and Indonesia is one of more than 20 countries expected to take part. The White House hopes the Board of
Peace will be a forum for resolving global conflicts, but many countries say they will not participate amid fears it will compete with the United
Nations.
Now, also this week, Indonesia and the U.S. are set to officially sign the trade agreement they hammered out last summer. Indonesia is also announcing
a whole slew of business deals with American firms, including large-scale purchases of U.S. agricultural products. Now, the two countries are also
announcing new agreements on critical minerals and semiconductors.
Pandu Sjahrir joins me now. He is the chief investment officer of Danantara Indonesia, the largest Indonesian sovereign wealth fund. And I want to
welcome you to the program. Thanks for being here. And we were just discussing that Indonesia has signed a major set of new business agreements
with the United States, critical minerals, nearly 700 million in soybean purchases important to American farmers. I want to talk to you about how
significant these agreements are for Indonesia's economic growth.
PANDU SJAHRIR, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, DANANTARA INDONESIA: Hi, Paula. Thank you for having me here today. We just came out, actually, from a
business dialogue with some of the business leaders here from the U.S. as well as Indonesia.
It's a very exciting week for us that we're here in Washington, D.C. Today we're announcing a slew of business deals B2B, more than multibillion of
dollars of businesses, including from soybean, critical minerals, as well as semiconductor that we will conduct from private sectors. And tomorrow,
hopefully, we'll also sign a trade agreement with the U.S. that I think will be a great win for both countries. I think it will equalize the trades
between the two countries.
And I think, more importantly, it will also lead to greater investments. And I think what our president just mentioned just in a closed-door
meeting, there's been great optimism by business leaders from both countries of having more investment both in Indonesia as well here in the
United States.
NEWTON: I am wondering where the Board of Peace fits in here. The summit is ongoing tomorrow. How do you see these kinds of deals fitting into
Indonesia's broader interests? And I'm talking about strategic goals here. A lot of people using geoeconomics now really to try and further their
goals in a region or globally.
SJAHRIR: Yes, I think for Indonesia, we are one of the largest countries in the world, about 300 million people. We're one of the largest GDP in the
world. We're now part of the G20. And I think it's predicted that in the next 15 years we'll be part of the G7 countries given our scale and economy
growth. One of the few sectors that obviously are critical to both sides that we are focusing on are critical minerals, A.I., also natural
resources, food security, and as well as energy.
And in all these, obviously us in Danantara, given that we are one of the newest, but also one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world
with over a trillion dollars of assets that we are now managing, there are ways where we can benefit both sides. We're looking at investing in the
U.S., obviously direct and also through different managers, different fund managers, different local partners here. And that's also, you know, we're
going to announce in a few days the partners that we're going to invest in.
We're also working very closely with leading businesses in the U.S. of doing more trades between the two countries in the sectors that I just
recently mentioned.
NEWTON: Yes, kind of ironic in the sense that so many countries who have dealt with the United States for decades in a very meaningful way have
tariffs, and yet you guys have struck a very good deal, you say, with the United States. I'm wondering, how does this help your sovereign wealth fund
really scale up to really go to that large-scale momentum that you want in investments?
SJAHRIR: Yes, I think most important that we look at America as a very long-term partner, as our president just mentioned inside, you know, 1,000
friends not enough, one enemy is too many. We see the world today that we have to be friends with everyone, and we have to think of win-win solution.
We cannot just think of one side.
[18:35:00]
And with the U.S., I know this trade discussion has been going for a while, and we're so glad that it comes out in a very fruitful manner, a very
positive manner that can be seen through the B2B trade that we are signing today that are actually really led from a business to business perspective
and I think it will lead not just in terms of just having more trade but also having more investment in both countries and most importantly job
creation and meaningful job creation and I think that's what probably both countries are aiming for.
NEWTON: Now, I take your point that it is long term so you're trying not to think of what happens even in the next year or two. Now, you've said,
you know, that Danantara is being run for not-for-profit -- not for politics, but as I just mentioned, you know, geoeconomics these days people
are using the mics wherever they can.
I mean, how do you plan to maintain transparency through all of this? Because as you know much better than I, you know, the quality of life for
so many people of Indonesia is hanging in the balance here.
SJAHRIR: Yes. I think at the end, you know, the role of the sovereign fund what we do and it's put under our bylaws is to create profit, long-term
profit not for just my generation but for the future generation. So, we have to ensure that it creates sustained profitability and have a strong
sustainability. So, that's why we need to have strong governance.
