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Tulsa Reserve Deputy Pleads Not Guilty; Americans Split on State of Current Economy; Clintons Take Stage in Dueling Speeches; U.S. Journalist Charged with Espionage; Massive Ice Cream Recall. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired April 21, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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

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[10:29:42] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right.

A little more information in the case of Robert Bates -- I want to take you briefly to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We just got this video into CNN.

This is Robert Bates in court at his initial appearance. He pleaded not guilty to charges in the manslaughter case. He's charged with manslaughter in the death of Eric Harris. As you know, he's the reserve deputy who supposedly mistook his handgun for his Taser and accidentally shot and killed Eric Harris.

Mr. Bates appeared with his daughter and his lawyer. The judge did oddly grant him permission to go on vacation to the Bahamas in between court appearances. He'll next appear in court on July 2nd.

I was just waiting to see if we had pictures of him going outside so you can see his daughter clinging to his arm. Keep in mind that Mr. Bates did not have to appear for this initial appearance but he decided to anyway to plead not guilty in person. His attorneys could have easily done that without his presence but apparently he felt the need to be in court.

Ed Lavandera, of course, is following all of this. When we get more information, we'll pass it along to you.

In other news this morning, the U.S. economy seems to be getting mixed reviews from the American public, even as an overwhelming majority believes things will be in good shape a year from now. New CNN/ORC poll show 52 percent of Americans think economic conditions today are good; that's compared to 48 percent who say they are poor. But when asked how they think conditions will be next year, a majority of Americans 60 percent say things will be good.

So let's talk about these numbers. Joining me now: Rana Foroohar CNN global economic analyst, and Daniel Mitchell senior fellow with the Cato Institute -- welcome to both of you.

RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: Thank you. Pleasure to be here.

DANIEL MITCHELL, CATO INSTITUTE: Thank you.

COSTELLO: So Rana at first glance these poll numbers mean finally people feel the economy is getting better, am I right?

FOROOHAR: They do, you know. And it's been such a long slog. We've been in the longest, weakest recovery of the postwar era. So I think that any sense that things are getting better, which they have been to be fair, in the last year or so jobs numbers have reached some new highs. Wage growth is starting to tick up just a little bit. So people feel slightly more positive than they did last year but you know, you're seeing a lot of bifurcation. There are groups that are doing well and others that are not.

COSTELLO: And Daniel when you look at the numbers it's true. Although how people perceive the wage gap is completely different depending on party affiliation. So I'm going to talk about this interesting split here. It has to do with the wage gap.

Among Democrats 61 percent say America is divided into haves and have-nots. On the Republican side, 61 percent disagree -- they don't see a wage gap. Daniel, how can that be?

MITCHELL: I think that a reflection of whether people think there's upward mobility in the economy. Historically this sort of Horatio (inaudible) view that anybody can rise as fast and far as their talents, ability and willingness to work hard will take them -- that's part of the American character.

Now because we've had such a sluggish recovery and we still have some pretty grim numbers in terms of labor force participation and median household income, I think it's no surprise that at least some significant share of the population is a little bit pessimistic. The question is whether or not they're right. Are those 60 percent correct that the economy will be better next year? Because if we do continue to get more growth, I think people will become more optimistic about income mobility.

COSTELLO: But just going back to the wage gap and difference that Republicans and Democrats feel about the wage gap because I find that most interesting because if you look at the numbers, Rana, there is a wage gap -- a big one.

An Equilar study on pay data shows CEOs now make about 257 times the average worker up from 181 times in 2009.

FOROOHAR: Yes, there's a huge pay gap. There's also a racial gap, you know. Frankly if you look at the amount of cash on hand of the average white family about $23,000; African-American families, $200; Latino families, $340. There is a huge gap. You know, there are groups that are doing well and those that are not.

There's also in terms of job creation a huge gap. We've got jobs for PhDs and we've got jobs for people flipping burgers but there's not enough in the middle.

COSTELLO: Not enough in the middle. So again, Daniel, I'll ask you, don't Republicans feel that? What's going on here?

