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Roger Goodell Talks to NFL Owners; Protests Outside McDonald's Headquarters; New Information in Amtrak Crash; Mother of Soldier Killed in Iraq Says U.S. Getting Ramadi Back Important. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 20, 2015 - 14:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:32:08] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news. Let's go to San Francisco. We want to eavesdrop on the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell. This is the annual meeting with owners and he's just taken a question specifically on Deflategate. And we were just talking about the New England Patriots yesterday because we learned from Bob Kraft, the owner, they will not be appealing the $1 million fine and the loss of the two draft picks. Tom Brady is appealing his suspension. Let's go to Roger Goodell.

(LIVE PRESSER - JOINED IN PROGRESS)

ROGER GOODELL, COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: What Robert made was his decision. I admire and respect Robert, as you all know. We've had plenty of discussions over the last couple of weeks. And this was his initiative and something he wanted to do. And I certainly admire the step he took. We may disagree on things, but that's not unusual. That happens.

Your second question was on --

(CROSSTALK)

GOODELL: Yeah, I've been focusing on the meetings. I'm not up-to- date on that other than the fact that I'm aware of that. Obviously, when we get back tomorrow, we will give it full due consideration and make sure we give it the appropriate thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The report.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Robert, will Robert Kraft's decision for the Patriots to accept their penalties in any way affect Tom Brady's appeal and your hearing of it?

GOODELL: No.

Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me ask, can you can address -- would you allow Tom Brady a second chance to show cooperation by say turning over e- mails and could that help and appeal to you?

GOODELL: I won't get into hypotheticals. We have a process here that is long established. I look forward to hearing directly from Tom if there is new information or there is information that can be helpful to us in getting this right. I want to hear directly from Tom on that and so --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you address the question of how can you be fair hearing the appeal after you've already meted out judgment?

GOODELL: Two things. First off, it was an independent investigation done by Ted Wells. He drew a conclusion about whether there was a violation or not. He drew the facts and drew the investigation. I got a chance to read the report just shortly before you did. And so we've been very transparent on that side of it.

The second part is once we had the Wells Report, our staff, led by Troy Vincent, who handles these matters on a regular basis, and has all spring, and immediately had meetings. I participated in some of those meeting, so I understood the discussion that they were having. Troy made a recommendation. I authorized him to go ahead and issue that, as I do in every case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the league ask for suspension of the Patriots staffers?

GOODELL: Did what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the league ask the Patriots to suspend those staffers?

GOODELL: No. No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

[14:35:11] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm curious, when Ted Wells comes back with his information in his reports, the Patriots certainly scrutinized the report and had many issues with some of his conclusions. How much did you scrutinize the report or did you accept his findings?

GOODELL: Of course. You read the report, you scrutinize it, but that's also why we have a process. So if issues are raised either in the context of an appeal or outside of that, you at that. What you're trying to do is get right. I though his report was very clear. It was comprehensive. But we are always open if there is new information that can get us to a better place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger, Ted Wells' report really didn't look inward at the league very much in terms of how conducted the investigation early on and both with some of the media leaks and the demeaning of folks early on. Do you feel as if the league has an obligation to be a little bit more transparent in how it was conducted because the Patriots perceive a level of bias from the outset? GOODELL: Well, Tom, a couple things in that. I think Ted Wells did

address that in his report. I think he addressed it. I asked him specifically when I engaged him to evaluate the league's conduct, to determine what we could have done differently. And I think he made his views very clear in the report. So I would disagree on that point. That is something that whenever we have an incident, we see what could we have done differently and improve, and we will continue to do that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The initial media leak of 11 of 13 balls (INAUDIBLE.

GOODELL: The what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The initial report of 11 of 13 balls, that seemed to fulfill (ph) public agitation. That kind of stuck out there. That kind of stuff could only have come from the league.

GOODELL: As I say, we've given all that to Ted. Ted's had the opportunity to evaluate that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger, could you elaborate a little bit more on how the provision for Super Bowl LIV --

(CROSSTALK)

GOODELL: I'm sorry?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you elaborate on how Super Bowl LIV will work for Super Bowl LVI team? And how far up do you see the relocation window moving up?

GOODELL: Well, on the LIV Super Bowl, when we -- later next spring, I think, if there is a team that relocates to Los Angeles, at that point in time, they could submit an application to be considered for Super Bowl LIV. And they would have to obviously qualify for that. And then it would be included in the bid process. So in that case, there would be four teams bidding on LIV. If that doesn't happen, there would be three teams bidding on that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

GOODELL: The window is something that is und my authority as commissioner. It's something that I can adapt. We've had a great deal of discussion already about the pluses and mines and the L.A. alternatives and what is going on in their local markets more importantly. So in some ways we're significantly farther than we've been in any kind of relocation in the past. So we have the ability to move will that date up. I have the ability to change that. I've discussed that with the committee, we've discussed it with the membership. We also have the ability to shrink it as far as the time frame of when somebody applies and when the league would vote and make a decision. So those are both things that I'm considering. I don't expect that

there will be any decision on that. One of the things we'll want to balance is what is happening in those local markets and making sure there is sufficient time for them to, at least within our context, be able to try to make whatever advances --

(END LIVE PRESSER COVERAGE)

BALDWIN: Roger Goodell taking a couple questions. We wanted to pull away. We wanted to make sure we heard some of the questions. This is the annual meeting where he talks to the owners of the different teams. And heard him specifically asked questions about Tom Brady. He's been suspended four games. Oddly enough, the game he would be back is playing against the Colts. And it was that game that AFC championship in which they beat the Colts but that was when Deflategate happened.

