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New Day

Obama's "New" Economic Message; O.J. Simpson Pleads Early Release; Zuckerberg's Wealth Meter

Aired July 26, 2013 - 06:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYDNEY LEATHERS, SEXTED WITH ANTHONY WEINER: I felt manipulated.

JIM MORET, INSIDE EDITION: Why?

LEATHERS: Because obviously I felt like he's saying one thing to me, saying another thing to his wife, saying another thing on the campaign trail. I don't know who the real Anthony Weiner is, I guess.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Leathers said they never met in person but told "Inside Edition", they had phone sex twice a week, often more. Weiner's camp declined to comment on an interview.

Prosecutors announce whether they intend to seek the death penalty against former justice of the peace and his wife. Eric and Kim Williams are charged of murder, accused of shooting and killing two Texas county prosecutors and one of their wives. Court papers show Kim Williams confessed to being a getaway driver after one of the shootings, and implicated her husband as the triggerman.

The defense delivers closing arguments later this morning in the court marshal of former Army intelligence analyst, Bradley Manning. The prosecution wrapped up its case Thursday, insisting the defendant selflessly gathered sensitive information in Iraq with the goal of sending it directly to WikiLeaks. They called Manning a traitor, not a whistleblower.

And, finally, on this Friday, we bring you the touching duet.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

PEREIRA: That is University of Memphis quarterback Jacob Carom sharing a tune with an 11-year-old cancer patient at St. Jude Hospital in Memphis. That inspiring video has really exploded online. Hospital officials say the school's star quarterback his regular visitor with the kids at the hospital, this little girl has a very aggressive form of leukemia and apparently, they sat and did some ten songs together. I'm actually getting goose bumps.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ten songs?

PEREIRA: Ten songs. And they had a nice moment there and lifted (ph) a lot of spirits certainly at the hospital.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Powerful medicine.

PEREIRA: Yes, sure is.

BOLDUAN: Takes very little to do that, right?

CUOMO: Good stuff.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Michaela.

Time now for our political gut check all the stories you need to know coming out of Washington and around the country.

First up, President Obama this week selling what the administration calls his new economic message, but is it more of the same? Is it working? Is it resonating?

That's where CNN's chief national correspondent John King comes in.

So, John, they call it a refocus, a re-messaging, back, talking about the economy after months being focused on other issues and kind of scandal and controversy within the administration. So, is anyone listening?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's a great question. We know Republicans are listening, Kate, because their argument was yesterday we've heard all this before. The president going on the road. Again, he's done that repeatedly over the course of his first term and now into his second term saying he wants the Congress to give him more money for roads and bridges, and other infrastructure and investment.

And the Republicans say, we've heard this. We've had our votes, sorry, Mr. President we don't like your plan.

But what's new about this is, the president is getting more confrontational, Kate, not only here in Washington, issuing veto threats to Republican spending plans but now taking his plan on the road, as we get closer to midterm elections. There is the very real prospect of a potential government shutdown, just a little bit down the road, this is the president's way of trying to shake the argument so he believes he would have the upper hand if we get to that point.

Republicans are saying, as we pass budget bills, as we try to move spending initiatives, we're going to take out -- health care has been one. We're going to take out other key Obama issues.

The White House is sending a signal do you that, we will force a government shutdown. Even if the president has a hand in the shutdown the Republicans will get the blame, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Well, let me ask you about exactly that. So, that's some of the conversation happening now especially on Capitol Hill, Republicans wanting to, even though they've tried to repeal or defund the president's health care law more than 30 times, they now want to tie it to budget bills and the budget battles that are going to happen in the fall. That's now causing a lot of heartburn and really a lot of division within the Republican Party.

So what is the strategy then?

KING: That's a great question because the Republicans are out of power, they don't have any one leader like the Democrats have with the president. Even when the Democrats disagree with the president, they tend to mute that criticism because you have one leader.

There are Republicans -- you know, they say they are standing on principle. Whether it's opposing Obamacare, whether opposing other spending initiatives the president wants. But some of them are now saying let's put our initiatives in the spending bill so the president signs a bill that would repeal or delay part of Obamacare.

Well, the president is never going to do that so you do have Republicans -- Richard Burr, conservative senator from North Carolina, telling "Politico" it's the dumbest idea he ever heard, to have the prospect of a government shutdown. So, the president knows this. There are divisions in the Republican Party. Yesterday, we talked about immigration. Spending and taxes are another one with the Republican Party.

The White House knows this which is why the president's being more confrontational. He believes he has the upper hand politically as Republicans have this internal policy war.

CUOMO: John, do a favor. Explain to the audience why it makes sense to the politicians in this case the Democrats that shutting down the government and punishing people who need services is good for people?

