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New Day

CNN's Ivan Watson Roughed Up Live on Air; Controversy Around Sgt. Bergdahl's Release; Interview with Jay Carney; New EPA Carbon Standards Announced; Alice of "The Brady Bunch" Has Died

Aired June 02, 2014 - 07:30   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Watson and his crew, they were detained of course while reporting on demonstrations marking the one-year anniversary of major protests in Turkey. Ivan is joining us now from Turkey with much more on this. Ivan, you've been in the middle of a lot of stuff, I guess we can say. But what did happen? Why were you detained?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I wasn't legally detained. I was held for a half hour by the police; they say they were doing an identity check. They did not accept my Turkish press accreditation, which is issued by the prime ministry of Turkey and is accepted as the primary form of identity that I can check in on domestic flights and that hotels here in Turkey. They said it was counterfeited.

I'm pretty used to getting knocked around by security forces. I've been detained in Iran and Russia. I've been knocked around in Turkey before. The difference here is that it happened on live television -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: And as you said you've been detained in various places. You've also reported in Turkey about the country for a very long time. Are you getting a sense that they are trying to silence the press there or is this a very odd, unique incident?

WATSON: Well, I mean, there's no question that the press has come under pressure in Turkey over the last several years. It's been rated as the world's biggest jailer of journalists. It is domestic resident Turkish journalists have faced the brunt of this. I have colleagues who have been forced to resign from their jobs because they've been too critical of the government.

The government has also banned Twitter. It's been recently reopened. It's banned YouTube now. A court has ruled for that to be reopened. It hasn't quite happened yet and the government has used police force repeatedly against protests that criticize the government and that's what was happening on Saturday. Perhaps the police wanted to make a point.

With me, they certainly need me in the posterior as they were escorting me away. And they broke the microphone on our camera as they were pushing down our camera so they were not being gentle with us. But it's Turks that feel the brunt of this force. Just a couple of weeks ago, one of the top advisers to the Turkish prime minister was caught on camera kicking a protester.

And I've been watching every week in this neighborhood behind me practically, the police used tear gas and water cannons against what are mostly peaceful protesters. You're not really allowed to protest against the government in public in Turkey today.

BOLDUAN: And you're doing exactly what you need to do, just report on it. And people understand how difficult it is to stay cool, calm and collected and professional under those circumstances. And you did all of that as you always do, Ivan. Glad you're OK. Thank you very much.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: And he'll be right back at it again this has happened to him in several different countries.

CNN money chief, chief business correspondent, Christine Romans. I said "chief" twice.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: You have to actually say it twice every 10 seconds.

CUOMO: That naked power grab by Christine Romans.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Very funny. Let me talk to Chris about the millennial generation. Student loan debt, tight credit, tough housing market, 36 percent of Americans under the age of 35 own a home. That's the lowest level since 1982. Yet 90 percent of millennials prefer buying over renting.

If you want to buy a book by J.K. Rowling or James Patterson, don't go to Amazon. Amazon feuding with publisher leading to big delays. WalMart responded by giving customers 40 percent off those titles and said book sales jumped 70 percent in response.

Get ready for iHome connecting to an iPad or iPhone. Today is Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference and an iHome announcement is expected. Techies also speculating about who Apple will have as musical guests to close the show because of its recent deal with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine to buy Beats Electroncs.

One programming note, everybody, we know how much you care about your money and we do too. We're launching a new and improved CNN Money, online, on TV and on mobile. CNN Money brings you the money news that matters to you the most. That means the latest in the economy, media, technology and of course, my favorite, your investments.

CUOMO: I heard they're adding another chief, chief, chief.

BOLDUAN: That's funny.

Coming up next on NEW DAY, the deal to free Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is drawing criticism. Many questioning if the president negotiated with terrorists to broker this deal. We're going talk with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney live about that and more.

CUOMO: Plus, Hollywood and many of us are mourning the loss of a TV legend, actress, Ann B. Davis. We all know here as the lovable housekeeper Alice on the "Brady Bunch." Her life has ended and we're going to look back at her remarkable career.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The manual said in the case of a double compound fracture in both arms, the victim has to be completely immobilized.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will you do me a favor the next time you ask me to volunteer for something? Immobilize my big mouth before I can answer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY. Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is in Germany this morning receiving medical treatment and getting reintroduced to normal life after five years of capture. The soldier was just released and the deal that did it, a landmark deal that gave him his freedom is drawing some controversy. It was Bergdahl in exchange for the release of five senior Taliban leaders being held in Guantanamo Bay prison.

Here to discuss that, as well as what's going on with the EPA and more is the White House Press Secretary, Mr. Jay Carney. Jay, good to see you.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Thanks for having me, Chris.

CUOMO: First and foremost, what do we know about the extent of the damage and the legitimacy of the health concerns surrounding the sergeant?

CARNEY: Well, Sergeant Bergdahl, as you know was held by the Taliban for five years and in a situation which obviously was not ideal for him, his health, obviously, was under pressure. And one of the reasons why it was so important to act when the opportunity arose was to ensure that he could be recovered and could begin the process of physical and mental recovery. That will clearly take some time after that much time being held as a prisoner of war.

