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Guns in America: Facing the Issue; "Family Guy" to Return this Sunday; UConn Pays Homage

Aired December 19, 2012 - 09:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Carol Costello.

It is now 30 minutes past the hour. Time to take a look at what we're watching right now in THE NEWSROOM.

The Vice President Joe Biden taking a lead role as the White House looks to address the gun debate. At 11:45 this morning Eastern Time, President Obama expected to announce that Joe Biden will head an interagency process to develop policy following the Connecticut school shooting. Specific policy decisions won't be announced today, but the president will outline his plan going forward.

And in the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, one senator looks to improve school security. Coming up in about a half hour, California Senator Barbara Boxer will talk about new legislation that would strengthen school security by giving new resources and tools to help secure schools.

We'll bring you the senator's news conference. That comes your way in about one-half hour.

And talks to avoid the fiscal cliff will go on again today as Republicans try to figure out if they have enough votes for their plan B to pass. House Speaker John Boehner offering higher tax rates to millionaires while they talk about a broader deal. The White House is rejecting Boehner's plan, saying a comprehensive plan and not a partial step is needed.

And as I told you, this morning President Obama is set to make an announcement on how he plans to tackle the issue of gun control in this country. But the question is, will it make a difference?

Here's former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GABRIELLE GIFFORDS (D), FORMER ARIZONA CONGRESSWOMAN: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: A symbol, perhaps, of gun violence because we all remember the tragic shooting that wounded Giffords.

But there was also a child killed in that attack. Do you remember her name?

Her name was Christina Taylor -- Christina Taylor Green. She was 9 years old. She was born on 9/11 included in the book "Faces of Hope" with other children born on that other tragic day.

Joining me now: CNN contributors Maria Cardona and Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist. Maria is a Democratic strategist.

And the reason I point these things out is because unless legislation isn't immediately introduced, as it was not after Gabrielle Giffords was shot and other people were wounded and killed that terrible day, memories fade and nothing really happens.

So, OK, it's great that the president's going to form these committees and he's going to have the Department of Education and Homeland Security and they're all going to talk about it.

But memories fade. If something doesn't get done fast, will it ever get done? Maria?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I do think that this time is a little different, Carol. I mean, in fact, even just the announcement of this committee is more action than this White House has taken after any of the other tragedies that we have seen, including Gabby Giffords.

We've also seen movements from Democrats who are NRA-backed Democrats like Mark Warner and Joe Manchin and even Harry Reid.

So, I think that we really are at a tipping point where this specific tragedy, because unfortunately it did involve 20 of our most vulnerable, innocent angels, children, I think is something that the public has just had it with. And so, while I think it's good that the president did announce this committee, I do think that actual legislation needs to come out of it.

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about actual legislation, Ana. I mean, do you believe actual legislation will be introduced? And can it actually pass even if it is?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I absolutely believe that Senator Feinstein's going to go through with her word. And introduce legislation the first of the year. That it's going to be the first legislation that gets introduced.

I think she's committed to this. And I think this is a different moment in time, Carol. I think it's a different moment in time for everybody. You know, from the American public, journalists, politicians -- it's just something about the recurrence of the event. It's something about it being at an elementary school, something that's supposed to be so safe, about it being 20 children. And about it also being after the elections -- let's remember that. People have -- you know, yes, this is about policy. But it's also about politics. Let's be realistic here.

And this happened, Gabby Giffords happened before the elections. This happened to have happened the month after the elections. People are a lot more free to act and to act now.

And many times when important things happen in America, when important legislation has happened, it has been led by a citizen movement, by citizens demanding action. And I think that is what you are seeing in this case.

I saw that group of parents and family members of the different relatives -- the different people that have been killed in some of these shooting occurrences from, you know, aurora to this, it's a very powerful emotional group. They're going to have a lot of political punch should they wish to exercise it.

