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New Day

High Level Meeting; Terror Attack At Nairobi Mall; NCAA Easing Penn State Penalties; New Army Rules For Tattoos; Odom Vents On Twitter; Senator Ted Cruz Still Going; Online Insurance Exchanges Open Soon; Not A Filibuster; Jackson Trial Closing Arguments; Breaking Not So Bad; "Dumb And Dumber To"; Red Satin Or White Silk?; Faking Vegas?

Aired September 25, 2013 - 07:30   ET

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

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: -- to pursue a nuclear deal with Iran. Both Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani struck conciliatory tones at the U.N. yesterday though they did not meet face to face. Christiane Amanpour will join us at the top of the hour with her exclusive sitdown interview with President Rouhani.

Kenya's president meanwhile says his country is, quote, "bloodied but unbowed" after a four-day siege at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi. He says the al Shabaab terrorists were ashamed and defeated by Kenyan security forces. At least 61 civilians died in that attack. We're showing you new video, showing some of the chaos that erupted inside the mall as people tried to escape. Officials say five of the terrorists were killed, nearly a dozen now in custody.

Back here at home, the NCAA easing sanctions against Penn State, the school was fined $60 million last year in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The university was also hit with a four-year post-season ban and scholarship restrictions through 2017, but because of progress being made at the school, the NCAA will now allow Penn State to offer 20 scholarships to recruits next year and the ban on ball games could be reduced.

If you want to join the Army, you may want to reconsider getting that next tattoo or at least its placement. "Stars and Stripes" reporting that new U.S. Army recruits will not be allowed to have tattoos below their elbows and knees or above their necklines. The ban has already been approved by the secretary of the Army, now awaits his signature. The policy is expected to take effect in between 30 and 60 days. It only affects U.S. Army recruits. Other branches of the military have their own grooming policies.

NBA free agent, Lamar Odom, breaking his silence on Twitter, slamming his own father and defending his wife, Khloe Kardashian, and her family. After about a two-month break from social media, Odom tweeted, quote, "seeing the snakes." In an extended tweet, he explained, calling his father his downfall. On Tuesday, Odom's father told "Radar Online" his son would have been better off without the Kardashians. Family therapy in the Twitterverse.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, exactly.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's get back to the big story that we're watching this morning, Senator Ted Cruz still protesting on the Senate floor. Right now, you're looking at Florida Senator Marco Rubio lending him support, which has been hard to find for the senator, increasingly so.

Meanwhile, a key provision of Obamacare is about to go into effect, online insurance exchanges will be up and running next week, but hardly anyone seems to know how they work.

CNN's Athena Jones joins us live with more. We're so caught up in the politics that we've forgotten about the policy. Athena, please, educate us.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. Well, as you know, from the events of last night and this morning, Obamacare has been getting a lot of attention here on Capitol Hill. But as much as some Republicans want to block it, it's still the law of the land. Even the government shutdown won't stop it. But as you mentioned, a lot of Americans don't really understand the law or what it means for them and so here's what you need to know about what's going to be happening starting on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (voice-over): Here's what happens October 1st. New health insurance exchanges will open for business across the country. That means millions of uninsured Americans will be able to buy health insurance. People can sign up for a health plan by mail, in person or online. They'll be able to compare the plans available in their state and find out if they qualify for discounts on their monthly premiums or for even cheaper or free care through Medicaid or the children's health insurance program.

Prices will vary depending on where you live and what kind of plan you choose and premium rates could change over time. The law's key provisions go into effect January 1st, 2014. That's when the coverage through the exchanges begins. This signup period called open enrolment ends March 31st, 2014. So how do you know if you need to sign up?

If you already get health insurance through your job, you're all set. You don't have to buy a new plan through the exchange. If you're covered through government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and veterans programs, you don't have to worry about signing up for a new plan either.

But if you buy your own health coverage you may need to sign up for a new plan if the one you have doesn't meet the law's new rules. If you can afford to buy coverage but don't, you may have to pay a fine that will go up every year you're uninsured.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Athena Jones, thanks so much for that. Let's talk more about this shutdown showdown that we're facing right now and this marathon protest on the Senate floor happening now. Let's bring in Senator Bob Corker, Republican from Tennessee to talk more about this. Senator, it's great to see you this morning.

