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ISIS Claims Responsibility for Terrorist Attack in Afghanistan; GOP Presidential Hopefuls Gather at Event in New Hampshire; Reserve Deputy who Mistakenly Shot Suspect Under Investigation; ESPN Reporter on Video Criticizing Towing Company Clerk; Prospective Attorney General Loretta Lynch's Nomination Continues to be Held Up in Senate; Storms hit Midwest; Passengers Trapped on Airplane for Hours; Hockey Player Arrested for Drugs. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired April 18, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00] BRITT MCHENRY, ESPN REPORTER: Do you feel good about your job? So I could be a college dropout and do the same thing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The towing company at the center of that ESPN reporter's rant weighing in now on her future in TV. The surprising statement it's making about Britt McHenry.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Hello again, everyone. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. ISIS appears to be extending its reach into Afghanistan, a suicide bomber on a motorbike blowing himself up today in front of a bank in Jalalabad. ISIS is taking responsibility for the attack, which looks to be the first in Afghanistan. At least 33 people killed and more than 100 injured.

The driver of this ambulance struggles to maneuver through the rubble, desperate to get just some of the wounded off the street and into the hospital. The chaos shown here is but a small window of what happened in the early morning hours in Jalalabad, a bustling city that borders Pakistan, some 100 miles from the Afghan capital of Kabul.

The blast was set off by a man on a motorbike who apparently was targeting government workers lining up to collect their salaries. Children were among the victims. The brazen attack was quickly denounced. A statement from the U.S. embassy read, quote, "The U.S. embassy strongly condemns today's barbaric attack in Jalalabad which resulted in numerous casualties. We offer our sincere condolences to the victims and their families and we wish for a speedy recovery of those injured."

The Taliban, which the U.S. and Afghan forces battled for years, was quick to condemn the attack also. However a group calling itself ISIS Wilayat Khorasan has claimed responsibility, saying the motorcyclist was a member in its ranks. It's believed to be the first time ISIS has taken claim for a terrorist incident inside Afghanistan.

Back in March, CNN had reported on ISIS' efforts to recruit there. For his part Afghanistan's new president, Ashraf Ghani, issued a statement in which he said, quote, "Terrorists are using Afghan blood and soil for their proxy war. It is not our war. This nation does not bow to threats and dangers. We will fight them to the end."

And ISIS claiming responsibility for another suicide attack, this one in Iraq. It happened near the U.S. consulate in the Kurdish Iraqi city of Erbil. Officials say at least four people were killed and 18 injured, but no U.S. consulate personnel were hurt.

And police in Melbourne, Australia, says they have stopped a potential ISIS-inspired attack. Australian officials arrested five teenagers in a major counterterrorism operation but released three of them pending further investigation. Police say the young men were planning an attack during a national ceremony next week. One of the suspects has been charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist act.

And the nation's first presidential primary election still 10 months away, but the GOP sparring is already underway in New Hampshire where the entire Republican presidential field is now gathering to win over voters who will cast ballots next February. The declared and the potential candidates are attending a major GOP summit, and several contenders have wasted no time trying to grab the spotlight and put their stump speeches to the test.

Athena Jones is live for us now in Nashua, New Hampshire. So New Hampshire, is not as conservative as Iowa, so are these candidates dialing pack on the conservative talking points? Have they kind of modified their talking points because of where they are?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. No, they have not modified their talking points because of where they are. We've heard a lot of talk about cutting taxes. We heard that earlier this morning from Senator Rand Paul, a lot of talk about cutting the size of government. Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana bragged about how much he's cut back on government spending in that state. So they really are sticking to their generally conservative principles.

But you're right, New Hampshire is a state where the Republican voters are more moderate. But the thing is these guys know they are speaking on a national stage right now. They're getting national attention, so they're talking about what they stand for nationally in order to win support, not so much focused on trying to win over the moderate voters here.

