Two Students Killed, 18 Wounded In School Shooting; Lebanon Grapples With Ongoing Waste Disposal Problems
JONES: Hello, welcome back. You're watching HALA GORANI TONIGHT with me Hannah Vaughan Jones live in London. We are learning heartbreaking new details in the deadly school shooting in the U.S. State of Kentucky. The 15-year-old girl who was killed in that shooting called her mother as the chaos unfold it. Bailey Holt's mother said she called her daughter's name into the phone, over and over again but Bailey couldn't respond. Well, let's get to CNN Correspondent, Nick Valencia, he's live in Benson, Kentucky for us now. Nick, harrowing details, must have been unbearable for the mother in question, of course, as well. Has this at all helped in the investigation into what actually happened?</s>NICK VALENCIA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, everyone here, Hannah, including some of the first responders have been affected. Some of them had children at the school when the shooting took place on Tuesday morning. It's just been two days and the emotions here are still understandably very raw. But somehow, the parents of one of those two 15- year-olds, who was gunned down here on Tuesday, they found the courage to speak about their child. Bailey Holt was just 15 years old when she was gunned down. Her parents spoke to us, spoke to a local affiliate about the memory of her daughter.</s>SECRET HOLT, MOTHER OF BAILEY HOLT: She loved everyone. She never had a harsh word to say about anything or anyone.</s>JASON HOLT, FATHER OF BAILEY HOLT: I took her to school and gave her a kiss and I told her I love and she got out of the car.</s>S. HOLT: She was just the best kid ever. I just want to pray for all the other victims, too.</s>J. HOLT: And their kids.</s>S. HOLT: Because I didn't tell him he was</s>VALENCIA: The other 15-year-old victim in this is named Preston Cope and we talked to a close friend of his. Who said that he was very quiet, very smart, in fact, helped her with a problem in class a couple years ago. And he loved baseball, he's a great athlete. Love the Saint Louis Cardinals. A lot of people are going to miss him, as well as Bailey. Hannah?</s>JONES: Just unbelievable bravery from the parents as well, to be able to speak out at such a time. Nick, I'm wondering about the gunman's identity. Do we have any more details on that?</s>VALENCIA: Well, because of his age, they haven't released his name. And it was just a short time ago, a couple of hours ago, in fact, that he made his first court appearance in juvenile court probable cause of detention hearing. It was shortly after that, that we heard from the assisting county prosecutor here in Marshall County, who says that he's going to seek to transfer this case to the Marshall Circuit Court. And he recommends that this individual, this 15-year-old, face adult charges. Of course, that'll ultimately be left up to a Judge. And we know that the grand jury on this case will convene on February 13th. Hannah?</s>JONES: And we know, of course, that after every one of these school shooting or mass shooting in the United States that the gun control law will be then -- picks up pace again to try to get some kind of gun control in the U.S. passed through Congress. Is that happening now? I mean, is there a movement now to seize on what's happened there in Kentucky to try and get some kind of change to the law?</s>VALENCIA: The short answer is no. And it's unfortunate, and this is something that the news crews here have talked a lot about. It's as though America has become numb to these types of shootings. The senseless -- seemingly senseless acts of violence. You have Las Vegas, most recently, and the casualty, no doubt affected this community. Two people were killed, 20 people have been all affected by this shooting. But, unfortunately, here in the United States, another week in America, another mass shooting. Hannah?</s>JONES: Nick Valencia, thanks so much. Nick, we appreciate it, live for us there in Kentucky. All right, let's get back to our top story now. President Trump visits to Davos in Switzerland. Remember, this is the man who based his Presidency on disdain the global elites. And he ran on a promise to put "America First". Well, today at the World Economic Forum, the President came face to face with the very people who epitomize globalization. He's stated mission: "To bring back business to American soil." Here's what he had to say, about his first day in Davos:</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's been going really well. A lot of people are coming back to United States. We are seeing tremendous investment and today has been a very exciting day, a very great day, and great for our country.</s>JONES: So, let's get some more perspective on all the excitement. I'm joined now by Carl Bildt, Sweden's former Prime Minister and current co- Chair of the think-tank the European Council on Foreign Relations. He's live for us in Davos. Mr. Bildt, thank you so much joining us. I imagined you're a seasoned Davos goer. But I'm wondering about the mood today when President Donald Trump arrived there. Was it a bit like kind of a headline active of festival kind of swooping in and pushing everyone else off the main stage?</s>CARL BILDT, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF SWEDEN: To some extent, yes, the President of the United States is the President of the United States, whoever it is. I think there are a lot of people who are sort of waiting to see what he's going to say tomorrow. Whether he will just say that the U.S. stock market is fabulous and I'm fabulous, or that we will get some more beef on what he wants to do, for example, on trade issues where there is a lot of -- a lot of concern on where U.S. policies are heading.</s>JONES: He's known for wanting -- perhaps, needing to have his ego rubbed if you like. From your experience and the knowledge that you have of fellow world leaders today who were there in Davos, will they play along with that? Are they trying to get close to Presidents Trump to understand him, or are they kind of saying "You're not into globalization, so, therefore, we can't work with you?"</s>BILDT: Well, he's coming here, as a matter of fact, on the last day of Davos. And a lot of people would normally have left on Friday. He's met Prime Minister Netanyahu from Israel. Prime Minister May from Great Britain and not very many others. So the number of meetings or the number of people who have been expressed in interest to meeting him or succeeded with meeting him. As a matter of fact, been fairly limited. I think he's concentrating himself on supposed to trade the Intel from meeting the business leaders to saying that he's doing great with the U.S. Economy. Fine.