NOW-WITH-01
Trump To Sever Ties With His Business Empire; Carrier Announces Deal To
Keep One Thousand Jobs In Indiana; U.S. Troops Run Drills On Norway-Russia
Border; OPEC To Cut Oil Production By 1.2 Million Barrels A Day. Aired 3-4p
ET - Part 2>
Walsh, John Defterios, Amanda Davis, Zain Asher, Melissa Bell, Atika
Shubert, Robyn Curnow, Andrew Stevens>
electric failure and without fuel. French President Francois Hollande
announce he will not be running for re-election. France's Socialist Party
opens its 15-day primary today to select another candidate for presidency.
Donald Trump touts successful jobs deal with Carrier in Indiana, but
concerns grow among his critics that this is setting a dangerous precedent.
Norbert Hoffer could become the European Union's first far right head of
state as Austria gears up for elections. YouthSpark, a non-profit group in
the United States, launches new initiative to tackle the demand side of
human trafficking. While Mumbai is well-known as the home of Indian film
industry, the city of Hyderabad is making a name for itself as the hub of
film animation.>
Unemployment; Labor; Trade; Race Relations; Refugees; Trafficking;
Technology; Movie Industry' Aviation; Colombia; Government; Donald Trump;
Carrier; Military; Norway; Energy; OPEC>
And breaking news out of France to talk to you about, Francois Hollande says he will not stand for second term as President. He has been in charge of France since 2012, and the decision means the Socialist Party will have to select another candidate to stand in next year's election. Mr. Hollande spoke to the nation in the past hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE: (Speaking in French)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Let's get more now from CNN's Paris correspondent Melissa Bell. She joins us live now. So, I mean, this really is the first President in France not to stand for re-election since the war. Presumably, he saw the writing on the wall, Melissa, loud and clear.
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Precisely, Zain. You can't really overstate how significant an announcement. This isn't simply never been done before by a sitting President, not to seek re-election in this since World War II. You sensed in his voice, you could see in his manner, how difficult a statement it must have been to make.
And, of course, until tonight, the expectation had been that Francois Hollande would be seeking re-election, that we were simply waiting for him to announce his bid, with this very inelegant sort of power play that's been going on rather too publicly for the liking of the ruling Socialist Party between the President and his Prime Minister, Manuel Valls.
The Socialist primary, the date to put down your candidature, opens today and lasts for 15 days, so of course Francois Hollande had to declare himself over the next couple of weeks. He's clearly been convinced that it was not in the interest of his Party that he should stand.
It is, I remind you, a Party that is profoundly divided at the moment. He is the President with the worst polls in the popularity ratings that anyone can remember. And so in many ways, many had thought this is the decision he should make, but it was obviously not the one that he wanted to make.
I think what probably changed things for him was the primary on the right, very successful by any measure, huge participation rights and the man, Francois Fillon, that's emerged from it who looks set to take on possibly successfully at the polls, if it is to be believed, Marine Le Pen and her far right at the next presidential election.
There was simply no room in those polls for the Socialist Party. It's only hope is to gather around a candidacy other than Francois Hollande. Now, whether that will be someone who emerges from the Socialist primary itself, which is to be held in the month of January, Manuel Valls, for instance, the Prime Minister, fully expected to be amongst those standing, or whether it comes from another man, like Emmanuel Macron, who's standing outside of the booth of the two main parties, remains to be seen.
But it is also what we've seen just now, just announced by Francois Hollande, a reminder of the difficulty faced by so many movements on the left of the political spectrum, Zain, as they face this reemergence of the right, whether it is populace or not populace as in the case of Francois Fillon.
ASHER: All right, Melissa Bell. We'll have to leave it there. Thank you so much. I appreciate that.
[15:34:57] All right. I want to turn now to our top story. Some Americans are praising Donald Trump's jobs deal with Carrier, but others are questioning what exactly he promised or threatened to extract those concessions. Some critics even say he is setting a dangerous precedent.
Let's get more now from Annie Ropeik who's live for us in Indianapolis. She reports on economic issues for Public Broadcasting Stations in Indiana.
So, Annie, thank you so much for being with us. So if this is such a huge win for Donald Trump, then why can't he be more transparent with what was in that deal?
ANNIE ROPEIK, ECONOMY REPORTER, INDIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS: You know, that is a great question. We are hearing a statement from Carrier just a short time ago with a little more deal about the state and Carrier's package, $7 million over a number of years contingent on various factors including job retention and performance, things like that.
But Trump gave out a number of different numbers for how many jobs will stay here in Indianapolis, even just over the course of his speech. They are different than what we've heard in the past couple of days as well. So it's a little bit unclear at this point.
