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Theresa May's Scramble, The British Prime Minister Races Around Europe In An Effort To Salvage Her Brexit Deal; Fleeing A Different Kind Of Crisis, Why These Refugees Are Escaping Something Other Than War And Violence; Google In The Hot Seat, CEO Sundar Pichai Gets Ready For His Turn To Testify Before Congress. Aired: 8-9a ET

Aired December 11, 2018 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST, "NEWS STREAM": I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream." Theresa May's scramble, the British Prime

Minister races around Europe in an effort to salvage her Brexit deal. Fleeing a different kind of crisis, why these refugees are escaping

something other than war and violence. And Google in the hot seat, CEO Sundar Pichai gets ready for his turn to testify before U.S. Congress.

From Brussels to Berlin, the House of Commons to the Hague, there was one issue dominating Europe's house of power and one woman who is marching down

the mall. British Prime Minister Theresa May who is hoping a series of meeting with E.U. leaders can help her save the Brexit deal. Mrs. May is

in Berlin right now for talks with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel having spent the morning with the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte.

British lawmakers were supposed to have voted on the deal today, but the Prime Minister has delayed the ballot. Debates are continuing as we speak.

The Irish border issue remains the main sticking point. Mrs. May has insisted that will be her focus because as far as she's concerned, rescuing

her deal is the only way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It honors the result of the referendum, it protects job security and our union, but it also represents

the very best deal that is actually negotiable with the E.U.. I believe in it as do many members of this House and I still believe there is a majority

to be won in this House in support of it, if I can sure additional reassurance on the question of the backstop and that is what my focus will

be in the days ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: We are covering all sides of this story. Erin McLaughlin is in Brussels; Atika Shubert is in Berlin and Erin, let's start with you. You

know, we know that the E.U. is in no mood to tear up this deal, but can it help the U.K. to ratify the deal?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Kristie, is the question that will be at the heart of a special summit being called for Thursday. That is the

question that the 27 remaining E.U. member states are struggling to answer, especially when you consider the red lines that E.U. laid down before

Theresa May could even board a plane for this whistle stop tour today, that being that there will be no renegotiation of the deal that the E.U. reached

with the U.K. government there. Take a listen to what the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker had to say in Strasburg earlier

today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, PRESIDENT, E.U.ROPEAN COMMISSION: The deal we have achieved is the best deal possible. It's the only deal possible. No room

whatsoever for renegotiation. But, of course, there is room if used intelligently is room enough to give further clarification and further

interpretation without opening the withdrawal agreement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLAUGHLIN: So the question, of course becomes what does that mean, further clarification, further interpretation. That, of course, will be

the subject of any number of meetings that Theresa May is having today, starting with Mark Rutte in the Netherlands, then with German Chancellor

Angela Merkel in Berlin before she comes here to meet with the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk as well as the President of the

Commission, Juncker.

So that will be the subject of these meetings. It will be interesting to see what comes out of them. There has been chatter here in Brussels of a

possible side declaration, something in which the E.U. 27 commits to doing everything in its power to prevent the use of that backstop, which is at

the heart of the controversy. And if the backstop does go into effect, perhaps something that says that that will be - they'll do anything in

their power to bring that backstop to an end.

But as far as I can tell based on conversations I'm having here, that that would not be the legally binding guarantee that people in Westminster have

been crying out for. So of course, the question then becomes of failing that, what does Theresa May achieve on this tour, other than simply buying

more time running down the clock, so to speak ...

[08:05:07]

MCLAUGHLIN: ... pushing parliamentarians there in the U.K. to some sort of binary choice. This deal, her deal, or total chaos.

LU STOUT: Yes. What can she achieve? That's the key question. Let's pose that next to Atika Shubert who is standing by in the German capital,

and Atika, the negotiators are in Brussels, they are not there in Berlin. So what can Theresa May achieve in her talks happening today right now with

Angela Merkel?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, if anybody can help Theresa May and come to her aid, it's Angela Merkel. She is by far the strongest and

most stable leader in Europe today and perhaps the most sympathetic to May's plight. But that still is only one out of 27 leaders in the E.U..