SENATOR BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: Good to be with you. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Of course, you've made no secret of disagreeing with Ted Cruz's approach and probably all the attention that he's gathering doing this marathon protest. Have you reached out to him? I think a lot of people are wondering if his Republican colleagues have reached out to say, stop doing this.

CORKER: Well, look, we've had a lot of good conversations and, look, you know, Republicans all are very concerned about the policies that are occurring through this health care bill. We're concerned about employment, people moving to part-time work and so there's been a difference relative to strategy or tactics, but I think everybody's concerned about this.

And you know, we had a nice lunch meeting yesterday and talked about this and, you know, people are taking different approaches. But at the end of the day, I do hope we end up with good policy changes over the course of this next week. I think we have the opportunity for that to occur.

BOLDUAN: You're being very diplomatic. I appreciate that. It's nice to have civility amongst Republican senators. What damage, though, is Senator Ted Cruz doing to the process? He knew before he started that this was not really a filibuster. He knows the vote is going to go forward. So what damage is he doing?

CORKER: Well, again, you know, it's funny how things are, Kate. You never know how things work out or how they affect things until you look in the rear view mirror. So again, I do hope we end up with the possibility of a delay of the individual mandate. We're doing that for companies now why not this. Maybe a delay in the subsidy since you cannot verify people's income at present.

So, you know, there are things that could come out of this that are positive and each day is different and new around here, as you know, you never know what the next turn is going to be. What we do know is that government is going to shut down if it's not funded on September 30th. And my sense is, before that occurs, we'll end up with a resolution and move on to the next issue, which is the debt ceiling.

BOLDUAN: Can you talk to me more about where you're getting that sense of optimism of how you'll deal with this. Right now, the way it looks, if you're looking at it from the outside in, it looks like we're headed straight to a shutdown.

CORKER: You know, Kate, if you don't have some degree of optimism working in this place, you'd have a very, very difficult career here. But look, I came here hoping that we would do things to make our country stronger. I think we've been -- Republicans candidly over the last couple of years have been able to get permanent tax policy in place.

For the first time ever, two years in a row, actual reductions in spending and what I hope is going to happen, again, through the CR process and the debt ceiling process is that we'll keep our eye on that, the fact that we need to make our country stronger. I think you know, Kate, I travel the world on behalf of our country. I'm on the foreign relations committee. People are concerned about our ability to keep our commitments around the world.

I think you know it's affecting our economy here. Not just this health care bill, but our inability to get our house in order fiscally. So, again, these things are not fun to watch. Americans are busy doing the things they do at home and sometimes don't understand all the intricacies of what's beginning on. I have a feeling something fairly good can come out of this, and these machinations back and forth and discussions over which is the best tactic those will be long forgotten if we can get good policies in place.

BOLDUAN: It's good to be a glass half full kind of guy. I appreciate that.

CORKER: Especially here. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Yes, exactly.

CORKER: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Help me understand, though, what is the end game? Because right now if you look at the clock that's ticking and the Senate clock, we don't need to get into procedure, because it bores everyone, how it works in the Senate.

CORKER: Yes, it does.

BOLDUAN: It will take us through the weekend, which will give basically no time for the House to respond before we hit that deadline. So give me some insight, some assurance, rather than -- other than optimism of where the negotiations stand on how to avoid this.

CORKER: Well, actually, there are no negotiations right now. We did have a discussion yesterday at lunch about whether it would make sense to yield back some time and this, again, is on a motion to proceed, an arcane procedure here in the Senate, to give the House some opportunities to respond to what might come over from the Senate.

I know that House members are already talking about how they might respond if the defunding component ends up being stripped out. Look, it's just a standard civics class, Kate. You know, the Republicans control the House. Democrats control the Senate and the White House. And so, obviously, you know, with one-third of government, it's very difficult for a sweeping change to occur.

On the other hand, I do think there's a possibility for some policy changes that would be good for the American people and good for the country. And, Kate, I wish I could answer you right now. I don't think there's anybody in this building that knows exactly how this is going to unfold at present. I do hope we'll give the house some time to respond in a thoughtful way after the senate takes action. My sense is, that will be the case. BOLDUAN: I appreciate all you can give me is an honest answer. That's what I appreciate. You talked about it being something good for the American people coming out of this. One good thing for the American people, I know you will agree, is avoiding the shutdown in the most immediate before you have the larger policy conversations going forward. Senator, we're going to have you back. Thank you for your time this morning -- Chris.