COSTELLO: And, Maria, I do want to ask about the NRA. It's going to come out on Friday and talk about how it's going to contribute to the debate on guns in this country. I don't think it's going to mention gun control, frankly. Speculation is it'll turn the discussion to mental illness.

CARDONA: Yes.

COSTELLO: And say we should concentrate on that and not the guns, because guns don't kill, you know, that trite saying which I'm beginning to really hate. Guns don't kill, people do.

CARDONA: Yes, absolutely. But even the fact, carol, that the NRA didn't say anything for a whole week I think points to the fact this is a very different situation, a very different moment in time. When tragedies have happened similar to this in the past, the NRA has been on the air the day of, making sure that all of the members of Congress that they have supported in the past don't -- you know, don't go off the talking points and don't start talking about legislation.

This is very different now. I think the two things that absolutely should be talked about in terms of immediate action is the ban on assault weapons. And, frankly, closing the gun show loophole, which as you know, Carol, gives the ability for 40 percent of gun sales to happen without a background check.

So, yes, mental health needs to be a part of this conversation. But we need to figure out how to keep these guns out of the hands of killers.

And as a mother, I can't -- of kindergarten aged children, I can't tell you how important that is to me and I'm sure to all parents. And, frankly, to all Americans, because this is a very different moment.

COSTELLO: Maria Cardona, Ana Navarro, thanks so much for joining us this morning. CARDONA: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: New episodes of "Family Guy" coming back. We'll show you the clip of the show that was canceled in the wake of the tragedy in Newtown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: After canceling Sunday's airing of a new episode of "Family Guy", out of sensitivity to the Newtown tragedy, the show will return this week.

Nischelle Turner is in Los Angeles. Michelle has got that and more.

Good morning.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey. Good morning, Carol.

You know, yeah, in the aftermath of the tragedy, Hollywood did take steps to avoid being seen as insensitive. FOX, in particular, decided to postpone the airing of this episode of "Family Guy" until this weekend.

And, you know, this is an example of how the networks are sensitive now about content that it runs and that it airs around a tragedy. As far as we've been able to find out, this episode of "Family Guy" didn't feature violence that would make it uncomfortable, but it does put, like, this whole "Family Guy" twist on the birth of Jesus. Here's a clip of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARTOON CHARACTER: I remember when this was all desert.

CARTOON CHARACTER: You know, when that baby comes, we could probably home school him. I can count up to nine.

CARTOON CHARACTER: Yes. Hey, so tell me one more time how it is that God got you pregnant. When you tell me the story it sort of makes sense. Then when I tell the guys at work, they poke all kinds of holes in it.

CARTOON CHARACTER: So you guys are going to Bethlehem, huh? I went there one time on a donkey's night out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER: So, you know, FOX has only told us they switched the episodes to avoid airing any potentially sensitive content.

COSTELLO: I don't get it. I don't get it. That's offensive on any day. But specific to Newtown? I don't get it.

TURNER: Well, no. I think what they were doing was just deciding to -- deciding not to be offensive right after it. And, you know, "Family Guy" stretches the line, Carol. So -- on any episode that they do -- so I think they just wanted to say immediately following what happened, we're going to pull back.

But, you know, we were talking earlier. Just where's the line? When do you decide to come back? In this case, because I think it didn't feature gun violence, they decided that this Sunday was OK.

COSTELLO: You know, all these movie premieres that are being postponed because of the movies that they're premiering are, you know, especially violent, it's like, how is it more sensitive later? I mean, why is it insensitive at this moment? It just seems hypocritical to me.

It's like, oh, we made this really violent movie. Some really violent tragedy happened. So, we're going to postpone the premier for a little bit, but we're going to show the movie like -- we're still going to show the movie.

TURNER: It's -- you know, Carol, it's a bit of a catch-22. I mean, if you're Hollywood, you are there to provide entertainment and make movies and we sat down with some of the stars of "Django Unchained" at their junket earlier in the week and asked them specifically -- do you think violence in the movies gives inspiration or could lead to some of the violence that we're seeing in America? And they specifically said, absolutely not. They do this for entertainment.