Another big theme, of course, is criticism of President Barack Obama and also criticism of Hillary Clinton, who, as you know, is the only Democrat to have officially thrown her hat into the ring. Let's listen to what Senator Paul said and also Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO. Let's play that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL, (R) KENTUCKY: I'm starting to worry that when Hillary Clinton travels there's going to need to be two planes, one for her and her entourage and one for her baggage. CARLY FIORINA, FORMER HEWLETT-PACKARD CEO: Hillary Clinton cannot be

president of the United States, but not because she is a woman. Hillary Clinton must not be president of the United States because she does not have a track record of accomplishment, because she lacks the candor and the transparency that are so necessary to leadership, and because she will pursue a set of policies that crush possibilities and the potential of this great nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:05:16] JONES: So a lot of red meat thrown against Hillary Clinton, and the crowd here has responded well. So there you have it, conservative principles and a little bashing of the other side. Fred?

WHITFIELD: OK. And there's a lot of criticism clearly of Hillary Clinton, who, by the way, on the heels of this summit will be making her own appearances there in New Hampshire.

JONES: That's right. She'll be here on Monday and Tuesday for a series of events. We expect a lot of the same kind of events we've seen already in Iowa. So very small roundtables, very intimate chats with folks here. You know, Fred, that this is the state that helped her kind of have her own comeback moment back in 2008 where she -- after she lost horribly in Iowa, coming in third, she was able to win here and keep her candidacy going back then. And so we'll see how she fares, of course, in New Hampshire this time.

Of course as of right now she's the only declared candidate, so we'll have to see who else gets in the ring. But you're right, she'll be here Monday and Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: Athena Jones, thanks so much in Nashua.

All right, coming up, the Tulsa, Oklahoma, reserve deputy who shot and killed a man during a raid explains why he grabbed his gun instead of his Taser. But in his explanation lots of questions about whether it's plausible. We ask an attorney and a retired LAPD police sergeant, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, checking our top stories --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, this is so frickin hot. Oh, my god. Oh, my god.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A massive gasoline explosion sending 11 people to the hospital on Friday and closed a central California highway. Investigators say they don't yet know what caused the huge blast, but they are looking into the possibility that it may have been caused by heavy equipment working near a gas line. [14:10:13] And hockey star Jarret Stoll is in hot water this day. The

L.A. Kings player was arrested for drug possession while at a Las Vegas resort swimming pool. Police tell affiliate KSNV that that Stoll was in possession of cocaine and ecstasy. And in a statement the Kings said they are conducting an internal investigation.

And the wake for Eric Harris is being held today in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the man shot and killed earlier this month by a reserve deputy, Robert Bates. Bates said he thought he was wearing his Taser instead of his gun and he apologized to the Harris family. Last night Harris' brother told CNN that he forgives the deputy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDRE HARRIS, BROTHER OF ERIC HARRIS: We accept Mr. Bates' apology. I've been forgiven of my sins and things that I have done in the past. And absolutely I forgive Mr. Bates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The 73-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma, reserve deputy who shot and killed Eric Harris is trying to explain how he mistook his gun for a Taser. Here is police tape of the original incident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On your stomach, now!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I shot him, I'm sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh -- he shot him!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: During an interview with NBC's "Today" show Roberts Bates alternated between choked up and defiant, insisting that anyone could have made this mistake. Here's how he describes what happened in that shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT BATES, RESERVE DEPUTY CHARGED IN KILLING: My Taser is right here on the front tucked in a protective vest. My gun itself is on my side, normally in the rear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And people are going to look at that, Mr. Bates, and say, how could you make this mistake? How could you think you were going for your Taser on your chest tucked into that vest and accidentally pull your weapon?

BATES: Well, let me say, this has happened a number of times around the country. I have read about it in the past. I thought to myself after reading several cases, I don't understand how this can happen. You must believe me, it can happen to anyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, so let's talk more about this. Cheryl Dorsey is a retired LAPD sergeant. She served on the force for 20 years, back with us, and good to see. And HLN legal analyst Joey Jackson is in New York City for us. Good to see you as well.

OK, so Cheryl, let me begin with you, because you hear Bates say it could happen to anyone, it has happened a number of times across the nation. But in this case he's talking about the Taser being at his chest, his pistol being at his side. Is this a plausible explanation that really it could happen to anyone? Those are two very different motions, reaching for the pistol or the Taser on his chest.

CHERYL DORSEY, RETIRE LAPD SERGEANT: Good morning, Fred. Thank you for having me. And Mr. Bates should probably stop talking. It can happen to anyone who's not properly trained. It can happen to anyone who has no business being part of an undercover sting operation. It could happen to anyone who's not familiar with their handgun.

