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New Push Today for Gun Control; Giffords, Husband Fight Gun Violence; Ackman Calls Herbalife A Pyramid Scheme; Announcer Digs McCarron's Girlfriend; New Jersey Politician Defends Gun Owners' Privacy

Aired January 08, 2013 - 10:00   ET

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

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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the NEWSROOM: Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, the nation marveled at her recovery from a gunman's killing spree. Today, she launches a new fight. Will Americans embrace her initiative for stricter gun laws?

And you've probably heard of the weight loss drug Herbalife. Now there are new claims that the company behind the drug is a pyramid scheme and they should be shut down. The man behind the claim is putting $1 billion behind his words.

Plus, the newly sworn in 113th Congress has a record number of women lawmakers, but some people say that's not enough. Our guest says the men in Congress just pound their chests, and she wants to put the gavel in a woman's hands.

What's missing from this gym? A whole lot of mirrors. We'll tell you about a workout place for people at least 50 pounds overweight. NEWSROOM starts now.

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COSTELLO: Good morning. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Carol Costello. We begin this morning with a debate over gun control, a new effort today to force stricter laws.

Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords's launching an online campaign to raise funds and public support. She's unveiling the effort two years to the day since a gunman shot her along with 18 other people.

Also marking the anniversary, a second initiative founded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, it targets illegal guns and features a mother of the youngest victim in the Tucson killing spree.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My 9-year-old daughter was murdered in the Tucson shooting. I have one question for our political leaders. When will the find of courage to stand up to the gun lobby. Whose child has to die next?

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: We'll take a closer look at the mayor's initiative in just a minute, but first the strong words today from Gabby Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly. David Mattingly is here with a closer look. If you think about it, if Gabby Giffords came knocking on my door, I would have to let her in.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The timing of the tragedy that we saw in Connecticut and their personal experience are all coming together right now. And they're trying to leverage that to have some influence over Congress. They're being very critical not just of Congress, but of the gun lobby as well.

They launched a web site today called "Americans for Responsible Solutions." They say this organization will encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and they'll take the message directly to the constituents of those congressmen.

A very critical of Congress, they said today that Congress has done something extraordinary -- nothing at all. They hope to start a conversation to somehow change that.

Also being very critical of the gun lobby, and this was from an op-ed today in "USA Today." It reads we saw from the NRA's leadership defiant and unsympathetic response to the Newtown, Connecticut massacre that winning even the most common-sense reforms will require a fight.

No comment yet today from the NRA, but if you go to the website they have said up now, the "Americans for Responsible Solutions," the first thing you see is a big window to click on it to donate. So they are going to try to match the gun lobby for its influence and spending, no small task here at all.

COSTELLO: Money talks in Washington. You know, I guess the biggest thing for me is this tragedy happens. We get all upset, saying we're going to do something and then it fades away and we don't talk about it.

For example, Senator Dianne Feinstein's legislation for gun control, she isn't going to file it until after the Senate reconvenes in January. Nothing is happening right now concrete. How do you keep the conversation going in a passionate way to get something done?

MATTINGLY: Well, they're bypassing Congress completely. They're going after the people who put these congressmen and congresswomen in office. So that's how they are going to start this. It sounds like a grassroots approach. We'll see how they'll head off in the future.

They're just starting now. They had comments this morning to ABC News, also very strong. They are committed to this. They are very passionate about it. Let's listen to one of those comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK KELLY, HUSBAND OF GABBY GIFFORDS: Gabby and I are both gun owners. We are strong supporters of the second amendment, but we have to do something to keep the guns from getting into the wrong hands.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When it can happen to children in a classroom, it's time to say --

FMR. REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS (D), ARIZONA: Enough.

KELLY: Enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Enough. One word says so much coming from her with so much personal experience, so much personal pain, it's interesting to see where they can go from here and how quickly they can ramp up in their efforts.

COSTELLO: David Mattingly, thanks so much.

Now let's look at these new gun control efforts from two very different perspectives. Pam Simon is a close friend of Gabby Giffords and was also shot and wounded at that Tucson rally.

And on the second anniversary John Feinblatt is trying to bring about change. She is the chief adviser to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on policy and strategic planning. He joins us to talk about the mayor's campaign against illegal guns. Welcome to you both.

