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U.S. to Send More Military Advisers to Iraq; President Nominates New Attorney General; Two Americans Held Captive in North Korea Released by Pyongyang; Interview With Sen. Patty Murray of Washington State; Drones Increasingly Used for Civilian Purposes; Robot Exoskeleton Used in Manufacturing Examined; Falling of Berlin Wall Remembered

Aired November 08, 2014 - 14:00   ET

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

ELISE LABOTT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We understand it happened kind of similarly again. This time the North Koreans said they wanted to send a cabinet-level official. Why James Clapper? My understanding is that these talks did involve intelligence officials. There's a very quiet channel between the U.S. and North Korea. We don't hear that much about it. But it seems to be a more transactional channel where officials can get business done outside of the whole realm of diplomacy and what the larger context of the U.S.- North Korea relationship. That's why they wouldn't have sent someone like Secretary of State John Kerry.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And what role did Sweden play in all this?

LABOTT: Well, Sweden is what we call the protecting power of the United States. Because the U.S. and North Korea don't have official relations and there's not an embassy in North Korea, the Swedes kind of look after U.S. interests there, if there are interests regarding American citizens. Sometimes if the U.S. needs to pass messages to the North Koreans, sometimes they do that through the Swedes. And the Swedish ambassador has been visiting these American detainees over the years to make sure they're getting everything they need and that they're treated very well. so the Swedish ambassador has really been a key player in all of this.

BROWN: All right, I'm going to turn to Erin McPike. Erin, a very busy day at the White House to say the least. What has been the reaction from the administration on the detainees' release?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, the White House has actually been tight-lipped about this. They are of course focused on the nomination of Loretta Lynch. But also, President Obama is actually heading to Asia much later tonight. But he was asked about the release of these two this morning in that nominating ceremony for Loretta Lynch. Take a listen to what he said there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I think it's a wonderful day for them and the families, obviously. We're very grateful it's taken this turn. And I appreciate Director Clapper doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: And it may seem obvious, but we should point out that President Obama was brought into this process. He did approve sending Clapper to North Korea to secure the release. We also know that members of Congress were briefed on this as well, which they aren't always on some of the missions. But in this case, they were, Pamela.

BROWN: Erin McPike, thank you.

Will, you have unique perspective. You actually interviewed all of the detainees just weeks ago in a CNN exclusive interview. What's your take on all the dynamics going on here?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly there was a lot was at stake for North Korea. Times are very sensitive for them right now when you think about this. The United Nations report where you have a growing chorus of people around the world saying that North Korea's top leaders, including Kim Jong-un himself, should perhaps stand before an international tribunal because of these allegations, widely documented, of human rights abuses at these prison camps in North Korea.

There's also been tensions with China, North Korea's key benefactor. And so there are a lot of factors at play here. And these three Americans were an opportunity, using CNN as a conduit to send a message directly to the United States government. And we've seen now in recent weeks two American planes landing in Pyongyang, this latest plane with a cabinet-level official in that city. We don't know what discussions, if any, took place. But we know that North Korea at least accomplished its goal of getting the attention of the United States, getting the U.S. government in there. And now thsee three men are being reunited with their families.

BROWN: Will Ripley, Elise Labott, Erin McPike, thank you so much for coming on.

And another major story we're following this hour, President Obama's nomination of Loretta Lynch to be the next attorney general. He made the official announcement this morning during the ceremony at the White House, and right now Lynch is serving her second stint as a U.S. attorney in New York. If confirmed as attorney general she'll make history, becoming the first African-American woman to hold the post. She will succeed Eric Holder who announced his resignation back in September. Lynch says she is grateful for the opportunity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORETTA LYNCH, NOMINEE FOR U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The Department of Justice is the only cabinet department named for an ideal. And this is actually appropriate, because our work is both aspirational and grounded in gritty reality. It's both ennobling and it's both profoundly challenging.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: Right now, it's unclear when Lynch's confirmation hearings will be held. We'll have more on what qualifications she brings to the table late their hour.

But in the meantime, CNN's Evan Perez was the first to break the news of Lynch's pending nomination. We know Lynch is a U.S. attorney in New York. But beyond that, what else do we know about her? Here's CNN chief Washington correspondent Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: As United States prosecutors go in the state of New York, the Harvard-educated Loretta Lynch has flown under the radar.