CUOMO: Now, that you have him, have they been able to diagnose anything that substantiated the concerns?

CARNEY: I think at this point, Chris, we need to allow for Sergeant Bergdahl to recover privately out of respect for him and his family. We're not going to get into details of that process. We're just thrilled that he is back and that he'll be returning home to his family. His parents have suffered for a long time because of his absence. And I know they're overjoyed by the fact that Bowe Bergdahl is coming home.

CUOMO: Let's deal with the sticky points. Does it matter if the then private walked off and essentially may have deserted? Does that matter in the analysis of what's it is worth to get him back?

CARNEY: Here's what matters, he was a prisoner in an armed conflict, a member of the military and in that situation, the United States does not leave its men and women behind. For five years, we've been engaged in an effort to try to secure his release and we were very fortunate to do that this weekend. His process of repatriation has begun and re-entry into society, I'm sure will not be an easy one. We're overjoyed on behalf of his parents and friends and family that he's returning home.

CUOMO: Another issue is why not just call this what it was, that you negotiated with these terrorists because he is a prisoner of war and you have this pledge of leaving no man or women behind. And you arranged a deal. Why parse words and having secretary of defense say we don't negotiate with terrorists?

CARNEY: The fact is he was held in an armed conflict by the Taliban, we were engaged in an armed conflict with the Taliban, and we have a history in this country of making sure that our prisoners of war are returned to us. We don't leave them behind. He was not a hostage, he was a prisoner.

And it's entirely appropriate, given the determination made by the secretary of defense, in consultation with the full national security team that the threat potentially posed by the returned detainees was sufficiently mitigated to allow us to move forward and get Bowe Bergdahl back home where he belongs.

CUOMO: When you say sufficiently mitigated, do you really believe you can monitor men like these once they're released?

CARNEY: We -- without getting into too many details, I can say that we do believe and have confidence that the measures put in place in agreement with the host country allow us to feel confident that the threat is sufficiently mitigated. Again, without going into too many details say there's a travel ban in effect. And monitoring in effect and that gave the secretary of defense the confidence to make the determination he did.

CUOMO: All right, let's go to the other front in this two-front battle that you're fighting down here most urgently now, the EPA changes.

CARNEY: Yes.

CUOMO: The 30 percent emission reductions in CO2 by 2030. This is getting big pushback, obviously. The main question is, why didn't the president do this with Congress? Why go around them?

CARNEY: Well, the president has the authority, under the clean air act, to act the way he will and the EPA will announce today. We need to reduce the amount of carbon pollution in our air. We took action to relate the amount of other mercury and lead, other pollutants in our air that do damage and harm to the health of our children.

Right now, there aren't those kinds of regulations to deal with the amount of carbon pollution there is and being able to act to regulate the emissions of carbon will create profound benefits for the health of our children. You know, we've seen a circumstance where the number of -- the incidence of asthma has doubled in not too many years.

We believe and we know from the science that reducing the amount of carbon emissions in our air will make our children healthier in the future and that's a positive thing. It also creates huge benefits when it comes to enhancing our energy security and creating opportunities, entrepreneurial opportunities in renewable energy. So this is the right thing to do, and the president is very confident that he has the authority to do it.

CUOMO: The pushback is that the administration is sneaking through with an obscure provision in the EPA that's only been used like five times. And carbon dioxide isn't even listed as a pollutant in the clean air act. And did you it that way that you don't want to deal with the reality, of what this will do. That it will cost jobs. That it won't really impact the environment that much because India and China aren't doing the same. What do you make of that?

CARNEY: Well, the United States has to lead first of all and there's an indication that the United States will lead on this very important challenge posed by climate change and global warming. But the authority exists, clearly, I will say, when it comes to the interests that always claim in circumstances like his there will be job loss and doomsday scenario.

That's what they said when regulation was put in place in 1990, over acid rain and it wasn't true then. And it's what they say every time when the United States takes action to, you know, protect the health and welfare of our children, which is what the president will be doing today.

CUOMO: Industry says, we already cut it over 10 percent. We're up like 14 percent in cutting emissions our own way. Why do you have to play politics with us? Go play politics with somebody else.

CARNEY: Well, first of all, the strides we've made have to do with a variety of factors when it comes to reducing emissions including all of the above approach to our energy, our needs that the president has instituted. And that includes taking advantage of the natural gas resources that we have in this country.

And that's obviously provided benefits because gas is so much cleaner than some other fossil fuels, but we need to move forward. And you know the president, one of the major accomplishments of this administration in this area in energy and climate change that the car rule that the president instituted.

Again using his authority in cooperation with all of the major automobile companies to enhance fuel efficiency standards for our cars. And that's going to save a huge amount of money in the long run for the United States. And it's also going to prevent a huge amount of carbon pollution from being spewed into our air.

And that provides benefits for the health of our children. These are the right things to do and the president believes, absolutely, that the rule that will be announce today it the right thing to do.

CUOMO: It will come down to the analysis of the right thing to do versus how you get done.

