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Donald Trump Threatens Independent Run; GOP on Edge Over Trump's Comments; Taliban Claims Responsibility for Market, School Attacks; Protesters Demand Chicago Mayor to Step Down; Time Running Out for Paris Climate Conference; San Bernardino Attacker Plotted Terror in 2012; Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Taking Back Ramadi; State of Emergency in Washington State. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired December 10, 2015 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Donald Trump's plans. What the Republican presidential front runner is saying about an Independent plan.
[03:00:02] ERROL BARNETT, CNN HOST: While the president says ISIS is contained, his defense secretary says the militants are not. Now more U.S. troops and hardware could be heading to Iraq.
CHURCH: And why protesters in Chicago are demanding the resignation of their Mayor.
BARNETT: We want to welcome our viewers here in the states and those of you watching from all around the world. This is our second hour, I am Errol Barnett.
CHURCH: And I am Rosemary Church. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
BARNETT: U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has a message to his Republican Party. Respect me or I am gone.
CHURCH: He is responding to the criticism he is facing from party members and leaders over his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States. Trump spoke at length to CNN's Don Lemon about that, as well as accusations that he is a bigot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If they don't treat me with a certain amount of decorum and respect, if they don't treat me as the frontrunner -- by far the frontrunner, if the playing field is not level then certainly all options are open. But that is nothing I want to do.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, "CNN TONIGHT": How will you know that? What determines that?
TRUMP: Well, I think I'll know that over a period of months. We'll go through the primaries, we'll see what happens and I'll make a determination. But I would imagine they would treat me properly because I am leading by a lot. LEMON: So the pledge is, you keep your word, they keep their word.
TRUMP: Hey, Don, I want to run as a Republican.
LEMON: Here is my question I asked you last time, if you were a racist -- are you a racist?
TRUMP: I am the least racist person that you have ever met. I am the least racist person.
LEMON: Are you bigoted in any way?
TRUMP: I don't think so, no, I don't this so.
LEMON: Islamophobic?
TRUMP: No, not at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: And many Republicans are on edge about Trump's comments as well as the impact his running as an independent could have on the Presidential race.
CHURCH: Meanwhile, Trump says those party attackers are simply trying to get publicity for themselves. Senior Washington Correspondent Jeff Zeleny has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump is on a roll, so far an unstoppable one.
TRUMP: I am leading in every single poll. And nationwide, I am leading in every one of them. So obviously, I am very happy where I am.
ZELENY: And that is precisely what worries many Republicans. The GOP ranks are rattled over Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country. Afraid it could cost Republicans the White House and threaten their congressional majority. Republican Nikki Haley, the first Indian-American Governor of South Carolina said that Trump's comments were damaging to the GOP.
GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: It's just an embarrassment to the Republican Party. It is absolutely un-American, it's un- constitutional, and it defies everything this country was based on. And it is just wrong.
ZELENY: Trump pushed back, saying some of his fellow Republicans were grandstanding.
TRUMP: I am leading by a lot. They get it. They're trying to get publicity for themselves. You know when I came out against illegal immigration, everybody said the same thing. Two weeks later, everybody was on my side including the members of my own party. ZELENY: The international outcry also intensified, Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he rejects Trump's plan to block Muslims. Trump is set to meet with Netanyahu later this month in Jerusalem. The Prime Minister is now facing pressure to cancel the meeting. On the campaign trail today, rival Republicans hoped the fallout will loosen Trump's grip on the race.
JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Trump is not a serious person. He is not a serious candidate. He is inflammatory. And he makes the task for the next President a lot harder.
ZELENY: Republican leaders across the country fear Trump at the top of the ticket could doom their party.
BUSH: We're going to have to distance ourselves from this messaging. It will not help us win the general election in November. We wouldn't win Ohio with that kind of message.
ZELENY: Yet some Republicans are also unwilling to agitate Trump, fearful of him running as a third party candidate, a possibility he raised again today with CNN's Don Lemon.
LEMON: Are you going to break this pledge?
TRUMP: I think it is highly unlikely unless they break the pledge to me because it's a two way street.
ZELENY: Trump also can be a sore loser, he lost a different kind of contest today, as Time Magazine's person of the year, awarded to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It prompted Trump to tweet this. I told you Time Magazine would never pick me as person of the year. Despite being the big favorite, they picked the person who is ruining Germany.