LYNCH: You're regretting these mic placements right about now, aren't you?

JOHNS: CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin worked with her as a junior prosecutor in Brooklyn in 1990.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: She has made her name as a workhorse, not a show horse. She is someone who tried cases as a junior prosecutor, ran the Long Island office, and then was promoted to be the U.S. attorney for all of the eastern district of New York. It's a job that is not terribly glamorous, especially compared to the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. But it's a job that she has done twice.

JOHNS: That's right, she's held her current job twice, first appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1999. At that time, she presided over the infamous Abner Louima case, involving a Haitian immigrant victim who was sexually assaulted by a New York police officer. One of her first hires in the United States attorney's office doesn't see Lynch as a prosecutor with a partisan agenda.

JULIE MYERS WOOD, CEO GUIDEPOST SOLUTIONS: She's absolutely not a partisan lawyer. I am a Republican. But she doesn't care if people are Republicans or Democrats. She cares about getting the job done.

JOHNS: Lynch also did a brief stint at the New York office of the powerhouse law firm Hogan and Hartson, the same firm Chief Justice John Roberts left when he was appointed to the Supreme Court. And she served on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank before returning to the U.S. attorney's office, appointed this time by President Obama. What she's best known for recently is an investigation of Citigroup mortgage securities and the indictment of New York Congressman Michael Grimm.

LYNCH: Michael Grimm made the choice to go from upholding the law to breaking it. And in so doing he turned his back on every oath he had ever taken.

JOHNS: Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BROWN: And a man who knows a thing or two about being the attorney general is Alberto Gonzalez. He was George W. Bush's A.G. and is now teaching law at Belmont University where he serves at the dean of the law school. Mr. Gonzalez, thank you so much for coming on the show to talk to us. I think a lot of people are curious to learn a little bit more about what the process is like. What is Loretta Lynch about to go through?

ALBERTO GONZALEZ, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Something that she hasn't experienced before. Let me first begin by congratulating Ms. Lynch on the nomination. Obviously it's a great day for her and her family and a day of great pride for the African-American community.

I've listened to some of the commentary about the fact that she's been confirmed twice and perhaps this should be a relatively easy confirmation. I think what most people fail to understand is that for many U.S. attorneys, U.S. marshals, if the home state senator supports you, oftentimes you get through a fairly easy confirmation with maybe one or two questions. And you may get confirmed on a voice vote on the Senate floor.

It's going to be very, very different with respect to a cabinet secretary nomination and with respect to the attorney general, who is involved in the most controversial decisions. And so she's going to go through a vetting that she has not experienced before. And I suspect that Republicans are really going to dig deep in terms of her background. And they're going to really ask some very tough questions, questions involving, for example, the scope of presidential power. What is the scope of inherent power in the area of foreign policy and national security? They're going to want to know how much discretion does the president have with respect to the execution of laws. And so these are some very tough questions and I think legitimate questions to ask the positions of this new attorney general.

BROWN: And it's been widely talked about that she was one of the few people President Obama was considering that is not in his inner circle. How do you think that could actually help her with the confirmation process?

GONZALEZ: There will be some members of the Senate who prefer not to have someone who is being viewed as being personally close to the president. I was viewed as personally close to the president and as a result of that many of the Democrats did not support my nomination. General Holder was viewed to close to President Obama and that created tension with respect to Republican senators and members of Congress.

And so it's going to cut both ways as far as I'm concerned. Personally I think if you have a relationship with the president, it's much easier to tell the president no when you have that kind of relationship. It's easier to be successful in interagency battles with other cabinet secretaries. So there's a benefit to having a relationship with the president but there's also a detriment, particularly with respect to the issues of the confirmation.

BROWN: But she does bring with her a wealth of experience. The fact she has around two years to take on this role, presumably, does that help her? Hurt her? What kind of impact do you think she can have in two years?

GONZALEZ: A lot would depend on outside events that we can't anticipate. Obviously the president has his own law enforcement priorities and as the attorney general your job is to make sure those are carried out. Every new attorney general is going to have their own law enforcement priorities, as well as long as they're consistent with the president's priorities. And so she'll have to hit the ground running. And she'll have a senior team in place. So the Department of Justice will not miss a beat. There are 105,000 people that work at the department, so I think people should rest assured that even though we may have a relatively new, inexperienced attorney general, the work of the people will carry on.