She arrived about an hour ago. It was a slightly comic entrance. She couldn't actually get out of the car for the first few seconds. But when

she was finally able to get the door open, Prime Minister May was greeted by a smiling and very relaxed Chancellor Merkel.

There will be no press conference afterwards. Perhaps showing just how tense things are actually on the ground. We won't have any opportunity to

pose questions to them. But the real question is what can be done here. You know, as Erin pointed out, there is this talk of some sort of a side

agreement, a side pledge by E.U. leaders and perhaps May will try and get Merkel to lend her weight to such an agreement, to try and push for this

political agreement in some way.

But it would probably not be legally binding, and as Germany has stated over and over again, this withdrawal agreement is not able to be

renegotiated. So it's not clear what May can get out of this meeting, but she will certainly try and get Merkel's support.

LU STOUT: Got it. Atika Shubert, thank you. Now Nina dos Santos joins us live from outside the Houses of Parliament and Nina, with the British Prime

Minister in Berlin, we have there at Parliament this emergency debate under way. You know, what is this all about? Is this just political theater?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, part of it is. Jeremy Corbyn being granted that emergency debate by the Speaker of the House yesterday

and essentially this emergency debate rallies together a lot of the opposition parties in some ways, but a lot of them have been urging Jeremy

Corbyn to table a motion of no confidence as the official opposition party and the largest opposition party, the Labour Party, he's loathed to do so

because he believes that if he loses that, that would unite the factions inside the Conservative Party.

The Scottish National Party leader, Nicola Sturgeon has made it very clear that she believes that if Jeremy Corbyn doesn't table a motion of no

confidence against Prime Minister Theresa May by this evening, she believes that she and other members of, say for instance, Prif Cymru, the Welsh

party, they may well want to table a motion of no confidence.

But the question is, where would all this lead? At this point in the meantime, because we don't have clarity from Brussels as to what Theresa

May could come back with in terms of some kind of footnote that MPs could vote for to try and mollify the stance on the Irish backstop. As you just

heard from Erin and Atika, it is unlikely that any kind of language he comes back with will be legally binding and will be enough to shore up

confidence on the House of Commons.

In the meantime though, what we do know is apparently there seems to be crystallization of a date so far. A source at Number 10 Downing Street has

been telling CNN that it is likely that this vote has been kicked back to a period within the next month or so. They're expecting the vote to have

been held by January 21st. So remember that the Parliament breaks up for recess on December 20th. It may not well happen between now and then, and

of course as that E.U. Summit that Erin was making reference to later on this week in Brussels, but it should happen in theory, before January 21st.

At least some relief there to those who are concerned that Theresa May, may kick this all the way down to the day before Brexit actually happens to

make sure that MPs vote in the direction she wants to doesn't seem as though the government is going for that based on what this Number 10 source

has told us -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Everyone is looking for clarity right now. We thank all of you for helping us try to understand the situation here. Nina dos Santos, Erin

McLaughlin, Atika Shubert all reporting live for us. Thank you very much.

Now, French students are walking out of classes again to hold rallies, as well as marches. They are showing solidarity with anti-government

demonstrators known as the yellow vest, but they're pressing for demands of their own. These student protesters are angry over the government's new

education reforms, which they say breed inequality.

Today's protests follow a speech Monday night by Mr. Macron who promised financial reforms, of putting an increase in the minimum wage.

[08:10:02]

LU STOUT: Jim Bittermann joins us live from Paris and Jim, protesters, they are reacting to Macron's speech with more protests. What's happening

now at schools across the country?

JIM BITTERMANN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, there are a number of schools that are blocked, that I should say completely blocked

with the entrances, they have put up pile ups of garbage cans and things like that so other students can't get in. The strikers - the student

strikers, they're doing this. And they are marching across Paris as they march here and as there are marches in other cities around the country.