That was classic Trump, hardly a gracious moment. When you talk to Republican leaders, like the Ohio State Chairman, they worry Trump could damage the party's chances of holding onto the Senate and of course winning the White House. But Trump supporters have been nothing but loyal. They are far more likely to follow him than party leaders. And that loyalty could help him win a Republican primary,.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[03:05:01]
CHURCH: A petition calling for Donald Trump to be banned from entering the United Kingdom has already attracted well over 380,000 signatures, just within a couple of days. That is more than enough for a committee to consider sending it to the House of Commons for debate.
BARNETT: So you may be wondering what it like is to be a Muslim in Britain right now. CNN's Diana Magnay takes a look at that angle of this story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The man wielding the knife at this London underground station last Saturday night shouted this is for Syria, as he lunged at passers by. But it's this phrase which has got the nation talking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ain't no Muslim, bro.
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Some of us have dedicated speeches and media appearances and sound bites and everything to this subject, but you ain't no Muslim, bruv, said it all much better than I ever could.
MAGNAY: British society is hugely diverse, multiple ethnicities, and as Donald Trump took to the U.S. air waves calling for a ban on Muslims entering the states, British Muslims can be quietly confident that for now no politician would say the same on British soil and hoped to get elected. But some Muslims we speak to feel they're not being given the benefit of the doubt, as fears around terrorism generate mistrust. (Inaudible) is the Imam at a mosque in the part of east London where Saturday's knife attack took place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will have to make statements. You will have to apologize. We are not -- I think the Muslim community is fed up with this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are trying to build a better community, to come together. Not to have differences.
MAGNAY: Williams is a Muslim rap artist who converted to Islam ten years ago. It was three weeks before the terrorists bombed the London underground killing 52 people in the worst terror attack on British soil.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even then it was quite a harsh climate. But now, there is something different. I am not quite sure how to put it. But it's not so much fair as it is actually resentment.
MAGNAY: In October, David Cameron outlined his new counter-extremism strategy, vowing to tackle the alienation and segregation that can allow extremist ideologies to take root. Calling on Britain's, whatever their background, to united behind shared values. But Bangura, who wrote a thesis on the culture of alienation and extremism amongst young Muslims in Britain, says for some there is confusion about what those values are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I posed the question to some of the youth that I interviewed. What are the British values? Nobody could come back. I did extensive research into this.
MAGNAY: Williams, too, feels the government's message does not necessarily translate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you could say British values is having respect for people, then yes we can all stand up and be around this. But like I think sometimes we have these -- I don't know we spew out things and we say things but it has no real weight.
MAGNAY: And so she raps, to promote what she says are shared human values, a call on all members of society to stand behind them.
Diana Magnay, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: We want to bring you this news just coming into us here at CNN. The death toll from the attack near an airport in Afghanistan has risen to 50. The Taliban says its fighters attacked a market bazaar and school near Kandahar Airport on Tuesday.
CHURCH: The assault happened after a suspected Taliban video warned the U.S. troops would not be safe in Afghanistan. Afghan officials say at least nine of the attackers were killed.
BARNETT: Five people in Sydney, Australia are now charged with conspiracy to plan a terrorist attack.
CHURCH: Police say the suspects were part of a radicalized group that was planning attacks on government buildings. Our (Inaudible) reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Barefoot and bearded, wearing board shorts, a 20- year-old from Ravi, the most disturbing, a 15-year-old student from Bass Hill High.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's scary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just shocking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even more so for classmates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No way!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pair was charged with conspiracy to conduct a terrorist act. The youngest 14 at the time of his alleged offenses, now, Australia's youngest terror arrest. Senior police call it beyond disturbing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are charging a 15-year-old with a very, very serious offense, this is an offense that has a maximum of life in prison.
[03:10:01]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The arrests are part of the ongoing police operation Apple Bee, mass raids last year that uncovered a plot to behead a member of the public, this pair allegedly involved in a second plot to attack a federal police building, 11 people have so far been arrested, among them the men charged with supporting the 15-year- old terrorist. He shot dead a police worker in October.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The people who were involved with the murderer of associates of these people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three other accused all currently in prison, including one-time guest also charged over the plot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have the capability and capacity to be able to carry out and the intent to carry out an attack here in Australia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also news today...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Especially the people of Australia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The former western Sydney teenager, known as the ginger Jehadi, reported killed in Syria, apparently killed in a bombing raid. Tony Abbott does not want to stop the fighting either, in Singapore, calling for more military action against Islamic state.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This will be a long, difficult and costly engagement, quite possibly the task of decades, not years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: All right, let's turn to the west coast of the U.S. now. In California, the FBI says the husband/wife team behind the San Bernardino attacks was radicalized before they even met. Investigators are now looking into how the couple was inspired by terrorist groups.
