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New Day
Rockets Launched into Israel; Theme Parks Investigation; George Clooney Gets Apology from The Daily Mail; Son Gets Help for Mother in Diabetic Shock Using an iPad
Aired July 14, 2014 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to NEW DAY.
This just in to CNN. Moments ago, a rocket launched into Israel from Gaza near Wolf Blitzer and his team who's on the ground. Debris raining down just feet from where they were. Wolf was on with us just a short time ago. Wolf is back with us now from the Israel/Gaza border.
Wolf, what happened?
WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR, CNN'S "THE SITUATION ROOM": Remember last time we spoke, just a little while ago, I was speaking with Chris and I pointed out, you really have about 15 seconds once those Israeli sirens go off to seek some sort of shelter. There was a rocket that came in from Gaza and it went right towards where we are here in Sterot (ph), this Israeli town right near the Gaza border. It was intercepted by an iron dome anti-missile defense system. It went out. You heard a huge, huge boom from the sky. And the rocket coming in, missile, whatever it was coming in from Gaza, was destroyed.
But here's the problem. If you don't seek shelter, you're going to have a - you're going to have a - you're going to be in danger because even though the rocket was destroyed in the air, the shrapnel starts coming down very, very quickly to where you are. And right in this area, where I'm standing right now, all sorts of shrapnel was coming down. These little metal pieces you can see right here, unfortunately, if it hits you, you're going to be in deep, deep trouble. So that's why the Israelis, they're well trained. They hear those sirens. They have either 15 seconds when you're close to the border, 30 seconds further away, a minute if you're in Tel Aviv further north, but you run -- you seek cover because even if the iron dome intercepts and destroys that rocket in the sky, the shrapnel is still going to come to the ground and these little pieces, if it hits you, potentially that could kill you.
BOLDUAN: And you're seeing it all firsthand, that's for sure. You were just talking about the threat of it the last time we spoke with you and then you see it right away. Wolf, thank you so much. Please be safe, as we always say. Wolf doing amazing reporting on the ground.
And another reminder for all of you, you can watch Wolf. He's going to be anchoring from the Israel/Gaza border. He's going to continue his reporting there. He'll be live at 1:00 p.m. Eastern as well as from "The Situation Room" starting at 5:00 p.m. Eastern today.
Michaela.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Kate, thank you. Time for the five things to know for your NEW DAY.
Number one, our top story, as Wolf was mentioning, hundreds of people are leaving Gaza over concerns about Israeli air strikes. The Israeli military is dropping leaflets warning of strikes which are targeting Hamas militants, firing rockets toward Israel.
The week certainly is off to a chilly, wet start in parts of the Midwest. Unseasonably cool air hitting the region at what should be the hottest time of the year.
The wrecked Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia is now afloat. It is being towed to its home port, where it will be scrapped. That operation is expected to take six or seven days.
Congressional Republicans digging in against President Obama's $3.7 billion plan to fix the southern border crisis. The Homeland Security Secretary says deportations of those now entering the U.S. illegally will begin this week.
Violent protesting on the streets of Buenos Aires following Argentina's World Cup loss to Germany. At least 30 injuries reported. More than two dozen arrests were made.
We always update those five things to know, so be sure to visit newdaycnn.com for the very latest.
Chris.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you, Michaela Pereira.
Coming up next on NEW DAY, a disturbing new CNN investigation. It finds sexual predators are getting hired at some of America's top theme parks. We're going to tell you what you need to know to keep your family safe.
BOLDUAN: And also this ahead, George Clooney striking back at the "Daily Mail" after a false report. The tabloid says it's sorry, but it's not enough for George Clooney. Find out why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CUOMO: Welcome back.
And, please, listen up. A six-month CNN investigation finds sexual predators are beating the system and getting hired at some of America's best known theme parks. Yes, this is a story that is airing tonight on "AC 360." CNN investigative correspondent Kyra Phillips joins us now with a preview of it. Tell us, my friend, what do you see?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll tell you what, we discovered that employees at these famous theme parks, they're around our children and you have no idea how perverse they are. I mean we're talking about men who work the rides, they operate as security guards. They're even performers and they're being arrested for sex crimes against our children. You're actually going to hear from some of them in our story too.
But I want to be clear that none of these cases involved teenagers or children visiting the parks. However, child advocates tell us this is still a threat. And Poke County Sheriff Grady Judd, well, he's known national for aggressive sex stings and that's how we discovered a pattern of these theme park arrests. Here's just a taste of his passion to takedown these child sex predators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: I talked to a number of these men, and they said, it's entrapment. I was totally set up.
GRADY JUDD, POLK COUNTY SHERIFF: What else are they going to say? Are they going to get on national news and say, I'm a pervert? I'm a child predator? I seek sex with little boys? No, they're not going to say that. When they tell you that, look them in the eye and say, you're a liar. What you really are is a pervert, a sexual pervert, and a child predator.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Well, can't put it more strongly than that. The question is -
PHILLIPS: That's right (ph). He - he has fire. Fire and passion.
