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Women in the U.S. Senate: New Revelations; NFL Reveals Domestic Violence Policy

Aired August 28, 2014 - 15:30   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: You are watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

We have talked about the Americans who have gone to Syria to join and fight for ISIS. Douglas McAuthur McCain was one of them. He was killed just over this weekend fighting with ISIS for control of the city of Aleppo. So, how do Americans get hooked up with Islamic terror groups in the Middle East?

I want you to take a look at this video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you guys only knew how much fun we have over here. This is the real Disneyland.

You need to come here and join us and take pleasure in this fun. We walk amongst the lions. We sleep under the moon and the stars. There are lamps, and the wind rocks us to sleep. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, places so much tranquility and happiness in your heart when you are amongst these people here. And we just -- we can't thank Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The real Disneyland. OK.

CNN's Ted Rowlands live in Minneapolis.

And so you have more on this video. It was produced specifically for -- for where you are. Tell me what that is. And who is meant to see it?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, Minneapolis is really the hot bed for these terror groups to recruit, recruiting Americans. They have been doing it for several years and specifically, they are doing it to the Somali population here in the twin cities, which is significant.

In fact, the person that you saw in that video is a Minnesotan native. A guy by the name of Troy Kastagar. He died in 2009 as a Jihadist fighting in Somalia. He was friends, high school buddies, played basketball together with Douglas McCain.

They both went to a suburban Minnesota high school. Both were targets along with other young people of these videos. There are a significant number of people that over the years have gone to fight, believe it or not, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to foreign lands to fight for Islamic extremists.

BALDWIN: So if the recruitment focus is there where you are in the twin cities, what are local law enforcements, local leaders doing to stop these men from going over there.

ROWLANDS: They are trying their best. They are monitoring it obviously. McCain, specifically, he was on the radar of law enforcement back in the early 2000s. It is happening but the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are monitoring. The problem is they are fearful.

Local leaders feel this way too. That there could be people that fall through the cracks. If they do and they become radicalized, they have a U.S. passport and it would be more likely if they did fall through the cracks without getting detected to get back to the U.S. and that's the real concern.

BALDWIN: OK, Ted Rowlands for us in Minneapolis. Ted, thank you very much. As we talk about these terror groups overseas, we know that the president is meeting with his national security team at the top of the hour at the White House.

We have just learned the president will be making a statement in the briefing room at the top of the hour. We'll take you straight to the White House for more on that on the other side of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Now to the case of politicians committing politically incorrect acts. The reported victim of the offense, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York. Her new book comes out next month and in it she describes her early days as one of 20 women in the Senate.

Gillibrand told "People" magazine about it an encounter with one older male colleague who said this to her. And I'm quoting the senator, good thing you are working out, because you wouldn't want to get porky.

On another occasion she writes, after she dropped 50 pounds, one of her fellow senators approached her and squeezed her stomach and said, don't lose too much weight now. I like my girls chubby.

Senator Gillibrand told "People" she wasn't that offended, quote, "It was statements that were being made by men who were well into their 60s, 70s, or 80s. They had no clue that those were inappropriate to say to a pregnant woman or a woman who had just had a baby or to women in general.

Much to discuss here with some ladies, joining me, chief congressional correspondent, Dana Bash and Rachel Sklar, founder of Change Ratio. So Ladies, first, we talked about this. Just to both of you, Dana, to you and then Rachel, are you surprised by those comments on the Hill first of all by these guys.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not in the least. First of all, because in all honesty, I have talked to her privately about this and I've talked to other members of Congress about this.

She mentions very clearly that they are lawmakers who are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. It is very much generational. I can't even think of one law maker in either party, in either chamber who would do this who is 50 years old or younger.

Maybe also regional, but it is also generational. I haven't had comments like that, but after I had my son three years ago, I got some comments that would blow you away from male senators not realizing that they were saying inappropriate things, talking about getting my figure back and things like that.

BALDWIN: You are like, thanks, personal, step away. Were you surprised?