BROWN: All right, it's really interesting to note, too, that this is the first time in nearly two centuries that a U.S. attorney is making the leap to attorney general, which I think is surprising. Give us the view of what she's going to take on. I mean, I can only imagine how exciting it must be but also overwhelming if she is confirmed to take on the role of attorney general.

GONZALEZ: If the is the right person, the job will not be overwhelming. It will be exciting. It will be serious. It's a very serious responsibility. But again, it's not a job you take on by yourself. You're surrounded by experienced leadership team. And as I said, there are over 100,000 people that are there to go to work every day, many of them, obviously -- a number of them are career people. And they go to work every day, every night on behalf of the American people. And so, if she's smart she'll rely upon her good advice and exercise her own good judgment. So if she's the right person, she can do the job.

BROWN: What do you make of the timing behind her nomination?

GONZALEZ: Well, obviously, General Holder is not very popular with certain Republicans. Perhaps the view is the president would like to get a new attorney general in place. Whether or not that's going to be possible for the new Congress, I sort of have my doubts. I suspect that her nomination will go up and her confirmation hearing and the floor vote will be conducted by the new Senate. It remains to be seen.

BROWN: We know that Eric Holder was laser focused on voting rights, civil rights, being smart on crime. Do you think President Obama's hope is that Loretta Lynch will sort of carry the torch with those issues and priorities?

GONZALEZ: She'll carry the torch if the president says that's my priority. So, I suspect that priority of the president will continue. And therefore the work in the civil rights division, the focus on the civil rights division will continue, as well.

But let me just say that, you know, we have a civil rights division that's in place. And their primary focus is the protection of civil rights, protection of voting rights. And whether or not under President Obama, President Bush, I mean, that is the work of that division. That work will continue whatever the primary focus is of this next attorney general.

BROWN: And of course that big civil rights case she will be parachuting into is what's going on in Ferguson. How challenging do you think that will that be?

GONZALEZ: It will depend. The legal challenge may be relatively easy. There may be a political challenge, a public relations challenge depending on the decision the department makes. And again, if she's smart, she's going to rely upon the folks that have been there, the folks that understand the case best. And hopefully we'll get the outcome that justice demands.

BROWN: Former attorney general Alberto Gonzalez, thank you.

And still ahead, 1,500 more troops are headed to Iraq. But is this enough to stop ISIS? Our terrorism analyst weighs in up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: President Obama is sending 1,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces, and he's asking Congress for another $5.6 billion to fund the mission. Meanwhile, the U.S. says air strikes took out David Drugeon a key member of the Khorasan terror group in Syria. He was considered a skilled bomb-maker for the group and was a French citizen with a western passport. This attack followed an earlier attempt to wipe out key Khorasan leaders in an air strike.

So let's bring in now Paul Cruikshank to talk about this. He is CNN's terrorism analyst and joins me now from New York. Paul, this is a subject we've talked a lot about. How important was David Drugeon, how important of a target was he for the U.S.?

PAUL CRUIKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: He was a key bomb-maker for the Khorasan group. This is a big win for the United States if it's indeed confirmed that he was killed in this missile strike on a vehicle on Wednesday. He was skilled in making sophisticated devices the group was hoping to smuggle onboard western passenger aircraft, U.S. passenger aircraft, trying to conceal explosives in electronics. He's a pretty young guy, just 24 years old.

He was -- he converted in France. He was radicalized. He then traveled to Pakistan in 2010 when he was just 20. And it was in Pakistan with Al Qaeda that he learned these bomb-making skills. He then traveled to Syria about a year ago and has been plotting with this group ever since, also trying to recruit European recruits to go back to Europe to launch attacks, as well, Pamela, it's suspected.

BROWN: So if he was killed, in fact, what kind of a threat do you think the Khorasan group still poses to the U.S.?

CRUIKSHANK: I don't think all of the Khorasan operatives have been killed in these strikes in recent days. There's still likely to be a significant amount of Khorasan operatives still at large in Syria, mostly their leader, a Kuwaiti who was with bin Laden before 9/11, also two senior Saudi operatives for the group, one of whom trained in bomb-making skills and toxins. So this group still poses a real threat to the United States, to Europe, and to aviation, Pamela.