CORKER: Thank you.

COUMO: I hope they are able to avoid the shutdown. At this rate it seems like this could become the new modus operandi. We're going to have keep watching.

First, we're going to take a break here on NEW DAY. When we come back, closing arguments in the Michael Jackson wrongful death case. AEG Live stands to lose massive amounts of money. A preview of their closing arguments.

And a good look at this picture? Look familiar? Nischelle Turner will break down what this is all about in our "Pop Four." Remember this?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY. A tearful start to closing arguments in the Michael Jackson wrongful death case, the cause, images of Jackson himself shown in court. The trial has gone on for five months with emotional testimony from Jackson's mother and children during it. Now, for the first time, defense attorneys are talking dollars and cents. Here's CNN's Casey Wian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL JACKSON: This is it.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson was so intoxicated and disoriented before the press conference announcing his comeback tour that a concert promotion executive had to slap him and put him in the shower, just to get him to the podium. Jackson family attorney, Brian Panish, told that story during his closing argument in a wrongful death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG Live. To show the promoters should have known better than to hire Dr. Conrad Murray to care for Jackson and keep him performing at all costs.

BRIAN PANISH, JACKSON FAMILY ATTORNEY: Michael Jackson had a well- known problem. He had abused prescription medications during times of pain, anxiety and stress. But AEG, thought when they brought Dr. Murray in to assume responsibility for taking that risk that they chose to run the risk to make a huge profit, and they lost. And they are responsible.

WIAN: Spectators in the court teared up when Panish played a video highlighting Michael Jackson's career, part of an effort to show the king of pop could have earned more than $1 billion had he lived, damages he say should go to Jackson survivors. First, jurors must decide if Murray was an employee of AEG despite the fact that neither Jackson nor AEG signed his contract. Panish displayed an e-mail exchange between two AEG executives.

PANISH: We want to remind him that AEG, not M.J. that's paying his salary.

WIAN: That e-mail may be the strongest evidence in favor of Jackson's mother, Katherine and his three children. The family matriarch had dramatic testy exchanges with AEG attorneys during the trial. Two of Jackson's children, Paris and Prince, testified via videotape. Paris survived a suicide attempt during the course of the nearly five-month trial.

During AEG's closing arguments, attorneys also planned to bring up Jackson's long history of drug abuse, but they'll use it to argue he was responsible for his own death. Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Well, you know, I've covered this a lot. And for all the legalities and the pain of the family, just shows you, no one is immune. Prescription drugs certainly one of the new scourges of addiction and that was Michael Jackson's main problem, and that part is incontrovertible. The litigation is going to go on. It's a big sympathy move here. Not as much based on law as sympathy.

BOLDUAN: That's the thing that caught my attention. It's gone on for five months, this whole thing. That's what happens when there's that much money at stake.

CUOMO: Different than criminal litigations. Civil litigation is usually about time and paper. It will be interesting to see how this one comes up.

We're going to take a break now on NEW DAY. When we come back, Iran's new president has a message for you and he gave it to our very own Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview you'll want to see. You'll want to hear what he has to say to the American people directly.

BOLDUAN: Also ahead, Britney Spears getting ready for her two-year Vegas gig. One thing she may not have to practice is her singing. We'll explain why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone. It's time for the "Pop Four" and Nischelle Turner is back.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm back. I missed you guys.

BOLDUAN: Missed you too.

TURNER: Good morning to everybody. Let's get to the "Pop Four." Number four on this NEW DAY, good news for you, pay back for "Breaking Bad" fans, literally pay back, Apple accidentally double charged viewers when they purchased the final season of the hit AMC show on iTunes, but yesterday they gave us the money back $22.99 credit, check it, you got it.

It's happening, number three, "Dumb To" yes that's t-o. Jeff Daniels dressed up in character as Jim Kerry, 20 years after the original, Lloyd and Harry are back. They are dumber than ever. They started filming on Tuesday.

BOLDUAN: Twenty years?

TURNER: Does that make you feel old?

CUOMO: You know you're old when, dot, dot, dot.

