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Seven Killed, 40 Injured in Chicago Over the Weekend; Deadline Looms Over Talks; South Carolina Lawmakers to Debate Flag's Removal; U.S. Stocks Down After Greek's No Vote; Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired July 06, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[10:00:05] ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the NEWSROOM.

SUPERINTENDENT GARY MCCARTHY, CHICAGO POLICE: I'm angered. I'm frustrated. And I'm frustrated and angry that we're here again talking about another senseless murder.

CABRERA: A 7-year-old killed by mistake during violent holiday weekend in Chicago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wish this upon nobody. I wish this upon nobody, heavenly father.

CABRERA: Even with more police patrolling the streets, dozens hurt. Another seven killed in shootings across the city.

Plus, the Confederate flag, will it stay or will it go? Heritage or hate? Questions lawmakers in South Carolina will begin debating today as they decide whether to remove the divisive symbol from in front of the state house.

And critics say the Clintons keep the media at arm's length, but using a rope to keep them away? Really?

Let's talk in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Good Monday morning. I'm Ana Cabrera in for Carol Costello. Thanks so much for being with us. Glad to have you here.

And a string of violent shootings sweeping through the streets of Chicago leaving seven people dead, dozens more injured, and now this community is demanding answers after a 7-year-old boy was accidentally gunned down awaiting to watch fireworks. Police say the bullet that struck and killed that little boy, Amari Brown, was intended to target his father, a ranking gang member with more than 40 arrests on his record.

Now over the weekend police ramped up patrols. Officials say since Friday they have recovered one illegal gun every hour, and the city's top cop now calling for a fix to the, quote, "broken system."

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MCCARTHY: We need some help here, folks. We have to fix this broken system. If you think that putting more cops on the street would make a difference, then take a look at the fact that we put a third more manpower on the street for this weekend. What's the result? We're getting more guns. That's great. It's not stopping the violence. And it's not going to stop the violence until criminals are held accountable and something is done to stem the flow of these guns into our city.

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CABRERA: Let's bring in CNN's Ryan Young, he's live this morning from Chicago.

Such a heartbreaking story here, Ryan.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A heartbreaking story. People are still reacting to it. We just had a woman stop by our live shot. When we told her the numbers, she had that reaction that so many people were having as when is this going to stop? That is the question that so many people are asking.

We have to focus on the 7-year-old and look at him. Amari Brown. Just 7 years old, standing outside like so many people, getting ready for the fireworks. What a holiday where people like to look up in the sky and join the celebration of Independence Day. But sadly and unfortunately he was shot in the chest and he was killed.

Now everyone here is starting to talk about the violence that seems to happen all the time, not just during this holiday weekend but throughout the weeks here in Chicago where violent -- gun violence is something that people talk about. The fact that every hour since Friday they have been able to get illegal gun off the street shows the hard work of the police department but even the police department is saying they need more help from the community because obviously just getting the guns off the street and arresting people is not doing enough when you have gang violence spread throughout the city. And, of course, it's something the superintendent talked about very passionately just yesterday.

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MCCARTHY: Last night 7-year-old Amari Brown was the unintended victim of a bullet that was meant for his father. His father is a ranking gang member with 45 previous arrests who is not cooperating with this investigation. He has had numerous and frequent encounters with the police, and as I said, at this point he is not cooperating.

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YOUNG: So we've talked to people in the community who are very upset about this. Reverends who walked out there and trying to help change things here. But you think about this, 161 people killed in 151 days. People are pointing to the gun violence and asking for help and asking when this will end. CABRERA: Wow. Ryan Young, thanks so much for joining us.

Now on Sunday Amari Brown's family held a vigil and called on the boy's killer to turn themselves into police. Listen.

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DEIRDRE HOLMAN, RELATIVE OF AMARI BROWN: You might as well turn yourself in because this 7-year-old, our family member did nothing to you.

MICHAEL SINGLETON, FAMILY FRIEND: All you all will be out here next week on another corner, filming the same thing from somebody else saying exactly what I'm saying. So I'm tired of doing news conferences, I'm tired of listening to them, and tired of talking about them. Until we make a better decision as a community and as a city, this is all that's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: I want to bring in someone who knows this community well. Pastor Corey Brooks of the New Beginnings Church of Chicago.

Thanks so much for being with us, Pastor. Have you had a chance to talk to Amari Brown's family?

PASTOR COREY BROOKS, NEW BEGINNINGS CHURCH OF CHICAGO: Thank you. No, I have not. I have talked to some of the pastors who've been working on that on the west side and they're doing a great job trying to minister to that family, but in the city of Chicago there are a lot of families just like that who are going through the same issues today.