RACHEL SKLAR, MEDIA COMMENTATOR: I'm not surprised at all. This is any industry really. While it may be confined to older senators and Senator Gillibrand understood and wasn't offended.

But in the larger context, it is indicative of a woman being seen as objects and their personal space not being respected. It is a slippery slope. From that to Todd Aiken who doesn't understand how a woman's body works, doesn't understand the body can't just shut down on a pregnancy.

BALDWIN: But why is it, not going to go there on that. It is like women's weight or just weight in general. It still seems to be OK to jab a little bit. We wouldn't want to go there when it goes to race, sexual orientation or religion, but weight still today in 2014 is OK.

SKLAR: It is not just weight but the way a woman looks. We saw this in 2008 when Hillary Clinton was running for the presidency. Some of the comments in mainstream media about her were unbelievable. It is 2014 now. We feel like we live in a world that is a little bit more enlightened. Yet, we all watched the Emmy's as Sophia Vergara was placed on a rotating pedestal and objectified in front of an audience and millions.

BALDWIN: You know, just to get personal, for a second, it was maybe two months ago, there is someone, I have seen in two years in the last seven. I was getting on an elevator and he looked up to me and wow, Brook, you are looking good. Are you hitting the gym a lot?

And then like, I couldn't even like, words weren't coming out. I was so flabbergasted. He was like, keep it up. Inside of me, I was like, what? But then I feel like, my bad. I thought, Brook, how can I play this out? Should I go confront him? This is not OK.

And instead I called a colleague, a girlfriend and you said, you would not believe what has just happened to me. I am insulted, but I did nothing. Shame on me. What should I have done? SKLAR: Shame on you. Women are placed in this position all the time where they are the recipient of unwanted attention about their looks and bodies and figures and habits. Women internalizes them and says, should I have done something different?

Am I blowing it out of proportion, when the message should be, it is very unprofessional. You have to know where you are in the work place. We are talking about the Senate. We only have 20 percent of the Senate that are actually women.

BALDWIN: Dana, jump in. I want to hear your voice. Lisa Murkowski, isn't she the longest serving and you said she finally was able to wear pants.

BASH: Barbara Murkowski, absolutely. She is sort of the dean of the female senators and she came 28 years ago and she wasn't allowed to wear pants at the time. There were very few bathrooms for female senators to use. They didn't have a locker room in the gym. Things like that. There is no question.

But I think what this also shows to Rachel's point is that Congress is not unlike the rest of the world in that, yes, women are doing much better. There is more equity than my mother's generation.

My mother when she was first hired in her first "newsroom," the only job she could get was as a secretary. She had a journalism degree from a very good school. All she could get was get a secretary job. One of her requirements was to iron her boss' pants. There is more to go.

BALDWIN: Thank God. We are moving along, Ladies, moving along. Rachel Sklar and Dana Bash, thank you very much. There is more to talk about. I would love to talk to Senator Gillibrand myself.

Back to our breaking news, President Obama will be making a statement just about 20 minutes from now. Our senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta is live at the White House. Jim, I thought the White House was saying, no major decisions yet. Now what?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we think that guidance is still the case, Brooke. The president is still scheduled to meet with his national security team shortly after this statement. We understand that to be the case over here at the White House.

The meeting will be in the situation room although, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, they are all in different places. They will be phoning in on secure lines.

So the president will be talking about during that meeting options for dealing with ISIS and Syria and of course, the ongoing situation in Iraq. But Brooke, in the last 24 hours, as we all know, this crisis in Ukraine has bubbled back up again.

NATO came out earlier today and said it had photographic evidence of Russian military activity inside Ukraine's borders. So we expect having talked to a White House official that the president doing the statement at 4:00, scheduled at 4:00 here at the White House.

He will be talking about both the situation in Ukraine and also the situation with respect to ISIS and Syria. We don't expect the president to announce any major decisions.

