Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

U.N. Report: Global Warming Is "Real"; Combating Climate Change; Three Days Away; Dismantling Syria's Chemical Weapons; Iran Nuclear Negotiations; Building Collapse In Mumbai; Did Nairobi Attackers Escape?; In Flight Emergency; Zimmerman Stopped by Police Again; Police Chase Ends In Crash; Rapist Teacher Released from Prison

Aired September 27, 2013 - 06:00   ET

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

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to NEW DAY. It's Friday, September 27th, six o'clock in the east. TGIF, except, that does mean we're a day closer to a possible government shutdown. Three days out, now still, no compromise in sight. More concerning than time is tone.

The White House comparing Republicans to terrorists. Can paychecks and interest rates really be at risk because of all this partisan pandering? We're going to take you through where things stand and what's at stake?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Then, there are a lot of carmakers who advertise these amazing kind of high-tech systems. This really kind of a new trend. The systems are going to help you either avoid a crash or even stop the car automatically if it senses a collision is coming. But do they really work? One group put the cars to the test and we'll tell you how they all stack up.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: And, she is one of the biggest names in politics. She has even held office, herself. Chelsea Clinton sitting down with our Piers Morgan. Find out what she says about her mom's White House plans, and perhaps, her own political future.

BOLDUAN: But first, let's begin with a just released blockbuster report on global warming. It's the most thorough scientific study ever done on the subject and here is the disturbing headline that's just coming out. The U.N.'s intergovernmental panel on climate change concluding with near certainty that global warming is real and humans are mostly to blame for this.

This landmark report came out just two hours ago. We have a team of reporters on this to cover all the angles. We begin our coverage with meteorologist, Indra Petersons. Tell us more about the report -- Indra.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We're looking at here now is like you said 95 percent certainty, not that there's climate change, but that humans are involved. That is the big landmark. This is a change from 90 percent from the last time they released this report. What are we talking about here? There's two parts, have the changes occurred and what role did humans have in it? With warmer days and nights, very likely the changes occurred and humans are to blame. Now we talk about tropical storms, a big topic for many of us, still low competence in that area. When we talk about high sea levels, again, likely confidence in both areas, human involvement and the fact that it's occurring. So ITCZ, what is this? Who is involved with this?

We're talking about it being extremely likely, we mentioned that, 90 percent in 2007, but 66 percent, that was the confidence in 2001. So look at that jump in confidence that we've seen from that period of time. Now this is a report that comes from a thousand experts around the world. We're talking 39 countries.

The purpose of it, we want politicians around the world, they're going line by line to make sure they understand it so they know what kind of policies they need to set moving forward. So that is the purpose of this. There's controversy. Here's what's going on. From 1950 on we know we've been releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

We have been talking about temperatures going up a degree Fahrenheit since then, but the raise in 20.22 degrees Fahrenheit per decade. Now here's where the controversy lies. In the last 15 years, that rate has slowed. So what are people saying? It was only 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit per decade, is it really human involvement? Human involvement still exists and yet the rate is slowing.

They want you to say, ignore this. Look at the big picture. There's a plenty of times throughout history, we've seen that slow down even decrease, but look, here's the big picture. It is still going up. That is the trend. That is what they don't want you to miss. Now we're going to have a lot skeptics saying, looking at a model moving forward in time, you need to say the projections are accurate.

In order to do that, you need to go backwards in time and say, OK, can you predict what happened today starting 15 years ago. The report says, no, you cannot. That's the concern there. What is the reason for that? We're talking about El Nino and La Nina. That's what they're pointing to.

Keep in mind, the ocean holds your warmth in the ocean. So if the ocean is warm in an El Nino year it's warmer outside. It can't hold in the warmth. Since 1998 it's been cooler in the ocean and with that we're talking about the temperatures slightly going down. But of course, that can change and that's what we'll be watching and that's where the skepticism comes from -- Chris and Kate.

CUOMO: All right, Indra. So now that we know what's in the U.N. report and assuming we choose to believe it, a tougher choice may be what to do about it. How can we alter some of the more dire predictions suggesting that cities like Miami might be under water within the next few decades? Our coverage continues with CNN meteorologist, Chad Myers, live from South Florida this morning. Good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Chris. You know, think about a thermometer, either it's the red alcohol or the shiny silver mercury. When the alcohol warms up, that little ball warms up at the bottom, the alcohol or mercury goes up. That's what's happening to the ocean. The ocean is expanding just like a thermometer is expanding. The ocean's sea level is rising.