MITCHELL: I think that people are interpreting all this through the lens of class warfare. If you're a Republican and some a pollster calls you on the phone and says are you worried about wage stagnation, you're probably answering it in the context if I say that I'm worried about it that means I support redistribution and higher tax rates and those people -- the Republicans are going to say, no, I don't support that.

This fundamentally gets at the whole idea do we view the economy as a fixed pie or do we view it as a growing pie. And I think the best way to help people at the bottom end is not with redistribution. It's with figuring out what can we do to get back to the 3 percent to 4 percent growth that we had in the 1980s and 1990s.

COSTELLO: So Daniel that really intrigues me because Republican candidates are talking about the wage gap. They want to find solutions to it. So how do they talk about it in a way that pleases their base; that pleases Republican voters?

MITCHELL: I think it's simply a message of economic growth and that's a traditional Republican message. Whether or not they actually follow through on it when they get in office is a separate question.

[10:35:03] But I think for candidates such as Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Scott Walker who are trying to give this more of a populist economic growth free market message, they're saying that instead of the class warfare redistribution model, which simply divides up a shrinking pie, let's figure out. If we want everyone to have a bigger slice of the cake, let's bake a bigger cake.

FOROOHAR: Well, let's do bake a bigger cake. But, you know, I think that if you look back at the last couple of decades, no matter which party was in charge, and no matter how fast the pie was growing, there's been growing inequality. There's been wage stagnation. I think we have some structural problems that both parties are going to have to address and it has to go frankly on the conservative side beyond trickle down because there's wide spreading acknowledgement now that's not working.

COSTELLO: All right. Thanks to both of you -- Rana Foroohar, Daniel Mitchell. I appreciate it. Thanks so much.

Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton, both taking the stage today in dueling speeches. Any minute now Hillary Clinton set to speak to a roundtable at a local community college in New Hampshire. It's the second day of a two-day swing through the state.

And in Washington, Bill Clinton is expected to discuss his time in the White House and beyond as part of a lecture series on his public service career; that event taking place at Georgetown University. Weird, right?

The Clintons step into the spotlight amid growing questions about their foundation as a new book called "Clinton Cash" tries to link Clinton Foundation donations and speaking fees to Hillary Clinton's actions as secretary of state.

CNN senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny is tracking the Clinton campaign in Concord, New Hampshire; and CNN national political reporter Peter Hamby is in Washington.

Jeff, I want to start with you. It's just kind of weird that Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are delivering speeches at the same time in two different places, isn't it?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, definitely brings into view the fact that this will not be an ordinary presidential campaign that Hillary Clinton will always be competing or working alongside former President Bill Clinton. But for now the Clinton campaign is fine with that. She's not giving a speech as much as giving a very, very small conversation with just a handful of voters that were in a room right now and there's just five or six voters who are going to be talking with her.

And of course, Bill Clinton is giving a long scheduled public speech at Georgetown on public service. It's actually the third of four speeches in a series he's giving -- so. But beyond that, we're not going to see Bill Clinton out on the campaign trail any time soon. He may be fund-raising a bit but he's not going to be actively campaigning with her at least for now, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. So, Peter, I want to ask you about this new book out because Hillary Clinton was already asked about that book and its allegations in New Hampshire yesterday. Here's how she responded.

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HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, we're back into the political season and therefore we will be subjected to all kinds of distraction and attacks and I'm ready for that. I know that that comes unfortunately with the territory. It is I think worth noting that the Republicans seem to be talking only about me. I don't know what they talk about if I weren't in the race.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Ok. So this book, Peter, was written by a conservative scholar and former adviser to Sarah Palin. Will the allegations in this book have legs?

PETER HAMBY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, what you heard from Hillary Clinton there yesterday was interesting because remember, Carol, she's the one who termed the phrase vast right wing conspiracy. The Clintons for years and years and years have worked to fend off attacks from the right and also characterize legitimate criticisms from Republicans as fringe attacks. That's what they're going to try to do with this book.

However, as you point out, Peter Schweizer, the author of "Clinton Cash", you know, he is a conservative scholar. He went to oxford. Recently partnered with "60 Minutes", you know, on a story about insider trading in Congress, partnering with the "New York Times" and other organizations with this book, which lends a veneer of credibility to it in addition to the fact that look, even before this book popped yesterday in the news, there were already questions about donations to the Clinton foundation.