BROWN: Yes, the working assumption among counterterrorism folks is that there are other leaders living in safe-houses right now in Syria. I want to talk about something else. Talk about this bomb-maker with the Khorasan group, but as all this is going on we're also hearing of jihadists taking ferries to get to ISIS battle zones. So are we closing doors while all the windows are open here? What's going on?

CRUIKSHANK: This warning comes from Interpol, and they're concerned that European extremists are booking cruise holidays as a way to kind of get into Syria under the radar screen, that they would drop off those ferries in Turkey. And then, join with facilitation networks and bring them into Syria. This comes at a time when people are more vigilant coming into Turkey and then join up with facilitation networks that would then bring them into Syria. This comes at a time when Turkey has been more vigilant about people coming into Turkey on airplanes. So European Jihadists and extremists and others are looking at new ways to get across into Syria.

It's going to be very, very difficult to prevent from traveling across Turkey because Turkey is such not a big tourist destination. Last year we saw 40 million tourists go to Turkey, very difficult to tell who is going on a beach vacation, who is going to go and join the jihad in Syria, Pamela.

BROWN: It shows just how hard it is for officials to crack down on this problem. Curious to know your thoughts, do you think we're putting our resources in the right place to combat counterterrorism? Or I should say, do we think we're using the right counterterrorism measures? Or do you think we should be doing something else, because we keep hearing that the main concern within the U.S. is people with loose affiliations and those lone wolf types?

CRUIKSHANK: That's absolutely right. There's a real concern about the lone wolf threat. This is probably the immediate threat to countries like the United States and Europe. Last month we saw in a space of a week three terrorist attacks by lone wolves who appear to be inspired by ISIS. This followed a call by the spokesman of ISIS for lone wolf attacks in the west. And we've seen a sort of big response after this fatwa was issued by this top leader in ISIS in October. British police broke up a plot by ISIS sympathizers that had traveled to fight in Syria. And they had downloaded this fatwa. They were discussing the fatwa. It appears to inspire them. So there's concern we could see more of these kind of revenge attacks in the west by people inspired by the ISIS cause, Pamela.

BROWN: I know, just talking to counterterrorism officials it's tough because there are legal parameters and it's just hard to detect and stop a lone wolf attack. Paul Cruikshank, thank you so much.

CRUIKSHANK: Thanks, Pamela. BROWN: And up next, more on our two breaking stories, including

reaction from around the world about the two Americans released from North Korea.

But first, when most people hear the word "drone," they often think combat. Now we're seeing more noncombat application of drones. CNN's Richard Quest looks at the growing use of drones off the battlefield.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: For years drones have been a favorite tool of the military. Now their civilian use is giving us a glimpse previously seen only by generals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a filmmaker, having a flying camera is a pretty crazy thing. As they get more capable, it just gets better for somebody like me that needs to think about ways to get cameras in weird places or get crazy shots.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are fully autonomous flying Roberts.

QUEST: Companies in all fields, from filmmaking to agriculture and energy, they're all clamoring to make use of these devices.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drones can be a means for delivering things like vaccines and medicines.

QUEST: Imagine how different this world will be if everything, from packages to pizza can be dropped on your doorstep by a drone. Like the views from the sky, the outlook seems limitless. Time and geography are no longer barriers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The projects that get me more excited are kind of the bigger ones, you know, like getting Wi-Fi to remote parts of the planet.

QUEST: The government in the UAE this year announced plans to use the aircraft to deliver documents to citizens. In the United States, how to navigate the skies legally has been the challenge for companies like Google and Amazon. Drone use is so imminent it's prompted NASA to begin creating airspace strictly for the aircraft.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think what we're looking at now is the first chapter in sort of 100-chapter book on what's going to happen in the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: And back, now, to our breaking news out of North Korea. The last two Americans detained there have been allowed to leave the country, we've learned. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller are on their way home as we speak. And just a short time ago Kenneth Bae's family released a statement. His sister spoke on behalf of the family, and she said, "The day we have been praying for has finally arrived." She says she is thrilled to imagine hugging her brother soon. And many others are reacting in similar ways, especially on social media. CNN's Nick Valencia is here with more on that. Hey, Nick.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Pamela. Yes, so many people weighing in, not just ordinary citizens. Government agencies, elected officials, all talking about the release of these two Americans, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller. Many elected officials from the state of Washington and California are weighing in, that's where Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller respectively call home. Senator Patty Murray there in Washington tweeting just a short time after that news was announced "I'm thrilled Kenneth Bae is finally back home. His amazing family has kept pressure on for a long two years and never lost faith."

