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Officer Slager Sued; Clinton's Age A Factor?; Ramp Agent in Cargo Hold Causes Emergency Landing; Five Years on Since BP Oil Spill. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired April 14, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Joining me now, attorney Malik Shabazz. He's the national president of Black Lawyers for Justice. He has called for a special prosecutor to investigate Mr. Scott's death.

Thank you so much for being with us.

ATTY. MALIK SHABAZZ, NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF BLACK LAWYERS FOR JUSTICE: Good morning. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm good. Thanks for being here.

You're going to meet with the Scott family today. Why?

SHABAZZ: The community here is in pain, and the community here and all over the country is outraged that black men are being killed and hunted down like deer and like dogs. There is outrage here and outrage throughout America because no black man and almost no black person can say that they will make it through the day or through the week without seeing another black man unarmed shot and killed. And so there's a tremendous amount of pain here and a tremendous amount of pain with that family.

COSTELLO: Has the Scott family invited you in?

SHABAZZ: The community here has invited me in. And from what I'm understanding, that they are under a tremendous amount of pressure right now. But, ma'am, Black Lawyers for Justice, who is pursuing federal litigation and lawsuits against the police departments in over 12 states, we're on top of this in every state. I'm a veteran of Ferguson, Missouri, right now in battle with Belmar and Thomas Jackson and the Ferguson Police Department.

COSTELLO: Oh, I understand that, sir. I was just wondering if the Scott family is behind you in your efforts.

SHABAZZ: I'm sure they are, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

COSTELLO: So you're not going to meet with them today?

SHABAZZ: It's likely that I may.

COSTELLO: That you may.

SHABAZZ: But let's get back to the issue. The issue --

COSTELLO: Well, let's get back to the issues.

SHABAZZ: The issue here, ma'am --

COSTELLO: Well -- well, let me just ask you this question.

SHABAZZ: Yes, let's get back to the issue.

COSTELLO: OK. You say you organization plans to conduct its own investigation. And I wondered why because Officer Slager is charged with murder. The police chief and says he is -- the police chief says he's appalled by what happened. He made that very clear. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating. Why did -- why does your organization need to investigate, too?

SHABAZZ: It is because we cannot trust a trial until the verdict is reached. We have been so disappointed by this justice system. Number two is, the president of the UNITED STATES, MR. Obama, needs to take a much stronger stand and role in combating police abuse. He must take direct action. And if Hillary Clinton is going to achieve the White House, she should not get one black vote unless she is held accountable for the -- for the murder and the blood of black men running in the streets. There is a pattern and practice of police abuse --

COSTELLO: Well, what do you want -- sir, what do you want President Obama to do? The U.S. Justice Department is involved.

SHABAZZ: Let me say this, there's a patter that --

COSTELLO: What more do you want President Obama to do?

SHABAZZ: The U.S. Justice Department has done nothing. The U.S. Justice Department has moved all too slow while blood is running in the streets. There's a pattern and practice of racism here in Charleston and in South Carolina. There's a pattern and practice of police abuse. And only when we have a video, only if there is a video, there is a charge made. But if there was no video in this case, we all know that Slager would be home with his feet kicked up watching television. So there are serious issues here. And we, as a community, as black men and as organizers, we are not going to sit back and wait on anybody to solve these problems. We must stand up as lawyers, as attorneys and we must solve them ourselves.

COSTELLO: All right.

SHABAZZ: So, yes, ma'am, we are on the case in the right way here.

COSTELLO: Malik Shabazz, thank you so much for joining me this morning. I appreciate it.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, critics taking aim at her age. Why one doctor says Hillary Clinton has never been more ready for the president's office than now. And you won't believe why. We'll talk about that, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:37:20] COSTELLO: Hillary Clinton now heads to the Midwest. Her , campaign now in Iowa. And in just a matter of hours, she'll be making her first official campaign stop. Last night Clinton ducked into this Ohio Chipotle, making this incognito order for a burrito bowl. And when it comes to the person Hillary Clinton hopes to replace in the White House, that would be President Obama, an official endorsement is not on the way. At least not yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you know, it's a little early for endorsements since she just announced yesterday, but here is what I can say. She is talented, tenacious, was a great secretary of state and she is a friend of mine and I think she would be an excellent president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: As for Clinton's first stop, she'll soon be holding a roundtable at Kirkwood Community College. CNN will bring you live coverage of the event when it kicks off around 2:15 p.m. this afternoon.

I admit it, I thought it was a joke at first, but it wasn't. Someone wrote about why a post-menopausal woman in the White House would be fantastic. While that article played up the positives of a woman's biology, other articles were not -- were not, well, as kind. "The Blaze" wrote, quote, "will her uterus be enough to win the White House? Maybe. God help us." "The Huffington Post" points out this tweet, quote, "young, maybe, but never pretty. They should show how -- they should show the old hag she is today."

