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Dying Girl Picks Own Time to Die; FBI Asks Public for Help Identifying Jihadi; New Search Begins on MH370; Jennifer Lawrence Opens Up to "Vanity Fair"

Aired October 07, 2014 - 14:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You're watching CNN.

We're talking about this young woman's story. Her name is Brittany Maynard. She was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at just 29 years of age. She was told by doctors she has nearly six months to live. She is deciding for herself when she will die. She and her family moved from California to Oregon where this is perfectly legal, and she is planning on ending her life with a prescription pill on the 1st of November. She has a date. But what about her family here? Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRITTANY MAYNARD, DYING WOMAN CHOOSING HER TIME OF DEATH: My parents spent a couple of months, just looking for a miracle.

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER OF BRITTANY MAYNARD: In the beginning, I hoped for everything. First, I hoped they had the wrong x-rays, the wrong set of scans, it was all a bit clerical mishap. Your brain will do really strange things to you. When you don't want to believe something, you will come up with fairy tales.

UNIDENTIFIED FATHER OF BRITTANY MAYNARD: -- for people who are in the predicament of facing a lot of suffering that they can decide when enough is enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER OF BRITTANY MAYNARD: My hope now is that my daughter can live her life the way she wants to, that she can make the decisions she wants to be who she is, which is this very autonomous, bright, well-read, well-traveled person who loves adventure.

She kind of got me into this thing where we've agreed to meet. And so I'm going to go on a traveling adventure and this place I'm kind of scared to go to. A lot of climbing, but she said she'd meet me there. And so, dammit, I'll go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: She's going to go meet her daughter as her daughter has not much time left.

Kenneth Goodman, rejoining me, founder and director of the University of Miami's Bioethics Program & co-director of the University's Ethics Programs.

First of many questions I have for you here is, obviously, the mother -- I don't know how long it took, if there was coaxing involved, to get the mother and husband and stepfather on board with this plan to take this fatal pill the first of November. But I have to imagine, Kenneth, you've seen or heard of other instances where other, you know, close loved ones disagree with the plan.

KENNETH GOODMAN, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, BIOETHICS PROGRAM & CO-DIRECTOR, ETHICS PROGRAMS, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: Indeed, they do. These decisions are among the most exquisitely difficult in the history of civilization. We have two big questions or two big things we agree on, one of them is that life is precious, the other is that so is liberty. And when a family member is nearing death, it could be very difficult to sort out what the right thing to do is. Having the family on board and having communication about that is true for all families, not just ones such as this.

BALDWIN: Someone just tweeting me a moment ago, it sounds like he has the same type of brain cancer. I realize every case is different. But he said he was diagnosed in November of 2012. And here he is one year later.

I think we should back up. Just to explain to everyone, Kenneth, there five states in the U.S., Oregon being the first, to enact this Death with Dignity Act. Can you explain to us how -- what exactly this allows?

GOODMAN: So one of the things we realized, we've realized this for some years is medical technology has gotten better and better and can sometimes keep people alive even when we can't do such a good job with other sorts of things, for example, managing suffering. Although that's changed a lot. An important point to make. What they decided in Oregon was this. If you're facing death with a high degree of certainty and it's going to be a painful and prolonged death, then it's reasonable to provide a means for having assistance in dying.

It's worth mentioning, in Oregon, more people have been given permission to use the services than have actually used them. It's important, a lot of people say, I didn't do it, but I was really glad it was there. And with adequate controls and constraints, Oregon remains an interesting experiment along with the other states.

BALDWIN: So here she is, though. What also struck me, Kenneth, in the video, you see her with the pill in her wallet. Cuts to the picture of her bedroom where she's planning on passing, down to the music she'll be playing in the background, down to which loved one she wants by her side. Is that -- I can't imagine any of this is typical, period, but is this more or less how this is done?

GOODMAN: Well, now -- one reasonable response to that is this is a little TMI. We may support one's right to seek assistance in dying but, in fact, like many other medical facts, medical treatments and many other human responses to those, it's probably best to keep them private. BALDWIN: What about the notion that this is a slippery slope?

There's a whole debate that "The New York Times" is providing, just quickly here, on how some people have undiagnosed depression and how they want these pills for the wrong reasons. Or the doctor doesn't know enough about the patient's condition, maybe the patient doesn't need one of these pills, but in Oregon, for example, it's perfectly legal. Your response?

GOODMAN: So one of the things they did in Oregon, initially, and other states have tried to emulate, is put in place safeguards to prevent exactly such slipperiness on that slope. In other words, you have to show some durability of desire. They screen against depression. This is not a fly by night organization. This is a response after hundreds of years of trying to come to terms with technology to figure out when, if ever. it's permissible to do this. It's good to have misgivings, it's good to not throw the gates wide open, which is why I regard, and others, I think, regard Oregon as a bit of an experiment. Let's continue to see if they can manage it carefully. We'll draw conclusions thereafter.

BALDWIN: We will follow Brittany's story. I'd love to talk to her about this choice.