Others representatives as well are showing their support. Representative Adam smith also there in Washington saying "Great news that Kenneth Bae is free and headed home. Thanks to the State Department and the Bae family for their tremendous work to get Kenneth home." Adam Schiff, who is a representative in the state of California where Matthew Todd Miller calls home, he tweets, "Good news, Americans Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller are finally coming back to the United States after being released by North Korea."

And last hour we shared with you this tweet from Ted Cruz that is picking up steam on social media. He tweeted "Excellent news, two Americans imprisoned by North Korea, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller, are on their way back to the United States." And shortly after that news was office the State Department took to their Twitter account to congratulate as well, saying "Welcoming the release of U.S. citizens Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller." Lots of people weighing in on social media, especially Twitter. We'll bring you more reactions and new tweets next hour.

BROWN: Sounds good. Thank you so much, Nick Valencia.

VALENCIA: You got it.

BROWN: And straight ahead, a look at some other top stories we're following at this hour. But first, in today's "Human Factor" Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta brings us the story of a young woman who defined herself by her talent, not her disorder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's times like this when 19-year-old Julia Adams finds purpose. Before becoming an artist, Adams, who was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old, wondered how she fit in.

JULIA ADAMS, ILLUSTRATOR: I saw people. They think that I am different.

GUPTA: That changed last year, when Adams met with Sam Goldstein. He's a neuropsychologist. He had an idea for a book and he needed an illustrator.

ADAMS: I showed him a picture in my portfolio, he said, will you draw for me, for my illustration book? And I said, yes, I can.

GUPTA: Adams went to work, pouring emotion into her art. Her own feelings of alienation, of feeling misunderstood, were put into the images of Billy, who is an autistic boy who loves rocks.

ADAMS: He likes to play with rocks, as I like to draw. It's my different talent than him. My cousin, Devon, who has autism, his classmates have written a lot of letters to me.

GUPTA: Adams' cousin Devon always felt he needed to be better understood. So his class read Julia's book.

ADAMS: What we liked about the story most is that we learned it is OK to be different. It just touched my heart. I almost cried. I just felt like I was -- brought hope to them, and it made me feel happy inside.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: The news of Kenneth Bae's and Matthew Miller's sudden and unexpected release by North Korea left Bae's family stunned. In a statement they say, quote, "The day we have been praying for has finally arrived. Words cannot adequately express our relief and gratitude that Kenneth is finally coming home."

So let's talk more about this turn of events with Senator Patty Murray, Democrat from Washington state. She joins us now on the phone. Great to have you with us, Senator Murray. First off, do you have an idea why the sudden change of heart by the North Korean leadership?

SEN. PATTY MURRAY, (D) WASHINGTON (via telephone): Well, I think that is very hard for any of us to know, personally. But I can tell you that we're here today, an amazing day for all of us who have been working on this because of the persistence and insistence and strength of Kenneth Bae's family, who have worked so hard for the last two years to make sure no one forgets Kenneth.

BROWN: Yes. They have pleaded publicly, asking for his release today. They say they have been crying with joy. We've been speaking to analysts, and one of our reporters says that there's apparently no condition surrounding the release of these two last Americans in North Korea. What do you think North Korea hopes to gain from this?

MURRAY: I think that's very hard for anyone to know. North Korea is not an easy country to understand or comprehend on why they do a lot of things. I do think this day came about because of Director Clapper's willingness and State Department's good work to send him over there in the last few days here to release Kenneth and Matthew personally. And so I give a great deal of credit to the State Department, who has not forgotten this, has worked diligently, and directly to Director Clapper for his work in this, what we are all so grateful.

BROWN: And Senator Murray, as yoy said, you have been fighting for the release. What has that experience been like for you?

MURRAY: Well, this is a case that we -- he is from our state. And it's a case we've been working on for a very long time. I have met with the family personally. His sister, Terri, has just been the most passionate, articulate person I have ever met and have met with her and talked with her numerous times throughout this. And I think what -- why we are here today is because Terri just would not give up and would not let any of us give up. So this is a case where everybody kept at it. And that's why we're here.

BROWN: And just to be clear for our viewers, you're talking about Kenneth Bae's family, correct?

MURRAY: Correct.

BROWN: Just wanted to make sure.