KING: Welcome to Washington. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense but it is how this town has become so dysfunctional that it is how they exercise the leverage of power. We've had some progress, student loans, we talked about where people who actually disagree instead of doing these stunts or these confrontations or these threats, go into a room and talk until they figure it out. It's an interesting theory. Maybe they should try more of that on some things.

Other times you get this confrontation. Is the government likely to shutdown? No, but have we been through this dance several times in the past few years with threats and every now and then you think it's not going to happen. Well the divisions are big enough that it could happen and part of the president's road show is to give him the political upper hand if it does.

BOLDUAN: John, thank you so much. Have a great weekend. We'll see you next week.

It's not just some Republicans coming up with this idea, Chris. I mean, these are presidential hopefuls are pushing this idea of tying Obamacare to budget battles. You get Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, they're talking about this idea as well. CUOMO: Republicans, Democrats, I mean, at the end of the day, you can't tell them apart most of the times when it comes to these kinds of tactics.

BOLDUAN: If it's not one this time shutting down the government, it's the other.

CUOMO: It's tone deafness to American families. I get why you guys at home shake your head and don't want to listen to this stuff anymore because it's obvious that they're not thinking about you care about. And that's our job, trying to focus them on. I tell you, it's a tough job. Tough job.

All right. We're going to take a break here.

Coming up on NEW DAY, he calls himself an ideal inmate -- insisting he's already done enough time. That's O.J. Simpson trying to convince a parole board to set him free. What do you think will happen?

BOLDUAN: And could it possibly be the smoking gun in the Aaron Hernandez case. How the former patriots star may have given the prosecution a pretty damning piece of evidence.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everybody.

O.J. Simpson is pleading with the Nevada parole board for an early release from prison saying he's been a model inmate. Simpson has served five years of a 33-year sentence for robbery and kidnapping.

CNN's Ted Rowlands has the story and his chances of getting out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O.J. SIMPSON, DEFENDANT: I've missed my two younger kids, want to watch them get through high school.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Appearing by closed circuit TV from prison, O.J. Simpson tried convincing a two-person Nevada parole panel that he deserves to be free and that he's different than other inmates.

SIMPSON: The difference between all of their crimes and mine is they were trying to steal other people's property. They were trying to steal other people's money. My crime was trying to retrieve for my family my own property.

ROWLANDS: Simpson is serving 33 years for a 2008 hotel room armed robbery in Las Vegas where he confronted two old friends who he thought had stolen his sports memorabilia.

SIMPSON: Make no mistake: I would give it all back to these guys. They could have it all to get these last five years back.

ROWLANDS: Even if granted parole and the sentence he's currently serving, Simpson will remain in prison at least another four years.

Tony Bommarito sat as an alternate. While he agrees with the guilty verdict, he thinks the sentence was too harsh.

TONY BOMMARITO, SIMPSON JUROR: It seems like a lot for what he did in that scenario.

ROWLANDS: Simpson's best chance at freedom lies in a pending motion for a new trial. Simpson alleges that his old attorney botched the case and had a conflict of interest. Simpsons new lawyers argued the point back in May.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After the hearing, we felt good about it.

PARTICIA PALM, SIMPSON ATTORNEY: We felt like we nailed it. We felt like we proved our claims.

ROWLANDS: Decisions on both his parole and a motion for a new trial are expected within the next few weeks. If Simpson gets a new trial, it's unlikely prosecutors would go through it all over again -- meaning O.J. Simpson could be a free man.

Ted Rowlands, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Let's go around the world now, starting in Pyongyang, North Korea, where they're celebrating the 60th of the armistice that ended the Korean War.

Here's Ivan Watson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to the Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-un flower festivals. These two flowers, the red and the purple orchid here named after the founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and his son who also ruled this country. Now, this festival here, this pavilion has a lot of iconic, patriotic images, militaristic images commemorating the Korean War and fighting against Japanese occupation. Our movements strictly controlled here. It's clear here that this is a great source of pride to the North Koreans.

Back to you, Kate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: All right. Ivan, thanks so much.

Now, in Egypt violence could spike today and Reza Sayah is here to explain why from Cairo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's Friday, that means another day of dueling demonstrations in Egypt between supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohamed Morsy.

But two important factors could make today different more explosive, factor number one the unusual move by the head of the armed forces to call for mass demonstrations against terrorists. It's not clear who the top general meant when he said terrorist but many say this is a veiled threat against the Muslim Brotherhood.

Factor number two, more nasty demonstrations -- more guns, more people killed. It's certainly possible those elements could come out today to sow chaos. Many say if things are going to turn ugly in the conflict it could begin with today's demonstrations -- Kate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: All right. Reza, thank you so much.