I drove to Miami Beach on Wednesday and I said there must be a water main break. There's water in the streets. The professor that I was with said, no, that's just high tide. I said it's just high tide? But there's water here. This isn't even a king tide. The big tide didn't it the happen for two more weeks and he said wait until you see what happens there. There will be more water in the streets. There's no denying in this town that the sea level is going up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MYERS (voice-over): The ocean is rising quicker than in decades past and predictions made by some research scientists make the situation sound pretty dire.

HAROLD R. WANLESS, DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: By the mid-part of the century, 2050, 2060, most of the barrier islands in the world are going to have to be evacuated.

MYERS: And that includes Miami. It's hard to imagine, iconic Miami Beach deserted, but it is obvious that rising water is already a common problem here. On a sunny day, a high tide is enough to flood some streets.

JAMES MURLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTH FLORIDA, REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL: We live on lime stone. It's like a porous sponge. We really can't use levees to hold back the water.

MYERS: While the city continues to find ways to deal with the excess water, many experts say there's no way to stop it.

(on camera): We saw barricades and sandbags all along Alton because the water sits there during high tide. Let's put one more foot of water on top of this for just a one-foot sea level rise from here from Miami Beach. Every single street that's blue will have water in it if we get a one-foot rise in sea level?

PETER HARLEM, GEOGRAPHIC INFO SYSTEMS CENTER, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: Yes.

MYERS: That's a problem.

HARLEM: The king tides, it will be higher than this, but this is seasonally showing you the places that are going to be affected first.

MURLEY: The important thing is, is to keep observing what's happening, to look at all the ranges and projections and then come back to the policymakers and say here's the actions you have to take.

MYERS (voice-over): The Southeast Florida climate change compact has been created to monitor and mitigate the harsh consequences of climate change.

MURLEY: They're not sticking their heads in the sand. They know this is a real problem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MYERS: This is a real problem and not just for Miami or South Beach, South beach itself, a few feet higher because of the sand dune. There are so many low-lying cities in America from Galveston to New Orleans to Tampa and Fort Myers and here and on up the east coast, Kate. We're all in a little bit of trouble.

BOLDUAN: When you list the things off, you show how many people, states and cities need to be paying attention to this report, just as you pointed out.

MYERS: Right.

BOLDUAN: Thanks so much, Chad. Great to see you.

Move over to Capitol Hill. We're one step forward, two steps back. That may be the only way to describe what's happening in Congress this week. The Senate is scheduled to vote on a bill to fund the government until mid-November of next year and avoid a government shutdown. It is expected to strip out a provision that would defund Obamacare, setting up a contentious battle with the House, the deadline three days away.

CNN's senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta is joining us with the latest on the back and forth. Good morning, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Back and forth, back and forth, that's right, Kate. As you just mentioned a few moments ago, Senate Democrats are confident they will get a bill out of the Senate later on this afternoon that will keep the government running and avoid a shutdown. But the honest truth is, nobody knows what happens after that. That's because both sides sound as if they're headed toward a shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): Three days and counting and there's no compromise in sight that could avert a government shutdown. Right behind that September 30th shutdown deadline, the nation could go into default roughly two weeks later, unless Congress raises the debt ceiling.

Despite warnings from an economist of a disaster, Republicans say they'll approve an increase in the debt limit only if the president agrees to their demands, like delaying Obamacare by a year and more budget cuts. But President Obama says he won't negotiate over the debt ceiling.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: To suggest America not pay its bills, just to try to blackmail a president into giving them some concessions on issues that have nothing to do with the budget. I mean, this is the United States of America. We're not a deadbeat nation.

ACOSTA: The White House is ratcheting up the rhetoric, accusing some Republicans of acting like terrorists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are for cutting spending. We are for reforming our tax code. We're not for negotiating with people with a bomb strapped to their test.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: American people, this is the GOP. We have your economy.

ACOSTA: The Democratic Party is echoing that message, releasing this fake debt ceiling ransom call from the GOP.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clock's ticking. We hope you don't make us do this.

ACOSTA: Republicans say that kind of talk is an outrage.