</s>JONES: But if it is a case of the rest of Davos is in for globalization and Donald Trump and the Trump Administration are very much focused on "America First", an isolation. Who then steps into the floor? And actually sort of takes the reins and the lead when it comes to global leadership. Is it now -- with your experience as Sweden's former Prime Minister, is it now a time for Europe to come together and say, "Well, we'll lead the charge on globalization if America is going to be stepping aside".</s>BILDT: Well, among others, I would say, you've heard very strong words from -- we had President of France, Macron, with a very forceful speech on those issues yesterday. But we had the Prime Minister of India, we have the President of Argentina. We have virtually the entire world, saying that "It's only by working together, free trade and open global economy, that we can continue to lift people out of poverty and that we can affect the growth prospects of our own economies as well. Be that the American economy, the Argentina economy, the Indian economy or Swedish economy. If we start building barriers and walls against each other, we are all going to be the losers.</s>JONES: You mentioned just now, of course, that President Trump among the few, just the two bilateral discussions that he did have today, was one of them with Theresa May of the United Kingdom. Let's just -- we're going to play a bit of a sound from President Trump because obviously, there has been a huge question mark over the special relationship. And indeed, how special it is at the moment. This is what President Trump had to say following that meeting with Theresa May.</s>TRUMP: The Prime Minister and myself, have had a really good relationship, although some people don't necessarily believe that, but I can tell you, I have a tremendous respect for the Prime Minister and the job she's doing. I think the feeling is mutual from the standpoint of liking each other a lot. And, though, there was a little bit of a false rumor out there, I just wanted to correct it, frankly. We had great respect for everything you're doing. And we love your country. We think it's truly great.</s>JONES: So, it was a false rumor and they like each other a lot. But given the fact that the U.S.-U.K relationship is definitely slightly strained and, of course, the U.K. is going to be going to Brexit, leaving the European Union within the course of the next couple of years. Is it now prudence of Europe, of Sweden, and the whole of Europe and the European Union to play a pivotal role in terms of getting its trade sorted with the United States and then separately with the United Kingdom?</s>BILDT: Absolutely, we have an interest in having a good agreement with the United Kingdom as it leaves. That's going to be complicated, it's going to take a couple of years. And what's been happening or is happening, as a matter of fact, is that you see the European Union are concluding trade agreements all over the world. It would have been better if the United States have been with us. But we see the European Union which is anyhow, the greatest trading entity -- the largest trading entity in the world. Including massive trade agreements: Canada, Japan, there's a new one, with Microsphere, with South America. To form that point of view, yes, the European Union and its take in the leadership on the global trade issues.</s>JONES: OK. Carl Bildt, it's wonderful to have you on the program. We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us there from a very cold Davos. Thank you, sir. We turn to Lebanon now. A country with an idyllic location along the Mediterranean that should have tourists flocking to its beaches. But instead, a problem that has been going on for a number of years is resurfacing along the seashore. Our Ben Wedemen explains.</s>BEN WEDEMEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a beach under all this trash on the banks of the River Kalb, North of Beirut, washed down from the mountains by the latest winter rains. Workers struggle to carry it all away. The tires, plastic bottles, the odds and ends of consumerism will end up in one of Lebanon bursting landfills only perhaps to wash to the sea and back on to the beaches again. Johnny recalls coming here is a boy. "Our family brought food here on Sundays," he says. "And would drink water from the river, clean water." That idyllic scene from the distant past hardly fits with today's rubbish true reality. This is the 17th time in the last two and a half years that this beach has been cleaned up, 16 times by volunteers, this time by the municipality. And it's shocking as these filthy beaches might be, they're not the problem, they're a symptom of the problem, and that problem, of course, is that Lebanon doesn't know how to deal with its trash. This small country is grappling with its garbage. There aren't enough landfills. And most communities aren't eager to host new ones. The on- going garbage crisis has ignited the blame game among Lebanon's perpetually squabbling politicians. Environmental Engineer, Ziad Abi Chaker is more interested in finding solutions than pointing fingers. Where others see trash, he sees opportunity. OK. Is there something we could do with garbage like this?</s>ZIAD ABI CHAKER, ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER: Of course. You see, this is -- this is called PETE plastic. This is one of the most expensive plastics you have and this is entirely recyclable, infinitely recyclable. So now, all you have to do is make sure you sold these out. Instead of them washing off the shore here. And then, you can sell it back to what we call a conversion plan. They shred it and they even make fiber. Your jacket is made of this. My jacket is made of this, it's polyester.</s>WEDEMEN: For now, all they can do is remove the rubbish. Remove it once more when it washes up again. Ben Wedemen, CNN, North of Beirut.</s>JONES: Still to come on the program tonight, as the fallout from the Larry Nassar's scandal reverberates, we asked what can be done to stop it happening ever again. I'll speak to an author who wrote about a damning book about gymnastics more than 20 years ago. Stay with us. We'll be back.