Now, finally, to the U.K., where little Prince George of Cambridge is preparing for his very first royal road trip. Erin McLaughlin is reporting from London.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kate, the Cambridges will spend their first weekend together in Bucklebury, a tiny English village where Kate's parents live. They released a statement asking for privacy and quiet as they get to know their baby George.

The next big royal event will likely take place right here at Buckingham Palace in the music room, the same room where William and Charles were christened by the archbishop of Canterbury. The date for the christening has yet to be set.

Back to you, Kate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: All right. Erin, thank you so much.

Your first royal road trip, big day.

CUOMO: Big day.

All right. About 44 minutes past the hour.

We're going to take a break. Coming back: Another Zimmerman juror is talking. She says very explosive statement, "He got away with murder." What does it mean in the context of this deliberation process? We have two jurors to deal with now and we'll go through it with you.

PEREIRA: And on this Friday, we have our must see moment coming up, and it is not a joke, it might sound like it, when I say a bear walks in a bar. But this time, Chris, you insist upon it, we have the video to prove the bar and the bear together on this Friday.

CUOMO: That's what I needed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: THIS could be telling about our weekend as well. Hey, we got our must-see moment coming up for you right now. Do you remember yesterday, it was so long ago, told you about a bear in a bar, no joke. We have video now. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA (voice-over): The six-foot, 300-pound bear walked right into the bar outside Denver. Apparently, he was not drinking, just looking for a bite to eat. The funny part is, though, apparently, no one even noticed that he was there. The owner says that's what happens, though, when you live in bear country. Bears walk into bars, they don't want to drink, they just want to snack. He just walked in kind of like he goes there all the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Here's my theory as to why they didn't notice.

PEREIRA (on-camera): Why?

CUOMO: Because there's no one there.

PEREIRA: That's kind of what I thought, too.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: How did the bear open the door, is that a dumb question?

PEREIRA: It kind of looked like he just went like that.

BOLDUAN: It looked like it was a pull kind of --

PEREIRA: No.

CUOMO: That's an interesting question.

PEREIRA: I have more bear video for you today.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Stop. Say it ain't so.

PEREIRA: It's so.

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: Wait until seven.

BOLDUAN: Wow. I don't know if I can handle it.

PEREIRA: I know.

BOLDUAN: Let's get through the rest --

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Please, let's tease real fast. We're going to take a quick break. We'll come right back.

BOLDUAN: The woman trading sexy text messages with Anthony Weiner calling him a, her words "horny middle-aged man." And that's not all she's saying. Find out what else she had to say about their online affair.

CUOMO: Plus, we've been telling you this morning. There's another Zimmerman juror. You're looking at it right now. She says some things that you're going to want to hear, but just as importantly, we now have two jurors and we can really piece together what happened in that jury room, how it led to the verdict and we'll take you through it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON": President Obama gave a big speech yesterday on the economy, a really big speech. It was actually longer than his last "State of the Union" address. Though, it should be noted that he opened with like 20 minutes of Anthony Weiner jokes.

(LAUGHTER)

FALLON: It was too easy they write themselves.

Jay leno, host, "The tonight show with jay leno": The Vatican has announced that the late Pope John Paul II will become a saint after they approved one of his miracles where he cured a woman of severe brain injury. Just pretty impressive. Not as impressive as America look Anthony Weiner still being married, but that's impressive. That's impressive.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Very good late night TV fodder.

CUOMO: Well, they say as long as you get your name right, it's good PR. I'm sure that's what Mr. Weiner is --

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Another guy in controversy. Alex Rodriguez has changed his tune and says he will now accept another rehab assignment. Ahh, remember, where does this take us in the saga? Andy Scholes with the "Bleacher Report." So, yesterday it was, his doctor says there's no injury. What's going on now?

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Yes, you know. A-Rod, he was insisting he's healthy enough to return to the line-up. He wanted to play right away. And that's why he hired that doctor to go on a media tour to say he was healthy enough to play. But after a conference call with the Yankees brass yesterday, yes, he's changing his tune.

During an interview with WFAN in New York yesterday, A-Rod said "I'm an employee. I have to follow my bosses." That's definitely different than what we were hearing yesterday. So, barring another bizarre turn in this story, A-Rod will begin his rehab assignment August 1st. He could be back in the Yankees line-up by August 6th.

That's, of course, if he is not suspended by Major League Baseball for his connection to the biogenesis clinic and for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs.

Number one in the line-up of bleacherreport.com today is U.S. air force member, Nathaniel Mills. Check it out, guys. The windmill dunk last night in Las Vegas. And he does this while wearing his air force boots and fatigues. That can't be easy to do.