[10:05:11] CABRERA: We heard from that family friend in the last little sound bite we played saying this is just going to continue to happen. It's already happened too many times. What is your take on how the community ended up in such a state?

BROOKS: Well, we've had too many killings. There have been a lot of young people, a lot of children who have been shot and killed and that's very unfortunate. And one of the reasons why we're going through so much violence is consistently we keep telling people over and over we need options and opportunities in the inner cities of Chicago, not just the inner cities of Chicago but across America. We need options and opportunity.

We need to have a better educational system for our young boys. We also need to have mentoring programs like Project Hood and Steve Harvey that offers mentoring programs. We've got to do a better job of taking responsibility for our own neighborhoods. We can't continue to look for people to come in and save us. There's no superman to save the day and we've got to take responsibility and start doing it ourselves.

CABRERA: Some have suggested, including the police superintendent that tougher mandatory sentencing for illegal gun possession might help curb the violence, stiffer penalties might be a deterrent. Others have said that could unfairly end up targeting African-American communities. What do you think?

BROOKS: Well, Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in America, and I think tougher gun laws are not the wherewithal to save all -- deliver us from all the issues that we're facing. I think we have to have a better economic base. We have to have a better educational base. We have to do more in our communities to help these young black men before they reach the ages of 17 and 18. We've got to do a lot more investing into their lives and hopefully we can turn things around.

I'm one of those who believes that things can get better, that they don't have to get worse and that we can do a better job in investing in our young people.

CABRERA: Reverend Corey Brooks, you're bringing some optimism and hope to such a dire situation it seems. Thank you so much for your time today. We appreciate it.

BROOKS: Thank you.

CABRERA: Good luck to you and the others working hard in that community.

Well, the so-called deadline for a final deal on Iran's nuclear program is now just one day away. The U.S. and its Western allies are there trying for a plan that would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But after all these talks have been going on and with time running out, the Secretary of State John Kerry just told reporters in Vienna that a deal or no deal could still go either way.

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JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: But if we don't have a deal, if there's absolute intransigence, if there's an unwillingness to move on the things that are important, President Obama has always said we'll be prepared to walk away. It's not what anybody wants. We want to get an agreement.

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CABRERA: There's obviously a lot at stake in this situation.

Elise Labott is joining us now from Washington.

Elise, what's the latest you're hearing?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, the talks are continuing. Now the ministers that were -- had left for the weekend have started to trickle back in, and now they're all meeting together not with Iran, but I think trying to get their bottom lines and their negotiating positions together.

Really it's been Secretary of State John Kerry with the Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif doing most of the negotiating, but as the talks reach their end game, the new self-imposed deadline is tomorrow it's very possible that they could make some progress now that all the ministers are there. But you've seen over the last couple of days that they're kind of cheating the deadline and saying that that's not really a deadline. We could work a little past that.

CABRERA: Right. We're hearing that in their view it's an artificial deadline, sort of more of a goal but not the hard deadline.

Elise, we also hear officials are hinting that maybe if they get a deal here on the nuclear program, they might be able to find some kind of a deal or compromise on other issues like Syria.

LABOTT: Well, the Iranian deputy foreign minister spoke exclusively with CNN's Fred Pleitgen and basically said listen, if we see a positive attitude from the United States, from other countries at the table, this could help with further cooperation on developments in the region. He wasn't very clear about what that meant but you have seen officials from the Iranian side hint this over the last couple of weeks, that the Iranians hope that a new deal will help a new spirit in the region and help cooperation.

But I think it's really important to note that even though these officials are saying it, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who really has the ultimate say on Iranian foreign policy, has made pretty clear over the last several months that he doesn't see it that way, that this is a nuclear deal, and then they'll start to talk about other things in the region. So I kind of thing this is a little bit of posturing by the Iranian side.

They want to gain some leverage and say if you make a deal, this could help in the other region, but the State Department has put out a few reports in the last couple of weeks on human rights, on terror. It's pretty clear that they think Iranian activity on a whole bunch of things in the region has not changed as a result of any of this engagement for the West over the nuclear negotiations -- Ana.

[10:10:11] CABRERA: Just quickly, Elise, any word on when we might know something more?

LABOTT: I think you'll hear something in the next 24 to 36 hours about whether they think a deal will be necessary at this time. You do see Secretary Kerry, the Iranians, and the Europeans say that it's not the end -- it's not the end of the world if they miss that congressional deadline on Thursday and start negotiating for another couple of days. I think it's more important to get a good deal than rush to get a deal just by the deadline -- Ana.

CABRERA: All right, Elise Labott, monitoring the talks from Washington. Our thanks to you.

Coming up later in the show, we'll talk with General Spider Marks about whether any deal might be better than no deal at all.