BOLDUAN: What a different character from what he's playing on HBO's "Newsroom."

CUOMO: Although not so much -- made that a joke myself.

TURNER: Number two story this morning if you read the books you know that wine plays a major part in the popular "Fifty Shades Of Grey" books. Now author E.L. James is capitalizing on all of this. She is launching, yes, "Fifty Shades of Grey" wine in red satin and white silk.

CUOMO: That's nice.

TURNER: Indeed, number one this morning, oops, is she doing it again? Reports of lip-syncing have followed Britney Spears around her entire career, but there's talk of the 31-year-old superstar will hardly sing a live lick during her two-year Vegas residency. A source telling the "New York Daily News" that Britney does not sing, she is being paid a lot of money to lip-sync.

And here's what I have to say, I'm not going to see Britney spears sing, I'm going to see her perform if she has to lip-sync, well.

CUOMO: Well, she did sing. It's a recording of her having sung.

TURNER: It's not like me singing. She's singing to me. What you all trying to say?

PEREIRA: I want to see you sing.

TURNER: Not doing it this time.

PEREIRA: Good to have you back.

TURNER: Missed you guys.

CUOMO: Time for a break. Coming up on NEW DAY, Iran's new president talking to our Christiane Amanpour, an exclusive interview sending out his first English language message. He is talking about friendship and reconciliation, but can we take him at his word? BOLDUAN: Also, five days remain before a shutdown. Senator Ted Cruz's protest continues with Senator Marco Rubio also at the podium helping him out throughout the morning. The first key procedural vote on the government funding bill is coming so what are they trying to accomplish in the meantime?

CUOMO: Did that say "the good stuff" across the front?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: That music means it's time for the rock block, another quick round up of the stories you'll be talking about today. First up, Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right, let's take a look in the "Washington Post," the Senate confirming the first openly gay judge to serve on a federal appeals court in the U.S., the choice of Todd Hughes was unanimous.

The "L.A. Times" says Amanda Bynes' drunk driving case will be moved to a mental health court. Her lawyer argued Bynes wasn't mentally fit for criminal court. Bynes allegedly clipped a police cruiser last April.

Now to Christine Romans and financial news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: A warning from the Treasury Secretary Jack Lew says Wall Street is not taking the debt ceiling struggle seriously enough. Is Wall Street waking up? The Dow is down 342 points in just the past four sessions.

Travel web site "Kayak" says you only have about three weeks for air fares start going up for the holidays. Thanksgiving travel fares jumped 17 percent above average fares after mid-October last year. Christmas, New Year's increased 51 percent and 25 percent respectively. Start planning. Indra Petersons has the weather.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I bought my Thanksgiving tickets three months ago. Am I the only one that paranoid? Yes, exactly. We're talking about temperatures look pretty good from the northeast all the way down to the southeast. There is a difference though in the southeast they are dealing with rains, even though it's a hint warmer.

We're actually going to be watching them for the potential for maybe that to change in the northeast. It sounds so confusing. Low could develop. We're going to track it as it makes its way up the eastern seaboard. We have to see where it goes to see whether or not that actually means the beautiful 70s in the northeast and rain for the weekend but again coin flip as of now.

BOLDUAN: Coin flip, all right, we'll take it, I guess, if we have to.

CUOMO: Science.

BOLDUAN: Now at the top of the hour, which means it's time for your top news. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: I just don't happen to think filibustering a bill that defunds Obamacare is the best route to defunding Obamacare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Cruz control, the Texas senator with his speech against Obamacare as big as the lone star state itself vowing to go until he can't stand, but with the shutdown looming does he have a leg to stand on with his own party?

BOLDUAN: Peace and friendship, Iran's new president has a message for the American people, but did not meet with President Obama. Is he really open to working with the U.S. or is it all for show? He sat down with Christiane Amanpour in a CNN exclusive.

PEREIRA: Dr. Drew revealing for the first time that he has been battling prostate cancer. He'll joins us live with the tough decisions he's had to make and why he's going public with his diagnosis.

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: What you need to know --

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I hope that our friends on the other side of the aisle understand that this is not right to do and this is bad politics for them to do.

ANNOUNCER: What just have to see --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Need to help me get these goats out of my backyard because they're stubborn. Get out there. Get out of my stuff!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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