I think this visit, which kicks off his "Thank You" tour that begins in Ohio later today may have been more about the fact that he made the call and the fact that he was able to do this for these workers who are here supporting him than it was about the (inaudible) 00:01:13.
ASHER: Yes. He is feeling very good about himself, feeling very pleased with himself. Trump won Indiana by a significant amount. He won by 57 percent. But does this do enough? From the people you have spoken to, does this actually do enough to win over people who may have been initially apprehensive about Donald Trump?
ROPEIK: You know, a couple of workers I spoke to yesterday who are union members, they're Democrats, they did not vote for Trump in the election and never supported him, they've been pleasantly surprised by this news. I mean, it's hard for them to say that they don't appreciate it now. And I think that they hope this will bode well for future deals like this for other workers whose jobs are getting sent overseas or we're going to be sent overseas.
They are impressed and they're waiting to see what he'll do next, if he can continue delivering on some of the promises that they did not believe in before the election.
ASHER: All right. Annie Ropeik, I have to leave it there. Thank you so much. I appreciate that.
ROPEIK: Thank you.
ASHER: Let's get more perspective on this jobs deal now from CNN political commentator, Alice Stewart. She's a Republican strategy who served -- strategist, I should say, who served as communications director for Ted Cruz. So thank you so much for being with us.
A lot of people are saying that this sets a dangerous precedent because some companies might say, well, you know what, you did this for Carrier. Can you do the same thing for us?
ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look, let me say this first off, Zain, is that anytime you have a policy success and you can put a personal face on it, it's a win-win.
And look, Donald Trump campaigned on the issue of economic reforms, progressive economic reforms, specifically outlining his commitment to imposing tariffs on companies that move their manufacturing facilities out of the country and try to ship their goods back into this country, and also promised to provide economic incentives for businesses to stay here.
In this case today, he talked about the possibility of reducing corporate tax from 35 possibly to15. He also talked about reducing government regulations. He talked about doing away with NAFTA. All of these were things he campaigned on. Clearly, with some of those in mind, he was able to execute a deal in this case and it was successful. One thousand people are keeping their jobs.
ASHER: So, Alice, you're essentially --
STEWART: And for the --
ASHER: Sorry to interrupt. You're essentially having taxpayers paying Carrier to keep those jobs.
STEWART: Look, in the end, it's a win for not just Indiana, but this will be a template for similar deals made across the country. And we can save jobs --
ASHER: But you can't do this for every company.
STEWART: No, but the key to success with this -- to that point, the key to success is to establish consistent guidelines across the board for companies that will be in the situation and be able to save jobs. Look, this is a unique situation but if he can continue to provide corporate tax breaks for companies that are saving jobs, overall, that creates growth and that is a good thing.
So by making job creators have a less burdensome tax rate, it's helpful. Also reducing the government regulations on this corporations is helpful. So this is an example of what he is able to do before he is even in office. And while every case is different, having a uniform set of conducts and consistent guidelines on cases like this, that is going to help the economy.
And he has also said other aspects of his economic agenda with regard to reducing government regulations and unleashing American energy and creating American jobs in that sector, doing away with a lot of these trade deals, NAFTA and TPP, renegotiating bilateral agreements with other countries that help American jobs. That is the key to success. And while this is a unique case, the principles involved here will help the American economy and can be used at companies after he is elected.
[15:40:00] ASHER: So Carrier actually issued a statement there, so I'm just going to read some of it to you. It says, "This agreement, in no way, diminishes our belief in the benefit of free trade, and that the forces of globalization will continue to require solutions for the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. and of American for workers moving forward." So Carrier is basically saying, you know what, yes, we kept jobs in the U.S. this time but don't expect it again.
STEWART: Well, I think that remains to be seen. I think, right now, when you look at the success that we have right now and moving forward, if he continues to have similar policies that make it easier for owners of Carrier and United Technologies that was involved in this, that we'll continue to see more success.
Maybe this is their way of being cautiously optimistic that, hopefully, this will pan out because they don't want to have another situation where they're having to lay people off by any stretch of the imagination, which is a smart business play to make.
But I think what we can look at today, from what we've seen from the President-elect and the Vice President-elect and the employees at that plant, this was a success. And I think as we're able to hear more details of this plan and apply it to other companies that are struggling to make ends meet, I think we're going to see more in the future.
ASHER: Well, some people say, you know what, it's actually really impressive that he was able to fulfill his campaign promises even before he stepped foot in the White House, so maybe you have to give him credit. But --
STEWART: Sure. And I think a lot of success also goes to Mike Pence. I've been in the Governor's office in Arkansas and governors and economic development officials in Indiana had a lot to do with setting the ground work for getting this done. And it evidently took Donald Trump getting in and some federal intervention, in this particular case, to help move the ball a little further down the field. So I think, certainly, Mike Pence deserves a lot of credit here, too.