And a lot of this has to do with transparency, it has to do with strong governance. And that's why one of the things that we are doing today is to
do more and more global partnerships. One of the things that we are doing here in the United States is to create and work with your leading global
financial institutions to create more partnership together. And with that, hopefully, this can create the first standard, global standard for our
sovereign wealth fund to be able to create sustained performance.
NEWTON: Many thanks so much for being here. Really appreciate it as we continue to follow Indonesia's investments around the world. Appreciate it.
SJAHRIR: And thank you for having me here today.
NEWTON: And we now go to North Korea. Kim Jong un is handing out new apartments to the relatives of soldiers reportedly killed in fighting in
Ukraine. State media showcased the new housing projects in Pyongyang with the North Korean leader calling it repayment for the sacrifices of troops
fighting alongside Russia. Will Ripley has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: North Korean leader Kim Jong un is giving out brand-new furnished apartments to some of the
families of soldiers killed fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. State media says these homes are for relatives of those who died on the
battlefield in a faraway alien land.
North Korean state TV broadcast the emotional opening ceremony and says Kim told families he was sure that building homes for them is the way to repay
those who passed away. The report also encourages families to regard Kim as their father. North Korea claims this project was completed just ahead of a
major party Congress that's expected in the coming days, underscoring how the war in Ukraine has really become part of North Korea's domestic
political message.
That messaging also includes the improvement of living standards for the most elite North Korean citizens, including another new housing development
in the capital. State media says Pyongyang has been given a radical facelift. Kim's even seen visiting a pet shop and a new computer gaming
center. And he's quoted as saying residents can enjoy a civilized and affluent life to their heart's content.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Our thanks to Will Ripley there. Straight ahead for us, we remember one of the pivotal moments in the U.S. civil rights movement.
CNN's one of the members, the Little Rock Nine. That conversation in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
NEWTON: Almost 70 years ago, nine teenagers showed up for school in Little Rock, Arkansas, and sparked one of the defining moments of the U.S. civil
rights movement. The Little Rock Nine were African-American students trying to integrate to the city's main white high school. President Dwight
Eisenhower ordered U.S. troops to try and protect them.
Melba Pattillo Beals was just 15 years old and facing mobs, violence, even death threats. She says without those troops, she would not have survived.
CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig sat down with Melba Pattillo Beals to hear her story and examine how the lessons of presidential power still
resonate today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST AND FORMER PROSECUTOR (voice-over): When Melba Pattillo Beals and her black classmates first tried to enter
Little Rock Central High School, they were blocked by an angry mob.
MELBA PATTILLO BEALS, MEMBER OF THE LITTLE ROCK NINE: You're dead. You know, you're not going to live. You might as well put your books down.
You're not going to live to study.
HONIG (voice-over): In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a historic ruling, Brown versus Board of Education. In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the
court prohibited racial segregation in public schools and declared an end to so-called Jim Crow separate, but equal laws.
Despite the Supreme Court's ruling, it would be three years until Arkansas high schools would integrate. Melba Beals, then just 15 years old, would be
part of the first group of black students at Little Rock Central High School.
PATTILLO BEALS: Now, originally, there were 116 African-American children set to go to Central High School. A man, a white man, came to our house and
knocked on the door: "This is not going to be good for you. We're going to kill you and your relatives."
HONIG: And there was physical violence directed at you and your family as well?
PATTILLO BEALS: Physical doesn't begin to explain it. Shooting in the window.
HONIG (voice-over): The intimidation did deter some students. Only Melba and eight others ended up attending. Together, they would become known as
the Little Rock Nine.
PATTILLO BEALS: My grandmother said: "Look, you're born on this Earth to do certain things. And if that's what you're here for, then you have no
choice."
HONIG: The first time they tried to enter the school, Melba and her black classmates were met by an angry mob. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus had
activated the Arkansas National Guard to block the black students from entering the school.
Later that month, President Dwight D. Eisenhower invoked the Insurrection Act to deploy the military, the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army,
to escort the students into Little Rock Central High School.
DWIGHT EISENHOWER, U.S. FORMER PRESIDENT: I have today issued An executive Order directing the use of troops under federal authority to aid in the
execution of federal law at Little Rock, Arkansas.
HONIG: What would have happened if President Eisenhower never utilized the 101st to protect you?
PATTILLO BEALS: I wouldn't be sitting here. I would be very dead, not a little dead, very dead.
HONIG: What was your time at Little Rock Central like?
PATTILLO BEALS: It was a horror movie. Put acid in my eyes. I see, for example, the liquid, that light, floaters go across. Pulling my hair, cut
off my -- try to cut off my ponytail. I would go to the bathroom, and they would drop lit pieces of fire -- paper with matches and drop them over.