WHITFIELD: So, Joey, if you were representing Officer Bates, would you have been a bit nervous about his explanation, or do you think he does weave a believable experience?

JOEY JACKSON, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, you know what, Fredricka, good afternoon to you, and good afternoon, Ms. Dorsey. Look, the reality is this. It's that it's not about being believable. It's about acting in a reasonable and responsible way. And so is he believable? Perhaps. Is he likeable? Perhaps. Is he a good person? I'm not here to pass judgment on that. What I'm here to do is evaluate his actions and see if they're consistent, Fredricka, or inconsistent with the law.

And what the law says is if you engage in negligence, that is you are careless, and that carelessness rises to such a degree as a reasonable, prudent person under similar circumstance would not do as you did, then it makes it culpable and makes him responsible under the manslaughter statute. And manslaughter is just that, Fredricka. It's did you act in a negligent way, and is that negligence something that a regular and standard person who was acting as you would have acted in a contrary way. And so when you look at it, it's very troubling from a defense perspective.

WHITFIELD: OK. So then, Cheryl, you talk about the training. If you had the training, then this kind of mistake not likely would happen. When you hear Joey use the words "negligent" and being irresponsible and careless, well, does that kind of parallel not having the proper training to be able to be an officer using a Taser and a pistol?

[14:15:00] DORSEY: Well, absolutely. And we understand from Mr. Bates own written statement that he called the sting operation command the night before the incident because he wanted to know what was going on and if his services were needed. And so he talks about being in that roll call training where they talk about Mr. Harris and they describe him as a bad SOB. So he was amped up and excited to be a part of this. And certainly Mr. Bates, if no one else knows, understands the level

of his qualifications. He has admitted that the last time he shot at the range was in the fall of 2014. So with his understanding of his level of expertise, the frequency with which he fires, practices, and draws his weapon, he knew alone and him alone that he should not have involved himself in that tactical operation. He should not have been drawing a Taser, a handgun, or anything else at that point.

WHITFIELD: So does this I guess underscore an even bigger problem to both of you, whether it be about the whole lack of training or perhaps more training necessary, the reserve deputy position, the idea that an officer can elect to be a part of an operation, a planned operation, and even -- I mean there are just so many questions, even the fact that Mr. Bates was kind of the last on the scene. This suspect was already detained, already down. Was there even a use to want -- a use to employ a Taser? Cheryl, you first.

DORSEY: Well, I don't think so. And again, according to his written statement, what he says is that as he's running up to the scene of the struggle that's going on, he's witnessing for several seconds the officers attempt to gain control of Mr. Harris. Then he says he sees a way in. I mean, he sees a way in. Here's his opportunity to get in there and shoot, Tase, whatever it is that he wanted to do with this way in. And so it was not required, no one asked him, no one offered -- required his participation. They put him at the end of that situation for a reason, because he had no business being there in the first place. But understand the sheriff wanted him there because that's his friend and he's allowed him to come out and play.

WHITFIELD: So then, Joey, from a legal standpoint there are we talking about this eagerness and overzealousness, does this fall into the category of what you mentioned of carelessness or negligence?

JACKSON: You know, Fredricka, it could, and it seems as though it likely would. Let me just explain why. The reality is that we need reserve officers. We certainly need police officers, and we need police forces to be supplemented. But we need to make sure that the people who are out there are certainly competent and certainly qualified. I don't care how old you are. I don't care who your friends are. I don't care how much you donate. That's great, to each their own.

WHITFIELD: Except all of those things will be evaluated in this.

JACKSON: Absolutely. It will be picked apart, how much money he gave. People need to give money. They should give more money. There's a lot of worthy causes. People have great friends, a lot of friends, have more of them. But that's not the focus.

(CROSSTALK)

JACKSON: The focus, exactly, from a legal perspective is are you qualified to be there, do you have the requisite training and experience. And presuming you do, did you act responsibly under these circumstances? That's what it needs to be measured by. And if you're mistaking your Taser, which is a different color and in a different location on your body, from your gun, then that becomes problematic and not only subjects you, of course, to criminal responsibility, which is steep, and of course he's facing four years on the manslaughter two charge, but it faces not only him but the entire police department to civil liability in terms of money.