Now, it is absolutely fair to be concerned about Clinton's age but "old hag"? And, seriously, what's a uterus have to do with anything? And being post-menopausal? I wondered about that one, too. With me now, Dr. Julie Holland. She's a psychiatrist and the author of "Moody Bitches." She also wrote that op-ed in "Time" magazine asserting post- menopausal women are primed for, well, prime time.

Welcome, Julie.

DR. JULIE HOLLAND, PSYCHIATRIST: Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here. I did, I tried to open my mind. I know that you're coming from a good place.

HOLLAND: I am.

COSTELLO: But your article -- your article plays into that myth that women are controlled by their biology, and we're not.

HOLLAND: Well, I don't know if controlled is really the right word. But, you know, women do have hormonal fluctuations, perimenopause is a marathon of erratic searches and troughs and hormones. But postmenopausal women, it really is the calm after the storm and it is -- it is a time for a lot of women when they sort of emerge from this cocoon of accommodating other people and they really come into their own. And Hillary is primed for sort of the third act of her life. It's a time for authenticity and redefining yourself and it's really a position of strength for women, for older women.

[09:40:09] COSTELLO: Well, why not write about Marco Rubio's testosterone and how it plays into his position on Iran or Jeb Bush's flagging (ph) libido because he's 62?

HOLLAND: Right. I actually -- I'm in the middle of (INAUDIBLE) time about men and testosterone. So, I will. That's the -- I'm happy to come on again and talk to you again. But, you know, "Moody Bitches" is about women and it's about women's hormones and it's about sort of being authentic with whatever is going on with our hormones. And it's not a matter of being controlled by our hormones, but it is, you know, knowledge is power, and knowing where you are, whether you're, you know, premenstrual or premenopausal --

COSTELLO: OK. So -- so -- so many -- many of the -- many of the women I talked with about your article were actually insulted because they're actually trying to escape the ugliness of comments like, oh, wow, she's PMS'ing, don't let her near that red button. Estrogen is not a bad thing.

HOLLAND: Well, PMS is not a bad thing at all. And "Moody Bitches" speaks quite a bit to this issues. I would -- I would ask you to tell your friends to please read the book and they -- they won't be so insulted.

COSTELLO: I think what they're thinking is that -- they're wondering, are -- are you saying premenopausal women, should they just stay out of the workforce altogether --

HOLLAND: No, absolutely --

COSTELLO: Or in low level positions until they can handle a big job when they get to be postmenopausal?

HOLLAND: No, I absolutely am not saying that, and the next piece I am writing for "Time" will make that clear. I think that there need to be more women in politics.

[09:45:01] I think that things like estrogen and oxytocin, which are abundant in women, are exactly what our American political system needs right now. So I'm certainly not saying that pre-menopausal women should stay out of politics, but I am saying that there is a particular charm to the post-menopausal phase of a woman's life, and it's a very powerful place for a woman to be in. And these words like hag, there is something sort of mystical about the wise woman, the older woman, and she is in a place of power.

COSTELLO: She is in a place of power and I totally agree with that, but it has nothing to do with our biology. I mean, I've worked with women of many ages and I never said to myself, oh my gosh, she made such a bad decision because, you know, it was her time of the month. I've never said that about a woman that I worked with.

HOLLAND: (INAUDIBLE) time of the month. You know, I come from a place of biology. "Moody Bithces" is grounded in science and the biology of women and the biology of hormones and how that affects our emotions and our behavior. And I do not mean to imply that a pre- menopausal woman should not be in government, and if you wait a few days, you will read about this on time.com.

COSTELLO: I will. And I promise I will read your article. Dr. Julie Holland, thanks for being with me. I appreciate it.

HOLLAND: Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: An Alaska Airlines flight to Los Angeles forced to turn around for an emergency landing at Seattle's Seatac Airport on Monday.

[09:50:02] Rescue workers on the tarmac unloading an unusual item from the cargo hold -- that would be a person.

CNN aviation correspondent Rene Marsh joins me now from Washington's Reagan International Airport with more on this story. Good morning.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION & GOV'T REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Apparently this was a very sleepy baggage handler. We know his -- in time at work 5:00 a.m. And near the end of his shift, he fell asleep while loading luggage into the cargo hold of this aircraft. His team, when they noticed he was missing, they called for him in the cargo hold, they called his cell phone and texted him, and still no answer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PILOT: I think we have -- there's a noise from the baggage compartment.

MARSH (voice-over): A frightening and unexpected disturbance onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 448 Monday afternoon. The pilot telling the control tower he hears someone screaming and banging inside the cargo hold.

PILOT: It could be a person in there so we're going to have to come back around.