HONIG (voice-over): While Melba knew her role was important, the burden and the sacrifice were almost too much for her to bear.
But when Martin Luther King Jr. visited the Little Rock Nine, he made it clear that their mission was much bigger.
(on camera): You met with Martin Luther King.
PATTILLO BEALS: I did. And he said, Melba, you're not doing this for yourself. You're doing this for generations yet unborn.
HONIG (voice-over): This was hardly the first time she'd face challenges. As a black child born in 1941 in the segregated South, Melba Pattillo Beals
faced racism in every part of her life.
[18:45:00]
PATTILLO BEALS: We'd go in public, and they'd call us the N-word all the time. So, what it was like? It was a living hell, because from the
beginning, my little spirit said, hey, you don't treat me that way.
HONIG: As a child, Melba witnessed unspeakable acts of violence.
PATTILLO BEALS: Five years of age, I'm sitting in a church. And so, all of a sudden, this backdoor opened, and there were, probably, I don't know,
100, more than a 100 people, and in walked these dudes in their white sheets, and I know what that meant. That's Klan, right?
They went right after this man, and there were rafters in this church, and they strung a rope over the rafters. I was too little to look up to his
face, but I could see his feet dangling as they were hanging him, and I could hear the "argh" in his throat, you know? I have never forgotten that.
HONIG: In 1999, President Bill Clinton awarded Melba and the other members of the Little Rock Nine the Congressional Gold Medal for their role in the
civil rights movement.
Given her own lived experience, Melba worries about what she sees unfolding today.
PATTILLO BEALS: Sending troops is not the answer. Eisenhower sent in troops because Faubus was not in compliance. And so, I think that, in the
end, will we regret what's going on now? Let's wait and see.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And Elie Honig joins us now. You know, Elie, it was a long time ago. And yet the way she speaks of it, chilling to think that as a teenager
she faced that kind of terror. I am wondering, you know, what did you take from everything that she told you?
HONIG (on camera): Well, Paula, Melba Beals, as you saw, is a piece of living American history. And as you see, she's 84 years old right now.
She's sharp as can be. She's passionate. She's eloquent. And I keep thinking back, though, almost 70 years to when she was just 15 years old in
the segregated American South. And she was being intimidated and blocked by everybody from the governor of Arkansas, the National Guard of Arkansas,
her neighbors who formed those mobs.
The Ku Klux Klan went door to door to try to intimidate and terrify people so that they would not integrate the school. And I thought a really
interesting detail. Melba said originally there was supposed to be 116 black students who integrated the school, but so many of them were
understandably intimidated that it only ended up being Melba and the eight others, the Little Rock Nine.
And so, you think back on the courage that that took, and you can still see it in her today. So, I think there's a lot of lesson and inspiration to be
drawn from Melba Beals.
NEWTON: You can definitely see the courage and the defiance, really, and it took a lot for her to get there. I do want to talk about the
Insurrection Act. We talked to you about this in legal terms, right? That's the way Dwight D. Eisenhower used it. But President Trump has suggested
using that same law for a very different purpose. The way you interpret executive power now, how do you see the difference legally?
HONIG: So, the historical context is so important here because the Insurrection Act actually gives the president very broad, virtually
unlimited authority to call something an insurrection and to bring in the military. However, and so if Donald Trump wants to do it, he probably can
do it. And if he's challenged in court, he'll probably win.
But I think the lesson to take away here is it's only to be used in the most extreme of circumstances, not because crime rates are up or Donald
Trump wants to make some sort of statement in American cities. And if you look back at Melba and the Little Rock Nine, what happened, the Supreme
Court came down with Brown v. Board of Education, the most important ruling in the history of this nation, saying no more separate but equal, no more
segregation in schools, no more segregation in public life.
However, certain southern states, including Arkansas, resisted. They refused. They said we're still not letting these black students in. And in
fact, Governor Faubus of Arkansas brought out the State National Guard to block those students. And so, President Dwight Eisenhower did the only
thing he could do. He invoked the Insurrection Act. He brought in the military and they safely escorted Melba into that school. And as she says,
only because the president did that and only because the military was there to guard and protect her, was she able to carry out this mission?
NEWTON: I think it is the very discretion, right, of the presidency and how they use these laws, which obviously make up a lot of stark differences
when you look at history. Elie, it's good to see you and thank you so much for reminding us of all that. Really appreciate it.