So he was saying -- the fact we were hearing from Robert Kraft that they will not appeal the team penalties, he's saying that will not impact his overseeing. And by the way, it is Roger Goodell who will be overseeing what happens as far as Tom Brady's fate for those four games, as we know Tom Brady is appealing those suspensions. Stay tuned for that as that develops.

Meantime, we got to go to Chicago. This is the Oak Brook, Illinois, area, and these crowds are growing. Aerial pictures here. What this is is a protest. It's a protest over wages. This is outside of McDonald's headquarters. And it continues to grow. The people continue to join this group. The chorus is getting louder.

I have Ryan Young there somewhere in the midst of this.

Ryan Young, talk to me about what these people want.

[14:40:] RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brooke. We're told the protest will happen over the next two days. Of course, there will be a shareholders' meeting at McDonald's headquarters tomorrow. They're here today with a larger protest.

If you look, you can see how large this crowd is. They are talking about the idea they want a livable wage. In fact, one of the speakers was just saying here that McDonald's spent $30 billion buying back stock. Why not raise the price so everyone can actually make some money. Look at the sign people have all around here, showing their want for $15 an hour.

In fact, we talked to people here in the crowd who say it's very difficult.

Brian, you said the walk over here was inspirational, but tell me he about what the crowd really wants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think people want to be able to support their families and get out of poverty, own their car, live in neighborhoods where everybody is doing OK. And I don't think that's too much to ask. It's not like we're asking for the corporations to close, we're not asking it for them to do anything really all that radical. We're asking them to pay their worker as fair wage.

YOUNG: And talk about that walk over here. Almost a mile. Everyone's been singing and it's been well organized. Some of the younger voices here say they want a chance to get themselves maybe even an education with the money they earn. So people just want a way to make a living. One woman saying she only made $200 every two weeks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last year, I was working minimum wage full-time. And I was making enough money to be on Link and Medicaid. I was collecting welfare while working full-time. And as a student, I wasn't making enough to survive. I mean, there was no way that I could actually live. And that was me on my own. I was 25 and broke and working every single day. And that just doesn't seem fair. That doesn't seem right.

YOUNG: I thank you for your time. Appreciate that.

As you walk through the crowd, you meet many people from different locations.

You made minimum wage as well. You're hoping the message gets out to the rest of the country, as well. Why do you think that they should raise the minimum wage?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just hard living situations as far as the income that you get on minimum wage. $15 is worth what we do. So we're just looking to be able to comfortably live.

YOUNG: I appreciate it. Thank you for your time.

As you look back this direction, you can see the crowd going this way. We're told they will be here for another several hours. And another rally tomorrow. So you can hear their voices, chants, songs. People saying, look, $15 is what they need to be able to live.

BALDWIN: We hear them. We hear the guy say he was broke. So good to hear from the people directly.

Ryan Young, thank you so much in the Chicago area.

Got to take you next to Philadelphia. We're getting new information, breaking news here. As we know that really the crux of part of the investigation has been focusing on why the train's throttle was pushed forward. So new information on what police are zeroing in on.

Stay with me. Very busy, very busy afternoon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:47:36] BALDWIN: We have more breaking news on this Wednesday involving new details on the investigation into the fatal Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia.

Rene Marsh has been all over this.

You've got new information as it pertains to speed, correct? Rene, what do you know?

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION & GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: We do. And we also got other information in that I want to top off with. The NTSB does have the engineer's cell phone as well as his cell phone records. And a quick look of the records indicates that calls and texts were sent on the day of the crash. What they do not know yet, though, is whether those calls and text messages were made during the time he was operating the train. They are still trying to piece that together.

All of that said, we also know from a law enforcement source that they are really focusing sharply on the speed as well as the engineer's actions before the train got to this curve. Namely, specifically, they want to know why was the train's throttle pushed forward. We do know from this source that from the very beginning, Philadelphia police, they were very focused on excessive speed of the rain. We know it was going 106 miles per hour as it approached that 55-mile- per-hour cover. Some wanted to arrest the engineer that night. Of course, we're talking about Brandon Bastian. But according to this source, the NTSB, they were not ready to rule out other potential factors. So they put that on hold because they thought that an arrest would be premature.

Brooke, we are also learning about this engineer's experience with this particular route. We know that he was only on this Washington to New York route for two weeks. So that particular route was new to him, but we should point out that he had been running trains along the northeast corridor for the last three years, that included that stretch of track. But again, the Washington to New York route was a new one for him.

