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Major Overhaul for Credit Report Companies; Clinton to Announce "No Ceilings" Initiative; Apple Expected to Reveal Watch Details

Aired March 09, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Unbreakable and unshakeable -- that's how the Jerusalem mayor describes the relationship between the United States and Israel. Earlier this morning, I talked with Mayor Nir Barkat about a potential Iran nuclear deal and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial decision to address Congress last week ahead of Israeli elections.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIR BARKAT, MAYOR OF JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Netanyahu had two choices. To voice out before a deal is signed or maybe a decade from now people will ask him why didn't you voice out your voice before the bad deal?

So Netanyahu had two bad choices if you like, to voice out and get criticism or not to voice out his voice and say what he's concerned about and forever be blamed for not speaking up for the Israeli state.

I think that if you look at it in perspective, he's doing his job. He's protecting Israel. He's coming out to the United States and to anybody that wants to hear and raising a red flag. Don't do a bad deal. I appreciate him for that.

COSTELLO: Couldn't you argue, Mr. Mayor, that --

BARKAT: Don't talk about the process. Talk about the message.

COSTELLO: Couldn't you argue that Benjamin Netanyahu is being used by the Republicans and the American congress?

BARKAT: No, no. Not at all. The subject matter -- focus on the subject matter a second. If you were an Israeli and you knew that Iran, the biggest enemy of Israel, supporting all of the terrorists groups that haunt us and fire rockets at us, would they blink twice in giving or sending or firing a nuke at Israel? They wouldn't blink twice. They don't care what America thinks.

It's his duty, Prime Minister Netanyahu's duty, to come and raise that red flag regardless of the criticism he may receive from one party or another. This is something deep into the future of Israel. We went through one Holocaust. We're not going to go through another one. And if he's got to go out there and say and voice out his voice, he's got my support and he's got the majority of the Jewish people supporting him on this. And hopefully understand it's not just our problem. We may be first but the Iranian regime doesn't like America. I've been there September 11. I saw who was happy when I saw the two twin towers fell. It's the same regime in Gaza and other places in the world. They are not your friend. They're not our friend unfortunately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: President Obama warns that the U.S. is prepared to walk away from any deal with Iran that does not include tight inspections.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM a credit report overhaul set to impact hundreds of millions of Americans. Christine Romans will break it down for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking some other top stories at 35 minutes past.

More emotional witness testimony expected today as the trial resumes for accused Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Last week, survivors, including a father who lost his 9-year-old son testified what they lived through that day. Tsarnaev is facing the death last week.

President of South Korea is making a surprise visit to the U.S. ambassador, Mark Lippert this morning. Ambassador Lippert has been recovering in the hospital since his face and arm were slashed by a man who opposes the joint South Korea-U.S. military drills.

Two female tourists from California arrested for vandalizing Rome's famous coliseum. The women, ages 21 and 25, are accused of carving their initials into the ancient landmark. Police say then they posed for selfies to show off their handiwork. The last tourist person to deface the amphitheater, a Russian man was fined $25,000.

The state of Florida is not acknowledging climate change, at least not in official correspondence. According to a new report, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is banned from using the terms "climate change" and "global warming" in e-mails reporting or any other official communication. The Florida Center for Investigative reporting says the unwritten policy went into effect after Governor Rick Scott took office in 2011.

Credit reports are undergoing major changes. According to the "Wall Street Journal", the three big credit reporting agencies are overhauling the way they handle errors in unpaid medical bills. So what does that mean for you and me?

Our chief business correspondent Christine Romans is here to tell us.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It means some really big changes. Your credit report is so important because if there are mistakes on that, Carol, it could mean you have a harder time renting an apartment, a harder time getting a job. You have to pay more in interest on an auto loan. So the accuracy of these reports is critical; the New York Attorney General working with three major credit agencies to get these changes.

Now you can get up to two free credit reports a year if you go to annualcreditreport.com, you find a mistake, you can get another free credit report to make sure that mistake is fixed.

The credit agencies have to wait 180 days before adding medical debt to these reports.

COSTELLO: That's big.

ROMANS: You know how long -- It can take so long to get that organized with the insurance company and payment reimbursed. That's really important that the medical debt part of it, there's more time for you to address mistakes and also these credit agencies have to have trained personnel. When you call them and write them and say I think there's a mistake here, they have to do a better job of helping you figure out what the problem was and get it fixed. The medical part of this, here is why it's so important -- 52

percent. 52 percent of the debt that is on credit reports is medical debt. Medical debt is a huge burden for so many people. Some of that has been paid. Some of it hasn't. That's got to be fixed. That part of it has to be fixed. It's a number that's really -- credit score is important.

COSTELLO: And some of it is in dispute -- right, because we're making disputes forever.