JOHN FEINBLATT, CHIEF ADVISER TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG POLICY AND STRATEGIC PLANNING: Thank you.

PAM SIMON, TUCSON SHOOTING SURVIVOR: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thank you for being here. Pam, you first, just tell me about Gabby Giffords. She's taking on this initiative, you know, she's in favor of gun rights, so she's not extreme in anyway. Do you think that she will be able to get something done? Is she the right person to help lead this cause?

SIMON: I can't think of anyone better to lead this cause. She's experienced gun violence, as I have, firsthand, and we know that the pain and the suffering is not only for the person that was shot, but their family, their community. Gabby is absolutely the right voice to have in this discussion.

COSTELLO: After what happened to you in Tucson, did you think that some kind of gun legislation would at least be introduced in Congress?

SIMON: Well, I certainly hoped at least there would be a conversation. As we saw from the last presidential campaign, the world gun could not even be uttered. It seems that our elected officials are afraid to even bring up the discussion.

That's changed in the last few weeks, especially after the horrific shooting in Newtown, but will it fade away? I am hoping that this momentum, especially with Gabby and Mark's effort will carry the conversation farther. We're a nation of problem solvers. There is absolutely no reason why we cannot come up with a solution to this problem of gun violence.

COSTELLO: John, you know, passion does fade away, sadly, but it seems that Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly are taking a new tack. They're going to raise money and fight this thing at a grassroots level. Is that the new way to fight for everyone who wants to put stricter gun laws into place?

FEINBLATT: Look, I think you have to fight in Washington and you have to fight in communities across the country. I think really in the ad you showed Roxanna green probably said it best. How many more children need to be killed before Washington takes action? What more do you need to say than that?

She lost her 9-year-old daughter, Christina Taylor in Tucson, and clearly has much in common with the families in Newtown where 20 kids were killed, but it's time. That's what I think we're hearing all across America, enough, it's time. It's time to make sure that guns don't get into the wrong hands, that criminals don't get guns, drug addicts and minors --

COSTELLO: But John, do you know what's happening right now? This is what's happening. People are flocking to the gun shows, flocking to gun stores, they are buying up guns like mad, because those not in favor of any kind of gun control laws are saying that people like you want to take all guns away, want to outlaw all firearms.

FEINBLATT: Look, I think what's significant about "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" with 800 men and over 900,000 grass-roots supporters, and Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly's effort is that these are not irreconcilable. You can respect second amendment rights at the same time make sure people who are already prohibited by federal law don't get their hands on guns.

The smartest thing to do would be to make sure that all gun sales are subject to a background check system. That's not what we have today. Can you imagine at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta you had two security lines, one where nobody was checked and another where people were checked.

Where do you people who wanted to take a gun onto an airplane would go in which like? That's the system we have in the United States right now. We have a background check system that looks like Swiss cheese. We could take a simple step, and it would make a difference. Today 40 percent to 50 percent of guns don't get a background check system. It's actually the law. We just need to close the loo loopholes and enforce it.

COSTELLO: Pam, a final question for you. If nothing happens if nothing is done when Congress reconvenes, does your side just forget it and move on?

SIMON: Absolutely not. The survivors in Tucson have joined with "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" and many other survivors from across the country and we have partnered with them in an initiative called "Demand a Plan." I encourage your viewers to go to www.demandaplan.org and sign on. As John said, we have over 900,000 grass-roots supporters. Everywhere I go, people come up and say what can I do? How can I help? How can I get this conversation going?

Believe there is a loud minority and those of us that really care need to speak out, and going to demand a plan and signing up is one way, and all of you saw Roxanna's beautiful statement. I am so admiring of people like John and Roxanne Green that are stepping up on this issue.

Because we don't want other people to go through what they have gone through, and what so many families have gone through. So, no, I don't believe this will go away. I do believe there is a large and growing body of people that care about this issue.

COSTELLO: Pam Simon, John Feinblatt, thank you so much for being with us this morning.

FEINBLATT: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Today in Colorado, a second day of hearings is about to get under way for James Holmes, the man accused of killing a dozen people inside an Aurora movie theater.

Yesterday, in the first day of testimony, it appeared the killer planned the attack down to the last details. Police say Holmes purchased the ticket for the move nearly two weeks ahead of time.