Basically, they are complaining about the reforms in education. One reform by Mr. Macron that in fact doesn't really cost the government any money,

they just changed the way the system works in terms of the school leaving exam, the baccalaureate, as well as the system for getting into

universities. The students don't like the changes and seem to think that they're unfair. Some people in the government say, however, that they're,

in fact, a fairer way of distributing places in the universities and they're also worried about macron's insistence that there be some kind of

national service for young people.

Now, out on the yellow jacket - yellow vest circuit, things are changing a bit. We are detecting because there seem to be, according to some reports,

fewer blockades this morning than there were last night before Macron's speech as well as there is some polling data out there that indicates that

the French are not quite as supportive of the actions as they were a couple of weeks ago.

So there may be some waning in support. It may be that Mr. Macron's speech has, in fact, dissuaded some of the people from going out and protesting.

But it won't really be clear until this Saturday when they are once again calling for a mobilization against the Macron economic reforms -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, Jim Bittermann reporting live from Paris, thank you. Now, in the coming hours, a bail hearing will resume in Canada for the CFO

of the Chinese telecom giant, Huawei.

Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on December 1st, but the U.S. wants her extradited to face charges of helping her company dodge U.S. sanctions

on Iran. Ivan Watson has the latest on the extradition battle over this high profile executive.

IVAN WATSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Kristie, we learned a little about bit more about Meng Wanzhou who has had a relatively low

profile despite being such a powerful executive in the Chinese telecommunications giant, Huawei. This from the court documents that her

defense submitted as they try to get her released on bail, arguing that she would not be a flight risk because they would put up $1 million bail, they

would give her an electronic ankle bracelet, 24-hour surveillance, and yet the judge has appeared quite skeptical and this is expected to go into a

third day of hearings.

We've learned that this 46-year-old woman is a mother of four, that she's had at least three marriages and has had a complicated health history,

including hypertension and that she appears to have survived thyroid cancer. She was treated for hypertension at a hospital shortly after her

arrest on December 1st.

She also owns two properties in Vancouver, homes valued at $5.6 million and $16.3 million. Now, we've also learned a little bit more about the case

that's been brought against her by the District Attorney in New York. The judge saying that in a letter he received from the DA, that there were a

number of subsidiaries of Huawei that are under a grand jury investigation. And the letter says she has not traveled to the U.S. since March of last

career and that the District Attorney was suggesting she was trying to evade U.S. law enforcement. The defense argued that that could just be a

coincidence.

Finally, the defense submitted this PowerPoint presentation dating back to 2013 detailing how Huawei does business with Iran and arguing that Huawei

is in compliance with sanctions imposed by the U.S., the United Nations and the E.U. and explaining its relationship with Skycom, which at the heart of

the case against her, there is the suggestion that there has been some fraudulent activities, allegations of that involving Huawei and Skycom.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry continues to protest this arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LU KANG, SPOKESMAN, CHINESE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: If the Canadian side fails to deal with this issue properly, it will face serious

consequences. And I can tell you that the consequences are entirely up to Canada.

There have been media reports revealing details of Ms. Meng Wanzhou's treatment in custody, including possibly inhumane measures, such as not

providing her with basic medical care.

[08:05:10]

KANG: We believe this is inhumane and infringes on her human rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Meng Wanzhou was taken to hospital shortly after her arrest on December 1st for treatment. Our team inside the courtroom in Vancouver on

Monday said she looked healthy and energetic throughout the proceedings -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Ivan Watson there. Now, this just into CNN, a former Canadian diplomat and senior adviser to the NGO, International Crisis Group

reportedly has been detained in China. As a diplomat, Michael Culver worked in Beijing, Hong Kong, as well as U.N. Headquarters in New York. He

has been with the ICG since early last year. The group says it is doing everything possible to get information on his whereabouts and to secure his

safe release.

Now, in a rare move, the Chinese court has granted injunctions banning sales of most Apple iPhone models in China. The chipmaker Qualcomm claims

that Apple violates two of its patents in several older iPhone models.

Qualcomm says that the patent has allowed people to edit and resize photos on a phone and to manage apps by using a touch screen. Apple says it is

appealing the ruling. It claims an international court already invalidated one disputed patent and says other patents have never been used.