REPRESENTATIVE CATHY MCMORRIS ROGERS (R), WASHINGTON: It's completely unrealistic for the president to say that we're not going to negotiate over the debt ceiling. That he thinks somehow we should be giving him another blank check to continue these record deficits?

ACOSTA: GOP leaders point to new polls showing Americans want the president to negotiate. Trading budget cuts for an increase to the debt ceiling.

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: The president says I'm not going to negotiate, well, I'm sorry, but it just doesn't work that way.

REPRESENTATIVE ERIC CANTOR (R), HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: We call on the president now to sit down with us, Harry Reid, to sit down with us and let's solve the problem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Now as for the issue that's been at the heart of the threats of a government shutdown, Obamacare, yesterday the Obama administration acknowledged a couple of glitches with the rollout, the implementation of this health care law. Online sign-up for small businesses to provide coverage for their employees, that will not be ready until November 1st and Spanish language sign-up for these online insurance exchanges, that, too, has hit a delay.

The administration says that will be worked out in time. But, Chris and Kate, getting back to this threat of a government shutdown, the Office of Management and Budget here at the White House, they plan on sending out a new parameters, new guidelines to federal agencies across the government today that sort of get them ready for what might happen on Monday if we go into a shutdown. But of course all of that can be averted if there's a last-second deal. We just don't see one yet -- Chris.

CUOMO: Well, that is the hope, that there's light at the end of the tunnel and it isn't the train. Jim, thank you very much. Appreciate the reporting this morning. Major developments at the U.N. regarding Syria and the future of Iran's nuclear program, the Security Council could vote today on a draft resolution that would impose, quote, "legally binding obligations on Syria to eliminate its chemical weapons." And John Kerry's meeting with Iran's foreign minister made history as the first face-to-face in 30 years, but did it make a difference?

Chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto is live at our Washington Bureau. Good morning, Jim.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris. Well, in a single day at the U.N., incredible progress on two of the U.S.', really the world's most intractable problems in the Middle East, Syria and Iran. First, let's talk about Iran, the highest level meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials in 34 years, Secretary of State John Kerry and the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif. First, it's a part of P5 Plus One talks on Iran's nuclear program with Kerry and Zarif sitting right next to each other.

And then on the sidelines of that meeting, a bilateral between the two, now, coming out, some immediate expectations, management from Secretary Kerry, he said, quote, "one meeting and a change in tone are not enough," but many participants inside that room described an energetic and substantial discussion.

Today the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency resumed its own negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. U.S-Iranian officials will meet again next month in Geneva. Now Syria, just two weeks after Secretary Kerry first floated the idea, the U.S. and Russia have reached agreement on a U.N. resolution governing the complete elimination of Syria's chemical weapons, a draft text went to the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council last night.

They will vote on it as soon as tonight. The key elements of that draft as you mentioned, Chris, Syria legally obligated to allow inspectors and soon teams into the country that will remove and destroy its weapons. If they don't comply, sanctions will come under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, however, to impose sanctions, including military action, the U.S. would have to go back to the U.N. Security Council for another vote.

But really when we think, Chris and Kate, where we were a couple of weeks ago, remarkable progress on both of those countries that we probably could have predicted even a year ago.

BOLDUAN: Excellent point. Jim Sciutto, good to see you. Have a good weekend.

There's a lot of news developing at this very hour so let's get straight to Michaela for the latest.

PEREIRA: All right, good morning to you and good morning to you at home. Five people dead and 12 are in the hospital after a residential building collapse in Mumbai. Rescue crews are searching through that rubble. Dozens of people are still believed to be trapped underneath. The owner of the five-story building says more than 20 apartments were occupied on the upper floors. Housing right groups have expressed concern in the past with neglect in the old buildings in that area.

Growing concern that some of the al Shabaab terrorists in Nairobi escaped possibly by posing as victims. A Kenyan counterterrorism source says one man gave himself away as a suspect when a machine gun magazine fell out of his pocket as he was being evacuated.

In the meantime, there are reports that a white woman was among the attackers, sparking speculation about fugitive, Samantha Lewthwaite, the so-called white widow. Interpol issued a red notice for her at the request of Kenyan authorities, but say it's related to a 2011 incident.

A medical emergency at 34,000 feet, United Airlines Flight 1603 from Houston to Seattle making an emergency landing in Boise, Idaho Thursday after the pilot suffered a heart attack. The Being 737 landed safely. The pilot rushed to the hospital. No word on his condition. The 161 passengers and six crew members were aboard. Passengers were able to get on another plane to head to their destination of Seattle.