ROMANS: And I have heard this from so many people. They go six months before they'll buy a house or at least a car or get an apartment and there is some mistake. Some unpaid bill on a Target credit card from 20 years ago or something that takes a lot of time to cross the ts and dot the is. The credit agencies have to do a better job.

It's going to take the next three years they're going to be unrolling this. It's not just going to be New York. Although it was a New York Attorney General who got this deal with them. It's going to be nationwide they will do this. You should see some help in getting those errors fixed.

If you don't know if you have errors, by the way, you should find out, annualcreditreport.com. Find out if you have an error on your account. Don't click on anything to pay for it. It's free. AnnualCreditReform.com

COSTELLO: Thanks, Christine.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: I appreciate it.

Still to come in the newsroom --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those e-mails are clean as a whistle. This is not how Hillary Clinton goes down.

Hillary Clinton gets the SNL treatment but the latest scandal over e- mails might be the least of her worries. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Hillary Clinton is set to tout her credentials as a potential candidate who cares deeply about women's issues. Today she along with her daughter and Melinda Gates will unveil an initiative to advance women's rights around the world. But even that's become controversial and fodder for "Saturday Night Live".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good evening. Hello. Hello. I'm Hillary Clinton. Tonight I'm speaking to you not as secretary of state or as a senator or as a first lady but as a relatable woman on a couch. Hello.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's funny, right? Sources tell CNN that Clinton will likely address the e-mail scandal at some time this week but those e- mails may not be her biggest problem.

Clinton will have to struggle with the appearance of hypocrisy surrounding donations to her family's foundation. To date it's accepted money from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Algeria and Brunei -- all countries that the "New York Times" point out the state department had criticized her discriminations against women.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The U.A.E. gave us money. Do we agree with everything they do? No, but they're helping us fight ISIS. And they built a great university with NYU open to people around the world and they have helped us support the work that this foundation does.

Do I agree with all of the foreign policy of Saudi Arabia? No. I think it's pretty impressive that the recent king who just died built the first co-educational institution in Saudi Arabia and that they have more women than men in colleges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So will female voters buy that explanation? With me now to talk about this is CNN political commentator and Sirius XM host Margaret Hoover. Welcome Margaret.

MARGARET HOOVER, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thanks for having me Carol.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here. So is Bill Clinton's explanation good enough? HOOVER: I don't know that it is when you think that hypocrisy is

really the unforgivable sin in politics. I mean you need people to be relatable if they say what they mean and they mean what they say then they can stand by it.

It doesn't make sense to be taking money from all these countries and then using your platform to taut women's rights but then receive funding from these countries who are not letting women drive, not letting women vote, not letting women really exert the human rights that we support and advocate in the developed world.

COSTELLO: Is it possible that Hillary Clinton could say my foundation is one thing and my presidential campaign is another thing.

HOOVER: I don't know. Even as you say that I feel like it's hard to wrap your head around. I agree with you in this sense. I think while the e-mail scandal is an assault against transparency and government, what is tied up in the Clinton foundation really is going to be the larger question for voters to see. It's not just hypocrisy issue.

It's the question of were they taking money from foreign governments while she was a witting secretary of state and using that position in government to peddle influence that they were directly enriched by.

I mean these are questions that are incredibly important and if we don't have the e-mails, there's no way of knowing whether they were misusing or abusing power.

COSTELLO: So this gives those who want to subpoena her e-mails that added something-something to make that possible.

HOOVER: Well look, when you're the secretary of state, you know, transparency is the -- sunlight is the best disinfectant. I mean this is what we stand for in this country. All of Jeb Bush's e-mails are entirely public because that's the law in Florida and it's the spirit of the rule at the federal law at the federal level. They found this loophole around it which also just doesn't sit right with people.

COSTELLO: So Hillary Clinton supposedly will come out later this week and they just expected the e-mail thing to go away. But now there's this added thing with taking donations from Saudi Arabia and such. Do you think that she'll have to address both issues in the days to come?

HOOVER: All of it is going to have to be addressed. I mean if you're going to be a presidential candidate, I think on the Democratic primary it looks like, you know, she's going to have to answer questions but I think the Democrats are going to be pretty easy on her. I don't think this is going to hamper her pathway to the nomination.

COSTELLO: It's not that easy. Dianne Feinstein came out and said --

HOOVER: Dianne Feinstein, she wasn't (inaudible).

She just said she had to clear the air. Many Democrats have said that. But you better believe when you get to a general election, when you have Independents and you have young people who are, by the way, not solid for the Democratic Party, they are overwhelmingly independent and they are not locked in for Hillary Clinton. They weren't for the first time around either.

People are going to need to hear --

COSTELLO: Young women you talk about?

HOOVER: Young women and millennials. 30 and under; 33 and under. They are not locked in for Democratic Party.

COSTELLO: They voted for Barack Obama.