CHURCH: Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department official says that Tashfeen Malik was not asked about any Jehadi leanings when she was interviewed by a U.S. official for her visa application. That interview took place last year in Pakistan, before she came to the U.S. to marry Syed Rizwan Farook.
BARNETT: And U.S. officials are also investigating a former neighbor's claim that he and Farook plotted an attack several years ago and abandoned it.
BARNETT: CNN's Kyung Lah has that part of the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Investigators focusing on Enrique Marquez, and not just for buying the two high-powered AR-15 rifles that would be used in the San Bernardino massacre. U.S. officials telling CNN, Marquez told investigators about a 2012 attack that he and Farook hatched but did not carry out. They abandoned the plan, Marquez told them, because they got spooked. The FBI had just arrested four people in the area accused of trying to travel abroad to carry out violent Jihad. Marquez told also telling investigators he and Farook were both on the path to radicalization as early as 2011, the same year he brought the first of two rifles for Farook. The two men's lives have been connected for years. Syed Rizwan Farook and Enrique Marquez were first neighbors. They would grow up to become friends, then relatives by marriage.
Did he seem like a relative? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, I could sense that. He was really close
with them. It was not just like a friend that you would see over.
LAH: Brittany Dane lives two doors down from the home where Farook's father, brother, and sister currently live. Dane saw Marquez frequently here, the home not far from this mosque, the Islamic society of Corona, Norco. Members of the mosque told CNN several years ago Marquez came here alone, saying he had converted to Islam but he only attended a handful of times. This is a mosque Marquez listed on his December 2014 marriage certificate as his religious institution. His wife is the sister of the woman married to Syed Rizwan Farook's brother. But to outsiders, the Marquez' marriage seemed unusual.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was not like they were married or anything, like he helped them. But it was not like he -- I didn't really see him give much like -- he didn't talk much to the sister.
LAH: Marquez tells authorities he didn't know about the San Bernardino massacre and is currently not charged with a crime. But his role remains crucial to investigators.
JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: We're also working very hard to understand whether there was anybody else involved with assisting them, with supporting them, with equipping them. And we're working very, very hard to understand did they have other plans either that day or earlier.
LAH: Also the U.S. officials talking to Marquez caution that they are still trying to verify that claim about the 2012 terror plot. They do caution that he may be trying to deflect their attention from the fact he did purchase those two long guns that would be used in the massacre. We should also mention that shortly after the massacre Marquez did check himself into a mental health facility.
Kyung Lah, CNN, San Bernardino, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: And more stories coming up after the break.
There is disagreement in Washington over President Barack Obama's strategy to defeat ISIS. See how the Defense Secretary responded to frustrated Senators next.
BARNETT: And taking to the streets as they call for the Mayor's resignation, we'll take a look at that, details ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:19:01]
CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The U.S. Defense Secretary is trying to defend the White House strategy to defeat ISIS. Ash Carter was grilled by lawmakers on Wednesday. BARNETT: He says U.S. President Barack Obama's plan is working. It
just needs more time. Mr. Obama claims the militant group is contained, but Carter seems to disagree.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: From the start, our goal has been first to contain and we have contained them. They have not gained ground in Iraq. And in Syria it -- they will come in, they will leave.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: General, we have not contained ISIL. Mr. Secretary, do you agree with General Dunford?
ASH CARTER, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I agree with what General Dunford said, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: All right, we want to turn now to Chicago where the Mayor is apologizing and vowing to fix a trust problem between police and the community.
BARNETT: The protesters say that just is not enough. CNN's Rosa Flores has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Protesters turn up the heat in Chicago, asking for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to step down following a string of high profile deadly police shootings caught on tape.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You covered up a videotape. And we want you fired.
FLORES: They hit the streets after the Mayor's speech about police accountability and justice at city hall.
MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL (D), CHICAGO: Your government's first responsibility is to keep you and your family safe, and to make sure that you feel safe in your neighborhoods. And we have clearly fallen short on this issue. And that needs to change.
FLORES: Just a few blocks away in federal court, city attorneys argued against the release of another police shooting video, this time of Cedric Chapman, an unarmed black teen and carjacking suspect who was shot and killed by police in early 2013. The city's argument in court, the release could taint a jury pool and among other things could be misused by the media. But the Chapman family attorney points to the recent release of the Laquan Mcdonald and Ronald Johnson videos, and calls on Mayor to make the Chapman video public.
