Japan Nervous After 6.9 Earthquake Near Fukushima; Trump's List of Potential Conflicts of Interest
ROBYN KURNOW, HOST: Hi there. I'm Robyn Kurnow in Atlanta. Welcome to News Stream. Fear sweeps across Japan after a powerful earthquake strikes near the heart of the 2011 Fukushima disaster triggering tsunami waves. Donald Trump unveils his to-do list as president, promising to pull the plug on a controversial trade deal. And the faces of</s>ISIS: CNN speaks exclusively to captured jihadists. Hi, everyone. Well, we begin the show in Japan where authorities say aftershocks can be expected for the next several days after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck off . It's the same area ravaged by a 9.0 magnitude quake five years ago. The tremor generated tsunami waves as high as 1.4 meters. This aerial footage shows waves traveling up a river in northeastern Japan. All tsunami warnings and advisories have now been canceled, though. Well, for the with a 5 point -- this footage shows waves traveling up a river in northern Japan. For the latest on the impact of the quake Alexandra Field joins me now from Tokyo. Hi there, Alexanra. How are the Japanese dealing with the quake?</s>ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, there have been a number of aftershocks that have been felt throughout the day today, but authorities have determined that it is safe enough for people who evacuated to return to their homes. What is interesting is that as we take a look at what happened this morning the Japanese meteorological agency is saying they believe that that seismic event, that 6.9 magnitude earthquake was actually an aftershock of the 2011 disaster, that 9.9 magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami, which went on to kill some 20,000 people and left that path of hideous destruction and a nuclear disaster at that nulear plant. CNN crews were out on the ground today talking to people who felt that 6.9 magnitude earthquake today. They were quickly alerted to the tsunami warning. They heard the sirens. They received text messages. they were told to get to higher ground and they're telling us tonight that this brought back so much of the deep trauma they experienced from that disaster of 2011. Listen to what some of the survivors were saying.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I could not describe in words how terrible it is to live in fear. We were all supposed to get out of temporary housing by next spring, but I am so scared to go home. We might have huge quakes any time again.</s>UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I felt the rumbling. I knew the quake was coming and got hold of the handrail immediately. First first thing I thought of was the nuclear plant.</s>FIELD: She's talking about Fukushima Daiichi, the nuclear plant, of course, that experienced that horrific meltdown back in 2011. All eyes were on that today as much smaller tsunami waves hit the area, about a meter to a meter-and-a-half high. But all eyes were also on its sister plant, Fukushima Daini (ph). There was a brief period there this morning where one of the cooling systems stopped working. It was quickly restored. The operators of those nuclear plants say that there was no imminent threat of danger as a result of that cooling system stopping. And they do say that there are no abnormalities in the area. They were, of course, carefully monitoring radiation levels and they say that they picked up no changes. But, look, this is a community that was devastated in 2011. The clean up at the nuclear plant is supposed to take 40 years, that's the estimate in order to finish the job entirely. The rebuilding, the reconstruction is still underway. Tens of thousands of people remain displaced. So, a very difficult day for them as they experienced a small piece of this sensation all over again. And they go home tonight knowing there's a possibility of more aftershocks. They've got to prepare themselves for also the possibility of additional tsunami warnings. They know what they've got to do in this case, get out as soon as the warning comes if one should, Robyn.</s>KURNOW: OK. Thank you so much. There in Japan, Alexandra Field, really appreciate it. Well, for more now on what to expect, let's go to Chad Myers. You've been monitoring all the seismic activity there, Chad. What do you see?</s>CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Important, Robyn, to understand that in a human lifetime of let's say 80 or 90 years, it's nothing like the Earth lifetime of billions of years. So to think that an aftershock could be, wow, that was five years ago. How could this be an aftershock? In terms of billions of years, five years is a heartbeat, is a second. So, there will be more aftershocks along this fault line. And if you take a number, 6.9, we would expect at least one aftershock, to this aftershock to be a 5.9. But if you go back to the 9.0 that was on the ground that happened just five years ago, there may have been one or still in the mix, still one 8.0, and then maybe up to 10, up to 10 one magnitude less here, so 9, 8, 7, there may be many, many more of this same size aftershock still to come. And it was the water, it's that water pressure that happened when the tsunami warnings went off that people really got -- they were very alarmed, because it was a 20 meter wave last time. This was a 1.3 meter wave. So significantly less energy. The alarms did go off, the trains were stopped, subways were stopped, everything happened as it should. But what was really I think -- what we need to know about here is that it was so very close to where we were not that long ago. The other earthquake, that 9.0 right about there. This was a 6.9, very strong shake offshore . That offshore lifts the sea floor and that lifting sea floor pushes water up. That's the wave that comes onshore. It didn't propagate across the Pacific, but certainly at 1.3 meters if you're standing on the beach is a big wave. That's why it's still time to get back onshore, get away from the water when the ground shakes there.