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Obama Says No Religion Responsible for Terrorism; Rudy Giuliani's Controversial Obama Comments; New Superbug Called Nightmare Bacteria; Justice Department to File Suit Against Ferguson P.D.; Arctic Blast Sends Temperatures Plummeting on East Coast.

Aired February 19, 2015 - 11:30   ET

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

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: They are not moderate reasonable people that you'll ever identify with or that you'll ever get to understand. They are violent terrorists that go after their own people. They're burning Arabs, they're burning Jordanians, they're killing Egyptians because they're Christians. These are extremists, they are Islamists -- Islamic and they're killing Arabs that are Christians -- even Arabs, not just Westerners.

SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: One area I think I will say the president is exactly right is we have to think, rather than just knee jerk saying what we're going to say in the wake of seeing these horrific be headings and videos and so forth is what does that serve? And the point here is, and many analysts have made the point that ISIS wants to create the idea that there is this fundamental war between the West and Islam, and the only brand of Islam is their extremely narrow fundamentalist radical version. When we aren't careful with our words --

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: When we aren't careful with our words, we feed that narrative in which they win. They win.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ana?

NAVARRO: Can you imagine, we're having a discussion here about being careful with our words when we are talking about combating people who are beheading folks, burning folks alive, who have sex slaves, who are beheading tons of people in the sea and throwing their heads out. Come on. We're talking about words and semantics.

KOHN: I'd rather not be talking about words either.

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: The purpose that it serves, the purpose it serves is for us to know exactly what we're up against.

KOHN: I personally would rather we wouldn't be talk about words either. I think it's more important to talk about strategy and how we combat ISIS. I don't think this is conversation the president wants to be having either. BOLDUAN: Let's talk about different words. Rudy Giuliani,

former mayor of New York, yesterday at a fundraiser for Governor Scott Walker, he said this. It's quoted because we don't have the audio. "I do not believe the president loves America. He doesn't love you and he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way we were brought up, the way you were brought up and the way I was brought up, through love of this country."

Obviously, a lot of folks angry about this. A lot of folks wondering exactly what he meant. He tried to explain himself this morning. Listen to this, guys.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I'm not questioning his patriotism. He's a patriot, I'm sure. What I'm saying is in his rhetoric I very rarely hear him say the things I used to hear Ronald Reagan say, the things I used to hear Bill Clinton say about how much he loves America. I do hear him criticize America much more often than other American presidents. When it's not in done text of overwhelming number of statements about the exceptionalism of America, it sounds like he's more of a critic than he is a supporter. You can be a patriotic Americana and be a critic, but you're not expressing the kind of love that we're used to from a president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ana, I don't know what Mayor Giuliani just said right there, because he absolutely did say that Barack Obama doesn't love America like you do, like other people do. He said it. And it's just -- it's baffling I think to a lot of people that someone in that position could use words like that about a president of the United States.

NAVARRO: Frankly, I'm surprised he used them. I know Rudy Giuliani. He's a friend of mine. I like him very much. And I think those words, if he, in fact, said them -- I didn't hear it. I didn't hear the audio. If he said them, I think they are inappropriate and I think we should not be in the game of questioning each other's love for America. What he said afterwards, that President Obama uses a different rhetoric. So people may like it better, some people may like it less. I think that was an inappropriate comment, frankly, if, in fact, it was made.

BOLDUAN: It does harken back to '08 fearmongering about the president, where he was born and where his birth certificate is from. I didn't think we needed to be -- hopefully, we won't be getting into that again.

KOHN: Of course, we will. It reminded me of the 2012, the 7 percent of Americans who aren't like us, said Mitt Romney. Giuliani started his comments by saying, I know this sounds like a horrible thing to say. He should have stopped right there. He's right, it was a horrible thing to say.

(CROSSTALK) BOLDUAN: Are Democrats going to use it against Scott Walker now?

KOHN: A totally unacceptable thing to say. This notion -- you weren't criticizing his patriotism. You did question his patriotism.

BERMAN: And not loving America --

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: You also suggested he's not like us. He wasn't brought up the way you and I were in this room, speaking to a room of, let's be honest, 60, wealthy business executives, Republicans, probably white. This is really dangerous. I don't know if they then pulled dog whistles out of their party bags and blew them. This is scary stuff that this president isn't like the rest of us, it's the kind of stuff Republicans need to stay away from.

BOLDUAN: I think we agree with that.

NAVARRO: Sally, let me just tell you that horrible statements can be made by Republicans and Democrats. They have been made by both Republicans and Democrats. I think the lesson to be learned for anybody running for office or anybody in the political circles is that whatever you say in a closed room today can be taken out of context and brought out in public, because we've got the technology that enables us to do that. So people need to be careful with what they say behind closed doors as well as in front of a camera.

BERMAN: Sage advice from a sage strategist.

KOHN: Or maybe not say them in the first place.

BOLDUAN: As we say we're on live TV and never know what's about to come out of our mouths. Just kidding.

Ana, great to see you.

Sally --

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: Hopefully --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: I did not cut you off. What were you saying, Ana?

BERMAN: What were you guys saying about us?