The president, by the way, may also talk about the economy. The GDP numbers came back for the second quarter and it showed growth of 4.2 percent, I'm told. The president may talk about that as well.

So he's got a full plate and keep in mind, after the statement, we may still hear from Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary for a full briefing. So it's going to be a busy afternoon over here at the White House.

BALDWIN: OK, Jim Acosta, we will be watching. We'll take it live. The president at the top of the hour from the White House. Jim, thank you very much.

Coming up next, breaking news in the world of sports coming in from the NFL. Do you remember all the backlash directed at the league when it suspended Ray Rice for two games after he was accused of beating his then girlfriend.

Here is the new development. The league is announcing a major change in its policy. CNN sports anchor, Rachel Nichols, will join me here to discuss the change next here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Comedian and reality star, Joan Rivers, was rushed to New York's Mount Sinai Hospital today after authorities say she stopped breathing on the operating table. Law enforcement sources tell CNN that Rivers was undergoing throat surgery at another facility when the emergency happened.

A spokesman from Mount Sinai confirmed the star was admitted. She is receiving treatment. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition. E News reported that the 81-year-old "Fashion Police" host is in stable condition. Reportedly, it was some sort of throat surgery.

Now, to new evidence in the hunt for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. Australian authorities said today that the plane may have veered south earlier than first believed.

So this new information here was obtained through data from a satellite phone call after the jetliner fell off the radar. Officials in Australia say further examination may give a better idea of the plane's path. The flight carrying 239 people went missing back on March 8th.

And now to that breaking news from the NFL, they just released a new domestic violence punishment policy. CNN's Rachel Nichols is here to explain how this whole thing came about. What does it say?

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN HOST, "UNGUARDED": Well, you may remember the NFL caught enormous flack for only suspending Ravens running back, Ray Rice two games after domestic violence issues with him. He was caught on film of abusing his now wife.

People were outraged that he was suspended less than a marijuana offense. This created such a backlash that the NFL has now issued a new policy and this new policy certainly advocates feel moves things in the right direction.

Six games or more for a first offense depending on what the evidence shows. For a second offense, a lifetime ban. They are saying they are serious about this. Roger Goodell went a step further. I want to show you this quote from him.

He acknowledges that in the Ray Rice situation, he says, "We didn't get it right. Simply put, we have to do better and we will." That is a pretty stunning admission. The NFL normally does not acknowledge mistake. This is a big mistake they are acknowledging.

A lot of people are pleased with the movement and want to see more education throughout was a part of the NFL's plan and they would also like to see tougher penalties not just in football, but in our laws as well.

BALDWIN: So there's that. We also wanted to talk to you about this college player, USC corner back, Josh Shaw. He was benched indefinitely after admitting that he lied about spraining both his ankles while saving his nephew. He wasn't apparently saving his nephew. So where is this stand now?

NICHOLS: Yes, this is a bizarre story. He was hailed as a hero after he came in and said that he sprained both of his ankles because he jumped off a balcony to save his nephew who is drowning in a swimming pool.

It turns out none of that ever happened. It is now clear from statements from USC and Shaw himself that he made it the entire thing up. The only thing he is acknowledging is that he fell from the balcony. Not that he jumped.

He's not saying how. He's not saying why. He's not saying what happened. Here's where it gets more bizarre, Brooke. There is a police report from that night where officers were called to the apartment complex where Shaw lives.

Now neighbors reported hearing a woman screaming in one of the apartments. The police got there. There was no one in the apartment when they got there, but a witness claims that they saw a person leave out the back and scaling a balcony.

Shaw's name is actually mentioned from another witness interviewed in the report but police say he is not a suspect right now. He has gotten a lawyer. They would like to talk to him.

The lawyer is actually an entertainment lawyer who has represented Rihanna and Snoop Dogg in the past. It gets weirder. We're waiting to see what happens at USC. BALDWIN: So I guess, we have to wait because we won't really know he's a captain. He's a senior. I don't know how good he is as far as NFL potential, but have to wait and see I suppose.