"The Washington Post" did a big story about this in February looking at whether foreign governments including Algeria were able to sort of get access to the State Department while Clinton was secretary of state with donations to the Clinton foundation.

So look, the question of whether or not there's a quid pro quo is what is ultimately going to be at issue here. Was there something specific that donations to the Clinton Foundation, to the Clintons whether through speaking fees or otherwise got them while Clinton was secretary of state.

[10:40:01] That's a legitimate question, regardless of who the author is, left or right. So look, they're going to continue to fend off the book by saying it's yet another book in a long line of conservative books.

But I don't think questions about her time at the foundation are going away in part Carol, because of that e-mail scandal. Remember she gave 50,000 e-mails over back to the State Department from her private server. But she also deleted a bunch, which you know, again feeds into various theories about maybe she's trying to hide something from investigators.

COSTELLO: And Jeff, there are signs that the Clinton campaign is worried about this book because the Clinton Foundation put out a statement. Didn't you call them for a statement?

ZELENY: That's right. The campaign put out a statement. But even more than that, we saw the secretary herself, the former secretary of state addressing this. So this is what one adviser referred to me as a fire that we need to put out. This is the first time the Clinton campaign has responded as aggressively across the board in an interview last night with the top Democrat on their campaign John Podesta, through surrogates all day long.

This is the first test of the Clinton response and they don't necessarily believe -- they say there's not any smoking gun in the book but they are worried about just the whole discussion of trust and credibility. So this is the first example of something that they are trying to push back on aggressively. So we'll see if that works.

COSTELLO: All right. Jeff Zeleny, Peter Hamby -- thanks to both of you. We're still awaiting Hillary Clinton to begin speaking or maybe her husband at Georgetown -- we'll keep you posted.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a U.S. journalist jailed in Iran is facing espionage charges. Ahead -- what he said in an exclusive interview with Anthony Bourdain on "PARTS UNKNOWN" just before his arrest.

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[10:45:25] COSTELLO: Checking some top stories at 45 minutes past the hour, ousted Egyptian Mohamed Morsi is sentenced to 20 years in prison today convicted on charges of inciting violence and torturing protesters outside the Presidential palace 2012. This was the first of four trials Morsi faces since being deposed in a coup in 2013.

More than 5 million hens at an Iowa egg farm must be euthanized after bird flu was detected at the facility. It's an attempt to try to stop the outbreak spreading across the Midwest. In less than a month, more than seven million cases have been confirmed in 13 states. And while the bird flu isn't considered a risk to humans, it can wipe out commercial flocks in a matter of days.

As stocks near record-high, CEOs are changing how they get paid opting for cash over equity. According to the "Wall Street Journal" cash compensation grew significantly last year with cash now making up nearly 40 percent of total CEO pay. The hike only confirms some investors' fears that the market may be close to topping out.

An American journalist held in Iran for nine months now charged with spying. "The Washington Post" calls the spying allegations against Jason Rezaian "ludicrous". He spoke to CNN's Anthony Bourdain, by the way, about his life in Iran in July of 2014.

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ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST: Do you like it? Are you happy here?

JASON REZAIAN, JOURNALIST: Look, I am at a point now after five years where I miss certain things about home. I miss my buddies. I miss burritos. I miss having certain beverages with my buddies and burritos in certain types of establishments. But I love it. I love it and I hate it, you know. But it's home. It's become home.

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COSTELLO: That home now a prison and a nightmarish ordeal for Rezaian and his family. His brother talked with CNN about how he's doing and why he's there.

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ALI REZAIAN, BROTHER OF JASON REZAIAN: There was this article in an Iranian newspaper which is claiming that he introduced some people nine years ago to each other and, you know, communicated with them. That's about it. There's no evidence that he had any access to secret material, anything like that. Jason certainly feels betrayed by the country, by the legal system there which he believed should protect him with the rights of an Iranian citizen which is what we asked for all along.