NAVARRO: I said hopefully not our foot.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much, Ana. I'll see you soon.

Coming up for us, a deadly superbug now has hundreds on high alert. What may be the nightmare bacteria, as it's being called, what is it and who might be at risk?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Happening right now, the spread of a dangerous superbug known as CRE. It's much longer than that, but they've abbreviated. Nearly 200 people may have been exposed to this drug-resistant bacteria. Seven patients at UCLA Medical Center have been infected. Two of them have died in relation to their infection.

BERMAN: A special endoscopic procedure is believed to be connected to this. Patients who had it between October and January are now being given home testing kits. The CDC says the bacteria kills up to half the patients who end up with it.

We want to bring in CNN chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Sanjay, help us understand what we dealing with here.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The type of procedure, ERCP, is a scope procedure that looks at the gallbladder and pancreas. It's not the kind that looks in your stomach if you're worried about reflux disease or colon cancer screening. This is a different type of scope. Exactly as you said, this procedure was performed nearly 200 times between October and January. What they found is the scope despite being cleaned the way it was supposed to be cleaned still was having this resistant bacteria attached to it that was then subsequently infecting other patients. We know of seven patients who became infected this way. As you mentioned, two of them have died. All these other patients are getting these home testing kits now to find out if they have this infection as well. This is of very high concern. Doesn't sound like any kind of breach of protocol here. But despite that, this ends up being the vehicle, the mechanism by which this infection is occurring.

BOLDUAN: That's one of the most interesting things about this, Sanjay, we're not talking about a dirty hospital or one person really messed up. They followed the procedure laid out there. What is it about this bacteria that makes it so dangerous? I know the FDA has been coming up with new information just now.

GUPTA: It's really interesting. You have an instrument out there for a long time, always sterilized the same way. Now the FDA giving out a safety communication saying, you know what, that way we recommend this instrument to be cleaned is not good enough. Now we're recommending these instrumenting to be cleaned in a different way, more aggressive way, as you might imagine, to try to not let it be contaminated with this superbug. This is a big deal. When I don't know increase safety standards around it, it affects all the hospitals in the country. This is something that will have a tremendous impact. What this bug is, Kate, to your question, this is a type of a bug resistant to many antibiotics. We hear of MRSA. This is CRE. We used to be able to kill these types of bacteria easily. We've run out of drug to be able to do so because these bugs have become resistant. Take a look. It kills up to half the people that come in contact with it. Out don't know of many organisms that can do that. Those that are infected, that all got this particular procedure. The FDA is coming out with new guidelines to try and stem this. Right now, you've got nearly 200 people who right now are questioning, do I have this superbug in my system.

BERMAN: Hey, Sanjay, within this subset of people who did have this procedure, is there a group at particular risk?

GUPTA: It's interesting. It is still a small group. When you start to define subsets, you usually want larger groups. These are all people having this procedure for some particular reason. Usually, they're already sick. Would it behave differently in someone who is perfectly healthy? We don't know. We do know if someone gets infected with this, it will be more challenging to treat. It may be more troublesome in the group having these procedures.

BOLDUAN: The more important news as Sanjay points out, the FDA saying they'll have to change procedures. This has to be a relatively common procedure, this apparatus used in hospitals all over the country. That's real impact for hospitals, doctors and patients everywhere.

Sanjay, great to see you, thank you.

GUPTA: You've got it. Thank you.

BERMAN: Coming up, unless the Ferguson Police Department changes its ways, the federal government might sue. We'll talk about the just the department's investigation into the Michael Brown shooting. It's expected to reveal a broader problem of racial bias. We'll have an attorney for the Brown family weighing in next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: New this morning, CNN sources say Justice Department officials could file a lawsuit against the Ferguson, Missouri, Police Department over allegations of racially discriminatory tactics. That's only if Ferguson police do not agree to review and change their practices.

BOLDUAN: This comes on the heels of a civil rights investigation following the shooting death of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson. The Justice Department is expected to announce it will not be charging Officer Wilson in that shooting.

Let's bring in Daryl Parks, the attorney for the Michael Brown family.

Mr. Parks, it's good to see you.

DARYL PARKS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY: Good morning.

BOLDUAN: Thank you very much.

I wanted to ask you, in terms of, we're waiting to hear from the Justice Department. What, if anything, have you and the Michael Brown family heard from DOJ about their investigation and what they could be discussing? Have they reached out to you at all?

PARKS: They have reached out to us. As you know, they never tell you what exactly they've seen or what's going on with the investigation, and properly so. Certainly we all know they're investigating the department along with the situation involving Michael Brown's murder.

BERMAN: If you believe the reports that are out there, the reports are right now the Justice Department is not going to press any charges in terms of what you call the situation surrounding Michael Brown directly. They're not going to press charges there. So then, would you feel some level of vindication if they did then press charges or force changes in the department itself? Would that be enough for you and your clients, sir?

