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Pastors to Trump: Meeting is Not Endorsement; Jury Selection Begins for First Officer Trial; Bill Gates Launches Clean Energy Fund; Carson: Refugees Would Rather Stay in Syria; Kobe Bryant Announces Retirement Plans; Patriots Drop First Game of Season. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired November 30, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:29:48] BISHOP PAUL MORTON, FULL GOSPEL BAPTIST CHURCH FELLOWSHIP: I have a church where they just want me to be right and I'm determined to be right and listen to God and the things that I do but I think from the community, the African-American community there's going to be a backlash because you can't talk about African-Americans and put them down and then want to lead African-Americans. We have to be careful in this area because these are people that we're leading.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Bishop Paul Morton -- thanks so much for being with me this morning.

MORTON: Thank you so much.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

The Chicago cop charged in the first-degree murder of a black teenager due in court today. A judge will decide whether to set bail for Jason Van Dyke. He's been held without bond since his arrest, and that was before the release of the dash cam video that shows the fatal shooting.

Those images have sparked protests and accusations of a police cover-up. Just a couple of hours ago we heard from the attorney representing the family of the teenager.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY NESLUND, ATTORNEY FOR MCDONALD FAMILY: They would like to see the officer prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And you have to understand this family is still grieving. They're in shock over all of this. I know they want not just the shooter but in my opinion, everyone responsible who tried to cover this up or tried to justify what cannot be justified -- should be held accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Officer Van Dyke was arrested more than 400 days after the killing. The charges were announced before the public release of that dash cam video. Jury selection now underway in Baltimore for the first of six

officers facing trial in the death of Freddie Gray. First up, William Porter. You'll see him here, you're going to see him in a minute, entering the courtroom this morning. He's the man with the coffee cup. He's charged with manslaughter and misconduct.

Prosecutors say Gray told him twice that he needed a medic but one was never called. Officer Porter also allegedly failed to put a seat belt on Gray in that police van.

Jean Casarez is out Baltimore, she's covering that trial. We'll get to her in a minute. But I would like to bring in Paul Callan, our legal analyst. Welcome -- Paul.

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Nice to be here.

COSTELLO: Ok. So they're going to try to seat this jury in Baltimore. Is that even possible to seat an impartial jury in Baltimore?

CALLAN: You know, it's hard to believe you could possibly select an impartial jury in a city that's been so focused on this case that suffered from the riots and the aftermath of the case.

But I will say we've had high publicity cases in other states where juries have been selected. So we can't rule it out. It depends upon what the jurors say. If they indicate they can be fair and impartial, possibly we'll get a jury. It's going to be a very interesting process.

COSTELLO: Ok. Let's head back out to Baltimore. Jean Casarez is there. So how many potential jurors do you suppose, Jean that will be interviewed?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN LEGAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know 75 to 80 are in a courtroom right across the street on the fourth floor. And I want to tell you and Paul that we have a producer in the adjoining overflow room right now which is right next to the courtroom. And he could hear the bull horns and the talking of the protesters that were here last hour.

Now they've gone. They're not here anymore but he said that he could hear it very clearly in that overflow room that is just adjacent. And so one would think that possibly those jurors could hear that, too.

But one thing the jurors are going to be told is that they are anonymous. And the prosecutor really opposed this because she felt it was built in. She didn't want a special instruction for the jurors. But jurors are going to be told, that any information about them, their names, or anything will never be released. They will be anonymous so they're not in fear that they could be targets for whatever decision they could render in this case.

But what's happening, they will be questioned altogether in a courtroom, a show of hands to answers of the questions. Anything they have to say further it will be in a conference room individually. We won't know what is being said.

Prosecutors wanted William Porter first because they feel he's critical to the prosecution of other officers. He gave a statement. We heard that in open court where he, himself, asked Freddie Gray if he needed medical attention. Gray allegedly said he did. So that they are going to use for knowledge that he, William Porter and the other officers, had knowledge that Gray wanted medical attention and they did not get it for him at that particular moment, Carol.

COSTELLO: Ok. Before we delve into Officer Porter's case and possible defense, I want to look to you -- Paul. So the jurors will be anonymous, but will they be sequestered? I don't think they will be.

CALLAN: They're usually not sequestered. The judge could order it in this case. And I question that instruction by the court that they'll be anonymous. They may be anonymous during the trial --

COSTELLO: Yes, how is that possible?

CALLAN: -- but the court can't protect them after the trial. You know, Baltimore's a small enough place that certainly people are going to know eventually who was on the jury. Some of them might write books. You can't promise permanent anonymity to jurors. So I think there may be a problem with that instruction.

COSTELLO: Ok. So on to Officer porter's case. He's 26 years old. Now he's 25 at the time this alleged crime went down.