And, finally, Fredricka, the reality is it benefits everyone when people are trained responsibly. The people you're around and you're protecting and the community are safer. You're safer. The suspect you're going after is safer because you know what you're doing. And so in the event we have a reserve force that knows what they're doing, let's have more of them. But if there's issues with their training, it has to be re-evaluated and examined so that the right people are out there and the right people are on the job.

WHITFIELD: All right, Joey Jackson, Cheryl Dorsey, thanks so much to both of you. Appreciate it.

JACKSON: Have a great day, Fredricka.

DORSEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thank you as well.

All right, still ahead, the judge in the Atlanta cheating scandal slams the teachers after the sentencing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE JERRY BAXTER, SUPERIOR COURT OF FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA: All I want from any of these people is just to take some responsibility, but they refuse. They refuse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, guess what, those convicted educators are firing back. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:23:23] WHITFIELD: Atlanta educators convicted in a widespread testing scandal are now firing back, declaring their innocence. The judge in the case made headlines this week when he imposed harsher sentences on the former Atlanta school officials who refused to accept a plea deal. Some of them face seven years in prison for their role in fabricating and falsely certifying test answers. CNN's Martin Savidge has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How in the world did it come to this?

BAXTER: I'm going put you in jail. If you yell at me, point at me --

SAVIDGE: Atlanta's public schools cheating scandal has been dividing the city for years, but it's not till the scandal went from the classroom to the courtroom that it exploded.

BAXTER: All I want from any of these people is just to take some responsibility.

SAVIDGE: It was cheating, but not by students. Prosecutors say teachers, principals, and administrators changed wrong answers and made them right, making the kids look smarter and the educators look better, earning them raises and praise. Because prosecutors said they conspired, they were charged with racketeering. That's the same law used to bring down mobsters and drug dealers. And after a five-month trial, 11 of 12 were found guilty.

And the judge shocked the court by immediately demanding they all go to jail.

BAXTER: They have been convicted of felonies, serious felonies.

SAVIDGE: Judge Jerry Baxter was clearly angry that only two of the 10 educators took a last-minute plea deal and said nobody seemed concern about the kids.

[14:25:00] BAXTER: There were thousands of children that were harmed in this thing. This is not a victimless crime.

SAVIDGE: At sentencing Baxter threw the book at them. Most of the educators expected to now serve prison terms ranging from one to seven years and up to 13 years probation.

Now the teachers finally have a turn to talk, saying that they were stunned by the sentences and the community that seemed to want to want vengeance more than justice.

DANA EVANS, FORMER ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRINCIPAL: It has been an overwhelming burden. When it first happened, I just was immobilized with the notion that not just a few people thought we hurt children, but it felt like the whole world was against us.

SAVIDGE: Others say they couldn't take the deal because it went against all they believed.

TAMARA COLMAN, FORMER ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATOR: When you are completely innocent and you're asked to stand up and say that you're guilty, I believe that's still perjury. And I wasn't willing to compromise my integrity and say that I did something that I did not do.

SAVIDGE: Nationally critics say the scandal is an indictment of standardized testing, which places too much emphasis on scores and not enough on education.

Meanwhile, many of the convicted say they plan to appeal, which means Atlanta's long and embarrassing civics lesson is far from over.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: And coming up, some terrifying moments under the big top.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch the children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Torrential rain tears through the roof as circus goers scramble for safety. The frightening ordeal, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello again. Thanks for joining me, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

[14:30:00] A severe storm abruptly interrupts ends a circus performance in Brazoria County, Texas. Dramatic video capturing the frightening moments when a performer acts are cut short and people scramble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're not from Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on. Come here, baby. Don't cry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, some pretty scary moments there. Officials told local media that no injuries were reported at the circus. And earlier CNN spoke to a witness who was inside the big tent when that hail moved in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The hail started, which was a very scary sound honestly. And I don't want to minimize, I know weather is a scary thing. I know some people that were home during all this and they were scared at well. But it's just people decided maybe they shouldn't be in the tent. And when they did, they started moving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And then in Colorado, some bad weather. Lightning in fact grounded this United Express flight in Colorado Springs. Passengers say they were stuck on the tarmac for several hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They only have three dates, and they are not in the mood to be dealing with us. They don't have to do anything with us until we've been out here for three hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: The airline claims it gave passengers the option to deplane, but some passengers deny that and said they had no fresh air and only crackers to eat. United is reaching out to customers to offer compensation.