But at the same time when something like this happens, and we heard Maria and Ana just talking about it, this was different. This really kind of maybe turned the tide.

You don't want to do anything if you're Hollywood to lead -- to let anybody think you're being insensitive in any kind of way, because everybody feels like crying. We all did.

So, what they're saying is we don't want to seem like we're celebrating something when the rest of America feels like grieving.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: But we don't mind celebrating violence down the line. It seems hypocritical to me. It's like, why postpone it?

TURNER: What do you do, though? What do you do? What do you do?

COSTELLO: Embrace the movie. If you think it's OK, embrace the movie.

TURNER: I guess every movie made -- yes, I mean, you know, I guess every movie made can't be a lighthearted comedy. There has to be different things.

And in Hollywood, you have to sometimes make that decision. That's what they're doing now.

It's a tough one. I'm with you. It's a tough one.

COSTELLO: Nischelle Turner, thanks for playing. We'll be right back.

TURNER: All right, darling.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 46 minutes past the hour. Time to check top stories. Systemic failures and leadership deficiencies. That's how an independent review characterizes the State Department in the wake of that deadly consulate attack in Benghazi. The report adds a lack of resources partly to blame. Two members of that review panel will brief members of the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees today.

A propane explosion at a Virginia shopping center caught on camera. On Monday this huge fire ball lit up the night sky. One firefighter was injured. Power knocked out to the surrounding area.

In money news, it's taken a while, but Americans are finding more in their paychecks. That's according to the nonprofit hr association world at work which says most workers could see a, are you ready for it? A three percent raise this year. Those raises are coming almost every 13 months. That's compared to almost 14 months back in 2010 if that makes you feel any better.

Just in time to possibly disrupt your holiday travel, a major snowstorm is going to hit parts of the United States. In fact, these pictures from Denver, Colorado proves the weather's already making a mess of things. Meteorologist Alexandra Steele is here to show us when the storm really gears up.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: All right. It's certainly about to. Denver, Colorado, it began this morning a couple hours ago seeing the first snowfall. Here's the big picture on it. So from Greeley, Colorado, to Green Bay. We're talking about 1,000-mile stretch of some snow, incredibly heavy at times. Also 50 mile per hour wind gusts. And there's severe weather in the mix to boot.

Here's the picture. By the time it winds down in Colorado tonight and Denver, one to three inches. That's kind of just a taste of it. It finally gears up, energizes through tonight in through the day tomorrow. On I-80 between Omaha and Des Moines, Des Moines we even have blizzard warnings. Gusting 50 miles per hour. Six to 12 inches of snow. Then toward Green Bay a foot plus. Even in Chicago, Chicago into tomorrow, tomorrow night affair. Here's the timeline. The forecast models, the guidance really all in sync on this one. That is the good news. This morning it began in Denver, Colorado pushing eastward. By the time we head into tonight, watch this white area. Of course, that's the snow intensified. But another key factor with this storm to really see it intensify, watch these isobars. These lines of equal pressure. The tighter they are, the stronger the winds, Carol. Tomorrow night in Chicago we're only going to see two to four inches of snow. But the winds will be perilous in terms of traveling. Of course, with Christmas only a few days away we're in for tough travel at big hubs in this country.

COSTELLO: I've got to make it to Ohio. I'm being selfish here. (LAUGHTER)

STEELE: Ohio is okay. It's all about the timing. Even in Chicago if you go Friday or tonight, you'll be fine. Even into tomorrow morning. The timing on this is key. Ohio, Carol, you're fine. We're not going to se this move into Ohio until Thursday night, Friday. Saturday Ohio's worst day. The earlier you go or later you go you'll be all right.

COSTELLO: Okay. Thanks. It's great to have your personal meteorologist.

STEELE: You're so welcome. For you, anything.