This hour lawmakers in South Carolina are debating whether it's time to take down the Confederate battle flag from the capitol grounds. A discussion that would have been unthinkable perhaps before the tragedy in Charleston, but will a few politicians stand in the way of removing this flag? We'll discuss next.

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[10:15:32] CABRERA: And it's a big day in South Carolina because, as we speak, lawmakers began debating the fate of the Confederate flag that still stands on the state capitol grounds. This is the bill that could change history, calling for the flag to be taken down and essentially put in a museum.

Large rallies, both for and against the flag, have drawn hundreds of people. This was over the weekend across the south, specifically protests in Arkansas is what you're seeing here, but South Carolina as you know has been ground zero on this issue.

Will the flag that flies in front of the capitol come down? And this week we could find out the answer.

CNN's Nick Valencia is live at the state capitol and is going to join us now to fill us in on what's happening right now.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Ana. The session has yet to get under way. We expected it to start about 10:00 a.m., but officially it has not started. What we expect to happen today is state lawmakers here at the capitol in South Carolina will begin debate on whether or not to permanently remove this confederacy battle flag that's been flying at the state capitol since 1961, 15 years ago. It was moved from the capitol to -- still saying on the state grounds, state capitol grounds, just about 50 or so yards in front of the front steps of the capitol.

We're told by a former representative that what we expect to happen today, the Senate will debate the merits of the bill while the House may wait for that Senate bill to come to them and perhaps engage in debate of whether or not there will be testimony about this bill or if it will go straight to the floor.

Now what needs to happen in order for the flag to be removed, it needs a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of the state's general assembly. A survey taken by "The Post and Courier" last week suggested that there were enough votes for that to happen. Today it's anyone's guess.

No doubt that this has been a polarizing issue, without question. Some people see the flag as a representation of southern heritage. Others simply see it as a sign and symbol of racism and hatred -- Ana.

CABRERA: Nick Valencia reporting in Columbia, South Carolina. Our thanks to you.

And here is what Carolina State Senator Marlon Kimpson told us last hour in regards to some of his fellow lawmakers receiving death threats.

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MARLON KIMPSON (D), SOUTH CAROLINA STATE SENATE: I have not received any death threats. Most of the e-mails and the calls I have gotten are in support of the removal of the battle flag from in front of the state house, but I have been informed that there are credible physical violent threats and death threats and our appropriate law enforcement authorities are investigating them.

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CABRERA: Bakari Sellers is joining me now, he's a CNN contributor and former South Carolina state representative.

Bakari, thanks being with us. First, your reaction to these alleged death threats. Are you hearing from other lawmakers on this?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I am. I have been hearing from fellow lawmakers, but we're in good hands with Chief Mark Hill and the chief of SLED. They're investigating each and every one of those threats thoroughly. I'm just asking all my lawmakers on both sides to be prayerful and be as safe as possible.

CABRERA: Are those threats coming from supporters of keeping the flag or removing the flag?

SELLERS: Well, from what I understand, I mean, the tension is high in regards to taking this flag down. The animus is building, and July 18th right here behind me, you're going to have a rally of the KKK. So this debate is turning ugly. What I hope my lawmakers and my fellow colleagues, former colleagues, are able to do in there is become centered and remain prayerful, of course, and let's vote to take this flag down.

We have to remember that this week, when this vote is taken, some lawmakers will lose their jobs. This vote will take fortitude. This vote will take courage. There are going to be some that are -- go home to their district after they vote to take this flag down, and they may not be coming back after their next Republican primary.

CABRERA: What's your sense? Is this going to pass?

SELLERS: Well, I am a child of the civil rights movement, and we've been fighting for changes throughout the south for a long period of time, and so I remain cautiously optimistic.

One thing that cannot happen, one thing we do not want to see happen is that South Carolina tells the world that the Confederate flag is going to come down and then when the votes come in, it's not enough to do so. That will be a sad day in our state's history.

Again, this is not the end of any journey, it's just the beginning, so we'll literally have to sit back and watch, wait and see.

CABRERA: I know this weekend you told CNN that you will breathe a sigh of relief when the flag is removed, but that really is not the end of anything. Actually could be the beginning of a long journey. Explain.

[10:20:11] SELLERS: Well, in South Carolina we have what's known as a corridor of shame. It's along the I-95 corridor where kids go to school where the heating and air don't work, where the infrastructure is falling apart. Where these schools literally trap many kids of color, and they don't get the same opportunities for success simply because of their zip code.

We have to begin to have that dialogue. We have places in South Carolina where if you have a heart attack, that is a death sentence because you don't have access to quality health care. Many of these places are where persons of color live. We have a stroke belt where you're predisposed to preventable diseases such as strokes and cardiovascular diseases and such. And so we have to begin to talk with each other with a level of empathy and compassion.