Kenneth Goodman, thank you very much.

We'd love to hear from you. If you had the choice, would you take it? Send me a tweet @brookeb/CNN.

Let's move along. We've got breaking news for you in the war against ISIS. We are getting word the FBI is asking the public for information to help identify this man, a jihadi, could be American, seen in an ISIS execution video. The back-story next.

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BALDWIN: Breaking news just into CNN. The FBI asking for your help in identifying a jihadi with, quote, unquote, "a North American accent, who was last seen in an ISIS video from last month.

Let's go straight to Washington to our justice correspondent, Pamela Brown, working this one for us.

Pamela, tell me what you know.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, the FBI is asking for the public's help identifying a jihadi with a North American accent who was seen in this ISIS propaganda video last month. He was seen lording over Syrian soldiers before the jihadi and others in ISIS appeared to shoot them all dead. And the FBI, ever since this video was released a few weeks ago, they've been pouring over it trying to figure out the identity of this man we've seen here, this masked men wearing military fatigue. They've been using voice analysis because he appears to be proficient in the English language. And, of course, that might lead you to believe that he could be an American. And that's initially what intelligence officials thought, that he's possibly from America or Canada. So as well as a voice analysis they've been using facial recognitions.

As we see in this video, he has some very distinct features with his eyes and eyebrows. They've been using that. Picking apart metadata in the video and trying to figure out his identity. And so far, Brooke, They've been coming up empty. So now they're appealing to the public asking for help to see if anyone might recognize this masked man.

And we know, Brooke, that the FBI director, James Comey, talked about Americans fighting in Syria. But it appears this person isn't on their radar as far as that goes. And as Comey said, I don't know what I don't know. And a big concern is, of course, there are other Americans over in Syria fighting that we simply don't know about -- Brooke?

BALDWIN: Pamela Brown, stay on it for us. Thank you so much for us in Washington.

Coming up next, a search for missing Malaysian flight 370 is beginning again. What are investigators doing now that could help find this plane? The guy who helped lead our coverage for months and months, Richard Quest, joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: It has become the biggest search operation in history. And now crews are beginning a deep-sea search that could lead, could lead to the discovery of missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370. Investigators into this new phase, Monday after dedicating the last few months to mapping the ocean floor, the search area has been narrowed to virtually an unknown swath of the South Indian Ocean roughly the size of West Virginia.

So the man you saw all over your TV screens for months and months and months, he lived here, he slept here --

RICHARD QUEST, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: I'm back. I'm back.

BALDWIN: -- is back, ahead of this special we have tonight.

So let's just begin with, what has come of the mapping of the sea floor?

QUEST: Absolutely crucial. It was of major importance because so little was known about this part of the ocean.

BALDWIN: OK.

QUEST: Nothing. In fact, they were looking and surveying parts of the ocean that have never been seen in close-up before. And if you see the pictures we were seeing a moment ago of the way in which the way the motion floor is in clear relief.

BALDWIN: Here we go.

QUEST: Look at this. They've given us 3D images, the depth, the thousands of meters down, these ridges, these extinct volcanoes, all underground. But this level of detail is vital. And I'll tell you why, because they're going to lower towed drones, towed sonar equipment into the ocean.

BALDWIN: Which they have been doing.

QUEST: Yes. But not to the level of detail that they're doing now.

BALDWIN: OK.

QUEST: And there was a much smaller area. Now, you're in this for the long haul. You're talking about vast swings. They've got to know where the mountains are, the ravines, specifically, so that as they're going through them they don't hit anything. This expensive equipment isn't destroyed because it's vital.

BALDWIN: Are they going to find this thing?

QUEST: Oh, yes.

BALDWIN: They are?

QUEST: Yeah.

BALDWIN: In our lifetimes?

QUEST: Of course. This is the major search area over here. And this is the bit that's now been well and truly surveyed properly.

BALDWIN: OK.

QUEST: And what they're going to be doing -- well, this is the seventh arc. And they know it's on the seventh arc.

BALDWIN: They do?

QUEST: This is -- almost unanimity. Even the critics accept it's on the seventh arc.

BALDWIN: It'll be wreckage and then the plane?

QUEST: That we don't know.

(CROSSTALK)

QUEST: That's the part we don't know. But as they move around -- they were up here earlier, now they're back down here. As they move around that seventh arc, taking the information of what they know the bottom of the ocean looks like --

BALDWIN: OK.

QUEST: -- they will be able to get a much better idea. It will be a long time.

BALDWIN: I believe you. QUEST: Might be a year. Might find it on day one. Might find it on

day 365.

BALDWIN: I believe you.

And make sure you watch tonight, "CNN Investigates," 9:00, "Vanished: Mystery of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370." Tune in. Do not miss it.

Mr. Quest, thank you very much.