HONIG: Thank you, Paula. And thanks to your team, by the way. They did a great job. Katrina was a great producer on this piece. So, thanks to all of
them.
NEWTON: That is the best team in TV, isn't it, from "The Brief." Thanks so much, Elie. Appreciate it.
HONIG: It sure is.
NEWTON: Coming up for us, Mikaela Shiffrin triumphs in the women's slalom, plus a nail-biting win for the U.S. and Canada in the men's hockey
quarterfinals. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
NEWTON: Now, to Milano Cortina, where Mikaela Shiffrin of Team USA skied to victory in the Women's Solemn. Shiffrin's gold medal ends her eight-year
Olympic drought. She's both the youngest and eldest woman to win Olympic alpine gold. Among her many firsts, Shiffrin now has the most gold medals
of any American alpine skier ever.
Don Riddell joins me now. This must have meant the world to Shiffrin. I mean, I really was locked in looking at this race.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes. I mean, for so many reasons, Paula, I mean, you've just kind of listed all the accolades there, but that says
nothing of her Olympic heartbreak for quite some time now. I mean, her long, agonizing Olympic medal drought is finally over.
Shiffrin stormed a victory in Slalom in Cortina, her first medal at the game since 2018. And she was emotional, seemingly in tears after crossing
the finish line and taking a big hug from her mom. Shiffrin, of course, has 108 World Cup wins to her name, 71 of which came in the Slalom. But after
winning Slalom gold as an 18-year-old in Sochi, she finished fourth in Pyeongchang and didn't finish the race at all in 2022.
It's easy to say it now. Looking at her victory, you'd think it was never in doubt. Shiffrin won this race by almost a second and a half. And the 12-
year gap between Olympic Slalom medals is the largest gap between individual golds in a Winter Olympics event.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKAELA SHIFFRIN, THREE-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: It's not always easy. Sometimes it feels impossible. But in the end today, it was to take away
the noise and to just be simple with it. There will always be criticism. But I am here to earn the moment. And that is going to require some risk.
Not the easiest thing to do. But in the end today, we could do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: A lot of people were cheering for Mikaela Shiffrin, Paula. A lot of people really pleased to see her do it again.
NEWTON: It really was riveting. Now, I'm going to confess that I was not the greatest employee today. I was also riveted by the quarterfinal matches
in hockey nail biters.
RIDDELL: If you didn't admit it, I would have called you out because I know that you were watching the hockey today. Yes. Look, the men's ice
hockey competition is shaping up brilliantly at these games. No shortage of drama on Wednesday. In fact, three of the quarterfinal men's games went to
overtime. The USA, who are chasing their first Olympic title since 1980, were leading Sweden up until the last 90 seconds of regulation. But Sweden
forced them into an extra period. And the Swedes had all the momentum, but the Minnesota Wilds' Quinn Hughes became an instant hero for the Americans
with his game-winning shot to set up a semifinal clash with Slovakia.
Paula, your team, the tournament favorites, Canada, also had an anxious night. They were 3-2 down against the Czech Republic late in the third
period, but they fought back to edge it 4-3 in overtime. But the win came at a price. Their star captain, Sidney Crosby, was hurt in the first
period. There is now concern for his future participation.
[18:55:00]
And the defending champions, Finland, were on the brink of elimination, needing two goals in the final period against Sweden to force overtime in
their game. The equalizer came with just a minute left on the clock. Artturi Lehkonen scored the decisive goal to put the Finns into the semis.
For the third consecutive Winter Games, the Norwegians are on top of the medal table. And their cross-country skier, Johannes Hosflot Klaebo, is
leading the way. He is the most successful Winter Olympian of all time. And he's just extended his own phenomenal record. In the men's cross-country
team sprint, Klaebo claimed his fifth gold of these games and his 10th gold overall. Klaebo and teammate Einar Hedegart are pipping the United States
to the top spot on the podium by 1.4 seconds. This 29-year-old from Oslo is just amazing, Paula.
NEWTON: It really has been a great Olympics. I don't want it to end. Don Riddell, thanks for that update. Appreciate it.
Now, in today's Good Brief, meet Punch, a six-month-old Japanese monkey. He was abandoned at birth. His substitute mommy, a plushie, orangutan. OK.
Now, don't worry. Punch is also slowly joining the troop of real-life monkeys at the Ichikawa City Zoo. Plushie mom, of course, in tow.
Apparently, the fur simulates mom's fur. Isn't that great?
I want to thank all of you for your company. I'm Paula Newton in New York. You've been watching "The Brief." Stay with CNN for more news.
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[19:00:00]
END