</s>CURNOW: Yeah, and the good news with this one at least everybody seemed to heed those warnings and not a lot of at least human casualties. Thank you so very much as always, Chad Myers, appreciate it. Well, moving on. The U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is lashing out at the media once again. He canceled a meeting with the New York Times tweeting that the paper covers him, quote, inaccurately and with a nasty tone. And he claims the terms and conditions were changed at the last moment. The New York Times told CNN it was unaware the meeting was canceled until it saw the tweet and that it hadn't tried to change the rules. There's also plenty of controversy following Trump as he makes his cabinet picks and outlines his immediate priorities. Here is CNN's Jason Carroll.</s>JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President-elect Donald Trump outlining what he intends to accomplish during his first 100 days in office, including a pledge to create jobs.</s>DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT-ELECT: On trade, I am going to issue a notification of intent to withdraw from the Transpacific Partnership. I will cancel job-killing restrictions on the production of American energy, including shale energy and clean coal, creating many millions of high paying jobs.</s>CARROLL: And end corruption in Washington.</s>TRUMP: As part of our plan to drain the swamp, we will impose a five year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists after they leave the administration and a lifetime ban on executive officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.</s>CARROLL: But in a two-and-a-half minute video Trump steering clear of some of his most controversial and biggest campaign promises, like building a wall on the Mexico border, repealing Obamacare, placing a ban on Muslims entering the United States, and no mention of deportations.</s>TRUMP: On immigration, I will direct the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker.</s>CARROLL: This as Trump continues to parade cabinet and senior staff hopefuls past cameras again. Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard slipping past cameras to meet with Trump. She's the second Democrat Trump has spoken with since the election. Gabbard is now under consideration for top jobs at the Defense Department, State Department, and United Nations according to a source. Trump also taking time to meet with executives and anchors from five television networks, including CNN, to address concerns about access.</s>KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: It is an off-the-record meeting. It was very cordial, very productive, congenial, but it was also very candid and very honest.</s>CARROLL: Meanwhile, Trump's team on the defensive. Civil rights groups urging the president-elect to denounce the alt-right after white nationals were captured on video cheering their president-elect in Washington.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory.</s>CARROLL: And capitalizing on Trump's "make America great again" slogan.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For us as Europeans, it is only normal again when we are great again.</s>CARROLL: Racism and anti-Semitism on full display, audience members giving a Nazi salute. Without denouncing the alt-right by name, Trump's transition team said in a statement, "President-elect Trump has continued to denounce racism of any kind and he was elected because he will be a leader for every American."</s>CURNOW: Well, CNN's Jason Carroll reporting there. But Trump's statement denouncing racism won't quell concerns over his appointment of Steve Bannon who ran the website Breitbart until recently. Bannon, on track to be Trump's chief strategist, has called the site he ran since 2012 a platform for the alt-right. And another key issue we heard Trump bring up in that YouTube video outlining his first 100 days his intention to pull the U.S. out of the TransPacific Partnership Deal. Now, that's raised alarm, particularly from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who has essentially said the deal would be a no-go without the U.S. Well, CNN Money Asia-Pacific editor Andrew Stevens is at our Hong Kong bureau. He joins us now live. Hi, Andrew. I mean, what does it mean for Trump to scrap the TPP?</s>ANDREW STEVENS, CNN MONEY ASIA-PACIIC EDITOR: Well, it means first of all that he is following through on his campaign promise, and he has given every indication, Robyn, that he firmly believes that these multilateral deals like NAFTA, like TPP, are bad for American and are bad for American jobs. I mean, he has described TPP as potentially disastrous, taking American jobs. If you look at what TPP is, it is an agreement between 12 countries with 40 percent of the world's global economic activity opening up their markets to each other. So the American market will be opened up to 11 other countries and 11 other countries will open up their markets to America. No one knows whether that is going to damaging for America or not, but certainly is is going to be easier to trade, goods will be cheaper because a lot of tariffs are being -- would be knocked over. And also underlying that is this push, which really goes to the heart of the TPP, at least President Obama, that the U.S. writes the rules of trade. It inserts into those rules labor protection, environmental protection, looking after copyright, those sorts of issues. Now, they have all gone with the end of the TPP, so we don't exactly know what these bilateral deals that Donald Trump is talking about are going to look like, whether they're going to include this, but certainly we can't say with any degree of certainty, that jobs would be lost from TPP, neither can we say the jobs will be hugely gained either. We just don't know.