[10:35:06] Freddie Gray supposedly asked him twice for medical assistance. Obviously, Freddie Gray didn't get that. Officer Porter supposedly sat Freddie Gray on the seat and didn't buckle him in, which is against city policy. What might the defense be?

CALLAN: Well, Gray in his statement said that -- he apparently knew Gray from the neighborhood and said that Freddie Gray, there's always drama involved in a Freddie Gray arrest. This is what he said, not in those exact words, but that he kind of didn't believe that he was necessarily hurt. That based on prior experience, he thought maybe he was making it up.

But why are they going after Porter first? I think what the prosecutors are looking to do is, if they convict him, even on a minor charge, then they'll say, you're going to prison unless you agree to testify against the other officers involved. I think that's the strategy prosecutors are looking at here.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

So Jean this officer was very young. Some people say that he was unduly influenced by the older officers on the scene and he was simply doing whatever they told him to do.

CASAREZ: Well, one of the facts that the defense is going to will bring out is that it was ten days prior that the order came down that they needed to seat belt anyone that was in the police van. Because that's the crux of this, that Freddie Gray did not have a seat belt on him. The seat belts were in the van and not one officer belted him in and that then allowed him to sustain his injuries, which then made him succumb to death. So, it's an omission by the officers.

And so William Porter in many respects did everything right. He asked him if he needed medical attention. He communicated it to others. And Freddie Gray ultimately got it but not in time, according to the prosecutor. Not when he should have gotten it. But he was under the same orders as any other officer. You are to belt in someone.

COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Jean Casarez, Paul Callan, thanks to both of you.

Police in their communities are at odds today. Some might say they're at war. Last week we aired a story on how police decide when to use lethal force. The story went viral.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: If this were a real emergency, I would have died.

I didn't want to shoot him. Even when he had the gun on the table, I didn't believe he would shoot me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: There was praise and backlash, so I wrote an op-ed on why it was so important to do such a story. Check it out. "Shoot, Don't Shoot"; it's on CNN.com/opinion.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Bill Gates wants to spend billions to save the earth. He's getting some help from the richest and most powerful people on the planet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:42:09] COSTELLO: Bill Gates just signed on with some of the world's richest and most powerful people to help him save the earth. A group of 30 investors will pour billions of dollars of their money into startups in technology that will reduce our demand for fossil fuels. Gates along with President Obama will announce the new initiative at the climate conference in Paris today.

CNN Money chief correspondent Christine Romans joins me. She has more on the initiative. Good morning.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN MONEY CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Hi. It's Bill Gates and a few of his richest friends and the University of California and some other folks together. I can show you here who's on this list but some of the richest folks in the world coming together saying they're going to invest -- invest money into a fund to help clean energy companies innovate.

They believe that innovation is how you're going to solve the climate change conundrum by making clean energy just as cheap or cheaper than traditional fossil fuels. Listen to Bill Gates this morning on "NEW DAY".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL GATES, BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION: You need the innovation so that the cost of clean is as low or ideally lower than the coal-based energy generation. That's why the science is so exciting now. It's risky but basic research from government plus entrepreneurs like this group of 28, that includes the University of California, I think that lays the foundation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Getting those people to take the risk to invest money so that at least 100 companies can start developing innovation and tools that long-term can lower the cost of renewable energy. You look at research and development, U.S. government research and development. It's about $5 billion a year on renewable energy.

Compare that with some other areas, other government funding. $31 billion for health care, $70 billion for defense. Bill Gates and his friends and associates who are backing this fund there, also pressuring governments to double, to double Carol how much taxpayers that in some of these countries are funding for renewable energy development.

COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you, is this how it usually works? You get a group of wealthy people together and they start changing things instead of the government taking the lead?

ROMANS: If they can -- look, a lot of the lead though is going to happen at research institutions. You might have innovation that's going to be sparked by government investments, but if you have private individuals and funds that can make money doing this, suddenly becomes more attractive, right?

(inaudible) Bill Gates talked about how it is risky. He said over the next five years, Carol, he sees energy prices will be lower and clean energy prices he thinks will start to decline, too, if you start to get some innovation advancement.

You know, Sir Richard Branson told me I think about a year ago, he said, Christina we need to disrupt climate change the way we've disrupted so many other things. People like Richard Branson, Bill Gates and others have been trying to do that. This is their first step.

COSTELLO: All right. Christine Romans -- thanks

ROMANS: You're welcome.

[10:44:50] COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM: Ben Carson visits a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan and he says they don't want to come to America. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [10:49:27] COSTELLO: After a trip to Syria designed to boost his

foreign policy credentials, Ben Carson is weighing in on the refugee crisis and speaking out about what he says some of those refugees told him during his visit.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty joins me now from Washington with more on that. Good morning.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you -- Carol.

Well, Ben Carson called this a fact-finding mission where he met with many Syrian refugees at two refugee camps in Jordan. And it really seems in those conversations with the refugees where Ben Carson had his key takeaway moment from this trip over the weekend. He said in those conversations with the refugees, he asked them point-blank whether they would prefer to be resettled into the United States or if they would prefer to stay at the refugee camps.