NICHOLS: Yes, and this is obviously something NFL teams will be very concerned about, not just that he may have been concerned in some sort of mischief or something worse that got him off the balcony, but the fact he lied about it. That's a huge concern for NFL teams, character issue.

BALDWIN: OK, Rachel, thank you very much.

Now to this, President Obama as we've been mentioning scheduled to speak in a couple of minutes from the White House. CNN will bring you special live coverage. You can watch his remarks here on CNN. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to THE LEAD. We're starting a few minutes early today because of this breaking news out of the White House. Minutes from now, President Obama is expected to come out and deliver a statement in the Brady press briefing room just before he convenes a meeting of his national security council.

Originally the top of that meeting was going to be on the exploding threat of the terrorist group, ISIS, in both Iraq and Syria, but it seems likely that another item has been added to the agenda, perhaps even going to the top of the agenda now that Ukraine is accusing Russia of a, quote, "full-blown invasion."

We've got senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta standing by along with Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, CNN chief political analyst, Gloria Borger also joining us.

Jim, let me start with you. What are you expecting President Obama to talk about?

ACOSTA: Jake, we're expecting the president to talk about these twos crises he's facing right now. Obviously the situation in Syria, he's been looking at his options all week as to whether to organize and order strikes against ISIS targets in Syria.

We've been told at this national security meeting it's going to take place after the president delivers the statement in a few minutes, that we shouldn't unite expect any decisions to be made there or announced after the meeting when it comes to ISIS and Syria.

But obviously that is high on his agenda right now. But in the last 24 hours, I don't have to tell you, Jake, what has bubbled up in Ukraine is once again very high on top of this president's agenda.

So we do expect to hear the president talk about what NATO talked about earlier today and that is they have photographic evidence of Russia's activity inside Ukraine's borders. We heard the U.N. ambassador say at the United Nations Security Council earlier today that, quote, "The mask is coming off" so some very tough talk from Samantha Power with respect to Russian military activities in Ukraine.

But Jake, this whole question of ISIS in Syria is one that is a very difficult one for this president. Obviously had, when we heard the news last week of the beheading of James Foley, there was a great deal of urgency.

The president ordered surveillance of ISIS targets over the weekend in Syria and it seemed there was rampant speculation all week that perhaps we might hear a decision perhaps this week with respect to some kind of ordering of air strikes on ISIS targets in Syria.

But that has not come. What we have heard over the last several days, Jake, is really caution after caution coming out of the White House briefing room from Press Secretary Josh Earnest that the military might can't take care of it all. They want to look to international partners to deal with this.

By the way, Jake, there's a NATO meeting happening where he would like to talk about this. It will be interesting to see whether the president tips his hand perhaps that kind of decision might it be postponed till after the NATO meeting, Jake.

TAPPER: Thanks, Jim. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, the addition, the accused addition of Russian troops in Ukraine proper cannot have been a surprise to the United States government, the Pentagon, intelligence, can it?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Not a surprise to the Pentagon and not a surprise to NATO. They might have hoped it wouldn't happen, but look, they've had satellites keeping 24/7 watch on that border for months now.

Over the last several weeks, you know, we've reported on it here at CNN, they've had convoys going in. Stick with that satellite images you have up right now. NATO put these out today.

Commercial satellite imageries showing will convoys, missile launchers, and all kinds of equipment going into Eastern Ukraine. That they knew about. But overnight what they have discovered is they believe about 1,000 Russian troops deep to the south moved across the border and went into Southern Ukraine.

There's actual video said to be of Russian made battle thanks on the move in Southern Ukraine going to very strategic cities on that southern coastline, the fighting is said to be under way.

Those troops were, you know, within 50 miles or so of the Russian border. So it was always the case that they could move very quickly at any point to cross the border. The latest estimate is that Moscow has 18,000 to 20,000 troops on the border so this part of the crisis maybe far from over -- Jake.