CUOMO: No question, he's known for it. But the question becomes, what do you put behind the talk? How can you -- can meaning legally -- keep predators from these jobs?
PHILLIPS: Sure, it's a great question. I mean it's ongoing background checks, intense background checks. And these parks say, look, we're doing all of that. We're doing that with all our power. But there's still more that can be done according to Grady Judd, according to child advocates, and according to lawmakers, and our story is already prompting action on Capitol Hill and we're going to talk about that tonight on "AC 360."
CUOMO: Now, help me with something that will be a source of confusion as people try to make sense.
PHILLIPS: Sure.
CUOMO: We're looking at these people. We believe they're a risk. But we're not talking about what they've done at the theme park. Help me distinguish. How do we know they're a threat then?
PHILLIPS: There are a couple of crimes within our investigation that did happen on the park.
CUOMO: OK. PHILLIPS: And that - that was downloading of pornography, child pornography, OK.
CUOMO: OK.
PHILLIPS: But with regard to actually trying to make contact with a child, that didn't happen to any kids or any teenagers on park grounds. However, I mean, the experts tell us that that doesn't matter, it's still a threat. That these guys, they see how far they can get. They try this. They try that. They go a step further. And that is the huge concern for child advocates.
CUOMO: When you get the combination of somebody with an urge that they can't control -
PHILLIPS: Exactly.
CUOMO: That they know is going to get them in trouble, you have something very -- you have a very dangerous person.
PHILLIPS: Yes, I've got to tell you, as a mom, this was eye opening, Chris.
CUOMO: Well, I've got to tell you, as a dad, it doesn't make you smile either.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
CUOMO: That's for sure. We don't care about anything the way we care about our kids. Thank you for making this known so people can learn more.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
CUOMO: Appreciate it.
And, of course, you will want to learn more, so check out the full investigation. It airs tonight at 8:00 Eastern on "AC 360," of course, only on CNN.
Kate.
BOLDUAN: All right, coming up next on NEW DAY, George Clooney taking on the "Daily Mail" for making up a story about his fiance's family. Can he force the tabloid to scale back their salacious reporting?
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PEREIRA: Welcome back to NEW DAY. George Clooney, taking on a Hollywood gossip giant. The British tabloid, the "Daily Mail" apologized to Clooney after publishing an inaccurate story about his fiance's mother that suggested she opposes their upcoming marriage for religious reasons. Clooney refused to accept said apology saying, "I thank the Mail for its apology, not that I would ever accept it, but because in doing so they have exposed themselves as the worst kind of tabloid." Joining us now, Lloyd Grove, editor at the at large of "The Daily Beast" and our entertainment correspondent, Nischelle Turner. Nischelle, ladies first, I'll start with you. Are you surprised that he's being so public about it? He's not so public about a lot of things.
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Not surprised about this because we all have our bully pulpits, right? And this is George Clooney's. He does take up certain issues and when he takes them up, he believes in them passionately. I think this is because it wasn't about him, it was about people that he loves, and also because he said that this was promoting, I mean, religious strife that doesn't need to be. And I think there was a part that really struck him where he said there were jokes about if you married outside the (inaudible) religion it could lead to the death of the bride. And that, I think, hit a nerve with him and he said, "No, enough is enough and I need to say something."
PEREIRA: Well, lets bring you in. It is interesting that he chose this route of sort of public shaming rather than litigation or something like that.
LLOYD GROVE, EDITOR AT LARGE OF "THE DAILY BEAST": Yes. Well, that's what George -- George is very media savvy and he picks his shots. He knows he has a big bully pulpit as you say. And he uses that, you know, for causes like what is going on in Southern Sudan, and, you know, I talked to him several years ago. He was mad at Arianna Huffington for taking interviews he did and cobbling together into a blog for the "Huffington Post" without, he says, without his permission. And he got really mad and called me up and said, look, "I write all my own stuff, I use my media exposure for my ends and I don't let anybody misrepresent me." So he's very careful about that.
TURNER: He just did it with Steve Wynn, not too long ago, remember? Had his bout with Steve Wynn, when he said Steve Wynn said something negative about the president and George and him --
BOLDUAN: Well, we're also talking about, not just a man with a lot of star power, we're also talking about the "Daily Mail," which it still blows my mind, 180 million monthly web users. With that kind of readership comes a lot of power. And, Lloyd, you were right when you said this is a landmark victory. The world's most unapologetic rag apologized to the actor on Friday. But of course makes you wonder is this a sea change, is this a new chapter that we're going to see or is this unusual because it is George Clooney?
GROVE: Is this a sea change? In a word, no. The "Daily Mail", this is the cost of doing business for them. Angelina Jolie, George Clooney's, good friend was considering suing them for posting some video of allegedly, you know, when she was on heroin, she denies that. And, you know this is what British tabloids are used to. They get sued all the time.