Meanwhile severe weather is pushing through the central plains to the southeast today. An estimated 18 million people are at the risk of severe weather, including possible isolated tornados.

All right, well, all of the GOP presidential hopefuls are in Nashua, New Hampshire, right now, for the Republican leadership summit. One common theme, bash the only announced Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton.

A lot to talk about here, so let's bring in our political panel, CNN political commentators Ana Navarro and Hilary Rosen, and Larry Sabato, directing the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Good to see all of you.

OK, so all day they have been going after Hillary Clinton. But Ana, to you first, don't the Republican hopefuls need to start talking about issues or maybe even maybe even lash out against some of their fellow competitors on the GOP side, or is this what it's going to be like?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, frankly, Fred, they have been talking about a lot of issues. When you come to New Hampshire, that's one of the things that happens. New Hampshire voters are incredibly engaged. They show up to events like this. It's a two-day event. We are on the last day, today, and they ask all sorts of questions -- national security, economy, biographical, EMP, all sort of acronyms so if you're not well versed at what's going on in the world and in the United States, you may not know how to answer. They really know how to kick the tires on these candidates, how to get them to answer. Politicians are very good sometimes at not giving answers. These New Hampshire voters will not give up until they do answer.

So I've actually thought that there hasn't been that many attacks on Hillary Clinton. But certainly part of running is going to be being able to attack your opponent. And in this case, the presumed candidate on the Democrat side is Hillary Clinton.

WHITFIELD: And so, Larry, do New Hampshire voters want to hear something very unique and specific to their geographical area?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, they want to hear about everything. They're a very demanding electorate, Fred, just like Iowa. And I'll tell you something. The reason the candidates are there and the reason they're going to come back dozens of times is because stretching back to 1968 there have been 12 presidential cycles. In 10 of the presidential cycles there has either been an outright upset in the New Hampshire primary or a big surprise in the order of finish, 10 out of 12.

So the odds are there's going to be one probably on the Republican side in 2016, and these candidates can't wait until just a few months before New Hampshire. This is the field of dreams stage, Fred. They're all going to New Hampshire and Iowa and South Carolina, and they're imagining victories and their building their organizations.

WHITFIELD: And it's the first primary state, but Hilary, what is it about New Hampshire? It is so tiny but at the same time it is so big in presidential politics. Hillary Clinton will be there Monday and Tuesday after these GOP candidates leave.

[14:35:00] HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, the fact that Iowa and New Hampshire are the first two states is interesting for this reason, because particularly on the Republican side, you know, Iowa primary voters tend to be more religious conservatives for the Republicans. And so you almost always have -- for instance, last year Rick Santorum in 2012 won the Iowa primary and Romney went on to win in New Hampshire, whereas New Hampshire voters tend to be more economic conservatives.

And so you get a big push-pull, particularly in the Republican primary, for the next eight months, really, before, you know, you have the Iowa caucuses. And so there's going to be a lot of dancing. Jeb Bush probably thinks he's got a much better chance in New Hampshire because religious conservatives don't believe he's conservative enough. Democrats, of course, think he's conservative enough. And so I think that back and forth between Iowa and New Hampshire and what voters are looking for really keeps a candidate on their toes.

WHITFIELD: And Ana, the GOP field is so sizeable right now. So how will any of these candidates, those who have declared and those who are thinking about it, try to distinguish themselves?

NAVARRO: They have got to come here and they have got to make a personal case and do it personally. They distinguish themselves, frankly, by earning the vote, by telling people who they are, where they stand, what they offer, what their records have been, what their proposals is, what their agenda, what their vision, by being optimistic.

And one of the things about New Hampshire voters is that they're pretty good at picking presidents. Not only are they good at picking presidents. They're good at telling authenticity from those who are not being authentic.

You know, they don't ask just questions about New Hampshire. They have incredible information, and they take their role as the first in the nation primary incredibly seriously. They dress up for these events. They sit through hours and hours of speeches. They ask the questions. They are just -- you know, it's a terrific place to be. I hadn't been here in four years. Let me tell you, if you're feeling a little cynical about this country, come to New Hampshire because it's just a wonderful place full of wonderful people who take their civic responsibilities very seriously.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ana Navarro -- go ahead.