There's been so much speculation, Senator Murray, that Kim Jong-un's leadership may be challenged. What do you think? Could this be a diversionary tactic?

MURRAY: I think it would be impossible for any of us to speculate on the intentions of the leader in North Korea. I think all of us are focused today on the wonderful, amazing news that Kenneth Bae and Matthew are on their way home.

BROWN: Absolutely. And you can imagine no one is more excited than their family members. Senator Patty Murray, thank you so much.

And ahead, more on the other breaking story, President Obama's nominee for attorney general, and a look at other top stories.

But first, people building some of the airplanes used by the U.S. military now have superhuman strength. "CNN Money's" Laurie Segall shows us how that's possible.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Check out the Hercules C-130. It's a military plane used to carry weapons, Humvees, and even drop bombs, not exactly a light load. And to handle the tools responsible for building them, you've got to be strong, really strong.

Here's one solution, a robotic suit aimed at giving workers superhuman strength.

Right now, tell me. What does it feel like to you right now?

JIM MEDLEY: Pretty much weightless.

SEGALL: But I'm told this is not weightless.

MEDLEY: No, it is not. SEGALL: All right, so we're going to try it, right? And I'm going to

see.

MEDLEY: You got it. Pull it up.

SEGALL: OK. So, that is certainly not weightless.

When you stand or kneel, Fortis transfers weight to the ground. It has weights on its back to serve as a counterbalance.

This, I can tell you, it is really heavy. That essentially makes this feel like it's nothing. You could not do the amount of work without something like that.

MEDLEY: You would have to take a lot of breaks.

SEGALL: Putting on the Fortis is a cross between putting on a space suit and a robot. It's a little awkward to move around, but wearing Fortis can suddenly allow you to lift heavy objects for long periods on end, and that's helpful when you're building something as big as a plane.

We've all seen "Ironman" before, but it seems so futuristic. What was the idea behind it?

PATRICIA AEIKER: We were looking at different technologies. We found that there was a need to help industrial workers who were experiencing fatigue from holding heavy tools up for long periods of time.

SEGALL: You don't want the people building this thing to be tired. Objects are literally flying out of it. Lockheed Martin made Fortis to sell to its customers. The Navy just got two. But here at the C- 130 plane Lockheed is using it as a new manufacturing upgrade to a plane they've been making since the 1950s. But the 2014 model is being built in a way that's very futuristic.

Oh, my god.

Laurie Segall, "CNN MONEY," Marietta, Georgia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Here's some other top stories we're following on this Saturday.

A fourth teenager injured during the shooting rampage in a Washington state high school last month has died. And 15-year-old Andrew Fryberg was the cousin and close friend of the shooter Jaylen Fryberg. His death brings the totally number of fatalities to five including the gunman. One victim survived and was released from the hospital last week.

A swarm of mostly low-magnitude earthquakes rattling Nevada for months is growing stronger. Seismologists have recorded hundreds of earthquakes in and around the Sheldon National Wildlife refuge since July, and most of them have been too small to be felt by people in the area there.

And we're also following another story that broke this morning. President Obama has nominated Loretta Lynch as the next attorney general. In a White House ceremony three hours ago he described the two-time U.S. attorney from New York has a, quote, "tough, fair, and independent lawyer." She now faces confirmation from the U.S. Senate before she would replace Attorney General Eric Holder.

And Lynch, as we said, serving her second stint as a U.S. attorney in New York, and if confirmed as attorney general, she'll make history, becoming the first African-American woman to hold the post. CNN's Sara Ganim joins me now from Brooklyn, right outside the U.S. attorney's office there where Loretta Lynch works. And Lynch spoke this morning at the White House ceremony. Sara, what did she say?

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Pamela. She talked about how much she appreciates her time here in the eastern district of New York and how thrilled she would be to go to Washington to continue to serve. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNCH: Mr. President, thank you again for the faith that you have placed in me. I pledge, today, to you and to the American people that if I have the honor of being confirmed by the Senate, I will make up every morning with the protection of the American people, my first thought.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GANIM: President Obama also spoke. He talked about how she's not flashy or showy or looking for headlines as she built her career. She did it very quietly. But she built a very solid career. And I have to tell you that echoes what her colleagues and friends have been saying as they react to this announcement. She wasn't very well known. So I want to tell you about what some people who know her are saying about her today. The governor here in New York, Andrew Cuomo, calling her a trailblazer. The Brooklyn district attorney saying that she rose through the ranks in one of the busiest offices in the country.