MARSH: Turns out, the ramp agent handling the luggage for the flight fell asleep in the cargo hold.

JAMIE DAVIS, FLIGHT 448 PASSENGER: All of a sudden, we just hear some banging right underneath our feet.

MARSH: In this cell phone video obtained by CNN affiliate KIRO, a passenger says you can hear the ramp agent's desperate knocks. DAVIS: Two of us thought something was stuck in the wheel, because

that was kind of the sound of it. And then we started hearing voices underneath us and pounding significantly louder and louder.

MARSH: The plane in the air for 14 minutes before the captain declared an emergency landing. Another passenger says an air marshal on board kept the panicked ramp agent calm.

TROI GE, FLIGHT 448 PASSENGER: At some point, the marshal kind of made himself known. He started banging back and he yelled really loud and said we're getting ready to land. Hold onto something.

MARSH: The flight carrying 176 passengers and crew en route to Los Angeles from Seattle. On the tarmac, the employee, who was part of a four-person ramp team, could be seen sliding out of the Alaska Airlines flight cargo area. He was taken to the hospital as a precaution and later discharged.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARSH (on camera): Well, we do know this ramp agent did pass a drug test. Really, the saving grace here is that that particular part of the aircraft is pressurized, also temperature controlled, so this person will be OK. In the meantime, though, Alaska Airlines trying to figure out exactly how was this able to happen where this plane took off with this man in the belly of a plane. Carol?

COSTELLO: It will be interesting to find out what the answer is. Rene Marsh, thanks so much. Rene Marsh reporting live for us this morning.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, have the people, the economy, and the environment returned to normal five years after the worst oil spill in U.S. history? CNN returns to the Gulf of Mexico to explore the long- term effects of that toxic disaster.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:56:40] COSTELLO: It's been five years since the largest oil spill in U.S. history. In April of 2010, more than 200 million gallons of crude started spewing out of the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Some clues about the impact of that toxic disaster made themselves known immediately: oiled brown pelicans, dead baby dolphins, tar balls on the beaches. But as the cleanup continues, the big picture hasn't come into focus yet.

CNN's Drew Griffin takes us back to the scene to explore how the people, the economy, and the environment are recovering.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Barataria Bay, Louisiana. The marshes and the shores of these small islands were once covered in oil. Today, from our boat, we spot two dozen workers wearing face masks, shoveling, working on a stretch of beach. We pull up to take a look. (on camera): How you doing? Doing good. Drew Griffin with CNN.

Nice to meet you, sir. And this Philippe Cousteau (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay away from the hazardous material. This is a cleanup site.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): The hazardous material turned out to be BP's oil, a 90-foot long, 30,000-lb tar man. We had a small tar ball tested and it matched the oil from the spill.

(on camera): The fact is, five years later, there is still oil. Oil in big enough clumps that it needs to be dug up by a crew like this, digging down 30 inches trying to take it and remove it.

GEOFF MORRELL, SVP, BP COMMUNICATIONS & INTERNAL AFFAIRS: The pockets of tar mats that still exist are in areas known to us but which were deemed by the federal government to be better to leave alone there and let them be naturally exposed through erosion and then for us to clean them. So as they appear, we are finding them and removing them, but none of them poses a threat to human or aquatic life.

GRIFFIN: And is this going to go on for years and year?

MORRELL: However long it goes on, the company's committed to cleaning up that which is exposed and that which is Macondo oil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Senior investigative correspondent Drew Griffin joins me now. So how long does he suppose the oil will keep showing up?

GRIFFIN: That is the big question. And that's the emotional toll of this disaster. It goes on and on because the fishermen, the oystermen, the people who live along there, no one really knows what the long-term effects are.

I must tell you, right now, it looks pretty good. The water is clean. The fish are beautiful. You'll see some incredible shots of recovery. But there's an emotional toll and there's a lot of science yet to be told about this oil spill.

COSTELLO: I don't think many people realize that there's still a problem there because the PR campaign was fabulous, frankly. We all saw commercials on television extolling the virtues of BP in the cleanup and how the people love the company now.

GRIFFIN: Everybody wants it to be better. That includes the people who were affected the most, and we're talking about the fishermen who fish three weeks and then they go out on an oil rig and they work for two weeks on an oil rig.

It's coming back. There's no doubt about it. The question is are there going to be long-term repercussions on species? Will there be a long-term psychological effect on these fishing communities? Many fishermen have wrapped it up. They've had enough. [10:00:00] They've had enough hurricanes. The oil spill, the

questions about the future. It was time to hang up the boat. And they've turned it in.

COSTELLO: Drew Griffin, thanks for stopping by. Appreciate it. You can check out the special report, "BLOWOUT: THE GULF OIL DISASTER". That airs tonight, 9:00 Eastern, only on CN>.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.