Another run-in with the law for George Zimmerman, according to police reports, he was pulled over by a Florida highway patrolman five weeks ago because his window tinting was too dark. He blamed the violation on death threats and he was allowed to leave with a warning. This is the third time Zimmerman's been stopped by police since he was found not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin.

A high-speed chase with police comes to a crashing end. Four people injured including the driver who sped off from a DUI stop and a police cruiser narrowly avoided the impact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA (voice-over): Dramatic video of a dangerous high-speed chase, watch as a Florida state trooper barely escapes collision after the fleeing suspect slams into another car and spins out of control. It all begins when a trooper pulls over this man, 30-year-old James Maddox on suspicion of DUI. The trooper asks him to step out of the vehicle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do me a favor and step out, sir.

PEREIRA: Watch as Maddox flees the scene at speeds over 100 miles per hour. Seconds later, the suspect runs a red light and bangs into another car, the driver of that car, thrown from his vehicle. Maddox then barely misses the trooper's cruiser as his car goes up in flames. He's ejected from the Prius as it careens off the road and inside the car, an 18-year-old passenger who is trapped in the burning wreckage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have one over here!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's inside?

PEREIRA: Officers move quickly to pull that teen to safety.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PEREIRA: So not only is this guy facing a bunch of charges, he's in the hospital, so are two people in the car that he hit. This was a bad situation all around. Lucky it wasn't worse.

CUOMO: That's exactly right. Mick, good story. Thank you for that.

Anyway, let's get back to Indra Petersons with a look at the weekend forecast.

Hello.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I love that. This is the word weekend, it sounds so good, right? And it's nice.

So, we've got a double whammy out there. We're talking about the Northeast, down to the Southeast generally being dry.

Now, Florida, you're always going to have your afternoon thunderstorms but overall, temperatures are perfect and only an afternoon thunderstorm in Florida. No complaining there. D.C. looking for 70s, New York looking for 70s, Orlando for some 80s, and Atlanta, more 70s. Loving this.

Now, we're actually going to see the story going to be once again, notice all the cool temperatures in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures 15 or so degrees below normal. On the other side of it, in the planes, you have temperatures 15 degrees above normal. When you see that and you have a system move through the area, you are going to start to see some severe thunderstorms. So, that's what we're looking for today.

Pretty much from Nebraska down through Texas, we're going to be watching for some rain. Not just heavy rain but some could be severe.

That's the only big story, if there's nothing that major out there, I'm liking it. Have a good weekend, everyone.

BOLDUAN: Thank you very much, Indra. There you go.

CUOMO: Where are you going?

PETERSONS: Boston.

PEREIRA: Very nice.

PETERSONS: I got plans.

CUOMO: Start of the show, you're already saying good-bye for the weekend. Come on.

PETERSONS: See you later.

BOLDUAN: When we run the tape for the next two hours.

CUOMO: Coming up on NEW DAY: we've been following this story, because to too many people, it's just too wrong. A former teacher walks free after serving just a month behind bars for raping a 14-year-old student. That student later committed suicide. The case is triggering nationwide outrage but can the young victim's family ever hope to find justice?

BOLDUAN: Also, this is head. You've seen the ads on TV. Sophisticated, high-tech safety systems that can warn you before a crash even happens, even stopping your car for you. How well do they really work? We put it to the test.

More on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

The former Montana teacher convicted of raining a 14-year-old student is a free man. Stacey Rambold walked out of prison Thursday after just one month behind bars. The short sentence sparked outrage across the country. Along with comments from the judge that seemed to blame the victim.

Here's CNN's Kyung Lah with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Stacey Rambold sped out of state prison a free man, checking in with his parole officer.

(on camera): Hi, Stacey. Hi, I'm Kyung Lah from CNN. Can I ask you a few questions? Are you checking in with your parole officer?

(voice-over): He dashed in. His head down. A short time later --

(on camera): Hey, Stacey. Can I talk to you a little longer, sir? Talking about your one-month sentence?

(voice-over): Left for home.

The former teacher not answering any questions from CNN about his one- month jail sentence for raping his 14-year-old student Cherice Morales. Rambold was arrested in 2008. And as he awaited trial, his young victim was tormented by other students who bullied her for being a rape victim.