Investigators say he entered the theater with a semiautomatic handgun, a semi-automatic hand gun with a laser sight and an assault rifle with a 100-round magazine drum. After the killing spree, police found a startling amount of unused ammunition, 200 rounds of assault rifle ammunition and 15 rounds of 40-caliber bullets.

You've probably heard about the weight-loss drug, Herbalife. Well, now there are claims, but the company behind the drug is actually a pyramid scheme. But it's a major money maker, still pulling in more than $4 billion a year. Alison Kosik is in New York. So who is going after Herbalife?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: So Bill Ackman runs an $11 billion hedge fund, he has a big beef with Herbalife. He says that Herbalife is a pyramid scheme, a fraudulent company.

Now what he did was Ackman laid out his case in a big presentation last month. Now Herbalife, the basic idea is salespeople sell the products, they recruit new members and they get a portion of those sales, but Ackman spoke to CNN Money and says it's about more than selling the products. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL ACKMAN, HEDGE FUND MANAGER AND ACTIVIST INVESTOR: What think really sell and what their distributors make money from, is by what they call a business opportunity and the business opportunity is to sell the business opportunity to your friends who sell the opportunity to their friends. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Now keep in mind Ackman's hedge fund is invested in Herbalife. In fact, Ackman build up his position in Herbalife before he spoke out against Herbalife. He shorted the stock, meaning he's betting $1 billion that will fall to zero, but Ackman does say if the stock falls and he makes a billion, he'll go ahead and donate that money to charity. But Herbalife still says, quote, "This appears to be yet another attempt to illegally manipulate the market." And we have more of the interview on cnnmoney.com.

COSTELLO: Alison Kosik reporting live from the New York Stock Exchange. A New York paper names and names and finds itself in the middle of the debate over gun control. Why one lawmakers in nearby New Jersey says, not in my state.

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COSTELLO: Alabama has become the first team to win three BCS titles in four years. They did it in dominating fashion whipping Notre Dame, 42-14. Quarterback A.J. McCarron led the way with four touchdowns, but as big as McCarron's performance was, there was a bigger buzz surrounding his girlfriend.

HLN Sports Carlos Diaz is outside Sunlife Stadium. This is just weird.

CARLOS DIAZ, HLN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Imagine that, by the way, an attractive girl making headlines near south beach. Interesting, yes, the funny thing is people are talking about the "d" word down here, dynasty, dynasty. Not a word you want to use around Nick Saban, that makes his face go like this. We talked to A.J. McCarron about whether Alabama can be considered a true dynasty. We're talking about the girlfriend first?

COSTELLO: Yes, get to the good stuff. Katherine Webb, of course, she is the face that launched 90,000 twitter followers last night. Katherine Webb, she was shown on ESPN last night and listen to what Brent Mussburger said when he saw her for the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENT MUSBURGER, ESPN COMMENTATOR: Wow, I'm telling you, you quarterbacks, you good all the good-looking women.

Wow. A.J. is doing things right.

If you're a youngster in Alabama, start throwing the football around with Pops.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: The 73-year-old Brent Musburger acting like a 33-year-old talking about a 23-year-old. Some people had interesting tweets about how Brent sounded, some sportswriter said, making college women feel uncomfortable since 1978. Then Jeff Possen joined in saying sources McCarron's girlfriend to seek restraining order from Musburger. Obviously having some fun, but last night she went to over 100,000 Twitter followers. She now has more than A.J. McCarron himself, unbelievable stuff.

COSTELLO: I don't even know what to say about that. She was beautiful. She was hot, Carlos. Thanks.

DIAZ: I can confirm that she is hot.

COSTELLO: Thank you. Bye, Carlos.

It is 18 minutes past hour, checking our top stories, an Alabama teenager out on bail 17-year-old was arrested after a teacher found a notebook detailing several attacks. Shroud a self-described white supremacist reportedly began making the plans after the sandy hook tragedy.

His attorneys told several media outlets -- the helicopter search for a missing sky diver in the cascade mountains of Washington state will continue, but officials say they aren't have I optimistic they'll find anyone alive in this freezing weather. No one saw a parachute open when 29-year-old Kurt Rupper jumped out. He was wearing a wing suit that allows sky divers to glide through the air.

Sharing information on a timely issue, the "Journal News" defended publishing the names and addresses of gun permit holders in two New York counties. It was a moved that sparked outrage even prompted one angry blogger to post the addresses of the newspaper's staffs.