Before I let you go, let's try to make news here, Jay Carney. Is it true that the tough questioning that you received from CNN made you basically decide to quit and go home like a whiner and take over for CBS and late night?

CARNEY: CNN and all the other news organizations represented behind me in the west wing when I go out and do my briefing. They're all out there doing the right thing, doing their jobs, in trying to get information to the American public to their viewers and readers. And it's been a privilege to be out there every day. Sometimes, the atmosphere in the briefing room can be tough, but that's part of the job. I enjoy every minute of it. I've got a couple more weeks here to do that and I look forward to it.

CUOMO: Jay, I have to tell you if this is any indication of what you're going to give every night at CBS and late night, you're not funny enough or too serious.

CARNEY: No, I can pretty much guarantee you that will not be my next job.

CUOMO: And just attack the media. You'll be fine. Appreciate it, Jay, good luck to you going forward.

CARNEY: All right, Chris, thank you.

CUOMO: Kate.

BOLDUAN: Coming up next on NEW DAY, TV's favorite housekeeper remembered. We're going to take a look back at the legendary career of actress, Ann B. Davis of "Brady Bunch" fame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANN B. DAVIS: Come on, who thought that was funny? Whose with the baseball? That's kind of nice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alice, the washing machine has gone crazy!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mrs. Brady, the suds are calling you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bobby?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here he is, here he is. What in the world happened? Are you all right?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I think so. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What were you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Washing my clothes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're supposed to take your clothes off before you wash them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: That's what you're supposed to do. That was a scene from the classic show "The Brady Bunch." Remembrances are pouring in for Ann B. Davis who played the wise cracking and always lovable housekeeper, Alice. Davis died on Sunday at the age of 88. Nischelle Turner has been looking back at her life and very dynamic career.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Seeing those scenes makes you smile. You just felt good after an episode of "The Brady Bunch." Her role defined her in Hollywood, made America fall in love with her. A family friend tells CNN that the Emmy-award winning actress suffered from a subdural hematoma after she hit her head in a fall on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TURNER (voice-over): Millions of Americans welcomed her into their homes for years and she stole our heart with her witty one-liners.

DAVIS: Will you do me a favor the next time you ask me to volunteer for something?

TURNER: Ann B. Davis best remembered as Alice from hit 70 sitcom "The Brady Bunch" became America's most famous and wise-cracking housekeeper.

DAVIS: I appreciate the invitation, but I'm afraid rotten and dirty have to do without me tonight.

TURNER: She helped keep this iconic TV family functioning and her advice always spot on.

DAVIS: Mr. Brady, if a miracle happens, don't question it. Just lean back and accept it.

TURNER: Davis's first big break was on a 1950s sitcom, the Bob Cummings show, where she won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal of the hilarious, forever single Secretary Schultzy.

DAVIS: This year he gave to it the government in one lump. The trouble is the government gave him one right back.

TURNER: In the late '70s, Davis mostly retired from showbiz, focusing her faith and volunteering at a Denver homeless shelter.

DAVIS: I have a place in my heart for places like this. It's very, very important.

TURNER: But she wasn't completely out of the spotlight, making a cameo appearance as a truck driver in the 1995 "Brady Bunch Movie."

DAVIS: I can't help but think what might have been, if I married young, had a family, three boys, three girls. A little voice says are you kidding? They'd probably treat you like a maid.

TURNER: Davis will be remembered for helping two widowers raise six children and being a mainstay of this non-traditional family as America tuned in.

DAVIS: Some of the happiest moments of my life have been spent right in this house.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TURNER: And actress, Florence Henderson, who played Carol Brady wrote in a Facebook post yesterday, "I am so shocked and sad to learn that my dear friend and colleague, Ann B. Davis, died. I spoke with her a couple of months ago and she was doing great."

The family friend told us that she simply never regained consciousness after she fell. I tell you what, you look at those "Brady Bunch" episodes, and to think, too, that -- the time was ground breaking because we hadn't seen anything like that, a man and a woman, single mother, single dad, getting together, you hadn't seen that ever really on television.

BERMAN: Imagine the impact she had on a role like that. It's a supporting role in a show like that. But there are generations, I submit, of people my age, older, younger, who saw the reruns, who just identify her so much with that show and just the fun.

TURNER: Carol Brady was the mother, but in a lot of ways Alice --

BERMAN: She was at the center of the square, Nischelle Turner.

TURNER: She was the center of the square, John Berman.

BERMAN: In metaphor no doubt.

BOLDUAN: You put it well, she just brought a smile to your face.

CUOMO: At a time when you had to do it with being positive and being virtuous and being the conscience of the family as opposed to today when it's usually more controversial. She'll be missed. She'll be missed.

Coming up on NEW DAY, controversy and questions surrounding the release of a U.S. soldier held captive by the Taliban for nearly five years. This morning there's political fallout from his release. The main question is, if the U.S. was negotiating with terrorists, does it mean that they will try to do this again?

BOLDUAN: It happened again, a kid's bounce house blows away with children caught inside. This is the second incident really in just a few short months. How dangerous are these party rentals?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)