COSTELLO: Still ahead, our talk back question and your responses. Should teachers be armed? facebook.com/carolCNN. I'll be right back. Teachers be armed? I will be right back.

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COSTELLO: "Talk Back" question this morning: should teachers be armed?

This from Amelia, "We have to attack the issue from all sides, but we have to start somewhere. More gun control is needed."

From Mark, "No, teachers should not be armed. Schools should have a couple of trained security offers instead.

This from Joel, " Yes, teachers with a valid concealed weapons permit should be allowed to carry on grounds. The kind of citizen that carries a firearm generally likes guns and is more likely to practice with them than your average police officer who carries a gun, because it is part of the job and only shoots it once a year to qualify." Well, interesting take.

This from Akua, "Hell, no, where would the children be or innocent bystanders while they're having a shoot-out? That's ludicrous!"

Keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/carolCNN. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Sports world has been out front honoring the victims of the Newtown shooting. We have seen messages on helmets and shoes in the NFL and the NBA. Players wanting to send a message and reach out as role models and as parents, as themselves. This was the scene on Monday night in Hartford, Connecticut, the University of Connecticut men's basketball team honoring the victims of Sandy Hook and as you can see it was a touching tribute. Joining me now from Hartford is Geno Auriemma, the legendary head coach of the UConn women's basketball team. UConn basketball is of course the sport in the state of Connecticut. Welcome, Coach. Thank you so much for being with me this morning.

GENO AURIEMMA, HEAD COACH, UCONN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Thank you, carol. Great to be here.

COSTELLO: How important is it for your players to remember these victims?

AURIEMMA: Well, they're not far removed from their days of being on a bus and getting dropped off at first grade, second grade, and they're still kids at heart. And when they see something like this, especially an hour away from where we are right now, it stunned them, I think more than anything I have seen in all of my years of coaching.

COSTELLO: Your team returning to the court for the first game since the tragedy. Anything special planned?

AURIEMMA: I think we're going to do something similar to what the men did on Monday night and hopefully people will get there early and be a part of the tribute. It is not a lot that we can do, but I think it is important that we keep it in the forefront, especially this week when a lot of the funerals will be held.

COSTELLO: Did you have conversations with your players about this?

AURIEMMA: Yes, we did. We talked about it after the fact on Friday, and Saturday and Sunday were really difficult. They're in the middle of exams and they're also having to deal with this and they have brothers and sisters of their own and it was a very difficult three days for us, and they all wanted to know what can we do to help? How can we get involved? Again, there is very little we can do right now, and the scholarship fund we created I think is our best way of trying to help the people of Newtown.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about that scholarship fund. The University set up a scholarship fund for the victims of Sandy Hook and you and your wife, Kathy, you kicked off the fundraising with an $80,000 check. First of all, explain what the scholarship is for and why you felt it was so important to be the first to donate.

AURIEMMA: I was talking to President Herbst over the weekend and I thought there is something long-term we need to do rather than just the short-term things going on now which are great and really important. We figured the cost of an education at UConn right now for an in-state student is about $80,000, and if we could create a fund that would help us cover the cost of the education at UConn for the dependents of the adults and the siblings of the children that were involved in the killings, I think that's a meaningful way for us at the University of Connecticut as the flagship institution in the state of Connecticut to honor the kids and the residents of Connecticut in the best way that we possibly can going forward.

COSTELLO: You're right. You want to do something, and it is great the scholarship fund has been set up. You still feel so helpless.

AURIEMMA: Yes. That feeling is not going to go away. No matter how much money we raise, no matter how much awareness we bring, how many prayers we say, that's not going to bring back those kids or those teachers and adults and it is not going to erase what happened and it is not going to make the families dealing with this feel any better about their loss. I think we have to think those of us on the outside, we can't fix what happened. We can't make anybody feel better, but I think going forward we have the power to make those that come after these kids and these adults maybe benefit from this tragedy so that it doesn't end with just footnotes in the paper and that there's actual scholarship memorial in these names of these children and these adults.