PARKS: I won't call it vindication, but certainly I think there are many issues that we all now are aware of around the death of Michael Brown that certainly cause great concern. We now learned about the makeup of the department. As the Justice Department has done its probe, we've learned about some of the operations and tactics used, especially against minorities, and particularly African- Americans. So those are issues that have come out since Michael Brown's death. They're very deep issues within this community and within this department. So certainly it's a move in the right direction when you have these issues coming forth pursuant to whatever the Justice Department has done in its investigation.

BOLDUAN: Do you sense any frustration, though, among the family? This clearly hearing that the Justice Department will be forcing change in the police department is something that is better than nothing, but which obviously the family wants. But they will be threatening a lawsuit for discriminatory practices in the police department. Is there a frustration there that you're having one but not the other?

PARKS: I think their frustration is simply put they lost their son. I spoke with Michael Brown yesterday and with his mom a few days ago. They have deep pain just from the hurt and loss and just knowing that Darren Wilson will never be held responsible for what happened. That causes deep pain for them to know that the person took the life of their child is walking freely and has not had to account for what he did to Michael Brown Jr.

BERMAN: What is the current thought process among you and your clients about a civil lawsuit against Officer Wilson?

PARKS: That's something we're actively working on right now with our legal team and something you'll learn about very shortly. Certainly something we are working towards.

BOLDUAN: Darryl Parks, thank you very much. Thanks for your time.

PARKS: Thank you so much.

BOLDUAN: Coming up, there's cold and then there's cold, and then there's John Berman type of bone-chilling cold that you just can't deal with it anymore. It's hitting the entire eastern half of the United States.

John Berman is wearing thermal understood wear right now.

BERMAN: It's not Speedo weather.

BOLDUAN: Oh, no?

BERMAN: It's not Speedo weather.

BOLDUAN: Darn it.

BERMAN: First, giving sight to the blind. It's another way Smartphones are helping people live fully lives.

Here's CNN's Dan Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEFERTITI MATOS, BLIND USER, BE MY EYES: Please identify some of the items in this vending machine.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nefertiti Matos is blind and using Be My Eyes, a free iPhone app that connects her to volunteers via video call.

MATOS: The first time I used it was here in the office. I went to this vending machine that has no Braille symbols, I was able to identify there's a lot of junk food in there and knowing I could go up there and purchase something. It's very freeing.

SIMON (on camera): When you're not using the app, is that something that's tiresome for the visually impaired?

MATOS: It can be. And it also makes me personally feel like it leaves this impression of dependency. I feel like technology of this kind really furthers us along in giving the proper impression which is that we can do anything with the right tools and training.

SIMON (voice-over): Be My Eyes can empower the blind users as well as volunteers like Melissa Gould.

(on camera): The first time that you got a behind person calling, what was that moment like?

MELISSA GOULD, VOLUNTEER, BE MY EYES: It was sort of surreal. I answered the call and it was a woman holding her phone at her problem. She had dropped her necklace. I kept say, go a little right, a little lower. It was a little beautiful moment. I felt happy that I could help someone.

What I really feel about this app is that it's a good deed waiting to happen.

MATOS: Open Be My Eyes. SIMON: Blind users say the only change it needs is more sighted

volunteers.

MATOS: I've been known to wait up to about five, six minutes. By that time, OK.

Could you please tell me what train station this is?

BE MY EYES: 23 Street Station.

MATOS: Perfect. Well, thank you very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Brr, that should make you feel cold. The big chill is upon us. An arctic blast sending temperatures plummeting today. It's expected to break records in dozens of cities across a third of the country.

BERMAN: Yeah, temperatures are 40 degrees below average from the Mississippi River on east. Lake Erie is 94 percent frozen right now. That's a very big lake. That is very rare. Sub-zero temperatures are expected as far south as Nashville, which is in the south.

We are joined now by Ivan Cabrera from the CNN Weather Center.

Ivan, what's going on here?

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, the Siberian express. That's what's going on. Our weather right now is coming from the North Pole. It's not just cold in Nashville, but -- this is how you know it's cold. It's cold in Miami where it's in the 50s right now and there are a lot of depressed people that thought they were going to escape winter walking along the beach thinking, what is going on. The cold air has made it all the way down into Florida. 27 in Boston. The arctic front has not pushed through. We have another round coming in. It's going to get even colder. Look at these wind chills. Atlanta, Georgia feels like it's 9 degrees. I must have been walking too fast because it felt like it was -- get nice and warm towards the West. That's where you want to be. That's where the ridge is. That's where the warm temperatures are. Anywhere east of the Mississippi, forget about it. It is frigid and dangerously cold to the north. Uncomfortable down south, but dangerous to the north. That's when you have to be careful and limit your outside activities. Can get frostbitten very quickly if you stay out long enough. Look at the temperatures, though. They rebound a little bit. Florida does that. But then another blast of cold air by the time we get into the weekend again. That's going to come in with snow and ice.

BOLDUAN: There you go.

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: Yes. BOLDUAN: That's --

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: 29 days until John can wear his Speedo. I heard you. It's terrifying.

BERMAN: I think the key there is comfortably wear the Speedo.

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: It will be warm in about 29 days, we hope.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: Ivan Cabrera, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Ivan.

Thank you for joining us.

"Legal View" starts right now.

(LAUGHTER)