Just a little bit about her, she's from Greensboro, North Carolina, grew up there. She's the daughter of a minister and a librarian. And she was inspired by her grandfather who worked during the civil rights movement to help people who were wronged by Jim Crow laws. Pamela?

BROWN: Sara Ganim, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it.

And tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. We take a look back at how different life was for people on the east and the west side of the wall. But first, a story that has got a lot of us talking this week, the gay rodeo, it exists. You can see it this week on "This is Life" with Lisa Ling, and here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA LING, CNN HOST: This is 27-year-old Briana from Malibu, California. And she's about to do something she's always dreamed of.

How are you feeling, Briana?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm nervous. I'm definitely nervous.

LING: Briana has come to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to ride a steer for the very first time. She's competing in a rodeo. But this isn't just any rodeo. This is gay rodeo. It's a place that promises to challenge expectations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My mission is not to go and beat everybody because I'm gay.

LING: And buck stereotypes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: "This is Life" with Lisa ling airs Sunday night at 10:00 p.m. eastern time right here on CNN.

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BROWN: New information now on that massive air bag recall. There are claims that Takata Corporation took used air bags and tested them to put in new cars. CNN's aviation and government regulation correspondent Rene Marsh has more.

RENE MARSH, CNN GOVERMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, if this company knew about the potential dangers of this air bag for years and did nothing, it is criminal. Four deaths and multiple injuries have been linked to the faulty air bags according to one car safety group. In one deadly case police say a woman suffered what looked like stab wounds in her neck but it's believed metal shrapnel from the exploding airbag actually caused it.

This Friday two senators, Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey, called on the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation. Meantime, the air bag manufacturer tells CNN the disturbing allegations of a cover-up are false. They say Takata takes very seriously "The accusations made in this article, and we are cooperating and participating fully with the government investigation now under way." NHTSA, the federal agency responsible for keeping the cars we drive safe, they are investigating. We know they have demanded documents and answers to very specific questions under oath. The agency is asking for current and former Takata employees to come forward with information. Pamela?

BROWN: Rene Marsh, thank you so much.

This weekend, people in Berlin, Germany, are marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The wall's destruction marked a symbolic end to the cold war, a barrier remained in 1989 between reunited East and West Germany. CNN's Jim Clancy and Frederik Pleitgen take us for a drive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Berlin Wall didn't just divide the city on the front lines of the cold war. It also divided its people. The Church of Remembrance, this area became the new center of West Berlin.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: While the communists tried to show their superiority by building the gigantic broadcast tower.

CLANCY: But the two sides quickly drifted apart. West Germany's economy became strong and people could afford cars like this Mercedes.

PLEITGEN: Meanwhile the east stagnated. People were lucky to even get their hands on the unreliable car. The border between East and West Berlin was sealed overnight on August 13th, 1961. Some of the most dramatic scenes happened right here. As the wall was increasingly fortified, thousands tried to flee to the west. Very soon guards were given order to shoot to kill anyone who tried to get out.

CLANCY: West Berliners could do little as look on as families were tore apart. But America took a stand. President John F. Kennedy came to Berlin in 1963 and delivered an unforgettable speech right here. Hundreds of thousands gathered as a U.S. president vowed America would not let Berlin fall to communism.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Ich bin ein Berliner.

(APPLAUSE)

PLEITGEN: But the communists tightened their grip on East Germany. The wall's death strip was upgraded and living conditions got worse. Most people were forced to live a dull life with vitirually no chance of realizing their personal dreams.

CLANCY: Meantime, the west kept the pressure up. On June 12th, 1987, West Berliners gathered at the victory column while down the street President Ronald Reagan demanded that Moscow end the divide.

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.

(APPLAUSE)

CLANCY: That happened on November 9th, 1989, when the bankrupt East German regime opened the border and finally gave its citizens freedom.

Today, Germany has united, its economy stronger than ever.

PLEITGEN: Thanks to the people of both East and West Germany and the allies who never backed down in their fight against terrorism.

Fred Pleitgen.

CLANCY: Jim Clancy.

PLEITGEN: CNN.

CLANCY: Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Pamela Brown. And the next hour of NEWSROOM begins with my friend Poppy Harlow in New York after a short break.

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