You're watching "News Stream" and still ahead, the refugees of a changing environment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWIN CASTELLANOS, DEAN OF RESEARCH, UNIVERSIDADA DEL VALLE DE GUATEMALA: If people are moving away, it's not just out of their own will, it's

basically because they have no option.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Scientists warn that climate change could displace millions because of drought and famine.

Welcome back, just 1.5 degrees Celsius could decide the fate of our climate. If the rising temperature of earth passes that threshold, climate

scientists are very blunt, the results could be catastrophic from drought to famines to rising sea levels. The COP24 Climate Change Conference

underway right now in Poland is trying to find an agreement on how to stop all of that from happening.

But the U.S. is promoting what it calls clean and efficient fossil fuels, including coal. Just watch the reaction here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESON WELLS GRIFFITH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: The administration's economic strategy is rejuvenating our economy, revitalizing our

manufacturing base, benefiting American workers, creating jobs and encouraging innovation while safeguarding our environment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: You could hear quite clearly in that clip laughter from protesters mocking that official from the U.S. Department of Energy.

[08:20:07]

LU STOUT: And they did not stop there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD (Chanting): Keep it in the ground, keep it in the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now, we often think of refugees fleeing warzones or outbreaks of violence, but now drought and starvation, triggered by climate change are

forcing thousands of people to abandon their homes. As our John Sutter now reports - that desperation is driving many to join the migrant caravan from

Central America to the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DELMI (ph), RESIDENT, HONDURAS: (Speaking foreign language]. It did rain more before, but not so much anymore, because there wasn't much harvested

in the corn fields this year. We didn't harvest anything.

JOHN SUTTER, SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, CNN: Delmi (ph) has been struggling to feed herself and four kids these days. The crops just aren't

growing like they were. Conditions eventually got so bad that her husband, Herman (ph) fled Honduras for the United States part of the migrant caravan

that attracted the ire of U.S. President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And in that caravan, you have some very bad people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: Herman (ph) didn't join the caravan because of violence in his homeland. He left because of drought and climate change. Central America

has been hit with an intense and unusual drought in recent years. Crops are failing, starvation is lurking. The U.N. says two million people in

the region are at risk of for hunger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASTELLANOS: We have seen events of children actually dying out of hunger. So it is that extreme. These people are moving away. It's not just out of

their own will. It's basically because they have no options.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: The reasons people migrate are complex. But the World Bank says in coming decades, more than 17 million people in Latin America could be

forcibly displaced because of climate change.

This is already starting to happen in Honduras. And almost nowhere is the trend more pronounced than in Copan. Data from the U.S. Border Patrol

which CNN analyzed in collaboration with the University of Texas shows an increase in migration to the U.S. during the recent drought.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language.) I believe around 30% of the population, 25% to 30% of the population has emigrated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: Climate models show it's only getting worse. Droughts are becoming more intense. The relatively small, dry corridor of Central

America is expanding and it may cover the entire region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMILIO (ph), RESIDENT, HONDURAS: (Speaking in foreign language.) When it rains the cob grows. Ans as you can see because of the drought, it

doesn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: Emilio (ph) says he fled to the U.S. three times with the help of a smuggler. Each time, he was deported back to Honduras.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMILIO (ph): (Speaking in foreign language). We didn't have much to harvest this year because of the drought. We had very little corn to

harvest. We had even fewer beans. Very little. Because of the drought.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: His wife, Nora (ph), says their family would have starved if a relative hadn't sent them help from the States.

She wants Emilio (ph) to try the dangerous journey again, but they don't have the money. Climate migrants who join the caravan have little chance

of safe and lawful passage to the U.S. International law does not recognize the rights of so-called climate refugees. And President Trump

has claimed that all refugee candidates have to wait in Mexico while their claims are reviewed.

Slashing carbon pollution could decrease the number of migrants by millions, the World Bank says, and irrigation projects could help ease the

pain of future droughts. But this exodus already is taking a toll.