And hopefully after we get this divisive symbol from in front of the state house, we can begin to have honest dialogue about how to move our state forward into the 21st century. This flag represents a lot. To some of us hate, to some of us heritage, but at the end of the day this is just the beginning of a larger discussion about race we have to have not only in South Carolina but in the United States of America.

CABRERA: As you mentioned, the flag is a symbol that means different things to different people. I wonder what your take is on this new CNN/ORC poll that just came out at the end of last week that essentially showed that the majority of Americans still see the flag as representing southern pride rather than racism, 57 percent to 33 percent. What do you think about that?

SELLERS: Well, when I see the Confederate flag, I remember that this war was fought so that my ancestors would still be in shackles today. We just can't forget that slavery happened in this country. When I see this flag behind me, I remember that it went up in 1961. It went up as a result of some revolt to the civil rights progress and the progress we were making for equal rights in the south.

So I know why that flag is there. For me and many people like myself, Dylann Roof did not go in and that didn't take that flag in and shoot people with it per se, but that flag did give him a banner under which to justify his actions. For me that flag has to come down so the healing can begin. And yes, there is a big groundswell of support from the South Carolina Manufacturing Association to Boeing.

There are many groups who want this to come down and now NASCAR. So we see this groundswell of support. The momentum is building, and we'll just have to see if the economics, the momentum, the grassroots efforts all pay off later this week.

CABRERA: We'll be watching. Bakari Sellers, thank you so much, joining us live in Columbia, South Carolina.

Republicans hoped their outreach to minorities would pay dividends for 2016, but one candidate may be single handedly torpedoing those hopes.

And the love-hate relationship between Hillary Clinton and reporters might just be hitting a new low after some were corralled literally at a parade over the weekend. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:27:11] CABRERA: Markets a little rattled this morning by Greece's no vote. U.S. stocks you can see are down right now about 70 points. European stocks falling as well after Greece rejected the bailout offer that was offered, and this happened last night. So what exactly does it mean for you and your money?

Chief business correspondent Christine Romans is following the story for us this morning.

Christine, should Americans be worried?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, any time you have a modern economy, Brooke, where you can't go to the bank and get money or there are limits to your money or your ATM card doesn't work or your credit cards are shut down, that's just a terrible thing for Greek citizens and it's not really good for anybody.

Now when you look at the stock market, you can see that right there next to you, down 65 points, it could have been a lot worse. European markets are down much more than that. So the Dow, U.S. stocks showing some resilience here, and one of the reasons is because U.S. investors have pretty limited exposure to Greek debt. I mean, this is something that's been going on for five years now.

The exposure for Americans and for our 401(k) comes if the Eurozone becomes really rattled and unglued, and Greece leaves the Euro. Greece doesn't use the euro anymore. Started to make, you know, paper IOUs as money. So that would be a really big problem and the markets are telling us they don't think that's going to happen quite yet.

The second way that it matters to your money, Ana, is that, quite frankly, if you're an American traveler to Europe, well, everything is getting a lot cheaper because the dollar is strong and the euro is weak. So as the euro kind of comes unglued here, that's making the dollar stronger.

The third way it could affect your money is if all of this turmoil with the Eurozone, America's largest trading partner, by the way, if turmoil in Greece spreads through the Eurozone, the euro gets crushed, the dollar is strong, and the Federal Reserve decides to delay raising interest rates. That means in the near term rates could stay still very low and you wouldn't see a rate hike this fall.

Those are the ways that for Americans, the three ways for Americans that they really feel what's happening in Greece.

CABRERA: Since Greece is so weak seemingly, if it were to leave the Eurozone, couldn't that have a positive effect on the euro by chance?

ROMANS: Well, you know, the big concern -- yes, you're right that Greece is very weak and in a terrible position. It needs money to pay its bills. 50 percent of Greek families, all of their income comes from a check from the government. So Greece is literally supporting half of its population. If Greece were to leave the Eurozone, what would happen to some of the other weak partners, the other -- they call them the peripheral countries. Some of these other countries with a lot of debt, Italy and Spain and Portugal.

Would they want to leave the Eurozone? They've taken some very harsh medicine with their bailouts. Would it further destabilize Europe and what would happen? That uncertainty is something that none of the leaders in Europe want to see play out.

CABRERA: All right. Christine Romans, thanks for making it simplified for us. We appreciate it.

ROMANS: I hope it helped.

[10:30:07] CABRERA: Hello, as we roll into the back half of the hour. I'm Ana Cabrera, in for Carol Costello. Thanks for being here.