HOOVER: In 2008 --

COSTELLO: But he --

HOOVER: He was more this transcendent figure in politics rather than a party partisan and that's why they liked him. He represented their generation and their ethos in a lot of different ways.

Hillary is going to have to answer these questions.

COSTELLO: Margaret Hoover -- thanks so much for being with me. I appreciate it.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, gadget lovers around the world are anxiously awaiting Apple's big media event today when the tech giant is finally expected to reveal all those secret details those secret details about his new Apple watch.

CNN's Dan Simon is in San Francisco. Good morning.

DAN SIMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL COMMENTATOR: Carol, good morning. Apple is going to be holding another one of these mega events today. You can see the line already starting to form. As you said, it's all about the Apple watch. Those details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Gadget lovers, today is the day. In just about two hours, Apple is finally expected to reveal all of those secret details about it first wearable device. That would be the Apple watch. Behold.

CNN's Dan Simon, live from the site in San Francisco where the big announcement will come down. Good morning, Dan.

Good morning, Carol. This is Apple's first new device since the iPad came out in 2010 believe it or not. So the stakes are very high for the company today.

We've already seen this watch but today we're going to get a lot more details including when it will go on sale. There are going to be three models here. There's an aluminum, a steel and a gold version. We know that the aluminum version, this is the sport edition is going to debut at $349. The gold watch, this is going to set you back a little bit. We're told the price could go anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000. Aside from the price, we should get some more details about what the watch will do. We already know the basics like messaging, fitness tracking, things of that nature. Just as the app store has been key to the success of the iPhone, you would expect the same to apply here.

Now, we know at this point the smart watch industry hasn't been particularly successful. There has not been a megahit yet. This could be a huge game changer today. We should get details and see how long the battery will last as well.

COSTELLO: Here's the thing. You need to carry your phone along with you for the watch to fully operate. Some people say it's not a great idea and that ultimately this watch will flop because of that. What are you hearing?

SIMON: Well, you know, I don't think it would be very wise to bet against this company. People thought the iPhone would fail. People said the same thing about the iPad and you have to remember there are a lot of doubts about Tim Cook and the company just had the most successful quarter in history. Not smart to bet against Apple, Carol, in my opinion.

COSTELLO: Probably right. Dan Simon, thanks so much. Still to come in the NEWSROOM. We'll introduce you to the surprised, take a look at this sleeping pooch. I bet you never guess he weighs in at nearly 175 pounds. We'll introduce you to this supersized pit bull after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Maybe you have seen him on television -- Hulk. The 175- pound pit bull, total media ham, he's well on his way to becoming the largest pit bull on earth -- seriously. Jeanne Moos spent the day with him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: With his towering height, those sensitive eyes, no wonder New York is bullish on this pit bull.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This thing is beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's gorgeous.

MOOS: Yes. Want to meet him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MOOS: who wouldn't want to meet hulk, one of the largest pit bulls on earth and at 18 months still growing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello there. Hello. Yes. What a good boy.

MOOS: Pinning me up against his van hulk made a weighty impression -- 175 pounds of weight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get yourself together.

MOOS: Normally he lives up on a farm in New Hampshire. The home of "Duck Dynasty Canines" where Marlene and Griffin breed guard dogs. Like the TV hulk, this hulk has his tough side. Most of the time he's so placid that he let his owner's son ride him and just plop down during his TV appearance.

So chill that hulk tends to sleep right through it when the boy pulls on his tongue. They want people to know that even a giant pit bull isn't vicious.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With these dogs it's about leadership and how you raise them. Rules, boundaries, limits.

MOOS: One of Hulk's peculiarities, this howling to the harmonica. Hulk was reluctant to sing on the view. He's being constantly sized up.

He's been in New York with al this publicity. His head is probably swollen now.

Hulk seemed like a breed apart from all of the New York City dogs dressed in their winter coats. Yet we discovered --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of his best friends is our five-pound chihuahua.

MOOS: This big bruiser seems to have a taste for little dogs and when Hulk the pit bull met Max, the toy poodle -- he can have him for dinner but he wouldn't

Instead of ding on max, Hulk tried to sniff.

All right. All right. Both ends. That poodle's jacket would probably fit Hulk as a hat. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

COSTELLO: That's a gigantic dog. It's a amazing. A reminder if you want to watch the unveiling of the new Apple watch, I guess Apple is going to stream it on its website so you can catch it there. As we've been telling you, this Apple watch is the newest, biggest thing from Apple. Goes on your wrist. You have to carry your phone along with it, right? Or it kind of won't work. A lot of people are saying, well, maybe it will be a big flop. Others say I wouldn't count Apple out because it comes up with terrific products. Most expensive Apple watch to be on the market sells at $10,000. I don't know how many of you will be in line for that one but there are cheaper versions and they are still expensive 3.95 bucks.

Dan Simon will cover it all for you.

Thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan starts now.