[14:49:41] BALDWIN: OK. So new information from you on experience, on the speed, and specifically the fact that he has now handed over his cell phone and cell phone records. And what is key is whether he was on that phone right during that fateful train ride.

Rene Marsh, great reporting. As soon as you get more, we'll pop you back on TV.

Rene Marsh for me in Washington.

Coming up next, an interview I don't want you to miss. We'll talk to a mother whose son -- he was a hero. He died in the very city ISIS just took over in Iraq. It is heartbreaking, the story here. She will join me live on a letter she wrote to General Martin Dempsey. Do not miss this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In Iraq right now, some of the most brutal terrorists on earth are making this bloody march eastward trying to capture the new cities as stepping stones toward the capital. With one key city, Ramadi, just 70 miles from Baghdad, now firmly in their grip. Washington says it's looking at ways to support Iraqi forces to recapture Ramadi. The U.S. says it will not mobilize Special Forces, but could be willing to step up the training and arming of local tribes.

This is drawing a lot of flack from critics. One woman agrees, the mother of Mark Lee, the 28-year-old Navy SEAL depicted in the movie "American Sniper." He was the first to lose his life in the Iraq war, in Ramadi, a city he gave up his life to help free, a city that is now decorated with the black ISIS flag. Getting this city back, his mom says, matters.

And she joins me now. Debbie Lee, founder of America's Mighty Warrior.

An honor to have you on.

I'm sorry for the loss of your son, but thank you so much for joining me this afternoon.

[14:55:43] DEBBIE LEE, MOTHER OF MARK LEE & FOUNDER, AMERICA'S MIGHT WARRIOR: You bet. Thanks for having us and raising awareness on it will issue.

BALDWIN: It's so important. But before we get into all of this, I want to hear about Mark. And as you tell me about Mark, if you would please, because it's coming -- I would prefer your words versus mine, reading me the first couple paragraphs from a letter he wrote.

LEE: You bet. Mark was an amazing young man. He was my baby, youngest of my three. Very selfless young man. The day he died, he stood up in the direct line of fire three different times that day, gave his life on save his teammates. He was trying out for a professional soccer team in Colorado, very athletic. Had an amazing sense of humor. Was always keeping things lighthearted and fun. And I miss that young man very much.

But about two and a half weeks before he was killed, he sent this amazing e-mail, the last letter that we would receive from him. And it was supposed to go to just a few family and friends. And this letter has impacted millions of lives around the world. And I would encourage your listeners to read the whole thing at Americasmightywarriors.org.

But I'll start with just the beginning of the letter. It's a long letter, so we don't have time to read the whole thing.

He starts out, "Glory is something some men chase and others find themselves stumbling upon, not expecting it to find them. Either way, it is a noble gesture that one finds be stowed upon them. My question is when does glory fade away and become a wrongful crusade or an unjustified means which consumes one completely. I've seen war. I've seen death. The sorrow covers your entire being. I can only pray and hope that none of you will ever have to experience some of these things I've seen and felt here." And he goes on to describe what he saw in Ramadi.

You can read how it changed him being over there. And how he talks about the Iraqi people and the difference that we're may go making there. And he says, "Do my family and friends, do me a favor, pass on the kindness, the love, the precious gift of human life." And he talks in that letter about doing more random acts of kindness, how he could change our world. It is a letter filled from one extreme to the other of emotions and of life.

And again, amazing, absolutely amazing letter. I was blessed that that was the last correspondence that we have that reflected so much on who Mark was and what he stood for and what he believed in.

BALDWIN: You said he was your baby. His sort of final words to you and your family. Little did you know the world would hear his words, and all these years later, after he lost his life, so incredibly bravely. You tell me, were you watching the coverage of Ramadi. At what point -- I understand when you saw the moment that that black ISIS flag flying over the city in which your son saved others and died doing that, was, what, gut wrenching for you imagine.

LEE: It was definitely gut wrenching. And we've seen a process here. We've watched what ISIS is doing. We watched them move on Ramadi. We were told it looked like Ramadi could fall. And then when I saw that black flag flying actually over Ramadi, it was sickening. To know that that was the place that my son shed his blood, that's the last place that he walked, gave everything, believed in what we were doing over there, and now it's in the hands of the terrorists.

And I believe that a big part of that is because we don't have policies in place to be successful over there. I don't feel like our administration wants to do that. Obviously, from some of the flippant comments of, well, you don't need to set your hair on fire and things like that, that we continue to see over and over. The feeling is betrayal, that they don't want to take that area, they don't want to sustain it. And part of what we're seeing -- I've been over to Iraq twice. My first trip --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: You went to Ramadi, did you not? You took soil from Ramadi home.

LEE: I did, yes. Yes. I brought home soil that --

BALDWIN: Why?

LEE: The base was named Camp Mark Lee in his memory. And I wanted to go over there on behalf of all the other family members and mothers in America who couldn't be there in the combat zone. The first time I went was Christmas. And we collected 226,000 Christmas cards and took over to the troops. Most of them we mailed to different bases.