ASHER: All right. Alice Stewart, I have to leave it there. Thank you so much. I appreciate that.
STEWART: Thank you, Zain.
ASHER: Now, to the upcoming election in Austria which could see Norbert Hoffer become the European Union's first far right head of state. CNN's Atika Shubert traveled to Vienna to meet a man who believes Donald Trump's victory in November will spark an identity revolution across Europe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Vienna, Austria. The city is a living monument to centuries of European history and heritage. And at its center is a statue of Empress Maria Theresa sitting on her thrown.
Monday night, Austria's far right identity movement arrived, lights flashing. They used a crane to hoist a giant black niqab, the Islamic face veil, on to the statue. And they pinned this sign. "Islamization, no thanks," it reads.
MARTIN SELLNER, MEMBER, AUSTRIA'S IDENTITY MOVEMENT: My generation was never asked if we want this mass immigration and if we want Islamization and this population replacement in your country.
SHUBERT: Twenty-seven-year-old Martin Sellner is a veteran of the identity movement, posting frequent YouTube videos and wearing colorful T-shirts he designs himself with slogans like "Europa Nostra" or "Our Europe." He met us at a typically Viennese cafe.
SELLNER: My biggest fear is that, at some point, demographics could kill democracy.
SHUBERT: So you're not a White supremacist?
SELLNER: No, not at all. Not at all. I think we're just patriots. I think the problem is not people, the problem is the system. That's why we also reject like the idea of anti-Semitism or something like that which is identifying the problems with a certain people. I think that's stupid and wrong.
SHUBERT: But the identity movement does single out one group, Muslims. Only an estimated 7 percent of Austrians are Muslim. But in Vienna and its suburbs where Sellner grew up, the demographics are now more than 12 percent, with some neighborhoods majority Muslim. Sellner claims this is Islamization.
SELLNER: A majority of them is largely against democracy, anti-Semitic, fundamentalistic, and more than 70 percent of them say that, for them, the ethnic tribal identity is more important than the Austrian citizenship.
SHUBERT: Last year, Austria was overwhelmed with refugees. Most moved on to Germany, but 90,000 stayed to claim asylum in Austria, prompting the government to cap refugee applications at just 80 a day until an annual limit of 37,500 is reached this year. But that wasn't enough for Sellner. He and other identity movement activists hand out fliers calling for Austria to shut its borders all together. And now, he believes that God- emperor Donald Trump, as he cheekily refers to the U.S. President-elect, will bring the change Sellner wants in Europe.
Do you think there will be a Trump effect?
SELLNER: Yes, absolutely. The idea that you have the right to preserve your identity, to close your borders, to -- yes, to be patriotic without any feeling of guilt.
[15:45:03] SHUBERT: But cultural blends do have their benefits.
SELLNER: I think it's possible to have different ethnic communities, especially in Vienna, for example, where we're drinking coffee, something that was brought here by the Turks. But does it really have to be a complete exchange of population?
SHUBERT: Vienna's famous Cafe Melange is an equal balance of black coffee and creamy milk foam. It seems for Sellner that blend is fine for drinking, but people, he says, need a different balance.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Vienna.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: A fascinating piece, and we will have extensive coverage of both the Austria election and the Italian referendum this weekend on CNN, so be sure to stay tuned. And also, make sure you stay tuned for this show, THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, which should be live with our Hala Gorani from Vienna on Monday. Hala's been off this week, but she'll be back on Monday with that show for all of you.
Still ahead this hour, cracking down on those that who solicit sex from minors. We'll show you how one innovative program is working hard to tackle the demand side of human trafficking. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: In the U.S., a non-profit group is tackling the demand side of human trafficking. It is a simple but very effective project which targets potential predators using their very own phone numbers. Here is our Robyn Curnow with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sexual predators lurking behind their computer screens are no longer as hidden as they might think. YouthSpark, a non-profit that provides services to trafficking victims recently launched a new initiative that tackles the lesser discussed side of the trafficking problem, demand.
ALEX TROUTEAUD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YOUTHSPARK: When every day, you are serving youth who have been sexually exploited, at some point, you sit back and say, what's causing this? Because there's nothing wrong with the kids. We really felt like we owed it to the youth that we work with to work upstream a little bit, and start doing what we can as an NGO to address the exploitation that they were being faced with.
CURNOW: Demand Tracker is simple. An employee posts adds online offering juveniles up for sex. Unlike the other ads on the site like this, hers are decoys and the models, all adults, agree to pose for them. She clicks post and wait.
When a would-be predator calls or texts the number in the ad, Demand Tracker automatically adds the number to a public searchable database. The caller is also sent a text message letting them know their number has been identified and is available to law enforcement.