My next guest is trying to prevent Assemblymen David Ribel joins me. Thanks for being here. You're sponsoring from being published in your state. What are your concerns?

STATE ASSEMBLYMAN DAVID RIBLE (R), NEW JERSEY: My main concern is getting the information out, the actual names, addresses, types of weapons. I don't want to see us prevent ago blueprint for criminals. Everyone is talking about getting guns off the street. I think you're actually putting more guns on the street potential.

COSTELLO: You're saying burglars will search the paper, find the names and then go burglarize the home and steal the guns 1234.

RIBLE: Well, that's one concern. I think the main concern I have, really in four parts, is law enforcement. Law enforcement officers are law-abiding citizens who have to apply for gun permits just like anybody else. Their names and addresses would be published.

You're talking about Secret Service, law enforcement, those who gets weapons to protect themselves. Then they have their addresses for their abusers to come and find them. Innocent gun owners saying they don't want to be put on a map for not having a gun, then making vulnerable house. So it's very concerning on that side.

COSTELLO: I'm just going to play devil's advocate this morning. We live in a country with freedom of information law, so do you forsake the first amendment for the second?

RIBLE: No, I don't think when the second amendment was created. It wasn't created to put a spotlight on law-abiding citizens. It was to set rules, not put a spotlight on them. I don't think we should be distributing information giving access to law enforcement and other folks. Just last month in the general assembly of New Jersey, we voted to allow lottery winners to remain anonymous if they win the lottery, yet if you're law-abiding citizens, we can't keep you anonymous?

COSTELLO: We do live in a country where there's lots of personal information available. In I object can go online and find your address, probably what you make in salary, they can find out where your car is registered and what kind of car you drive, where you work, and from that people can probably determine what hours you work, but no one is -- so why not?

RIBLE: Let's go back to the saved issue. We noticed it was reported that inmates were starting to tell corrections officers that they know their addresses. In New Jersey just recently, a state commission investigation report came out on gang activity in jails in New Jersey, that gang members are intimidating the corrections officers. So this information is being published, we're putting these people in jeopardy.

COSTELLO: If I'm a burglar, right? I probably want to know what that person does for a living, and when they're not home. I can easily find out that information right now.

RIBLE: A polar is one thing. A criminal looking for retaliation is a completely different thing. I think we have a responsibility to keep law enforcement safe and not divulge their information, as things have changed with the Internet. I don't think we need to be giving the criminals the tools. I think we need to be taking the tools away from them.

COSTELLO: David Rible, thank for you being with us this morning. We appreciate it.

RIBLE: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Talk Back question for you today: Why are we hooked on violence on screen? Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning: Why are we hooked on violence on screen? We've always been intrigued by serial killers, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, but when you getting right down to it, "intrigued" isn't the right word. We're fascinated by them.

Television certainly reflects that now. FOX and NBC about to launch two new series depicting serial killers: "Hannibal" and "The Following" about a cult of serial killers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I first came up with the back story several years ago when I was doing research on serial killers and of course, the Gainesville killers. And I found that so insidious, just how he murdered all those women. Then when they found him, I was like, oh, he was just a vagrant in the woods? Wouldn't it be better if he was like this sort of charismatic professor and he had some sort of great literary purpose?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: These fascinating serial killers join a well-loved TV veteran, Dexter, whose emotions bubble over as he opens up to his therapist about his penchant to murder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a serial killer. God! That feels so amazing to say it out loud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Yes, kind of like that stereo typical cathartic response -- I really hate my parents, I'm glad I got that out. The goal seems to make these killers kind of like you, so likable you'll want to watch them. To do that producers make evil appeals. When you subject this depiction of violence, it may have something to do with Newtown or Aurora, Hollywood sounds like the NRA. It's not our fault.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FMR. GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Every aspect has to be looked at it rather than one thing, that we're dealing with it as a society in the right way, or is there something we can do kip of incidences who were horrid arriving.

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COSTELLO: Maybe it's us, our violence-loving culture, number one now with the Box Office "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", so the talk back question today -- why are we hooked on violence on screen? Facebook.com/CarolCNN.

The new 113th Congress has a record number of women, but our next guest says we need more. She says the men in congress just pound their chests and thinks the gavel needs to be in a woman's hands.

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