Just ahead here, Jennifer Lawrence is speaking for the first time since the hackers released the nude pictures of her. What she says should happen to these hackers, though, is sparking this massive discussion. Two words she uses. Hear how she broke the news also to her dad. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Lawrence says what happened to her wasn't simply a scandal, but a sex crime. For the first time now, the Oscar winner is revealing her thoughts after a hacker stole her nude photos, posted them online for everyone to see. Lawrence spoke to "Vanity Fair" in its new issue. That full interview with the magazine will be released tomorrow. Here's the cover photo.

But in a preview, she told "Vanity Fair" she tried to make an official statement in response but, quote, "Every single thing that I tried to write made me cry or get angry. I started to write an apology, but I don't have anything to say I'm sorry for. I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn, or he's going to look at you."

Let's discuss. With me onset, "Daily Beast" contributor, Amanda Marcotta; and Krista Smith, "Vanity Fair's" senior west coast editor and a CNN entertainment commentator.

Ladies, thank you so much for being with me.

We saw this pop out on "Vanity Fair" today and, of course, we had to talk about it.

Krista, first to you.

So your magazine, you guys had initially spoken with her. Then this story broke and you looped back for her to make sure she got the last word.

KRISTA SMITH, SENIOR WEST COAST EDITOR, VANITY FAIR & CNN ENTERTAINMENT COMMENTATOR: Exactly. Sam Kashner did a great job. The piece is actually very, very good.

And this scandal happened after we'd already done the photo shoots. The interview had been filed. And we went back to her because, indeed, she deserves the last word. And I love what she says here, Brooke. Because it's why we, as a whole, I think people respond to Jennifer Lawrence is because she doesn't have a filter. She says what's on her mind. And in this day and age, it's so rare, especially for someone with that kind of fame and only 24 years old, to speak so intelligently about a subject. But she's absolutely right.

BALDWIN: I can't wait to read the whole piece. The tease that you guys released on the online version was absolutely fascinating.

But let me come back to you. The issue, Amanda, that I think I took with this or kind of, I guess, agreeing with her. She's like, listen, I don't need to apologize. Gabrielle Union, same thing happened to her, she's not apologizing. But you have someone like Vanessa Hudgens, who wanted to apologize to her younger fans. Do you think they should be apologizing?

AMANDA MARCOTTA, CONTRIBUTOR, DAILY BEAST: Absolutely not. They didn't do anything wrong. I think Jennifer Lawrence put it perfectly, it's your private business, it's your phone, it's your relationship, it's your sex life. In my mind, hacking someone's phone to steal their nude pictures is no different than putting a camera in their bedroom to catch them having sex. It's the exact same violation --

BALDWIN: Violation.

MARCOTTA: -- and should be treated the same.

BALDWIN: And here's the "but." And, Krista, let me ask this to you.

And if we can throw the cover photo of her.

It's stunning. She's absolutely gorgeous. But on the cover of "Vanity Fair," drop it and you can see. She's at least from our vantage not quite dressed where we see her.

So, I guess, the push, Krista, would be, I guess it's one thing to have her own personal pictures, it's another to say to a photographer shooting her for the cover of "Vanity Fair," I'm OK with this. Do you see how this may be confusing for some fans?

SMITH: No, actually, I don't, Brooke. I think it's apples and oranges. We are -- she's involved in helping to create this photo shoot. It's a collaboration. We're telling the story with these pictures. And it's her choice. And like she said, she was in a relationship, these are private photos for her boyfriend only to see. And this attitude that women who are in -- a public person or they're actresses or they have some bit of fame that this kind of comes with the territory, I think is heinous. And I do think it's a sex crime. A lot of these women that were hacked weren't even as famous as Jennifer Lawrence.

BALDWIN: You know, the thing that really struck me when reading this article -- and this would be really to either of you is just -- we see these people on these big massive screens and the flashing lights. But she's a daughter. And she had to pick up the phone and call her dad and say, I need to give you the heads up on this thing that's about to happen. MARCOTTA: Yeah. I mean, that is one thing that people do forget is

that, you know, actors, people in the public, they are human beings. They have the same feelings. They were humiliated like we're humiliated. And, yeah, she had to call her father.

BALDWIN: So she said, thank goodness he was on the golf range and in a good mood, is I think the way it went.

MARCOTTA: Yeah.

BALDWIN: Amanda, do you agree with the notion this is a sex crime? Her words.

SMITH: No, and I think it should be treated like a sex crime. If there's one silver lining in the story, it's we're beginning to talk about the stealing of photos and releasing them without people's permission as a criminal behavior, as a violation of privacy. And it's sad we need celebrities to have that conversation.

BALDWIN: It is sad, by the way.

SMITH: It happens to ordinary women all the time and almost nobody's helping them. And maybe this will help get some momentum behind the legal and civil penalties from stealing photos from people.

BALDWIN: We'll see where this goes in the legal system. If there's prosecution that could happen and if there are ramifications and consequences for this.

Amanda, thank you very much.

Krista, thank you very much.

We'll look forward to the "Vanity Fair," the big read on Jennifer Lawrence for this next month.

Thank you, both, very much.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BALDWIN: And top of the hour here. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.