And here's what he told "STATE OF THE UNION" yesterday about what his conclusions were from what they told him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Their true desire is to be resettled in Syria, but you know, they're satisfied to be in the refugee camps if the refugee camps are adequately funded. Recognize that in these camps they have schools, they have recreational facilities that are really quite nice, and they're putting in all kinds of things that make life more tolerable.

Would it be better to integrate them into they society? Yes. I certainly talked to some people about that but, you know, you have to make progress as you go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: And Carson went on to imply that he thinks the United States should rather boost aid to these refugee camps abroad rather than taking in more refugees as a country.

Of course, Carol, this trip comes at an important time for Ben Carson as a candidate. He's recently undergone serious and intense period of scrutiny on his foreign policy credentials, his level of experience, is certainly part of the strategy, no doubt, is to kind of boost his knowledge of the region. Also potentially show leadership in comparison to many of his opponents -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Sunlen Serfaty reporting live for us this morning -- thank you.

Checking some other top stories for you at 51 minutes past: Pope Francis now in the Central African Republic. It is his first visit to a war zone. He's visiting mosques and churches on the final leg of his African tour. He's hoping to ease violence in the country between Muslims and Christians by meeting with religious leaders. Extra security forces have been brought in to help keep him safe.

A major storm has already killed ten people in Texas and Kansas and it isn't over yet. The southern plains hit over the weekend with heavy flooding. Farther north, snow and icy roads caused wrecks and downed power lines. And now even more snow is on its way to northern states. A foot of snow expected in Minnesota, as many as eight inches in South Dakota.

A Virginia charter bus crashes, sending dozens of college students to the hospital. According to the Virginia State Police, the students were heading back to school after Thanksgiving break. The bus was rounding a curve and tipped over on its side. The bus driver is now charged with reckless driving. One passenger has serious injuries. The rest walked away with bumps and bruises.

Watch these cars drive up an intersection in China and then lift off the ground. Look at that. The video came out last week and the theories started immediately. Were they levitating? Defying gravity?

It turns out it was pretty simple. There was a loose cable wire that fell on the street and then it got caught in a street sweeper. And when the cars ran over it, here it comes. It lifted the cars into the air. Mystery solved.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Kobe Bryant says the time has come. Why the basketball great says he's ready to walk away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:57:19] COSTELLO: Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant finally admitting the inevitable -- it is time to walk away from the game he's played as a pro since he was 17 years old. Coy Wire joins us with more on the surprising or maybe not so surprising announcement. Good morning.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Good morning -- Carol.

Yes, this has been oft speculated as of late. In a pensive poem titled "Dear Basketball", Kobe Bryant eloquently confirmed that this, his 20th pro-season this will be the last of his legendary NBA career. The ode was posted on the Player's Tribune web site which briefly crashed after this announcement.

Kobe wrote quote, "This season is all I have left to give. My mind can handle the grind but my body knows that it's time to say good-bye. That's ok, I'm ready to let you go." After last night's loss to the pacers, Kobe talked about this decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOBE BRYANT, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: I've had so many great times -- right. I think it's -- I see the beauty in not being able to blow past defenders anymore, you know what I mean?

(END VIDEO CLIP) WIRE: Now, ticket prices for Kobe's last game on April 13th

against the Jazz are already up 190 percent after the announcement. After 17 all-star selections, five NBA titles a league MVP award and two Olympic golds, Kobe Bryant will soon say good-bye to the game he loves for good and his 2-14 Lakers, they might get a win tonight in Kobe's next outing. They're facing the woeful 76ers who have yet to win a game this season. They lost again to the Grizzlies last night putting them at 0-18 to start the season, tying the NBA record for the worst start ever.

Even worst Phillies dropped 28 straight dating back to last March. That's the longest losing streak by any pro team in any major American sport.

All right. Let's talk some football because we know Carol loves it. New England's dream of pristine season fell like the snowflakes on the fans in the stand in Denver last night. This would have been the 17th meeting between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning but Peyton didn't feel so good. He was out with a foot injury.

It's Brock Osweiler who guided Denver to a go ahead score putting them up by three with just over a minute left to play.

That's plenty of time for Tom Brady who pushes the Pats into game time field goal position and Gronkowski got it to overtime. This one will go and O.T., C.J. Anderson unlocks legend status in Denver for the night at least.

Quicker than a hiccup on this 48-yard walk-off touchdown, Broncos beat the Pats, 30-24 and moved to 9-2 on the season while handing New England their first loss of the season. Pats now 10-1.

So Carolina Panthers, they remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Patriots are not so perfect. Thanks -- Coy.

[11:00:00] WIRE: What about your Detroit Lions?

COSTELLO: They rock so far.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan starts now.