</s>CURNOW: And it's a way more than just trade isn't it, Andrew? I mean, in many ways this plays into China's geopolitical ambitions. It was also about U.S. influence and U.S. alignment. And now that's all up in question.</s>STEVENS: Absolutely. Geopolitics is very much a part of this. The reason for the TPP geopolitically as far as the U.S. was concerned that not only did they wanted to write the rules on trade. They wanted to be in a dominant position in a dominant trade body in Asia-Pacific. They wanted to be the key player. Without that, they lose influence. And they have lost credibility too. Let's face it, a lot of Asian countries look to America to provide this TPP, to be a part of it. America has turned around and said sorry, not interested anymore, which has left countries in this part of the world saying, what's next. The Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull said very pointedly today that TPP would have been good for Australia -- created jobs, created economic growth. He's not alone in thinking that. What it does is let China perhaps write the rules of trade on the next big trade deal, which Asia-Pacific will sign up to. So, China from going outside -- from being outside the tent because it wasn't invited to the TPP is now front and center of the new tent of any new trade deals. So, China is actually very happy about that.</s>CURNOW: Yeah, good point there. Thanks so much. Andrew Stevens in Hong Kong. Thank you. And this just in, Kellyanne Conway, the former campaign manager and now senior adviser so President-elect Donald Trump told MSNBC's Morning Joe show that Trump does not intend to pursue an investigation into Hillary Clinton. During the campaign, of course, he riled up crowds by telling him he'd appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton over her handling of a private email server when she was secretary of state. She has been cleared by the FBI of any wrongdoing. And we have heard a lot from high ranging officials on what they think of how Trump is doing on transitioning into the White House. And what, though do the American people think? Well, a new CNN poll suggests the country is divided. No surprises there, 46 percent approve, 45 percent disapprove of Trump's performance thus far. 53 percent believe he will do a good job, and 44 percent disagree. Now, when it comes to the economy, more people believe Trump will be able to handle it better than did for either Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan at the beginning of their terms. While voters largely remain confident in how Trump can handle the economy, his sprawling business empire is creating a lot of concerns about conflicts of interest. And CNN's Drew Griffin explains, separating the president- elect from his global brand might not even be possible.</s>DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVED CORRSPONDENT (voice-over): It's started with what was billed as a courtesy call. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slipping in a back elevator at Trump Tower to meet the president-elect. Trump's daughter, Ivanka, in attendance. But neither reporters or their cameras were in a meeting, which reportedly included a gift to Trump of a golf club, like this one, a gold driver worth nearly $4,000. Then came the two businessmen from India who own Trump-branded properties south of Mumbai. According to the Trump Organization, it was just another social call and --</s>KELLYANNE CONWAY, DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I'm very confident he isn't breaking any laws.</s>GRIFFIN: But the meeting is raising questions. While it is not illegal for a sitting president to run a business, it is a question of optic and ethics. A CNN analysis shows Trump has business dealings in 25 countries, including Saudi Arabia, China, Azerbaijan. A month ago, there was worry that the Trump brand was being destroyed by his run for office but since November 8t h, things have changed. And financial experts say the only possible solution to end all of the conflicts of interest is for Trump to sell it all, put the money in a blind trust and end the Trump empire.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, a blind trust can work but you have to sell the assets. You can't put them in a blind trust and pretend you don't own them.</s>GRIFFIN: Here's why it probably won't happen. A large part of the business is Donald Trump. Trump partners a I cross the globe are buying this right to license that brand. It brings more rent money for office space, condos and hotel rooms. The brand also comes with the Trump Organization expertise in design, marketing, operations, almost like a franchise, business partners buy in because it sells. And the Trumps stay involved to make sure the brand doesn't get tarnished. Daniel Liebersohn (ph), a south Florida developer, took over a failing Trump property and fought to keep the brand because he wanted to make sure he had access to Ivanka and Eric Trump in almost every part of the con deal. DANIEL LIEBERSOHN (ph),</s>REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER: We want the association and they wanted the continuity of brands, and it is profitable for everybody.</s>GRIFFIN: In a FOX News debate earlier this year, Donald Trump said, instead of selling off the brand, his solution is to pass the brand to the people he has groomed to take it over, all named Trump. Not exactly a blind trust.</s>TRUMP: I have Ivanka and Eric and Don sitting there. Run the company, kids. Have a good time. I'm going to do it for America.</s>CURNOW: Well, CNN's Drew Griffin reporting there. You're watching News Stream. Still ahead, reports of new attacks on civilians in Aleppo, Syria. We are looking at the toll the war is taking. Also, a CNN exclusive, a former ISIS member described and they describe why they were lured into joining the militant group. That is just ahead. Stay with us.