BRIAN COFFMAN, CHAPMAN FAMILY ATTORNEY: If the city of Chicago and Mr. Rahm Emanuel wants to come out and lead the charge that he wants transparency and change, well, here is his opportunity. FLORES: In court, the judge said there was a lot of interest in this
and for good reason, but decided not to release the video for now pending the review of the law by both sides. In a statement, the city's law department said the city of Chicago clearly needs a new policy around releasing videos that accounts for all issues, and were working on it with the help of the recently appointed task force. The Mayor has replaced two city officials in less than two weeks, including the police superintendent. But as the protesters march, they say the Mayor should be next.
He said you know the buck stops with me. Do you accept that? Would you like for him to stay and try to fix the problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course not, you know, we already know what he can do behind closed doors. He can hide videos. And we're not having that.
FLORES: Rosa Flores, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: Time is running out for delegates at the Climate Conference in Paris. They have given themselves until Friday to reach a final agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
CHURCH: The document they're working on has been pared down from 43 pages to 29. And the U.S. Secretary of State says nations must come together to finish the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: No one country, not even the United States, which is the world's largest economy and together with China, the largest two together of the amount of gas, 40 percent. No one country can solve this problem or foot the bill alone. That is not rhetoric. It's just plain physically impossible to do so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: And on that point, Kerry said even if the U.S. somehow eliminated all of its greenhouse gas emissions, it would not be enough to offset the damage being done in the rest of the world.
CHURCH: And some developing countries simply cannot afford clean energy.
BARNETT: Our Sumnima Udas reports from India where the government has to strike a balance between helping the global climate and helping its people.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the sun sets in the village, residents fire up their only source of light. This is how she prepares dinner every night. This is how her children do their homework. It's like we live in a cave, she says, all we see is darkness everywhere. My children cannot study, they have no future here. It is just a 100 miles from the city's capital, only one of 18 villages in the district that have never known what it is like to have power. Electricity is something most of us take for granted but it really hits you when you come to a village like this, standing on a roof top and its pitch black, as far as you can see.
[03:24:01]
In the morning, it's a different world, of course. Arti runs her errands as quickly as she can. Daylight is precious here. They say India is progressing, but nothing has happened here. They have forgotten about us, she says. No power means any television. No refrigerators or fans. Residents have to walk for miles to the nearest town to charge their mobile phones. But the government is indeed trying. Bringing power to villages like this means more greenhouse gases because coal is still the cheapest form of energy. So at COP21 when India says it can't agree to a universal cap on carbon emissions, its villages like these that India wants to protect.
It is one of their most challenging contradictions, how do they preserve the planet. Not too far, the impact of development is already evident. I am standing about 500 meters from one of India's biggest coal-based power plants, and as you can see the smog is so thick this massive structure is barely visible. It's difficult to breathe here, and you can feel the toxins in your lungs. India is the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind the U.S. and China, but India says it will continue to build one of these every month so that people like Arti can become one of India's 21st century growth stories.
Sumnima Udas, CNN, India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Let's take a short break here on CNN NEWSROOM.
Still to come, Donald Trump has people talking about what would happen if he quits the Republican Party.
BARNETT: Conspiracy theorists have a different idea about why Trump is speaking out against Muslim immigrants, and it involves his biggest competitor, Hillary Clinton, surely you can imagine what it is. We'll bring you the details after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:29:01]
CHURCH: A warm welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and of course all around the world. I am Rosemary Church.
BARNETT: And I am Errol Barnett. It's our last half hour with you this week. Let's update you on our top stories.
(HEADLINES) CHURCH: U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump says he is getting supportive calls from his Muslim friends. This is after his proposal to ban foreign Muslims from entering the United States.
BARNETT: Now, Trump told our Don Lemon he is acting in the best interest of the Islamic community. Meanwhile, fellow Republicans are blasting his proposal, leading Trump to suggest once again that he could run as an independent. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Well, if they don't treat me with a certain amount of decorum and respect, if they don't treat me as the frontrunner, by far the frontrunner, if the playing field is not level then certainly all options are open.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Now, while Donald Trump maintains he is going to win the Republican nomination, conspiracy theorists have a wildly different idea.
BARNETT: And it involves Hillary Clinton. CNN's Tom Foreman explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Democrat Hillary Clinton.
TRUMP: Unbelievable.
FOREMAN: Republican Donald Trump, fierce front-running foes. But some say hold on, what is Trump with his polarizing style is not running to win but to split the Republican vote. Maybe he has a deal with his buddy, Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush has tweeted, continuing this path will put her in the White House, and Carly Fiorina.
CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is Hillary Clinton's Christmas gift wrapped up under a tree.
FOREMAN: Trump is spending a lot of time attacking his fellow Republicans.
TRUMP: Marco is overrated. Lindsey Graham, Carly's record, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush is so low in the polls might as well go home and forget it.
FOREMAN: That is primary politics, but conspiracy theorists say what about this?
TRUMP: I was a Democrat for a period of time early on.
FOREMAN: That is true, he donated heavily to Republican and Democratic candidates and hints he might run as an independent if he doesn't get the Republican nod, and while he savages Clinton now.
TRUMP: Hillary Clinton was the worst Secretary of State in the history of the United States.
FOREMAN: Listen to what he said before.
TRUMP: I just like her, I like her and I like her husband.
FOREMAN: The Clintons attended his wedding, and his family is friends. All of this leads many to wonder if a secret Democratic tunnel is being dug to the Oval Office.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a conspiracy. That is what this is.
FOREMAN: Like in the Shawshank Redemption. And helping her? That would be very un-Republican, indeed.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: All right, more stories still to come, a man accused of a fatal shooting at a women's clinic in Colorado interrupts a hearing with disturbing outbursts.
CHURCH: And celebrities are joining a push for stricter gun control in the United States. You will hear their message after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:36:01]
CHURCH: A bizarre scene at a court hearing for the man charged with shooting up a women's clinic in Colorado and killing three people. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT LEWIS DEAR, ACCUSED SHOOTER: They're supposed to be aborted that day. Could you add that to the list? Seal the truth, huh? Kill the babies that are what Planned Parenthood does. You will never know what I saw in that clinic. Atrocities -- that is what they want to seal, babies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Robert Dear also shouted that he was a "Warrior for the babies," he is facing 179 felony counts including first degree murder.
CHURCH: The deadly mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, has led to a renewed push for stricter gun control in the United States.
BARNETT: A gun violence prevention group is now enlisting the help of celebrities and some victims to get lawmakers' attention. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can end.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can end.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gun violence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gun violence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gun violence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: End gun violence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can end gun violence should we can end.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can end.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can end gun violence.
OBAMA: When we come together, Americans can do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Senior Media Correspondent Brian Stelter, joins me now to talk more about this. Brian thanks for being with us.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.
CHURCH: Now, celebrities again joining the fight to end gun violence, how much more powerful is that message likely to be when it comes from the likes of Amy Schumer, Jennifer Aniston, Julianne Moore?
STELTER: If there is one thing we know, celebrities have a lot of cultural power to reach big audiences these days on Twitter and Facebook and other social networking sites. So this video is getting shared in many places, thanks to the a-list stars a part of this. We've done this before, seeing the celebrities record a video for gun control in the past. This is an opportunity for the gun control movement in the wake of what happened in San Bernardino. But I would say it's not the first time we've seen the celebrities trying to do this.
CHURCH: Yes and how exactly are they proposing that gun violence can be stopped, given U.S. politicians are clearly not willing to take a stand on this. Not a lot happened since Sandy Hook in 2012.
STELTER: That is right, and it has been several years and we have not seen significant change on this front in the United States. They're working with a group called Every Town, this is the Michael Bloomberg- funded group that is trying to be a counterweight to the NRA in the United States. And really a video like this is about signing people up to the list and creating donations and create a snowball support for momentum for what the group is trying to accomplish. For example, they're trying to get more politicians in office to support their gun control measures and create more financial pressure on gun control companies. So really what happens, you watch this video, what the celebrities want you to do is sign up for the mailing list and get involved in that way.
CHURCH: And Brian, Wednesday night's season finale of South Park also took on the controversial issue of gun control. Let's take a look at part of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn out the light and go back to bed, I am staying up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eric, you march right up to your room. Eric, you get your butt to bed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, means no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I told you to go upstairs right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mom, what the hell?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is time for night, night, I am your mother and I will do what I tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok, I am going.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well then, you go right now, mister.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, I am going.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you sweetie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok, I love you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, he listened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: So Brian, the message hammered home there. But for some sections of society, the idea of gun violence is to arm the whole town, so they would be unmoved by this and even critical and angry to they were being laughed at. So what has it achieved?