Delmi's (ph) husband died on the road while trying to join the caravan across the border in Guatemala.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DELMI (ph): (Speaking in foreign language). He said he was going to look for a better life so that his children wouldn't suffer, so that we wouldn't

suffer anymore. However, it wasn't possible, no. what he wanted didn't come true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: The circumstances of his death are unclear. The family buried him in the land he used to till.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DELMI (ph): (Speaking in foreign language). He left us alone. He left us alone forever.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

LU STOUT: The U.N. Climate Summit under way in Poland is being billed as the most important conference since the Paris Climate Talks of 2015. John

Sutter joins us from that conference right now, and John, even though you're there in Poland, you must be thinking about these families as you

cover these climate talks. But as we've been reporting, there has been protests, there has been plenty of tension, outrage, a lot of it directed

squarely at the United States. What will these talks deliver to these climate refugees?

[08:25:03]

SUTTER: I think it's really unclear at this moment. And you're absolutely right. I am thinking about the people I met in Honduras and other

communities around the world that are being affected by climate change right now. I think there's been a wave of reports in the last several

months that have come out and said this problem is more urge than we ever knew. It's already shaping our weather, it's already forcing migration.

There are a host of ways in which it is damaging economies and it needs to be taken serious as a humanitarian crisis, not just some far removed

scientific phenomenon.

And you know, I think that there is some sign here that countries are taking that seriously. But you know, as you mentioned, the United States,

Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kuwait, they have hedged on even accepting the basic science underlying these talks which is that 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming

is too much and will result in catastrophic climate change.

We could see coral reefs around the world disappear at that level of warming. We could see some islands states in the Pacific go under water,

which would force a new form of migration crisis that no one has really thought through how to deal with.

And so I think the stakes here could not be higher and there are a lot of countries that are facing the effects of climate change now that are very

worried about how these talks are going.

LU STOUT: The stakes here are so high and we thank you for your powerful reporting just making this link here between climate change and this new

emerging humanitarian crisis. John Sutter reporting live from the COP24 Conference. Thank you.

Now, the British Prime Minister is trying to find a way to save her Brexit deal. But as she flies across Europe to meet with E.U. leaders, she is

being warned the deal is not up for renegotiation. More on that straight ahead.

I'm Kristi Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines. French students are, again, walking out of

schools in solidarity with anti-government protesters. Dozens of schools are blockaded. The latest protests follow a speech Monday night by

President Emmanuel Macron who promised financial reforms including an increase in the minimum wage.

A U.K. court says that business tycoon Vijay Mallya should be extradited to India to face fraud charges. Banks there are chasing to recover some $1.3

billion loans to his company, Kingfisher Airlines. The U.K. Secretary of State must approve the extradition.

The British Prime Minister is meeting E.U. leaders today, trying to rescue her troubled Brexit deal. Theresa May is in Berlin now with the German

Chancellor, Angela Merkel. Meanwhile, the European Commission President says the E.U. will not renegotiate the deal, but there is room for

clarification. He and the European Council President will meet with Mrs. May this evening.

[08:30:02]

LU STOUT: As Theresa May travels through Europe, the turmoil she unleashed from Parliament on Monday goes on. CNN's Bianca Nobilo is following

developments in London. She joins us now. Bianca, Theresa May is obviously not in London this day, but she is not in Brussels either, she's

in Berlin. What does she hope to achieve with her visit there?

BIANCA NOBILO, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, Kristie, she's on a whistle stop tour of European leaders hoping she said yesterday to receive some

assurances about the issue of the Irish backstop.

When she addressed the House of Commons yesterday, acknowledging that she was staring down the barrel of the one of the most historic defeats the

Parliament would have ever seen, likely to be well over 100 votes. She acknowledged that the issue of the Irish backstop, so Northern Ireland, the

Republic of Ireland avoiding a hard border there and the way to do that was the chief sticking point that remains and the main reason she believes why

MPs couldn't get on board with her deal.