The last time I spoke to him was actually in July before he was taken. His wife was able to speak to him this week. They had a short conversation on the phone. I think right now he's preparing -- it's been such a long time with no information. We're expecting we might get some more information about the trial and the charges coming up and I think it's really tough on him.

They'll set a deadline and they'll say this is going to happen and then it doesn't happen. Or there'll be something in the laws that says within a week or within two months something should happen, there should be a trial or a trial date should be set and then that day just goes by.

He's had a lot of problems. He's had issues with his back, issues with several infections that went untreated for months. In addition to that, he's really depressed. He's been there for nine months, twice as long as any previous Western journalist.

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COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, coolers of ice cream cleared, pulled after links to listeria. What you need to know about the Blue Bell recall next.

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[10:52:38] COSTELLO: A massive recall: Blue Bell, the company behind popular ice creams and frozen desserts, is pulling all of its products off store shelves over fears they've been contaminated with listeria, a potentially deadly bacteria.

CNN senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen live in Atlanta with more for you. Good morning.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Carol, this just got bigger. Blue Bell now telling us, look in the beginning we thought that listeria was just in one machine in one room of one facility but then we found more contaminated food so we realized we were wrong. That's the word they used -- wrong. They say look, we need to inspect more plants and facilities.

In the meantime, what that means for all of us is if you have Blue Bell products, you need to either get rid of them or bring them back to the store for a refund.

So let's take a look. They sell a lot of different kinds of products, for example: ice cream, frozen snacks, sherbet, frozen yogurt -- again, bring it back to the store and get a refund. Do not eat it.

COSTELLO: So how concerned should we be though? Has anyone gotten sick?

COHEN: Yes, indeed there have been illnesses confirmed in two states, in Texas and in Kansas. So if we take a look at those, that's five illnesses and that's some of the states where this food has been distributed. There have been three deaths and five illnesses in Kansas and Texas.

COSTELLO: Oh. COHEN: So, yes indeed people have gotten sick and there may be

more but they just haven't been linked to the food yet.

COSTELLO: Out of safety sake if you have Blue Bell products in your freezer, should you dump them?

COHEN: Either dump them or bring them back to the store. The CDC even going so far as to say if you're going to dump them, make sure they're not in a place where let's say animals can get to them. That's because listeria is extremely dangerous especially, I should note, for pregnant women.

COSTELLO: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, many thanks. I appreciate it.

No fancy magazine spread or big TV interview, just a sweet snapshot. That's how Justin Timberlake chose to share his new baby boy with the world. Jeanne Moos has the story.

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JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, MUSICIAN/ENTERTAINER: My name is Justin.

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Justin would like you to meet Silas Timberlake, a little over a week old, cradled in the arms of his mother, Jessica Biel. He's wearing a Memphis Grizzlies onesie. You can snap one up online.

Justin is a part owner of the basketball team. The baby grizzly even had sports pages oohing and ahhing, "Behold the unbearable cuteness".

[10:55:05] Timberlake's dance partner also became a father recently. Maybe Franny Fallon and Silas Timberlake will end up on play dates.

Silas made his public debut on his father's Instagram account, with a sleepy eye, but no sunglasses like Simon Cowell's kid or turkey head hat like Kelly Clarkson's daughter, River Rose.

And what about that old-fashioned sounding name -- Silas? Nowhere near showbizy as Beyonce's Blue Ivy or North West.

Turns out Silas was the middle name of Justin's grandfather.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not the royal baby but this is as close as we're going to get.

MOOS: The last time we saw Silas Timberlake, he was getting a kiss from dad through his mother's belly. When Justin won the I Heart Radio Innovator Award, Jessica Biel was at home approaching her due date.

TIMBERLAKE: Honey, I can't wait to see our greatest creation yet. Don't worry, daddy is heading home right now to innovate by learning how to change a poopy diaper and get my swaddle on. MOOS: The couple will get their swaddle on at their Montana

home. "Us Weekly" says they want to raise their son out of the spotlight.

Online there's been a lot of, oh, he looks just like Justin, he looks just like daddy.

You decide whether Silas is a chip off the old block of timber.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

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COSTELLO: Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan after a break.

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