[15:49:57] TROUTEAUD: Guys get involved in this pretty heavily, they start somewhere. If the first time you do that, you realize, whoa, someone is watching and I'm going to be held accountable for this and law enforcement are paying attention. That's the kind of message that we think will educate men to change their track real fast.
CURNOW: In the four months that Demand Tracker has been operational, it has recorded 12,000 unique numbers. The system does have its limitations. It can identify phone numbers but not who places the calls. And it can't separate intentional calls from misdials. If someone wants their number removed from the public facing list, there is a button on the side that allows them to do that, but the number still remains in the database itself.
Trouteaud says police are mainly concerned with numbers that show up multiple times as these are likely not accidental. It's not perfect, but many in law enforcement see it as a great start to tackling demand.
DALIA RACINE, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY, DEKALB COUNTY, GEORGIA: It may not be something that we could use in a particular case, but I think it is good to help with pushing legislation to make tougher laws against the purchasers. It could help in bringing together training curriculum on how to track purchasers by looking at their patterns and their habits.
CURNOW: It also sends a clear message to predators.
RACINE: We are coming after the demand side just as hard as we are after the exploiters and after the supply side of this issue. And you are no longer going to be safe behind those keyboards. We are going to find you and we are going to prosecute you.
CURNOW: Robyn Curnow, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Pretty clever technology and for such a good cause. This is an important issue for us here at CNN. And tomorrow, the CNN "FREEDOM PROJECT" is going to be introducing you to a group of students running an endurance race to save the lives of trafficking victims. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For 24 hours, teams of eight from Hong Kong-based schools will run continues relay laps, a bold mission to raise awareness of modern day slavery and money to fight human trafficking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slowly, I started to go back to my home roots, and when I found out more about the problem of ending slavery in India, how it manifests in many different many forms, I felt really bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And you're going to hear more about their motivation and how they handle the 24-hour race. It is all part of the "FREEDOM PROJECT" special series tackling demand, only on CNN. We'll have much more news after this break. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All this week, we're reporting on the world's fastest growing major economy, India. Mumbai is well-known, of course, as the home of Bollywood, the Indian film industry. And now, the city of Hyderabad is trying to make a name for itself as well as a hub of film animation. Here is our Andrew Stevens with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREW STEVENS, CNNMONEY ASIA PACIFIC EDITOR: Tapping into India's creative past to make tomorrow's next big block buster. That's the mission of Makuta VFX, a boutique animation studio in Hyderabad.
PETE DRAPER, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, MAKUTA VFX: The entire history of the country is based on creativity. You look at some of the old sculpt work going back, you know, thousands of years. Yes, we're working with computers as opposed to ceramics but it's still creative.
STEVENS: Pete Draper co-founded Makuta nearly seven years ago. It helped create the magical setting of last year's a smash hit, "Baahubali." Now, Makuta's 60 plus animators are working on the sequel set to release in April.
[15:55:06] India makes more than a thousand movies a year. Growth in the animation and VFX sector is booming. According to analysis by KPMG, it is projected to be a billion dollar industry by 2018, servicing both Bollywood and Hollywood.
DRAPER: The perception that outside studios have of the country is that we farm stuff out to India to do the stuff that they don't really want to do, or it's more cost effective to send the stuff over here to do these more labor intensive tasks. We're not just doing the labor stuff. We're doing the art, and that's the main goal.
STEVENS: Hyderabad hopes to attract more companies like Makuta with a new facility for gaming and animation startups. It's part of the state government's broader goal of becoming the country's innovation hub. It helped set up an incubator called T-Hub to encourage entrepreneurs.
JAY KRISHNAN, CEO, T-HUB: The large vision is to be a top ten startup destination in the world by 2020. That's the bold ambition.
STEVENS: Businessman Jay Krishnan moved to Hyderabad to run T-Hub. It officially opened its doors in January. The public initiative is self- funded and is already turning a profit. About 200 startups work in the building with around 3,000 on the wait list.
K.K. Jain is one of T-Hub's earliest tenants. He says he puts in 12 hours a day, seven days a week, but it's all worth it to grow his own business.
K.K. JAIN, FOUNDER, ANYTIMELOAN.IN: The big elephants can't have the flexibility and agility to adapt and move faster. So the startups and companies which have actually grown from the roots of the soil so they understand the pain points of millions and millions of Indians.
STEVENS: Krishnan agrees that startups in India should address the country's unique challenges, and he offers this word of advice.
KRISHNAN: It's 110 percent OK to fail. In the context that we live in in India and Asia, failure is considered taboo, but in the startup world, failures are absolutely OK.
STEVENS: Critics say T-Hub has a mixed record of success so far. But while startups come with risks, Krishnan sees the potential to create jobs and nurture the seeds of innovation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. It's been a pleasure. This has been THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Thank you so much to all you guys at home for watching. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
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