CUOMO: You used a great phrase. You called them - I had to look up French because of you, thank you very much-you called them everybody's favorite bete noire, which means a dark beast. The ultimate truth is that they're fighting a losing battle. The culture has moved to an appetite for this stuff that is stronger than the law or any desire to check it.
GROVE: Well, if there is a war between Hollywood and the "Daily Mail," I think the "Daily Mail" has the upper hand. But people like George Clooney and Angelina Jolie can win some battles.
TURNER: This isn't new. Celebrities do sue the tabloids and they do win. Tom Cruise won when he sued for $50 million against "Life and Style." Carol Burnett was the one that kind of had a landmark decision, almost 30 years ago, when she sued them and became kind of the person to see this forward. Katie Holmes has sued, Kate Hudson has sued, Cameron Diaz has sued.
PEREIRA: And generally, do they win?
TURNER: They generally win.
GROVE: Particularly in Britain where the libel laws favor the complainant. You don't even have to show malice. It can be accurate. But if it is defaming, you might still have cause.
CUOMO: Here you have to show you knew it was wrong, you knew it was false and you printed it anyway out of malice.
TURNER: That's what Clooney is saying, why he doesn't accept their apology. He said, when you first reported this, you said that they met with high members of the community. Now you're saying it was a family friend so either you were lying then or you're lying now.
Which one is it?
PEREIRA: What I also appreciate too is that he's the son of a newsman. He understands the value of solid reporting and the journalistic ethic, you know what I mean? That to me makes it even have some more significance.
GROVE: Clooney is not afraid of reporters. He engages all the time.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: It is just the bar has just changed. If you look at who has made celebrities today, and for what, this would have never been imaginable even 20, 30 years ago. You know you would never see that Oh, wow this person was in a sex tape and it was really horrendous, now they'll have a perfume. That's new now. And it kind of I think skews what is decent, what is indecent, what is allowed to report on, what isn't, what is too far?
GROVE: That might also be a function of the technology because you couldn't post a sex tape on the internet 20 years ago and get famous enough to have a perfume.
BOLDUAN: What is more likely to be successful for celebrities in this love/hate relationships, suing them or publicly shaming them?
TURNER: That's a good question.
GROVE: Shaming sells. If you're suing in Britain, you could get a little change out of this.
TURNER: Even most celebrities I don't think -- I think this also shows the star power of George Clooney because I do think that if most everyday celebrities wrote a letter like this, the "Daily Mail" would say, please, we're not taking that down.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: We appreciate you coming on this Monday to talk to us. Thank you.
CUOMO: The "Daily Mail" banner is up and we're all talking about them and at the end of the day, that's good for them.
PEREIRA: For them, yes.
CUOMO: Let's take a break on NEW DAY. A mom goes into diabetic shock and guess who saves her. And guess what lengths this little boy goes to. You are going to want to see this, it is indubitably the Good Stuff.
(COMMERICAL BREAK)
CUOMO: That is the promise of each new day, a chance for it to be the best. And listen to this one, this will help. It is the Good Stuff. Today's edition. An Indiana mother, alive today thanks to her 4-year- old little boy and an assist from technology. Here is the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
CUOMO (voice-over): Kayla Riley, in the middle of a diabetic seizure, could have killed her. Her son, Elijah, tried to call 911. Couldn't find the phone. So what does he do? Grabs mom's iPad, and FaceTimes his grandparents in Florida. Yes.
ELIJAH RILEY: You press the green FaceTime button. And you press this button. And --
KAYLA RILEY: Who does it call?
ELIJAH RILEY: Mia and papa and they live at Florida.
CUOMO: All you parents named me who say get away from my iPad, go do something else, think twice because by playing with it he understood it, got his grandfather to pick up, got the story from Elijah and send paramedics to his daughter's home. Kayla was saved and, of course, so proud of little Elijah.
KAYLA RILEY: He's definitely my hero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he knows it.
KAYLA RILEY: And he knows it.
ELIJAH RILEY: Yes, I was a hero. A G.I. Joe hero.
CUOMO: A G.I. Joe hero. Old school respect.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
PEREIRA: He might get an extra scoop of something special at dinner.
BOLDUAN: He, is he not delicious?
CUOMO: He is an extra scoop of something special.
PEREIRA: That little smile. Well done. How clever. You see how its changed over time. It used to be just 911. But they weren't near a phone, so he picked up the iPad.
CUOMO: 4 years old. It will blow your mind how fast these kids learn how to use technology. But, something has nothing to do with technology is him knowing the right thing to do and doing what he had to do to help.
PEREIRA: And grandpa answering.
BOLDUAN: Thank goodness for that.
CUOMO: Beautiful, beautiful story. Good start to your day, I hope. A lot of news this morning, so let's get you right to the "NEWSROOM" with Ms. Carol Costello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: That is a great start to the day. Have a great day. Thanks so much. NEWSROOM starts now.