And before Rambold's case was heard, Cherice Morales took her own life.

To add insult to injury, the man who was supposed to represent justice, Judge Todd Baugh, then sentenced Rambold to just one month behind bars, saying the teenage victim seemed older than her chronological age, and was as much in control as the then 49-year-old Rambold.

(on camera): Hi, I'm Kyung Lah -

(voice-over): The judge who has also repeatedly ducked CNN's questions has since admitted the sentence may have been illegal. State laws mandate a two-year minimum for this crime.

Rambold is now a registered sex offender and he faces this long list of probation and parole conditions, 59 of them to be exact. He can't be around children, go to a bar, get on the Internet or even open up a checking account. And what's more, this may not be the end of his legal story.

Prosecutors have filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court and hope to put him back behind bars.

MARIAN BRADLEY, NOW MONTANA: I see hope on the horizon. I think as long as we know that it's happening, we can acknowledge it. And we can do something to change it.

LAH: Hoping to finally find justice that is so far failed Cherice Morales.

Kyung Lah, Billings, Montana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: All right. Kyung, thanks so much for that.

Coming up next on NEW DAY: lawmakers playing ping-pong with the threat of a government shutdown. The Senate expected to pass a short-term spending bill today, putting the pressure back on House to make the next move. So, what will House Republicans do with just a few days left?

John King breaks it down in your NEW DAY political gut check.

CUOMO: And let's forget all the speculation about Hillary Clinton. Let's go right to Chelsea Clinton.

Piers Morgan, the grand inquisitor, sits down with Chelsea Clinton and talks about her mom's political future, but more importantly, her own -- when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: You're watching NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira.

BOLDUAN: Bobble head.

CUOMO: Billy Idol. Can't do the look but I can do the head.

Welcome back to NEW DAY. It's Friday, September 27th.

Coming up on the show: can new technology on your dashboard really help you avoid a car accident? A new test puts cars to the test. We'll tell you who came out on top for safety.

BOLDUAN: Chelsea Clinton has kept a pretty low profile for years now but that's all starting to change. We'll hear what Chelsea Clinton has to say about a potential for a 2016 presidential bid for her mom Hillary, plus, what are her own plans or wishes for public office. Why not start talking about it now.

CUOMO: Why not? Lot of news going on right now, though. So, let's get to Michaela -- Mick.

PEREIRA: Right. Let's bring you up-to-date.

Making news:

The majority of climate change since the 1950s, extremely likely that it is manmade. A brand new United Nations report points to driving cars, greenhouse gases and several other human factors. The report says the recent changes in rising sea levels and ground level temperatures are unprecedented and many of them likely to continue this century. Scientists say they are 95 percent certain on their findings, the surest they've ever been on the issue.

At the U.N., movement on a draft resolution that would impose legally binding obligations on Syria to dismantle its stash of chemical weapons. The Security Council could vote on the resolution by tonight. And for the first time in more than 30 years, top U.S. and Iranian officials have held a face-to-face meeting. Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Iranian counterpart. Talks aimed at eliminating Iran's nuclear weapons programs will continue next month in Geneva.

Carlos Ortiz, an associate of former New England Patriot star Aaron Hernandez facing a hearing today on gun charges. Prosecutors say Ortiz was with Hernandez when he allegedly killed his one-time friend, Odin Lloyd.

Meantime, new details emerging about the Hernandez case. They were revealed during a bail hearing for another Hernandez's associate Ernest Wallace. Prosecutors alleged Hernandez was the only one who got out of the car with Lloyd before he was shot to death. Earlier, they have believed Wallace also got out of the vehicle.

Six suspected partiers arrested on theft and burglary charges following a wild blowout over Labor Day weekend at a home of former NFL player second home. Brian Holloway was in Tampa when his son told him he was receiving tweets about a party being held at their Stephentown, New York home. Holloway said 300 teens at the party did more than $20,000 of damage.

And not one but two huge gators caught in the southeastern United States, took four Georgia men and archery equipment, all sorts of time and effort to subdue this monstrous 620-pound gator Wednesday.

And in Lakeland, Florida, long-time friends Harris Woodsby and Matthew Fellows say they tracked this 560-pound gator for years but they got him. They reeled in the 12 1/2 footer earlier this month and call it a catch of a lifetime.