ROSEN: I was just going to say it's worth noting that in 2008 Hillary Clinton actually -- Barack Obama rolled her over in Iowa but she stopped him in New Hampshire. That's where her campaign by all accounts was really brought to life because she really connected with those middle class folks in New Hampshire. And I think she will again.

WHITFIELD: All right, we're going to leave it right there. Hilary Rosen, Ana Navarro, Larry Sabato, thanks so much to all of you, appreciate it.

ROSEN: OK, take care.

WHITFIELD: It is the rage-ful rant that has now gone viral and has benched an ESPN reporter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCHENRY: Do you feel good about your job? So I could be a college dropout and do the same thing? Because I have a brain and you don't?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy, but now the towing company is weighing in on Britt McHenry's future on air. And what they might have to say just might surprise you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:42:02] WHITFIELD: Well, you've probably seen the video by now, but the towing company where ESPN reporter Britt McHenry verbally lashed out at the clerk says she shouldn't be suspended or fired because of her mean meltdown. Advanced Towing goes on to say the clerk, who is a single mother of three, holds no ill will towards McHenry. McHenry is in the middle of a one-week suspension after this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCHENRY: I'm in the news, sweetheart. But I will -- this place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's fine, and I'll play your video, so careful. I'll play the video.

MCHENRY: That's why I have a degree and you don't. That's all you care about is just taking people's money, with no education, no skill set. I just wanted to clarify that. Do you feel good about your job? So I could be a college dropout and do the same thing? Because I have a brain and you don't? Maybe if I was missing some teeth they would hire me. I'm on television and you're in a -- trailer. Lose some weight, baby girl.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. So host of "CNN's Reliable Sources," that just is painful each time you watch it, and also senior media correspondent, Brian Stelter joining us now via Skype. All right, so Brian, what are you hearing about this suspension and how in this industry how she's able to survive this, McHenry I'm talking?

BRIAN STELTER, HOST, CNN'S "RELIABLE SOURCES": I think a lot of people have doubts that's actually possible. We're talking about a one-week suspension here. It's already been a couple of days. So in the next few days ESPN is going to have to decide what to do over the long term. It's hard for me to imagine her going, interviewing player a week or two from now. This is going to be hovering over her for a while.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And you know so she's suspended, but most of us on the air, Brian, you know this now too, have contracts in which you are bound to behave off the air in ways that are consistent with your on- air persona. So suspension and not firing especially at a place where ESPN promos showcase that kind of fun, loving, likeable quality of their personalities?

STELTER: Sometimes they're called morality clauses and other sorts of language in people's contracts about things just like this. And they give networks like ESPN a lot of wiggle room in order to get out of contracts in situations like this.

She is not a big star in the way that, let's take, Bill Simmons, for example. Bill Simmons was suspended for three weeks a few months ago for calling the NFL commissioner a liar repeatedly on a podcast. That was a pretty harsh suspension. It got a lot of criticism. He came back to work and he is still at work, but he's a big star for ESPN.

In this case ESPN might decide in their risk-reward calculation that she's not a big enough star to keep her around. And maybe it's better for them to go their separate ways. And as you mentioned, ESPN is part of Disney, a very family friendly company. They may not want this attention. But for now, they are just declining to comment.

[14:45:12] WHITFIELD: Which kind of underscores this isn't just a Britt McHenry problem, which maybe on the surface people would think so. This really is an ESPN problem too.

STELTER: It always is in cases like this. Television networks do not want this bad publicity. They want good publicity for what's on their air, and this is a case where everybody is talking about this story because the video is so accessible. And the video is not going to go away when her suspension ends. That video is going to follow her around rightly or wrongly for a long time. I think a lot of us don't want to be judged based on our worst moments, our worst moments out in public or private. But in a case like this I think there's a lot of public sentiment that believes it should be more than a one-week suspension.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my. All right, Brian Stelter, thank you so much. Always good to see you, appreciate it. And of course you can see more of Brian starting tomorrow hosting "Reliable Sources." It airs Sundays, 11:00 a.m.

All right, President Barack Obama not so happy with the U.S. Senate stalling on his attorney general nominee, and he's not mincing words either. Sunlen Serfaty is at the White House. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[14:50:10] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At Affectiva we develop emotionally intelligent computers, so we use technology that can track your facial expressions and we map that into a number of emotional states. Essentially what the computer is doing, it's tracking your main feature points like your eyes, your mouth, your eyebrows.

SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Smile. Brow raise. Brow furrow. I try not to do that so I don't have to get Botox. Frown.

So your technology, how ask it know what I'm feeling? What is it looking for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've amassed the world's largest emotion data repository, about seven billion emotion data points. We've collected videos from over 7,500 countries of people responding to digital content, and we use that to train the computer to detect all sorts of different expressions from enjoyment to confusion, concentration.

BURKE: One of the things that's scary about this type of technology is, wow, will a computer maybe be be reading my emotions without me knowing? Do you think that's possible for this technology one day?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Technologically it's possible but we have crafted all our user experiences to date so that we get this opt-in beforehand.

BURKE: What are some ways that you're already implementing this technology?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So one of our main focuses at the moment is in the advertising and media space. We work with movie studios to develop and pass their movie trailers. Also we work with about 1,400 brands and advertisers. We use our data because they want to understand the emotional connection we have with a brand and we help them optimize their advertising.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: President Obama says enough. He is blasting the Senate for refusing to confirm attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch. Obama called the Senate, quote, "embarrassing," and their lack of action yet another sign of dysfunction in the Senate. Sunlen Serfaty is following the story for us from the White House. So Sunlen, he is not happy.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He is not, Fred, and he's making sure that everyone in the Senate knows it, really giving them a public scolding and holding the Senate up as an example of the dysfunction in Washington over the delay of this nomination.

A big part of the holdup over Loretta Lynch relates to that it's been tangled up in this other issue, this anti-human trafficking bill that's making its way through the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tied the two together. He has said he won't move towards a vote on Lynch until they get through this human trafficking bill. President Obama is clearly frustrated by this, frustrated that the two are being tied together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's no reason for it. Nobody can describe a reason for it beyond political gamesmanship in the Senate on an issue that's completely unrelated to her. This is the top law enforcement job in the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Now, the human trafficking bill making its way through the Senate is being held up because there's a controversial provision on abortion that Democrats are unhappy with. Now, there are some indications coming from Capitol Hill, from Democratic and Republican sources that they might be able to tweak that language in order to go towards a compromise, make it more amenable to both parties.

So if they're able to do that, then they potentially would vote on the human trafficking bill, according to McConnell, early next week. That potentially paves the way for the Senate to move forward to a vote on Lynch potentially next week. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll see if that movement indeed happens. Sunlen Serfaty, thanks so much from the White House.

All right, new information now just in to CNN on the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by Robert Bates, that reserve deputy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who says he mistook his gun for his Taser. CNN's Ed Lavandera has obtained documents from Bates' attorney that the attorney claims proves Bates was qualified and properly trained to perform his law enforcement duties. Bates' lawyer admits some records are missing and cannot be located. The "Tulsa World" cast doubt on Bates' credentials earlier in the week, suggesting that his training reports were falsified. Ed Lavandera will have more at the top of the hour.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:58:06] WHITFIELD: All right, checking our top stories now, the wife of the Florida mailman who landed a gyrocopter near the U.S. capitol Wednesday is speaking publicly for the first time. Her husband, Douglas Mark Hughes, was charged with violating aircraft registration requirements and violating national airspace. Here's what she told our affiliate, WFLA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were you thinking when you heard?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My reaction, it's difficult to explain my reaction for this. I was shock. My hands shake. I need support my daughter and then I need explain to her what happened because I was very worried her reaction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And she was traumatized, too?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's a patriot and I'm proud of him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Hughes has been placed on home detention in Tampa.

And we've got a new highest paid American CEO, and it's this man right here, Nick Woodman, founder of GoPro cameras. The surfer turned billionaire earned a whopping $284.5 million last year after he was awarded a large package of restricted stock. GoPro is worth $6 billion.

And Dr. Oz is speaking out against his own critics in the medical field after 10 physicians across the country have called on Columbia University to fire him from the faculty. Dr. Oz releasing this statement, saying, quote, "I bring the public information that will help them on their path to be their best selves. We provide multiple points of view, including mine, which is offered without conflict of interest. I will address this on the show next week," end quote. The physicians calling for Dr. Oz to be removed from the faculty say he recommends, quote, "quack treatment" to patients and has medical conflicts of interest.

[11:00:01] Thanks so much for being with me this afternoon. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM. And it all begins right now with Poppy Harlow.