So what she's trying to achieve is to receive some kind of assurance from the E.U. that the backstop is not indefinite. That's the main concern

because the Democratic Unionist Party are afraid that in years and decades to come, it come mean that Northern Ireland would be essentially siphoned

off from the rest of the U.K., and conservatives who favor a hard Brexit are also concerned that they might have to stay in the indefinite customs

union with the E.U..

So that's what she's trying to achieve, Kristie, but whether or not she can because that withdrawal agreement, that's done and dusted. That's not

being changed in both sides have confirmed that, so perhaps we're looking at some sort of side text which could be added as an addendum to try and

clarify things.

LU STOUT: Yes, she is racing across the continent to plead for a better deal. The E.U. has said, "No, there is no more negotiation here." I mean,

the scale of humiliation here for Theresa May and her government, how strong is the sense of crisis there at 10 Downing Street?

NOBILO: Well, it's really the eye of the storm here and it always feels like that, but over the last few days, Cabinet Ministers had been going in

and out. They had these last minute phone calls yesterday. Now, it is quite embarrassing because Number 10 and the Prime Minister and her Cabinet

had kept reiterating until about noon yesterday that this vote was going to go ahead today. That was their line.

And ministers that I've heard from, anyway, have been quite irritated that they were sent out to go and tell people that and then a few hours later,

we hear that the vote is being delayed. So there's frustration from inside the Cabinet. There's also frustration from her own party. I've spoken to

MPs that said this is so irritating that she's chosen to delay it because many MPs have taken a stand and declared that they're willing to support

the Prime Minister even though they know that that position is unpopular.

So they say it's made it even harder for them. It's really anyone's guess what she's going to achieve by buying more time. Most Tory MPs I speak to

say that she's simply postponing the inevitable. It does make her leadership position perhaps a little safer because so long as her deal

manages to survive and isn't voted down, then she's in a slightly safer position.

She is at this point, entirely synonymous with her deal, so if it was to fail, then her leadership just doesn't look tenable, either.

LU STOUT: That's right. Her leadership is at stake. Bianca Nobilo reporting live for us, thank you. You're watching "News Stream" and after

the break, "Time" magazine's person of the year has just been released and we'll be speaking to one of them after this short break. Keep it here.

[15:35:00]

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back. This is "News Stream." "Time" magazine is recognizing a group it's calling "The

Guardians" as its 2018 person of the year. Each year, the magazine recognizes the person or group who most influence the news and the world

for better or for worse during the past year.

The group is recognizing for this year 2018 represents freedom of the press. It includes the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who entered the

Saudi consulate in October and was never seen again. It also includes the staff of the "Capital Gazette." "Time" says the attack on the newspaper's

news room in Maryland made the U.S. the fourth deadliest country for journalists this year.

The 2018's person of the year also recognizes Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, two Reuters journalists investigating Rohingya killings in Myanmar who were

sentenced to seven years in prison. Also in that group that "Time" is recognizing is Maria Ressa. She is the Chief Executive of a news website

in the Philippines that she helped to found called "Rappler," she's also formerly the Bureau Chief of both CNN Manila and CNN Jakarta and right now,

she is facing tax evasion charges, a case that critics say is part of a wider crackdown on dissent in the Philippines.

Maria Ressa joins us live now from Manila. And Maria, congratulations. You have been named as one of "Time'" persons of the year as this guardian

amidst a war on truth. What's your reaction to all of these?

MARIA RESSA, CEO, RAPPLER: It's bittersweet. I mean, it's daunting, right? Look at the challenges that we are facing and the other three who

are named in this. Well, today, I went back to court - to the court of tax appeals and posted bail for four more additional tax evasion charges,

charges that I know are - well, I can't comment on the case, you know, these are politically motivated and "Rappler" has been facing these attacks

both online and in the real world for more than two and a half years.

We know it's a tough time to be a journalist. But I think what's strengthens all of us is that there is probably no better time to be a

journalist because this is when we live our values and we live our mission.

LU STOUT: Absolutely. You can't comment on your case right now. But what impact do you think this distinction, this "Time" magazine cover is going

to have on international awareness and generating international pressure to help bring about more press freedom?