BOLDUAN: Right. I mean, the air force -- those are heavy boots.

SCHOLES: Those are heavy, heavy boots.

BOLDUAN: This is not normal gear. That is some impressive.

CUOMO: Shows how impressive our fighting men and women are, though.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

CUOMO: Even in their BDUs, basic dress uniform, slamma jamma.

SCHOLES: Imagine what he can do in some Lebrons.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: Exactly. Exactly. All right. Andy, thanks so much. Great to see you. Have a fabulous weekend.

The music has arrived, and you know what that means, the "Rock Block" has arrived, a quick roundup of the stories you'll be talking about today. First up, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Slamma jamma? I just have --

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: Wow!

CUOMO: I used to be able to do it.

PEREIRA: Did you? All right. Let's take a look. First up in the papers, in "The Washington Post" a scientific milestone. Researches at MIT successfully planted a false memory into a mouse's brain. This could lead to a new treatment of human traumas.

From "The British Daily Mail," a new study warns that the health risks of using 3D printers in poorly ventilated areas. The printers apparently have met (ph) harmful ultra fine particles to help affects our (INAUDIBLE) smoking a cigarette endorse.

And from the "L.A. Times," a unique baby gift, Kate, Britain's Prince George getting a baby crocodile from a zoo in Australia. But apparently, the young croc named George, of course, will remain living down under.

Time now for Is Christine Romans with your business news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good Friday morning. Mark Zuckerberg had a $3.8 billion day on Thursday. Because the Facebook's big rally yesterday, the founder's personal wealth grew by 3.8 billion in a single day. He can make a big jump in Facebook's mobile business for that.

Different story at Amazon.com. CEO Jeff Bezos reported his company lost money in the quarter because he made some expensive investment in the business, but the stock has been a winner this year. It's up about 20 percent.

Charges filed against a group who hacked 160 million credit and debit cards. One of them hacked the NASDAQ stock exchange for two years. That has cyber security experts very concerned.

Finally, let's go to Indra Petersons for the weather.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Back to the rain across the country this weekend as far as when, well, it kind of depends on where you are. Down in the southeast, getting a little bit of a breather today, but notice, another cold front heading your way through Saturday and Sunday, not looking too pretty out there in the northeast.

What a cool down, 30 degrees cooler in New York. Actually, that same low expected to cool off Boston today, then you will take a breather, but only for about Saturday before the next system comes your way. If you're the Midwest, obviously, that means you're getting rain for the first half of your weekend but the second half looks oh so much better.

But yes, there are some 60s out there. Look at that difference, 68 degrees. That's what we saw in New York today and that's what they're looking for in Boston, and yes, even in Minnesota, but it's normal for them.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: It's all about the layering because you never know what it's going to be when you walk out the door right now. All right. Indra, thanks so much.

We're now at the top of the hour which you know means it is time for the top news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I literally fell on my knees and I broke down. I feel like I killed him.

CUOMO: The holdout, the juror who initially wanted to convict is now speaking out. Was the verdict a mistake or their only choice? We'll break it down.

BOLDUAN: And breaking her silence. The woman at the center of the latest Anthony Weiner sexting scandal is now talking and just how many other women may come forward?

PEREIRA: New details in the case against former Patriots player, Aaron Hernandez. Does this surveillance photo show him with a gun the night of the murder? And superstar QB, Tom Brady, finally weighs in.

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: What you need to know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not dozens and dozens. Six to ten, I suppose.

ANNOUNCER: What you just have to see.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning, everybody. Welcome back to NEW DAY. It's Friday, the famous TGIF upon us. It is July 26th, seven o'clock in the east.

BOLDUAN: Good morning, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. We're joined by news anchor, Michaela Pereira.

Coming up this hour, the investigation into the Spanish train derailment. It's really deepening this morning. The driver now under investigation, formal investigation. The big question, was he going too fast?

CUOMO: And, another situation we needed to figure out. Remember, not long ago, the southwest plane comes down front landing gear collapses. Why would it happen? Was it a malfunction? New information about what was to blame, could have been the pilot. We'll take you through it.

PEREIRA: New controversy for one of the most popular shows in America. It's being accused of racism. Ten former "American Idol" contestants are now suing the show, asking for $25 million each. Do they have a case? We have details about their surprising accusations. That's coming up.

BOLDUAN: All right. But first up, he got away with murder. That's what one juror is saying. That bombshell came from Juror B-29 in the George Zimmerman trial. The second juror to break her silence says she's so torn up about the verdict that she feels she owes an apology to Trayvon Martin's parents.