RESSA: Yes, I hope it's positive, but we can't tell. It's that uncertain, right? You know, I was in the middle of receiving several awards when the

Department of Justice announced in a press release without giving us any of the documents that it would indict me and "Rappler" and our accountant on

these tax evasion charges. This is only one of multiple charges that we are facing.

President Duterte has attacked media repeatedly since he's come into office and starting January this year, the government has effectively tried to

shut us down by revoking our license. We are fighting all of these charges in court and you know, I guess what - it angers me, but more than anything,

it makes me - you know, for every single time that it is so apparent that the charges are politically motivated, that we are targeted precisely

because we keep telling the truth. Well, then that challenges to keep telling the truths.

LU STOUT: You've certainly been feeling the pressure there in the Philippines and I know you've been feeling for other journalists all around

the world. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of conviction and detention of the two Reuters reporters in Myanmar, also honored along with

you and Jamal Khashoggi and the "Capital Gazette" as "Time" magazine's persons of the year. What is your message to the two Reuters reporters and

their families as they fight for justice?

RESSA: We have to keep fighting. You know, over the last two and a half years, I have started - we keep a hashtag in "Rappler," #holdtheline. What

we're trying to do, we are not against government. We are not targeting anyone. What we are doing is holding the line. We draw the line to say on

this side, our Constitution says we're a democracy. On this side, we're not.

And I think that's what we have to do. We need to stay principled. We need to make sure that we continue to challenge every time authorities

anywhere around the world moves that backward. And I think we have to - Myanmar is a special case.

[08:40:09]

RESSA: But I think more than anywhere, Myanmar shows the same things that we're feeling in the Philippines, which is the impact of social media and

how social media can be used to incite hate, to tear down the credibility of journalists around the world, to attack women in particular, and to call

for more accountability on the part of American social media platforms to help journalists, whether they are in prison, whether they're being

attacked like we are, whether they're just trying to do their jobs to help journalists hold the line.

LU STOUT: Holding the line. Maria Ressa, one of the guardians named as - one of the persons of the year in "Time" magazine. Congratulations, thank

you for sharing your thoughts with us. Take care.

Now, the Google CEO, Sundar Pichai is set to testify on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. He's going face questions from a House panel on just a variety of

topics. You know, fake news, disinformation campaigns, whether the search engine is biased against conservatives. He declined to appear at a Senate

hearing in September that featured Twitter and Facebook executives.

Now, CNN's Brian Stelter joins us live from New York. And Brian, I don't know if you had a chance to hear from Maria Ressa, just in her reaction to

being awarded as one of "Time" magazine's persons of the year. And she was talking about accountability for social media platforms.

And so often, Google is kind of forgotten. There's been so much intense focus on Facebook, and yet, what about the fake news and the conspiracy

theory videos on YouTube, is that going to be front and center when Sundar Pichai hits The Hill?

BRIAN STELTER, CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT, CNN: It should be and I believe it will be. This hearing will start in just a few minutes, and it is the

first time that the Google CEO has ever testified before Congress. He has been able to avoid this spotlight over the past year as Facebook and other

companies have been scrutinized.

But you're right, there is a lot to question about Google and in particular, about YouTube. The site is full of hateful propaganda-laden

videos, conspiracy theories and whatnot. And I think just recently, YouTube has started to be held more accountable for that problem.

The company says it is trying to make progress and stamp out some of the craziness that's on its platform, but it has a long way to go. So we're

going to hear about that today on Capitol Hill. We're also going to hear about data privacy.

And I think from Republican congressmen, we're going to hear about concerns about bias in search results. There are a lot of claims from conservatives

that Google and others suppress conservative content. There's not a lot of evidence of that, but there's a lot of anxiety about it and I think Google

will be questioned about that today, as well.

LU STOUT: All right, Brian Stelter, thank you. We're looking forward to hearing your digest after the hearing on CNN and of course, also in your

newsletter, "Reliable Sources." And that is it from "News Stream," I am Kristie Lu Stout, don't go anywhere, we've got "World Sport" with Amanda

Davis coming up next.

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