STELTER: We see the creators of South Park trying very topical satire. They turn these episodes really quickly by the way, so they are reacting almost in real-time to recent events of gun violence in the U.S., but I would say in this country there is probably no issue that people are more polarized about than the issue of guns. So a show like South Park reaches a young audience that probably already agrees with its political views. This is one case where the stereotype of Hollywood being liberal is mostly true. Where you see the creators of South Park with their message about guns here, that idea is largely true. I think you see an urban world divide, as well here. Look at the New York Times, the editorial about gun confiscation own the weekend. A lot of people are critical, and for shows like South Park.
[03:41:01]
CHURCH: Yeah, we'll see how the message is received. Brian Stelter, thank you so much, always a pleasure.
BARNETT: We want to bring you breaking news from India, local media there saying the Bombay high court has acquitted a Bollywood star in a fatal hit and run case from 2002. Khan had been sentenced in May to five years in prison. Our Sumnima Udas is standing by for us in New Delhi and can bring us an update on this story, one that has been watched closely and intently for a long time. How much of a surprise is this?
UDAS: This is a huge surprise, just because in May he was sentenced to five years in prison, and also of course, convicted of culpable homicide. Not many were expecting it. You really can't overstate how important he is. He starred in 80 films here, four of the top ten grossing movies in Indian cinema history. And when people ask how would you equate Salman Khan, he is like a George Clooney, still considered the ultimate heartthrob here, and still a most coveted star. And when the conviction came out back in May, many people had sort of -- said that you know this is a big deal for India because it shows that even the most famous people, even the richest people can be held accountable for their crimes.
And now the Bombay high court is now acquitting him of all charges saying that the court couldn't prove he was in fact driving that car back in 2002 that ran over five people who were sleeping on the pavement outside his house.
BARNETT: And Sumnima, you can look at the reaction to this, there appears to be a massive scramble outside the Bombay high court. Is there a chance of this being overturned because the critics say the judicial system there is corrupt.
UDAS: That is right. Many analysts are now already saying this is a mockery of the judicial system, while some people are saying this is a victory of the judicial system as well. What will happen next, most likely, the prosecutors will appeal to the higher courts. This will likely go on, but for now at least a huge relief for Salman Khan, and his millions of fans, all the directors and producers who support him. All the brands, he is the face of many brands in India. So this is a huge relief for him but still too early to say what will happen next, Errol.
BARNETT: All right, Sumnima Udas, live for us in New Delhi with this breaking news, Salman Khan, acquitted in the fatal hit and run from 2002. Thanks very much.
CHURCH: And flooding rains and mudslides slam the U.S. Pacific Northwest, we will tell you why it's not over yet. We'll be right back with that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:49:01]
CHURCH: The Governor of the state of Washington has declared a state of emergency after flooding rains and landslides slammed the region.
BARNETT: Our Meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins us now to talk about how dangerous this is and what is at stake here.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, they're really opening up the resources of the Washington National Guard. It is bad, and in fact the flooding, it just seems to get worse. The rivers are so swollen it just continues to rise. This is in southwestern Washington, water just trickling down while I should say it eventually -- just see the mud combine with this to create this mudslide that unfortunately went into the side of a house. There were people inside. There was a rescue attempt. Everybody got out safely but it was quite an ordeal for that family and the individuals inside as well as the rescuers trying to well, rescue the people indoors.
Now, this is why we get these mudslides, remember, we have mountains across this area, the cascades, the foothills of those mountains, but the incessant rain that we have experienced in these areas, day after day, gravity eventually wins. We see the slope -- the slope just can't hold that weight anymore when you combine the soil and the heavy rainfall. And eventually we see how the slope failure can later go over the overpasses and roadways. Consider this picture just how dangerous it would be traveling over this mountain overpass. And the ground gives way underneath you, scary stuff, certainly wouldn't want to encounter something like that.
Unfortunately, the flooding threat, the mudslide threat will continue into this weekend. There is a brief lull, this is for the Pacific Northwest. But that is going to change by late Thursday and into Friday. Here it is, our next storm system winding up across the Aleutian Islands, spreading into places like Seattle and northern sections of California. For Seattle, this is typically just coming off November our wettest month of the calendar year. Above average, and December so far has certainly been above average as well. But we'll start to see the frequency and intensity of the rain going into the winter months.
But we'll talk about what is happening now because that is most important. We have locally five inches of additional rainfall. Northern California, the west coast of Oregon and into western Washington, as well. On top of the heavy rainfall, we have massive waves building across the pacific. This is all thanks to our very strong low pressure system that is funneling all this moisture into the area. So think about this. You combine big waves. You have high tide, the huge tides when the sun and moon line up. You get the gravitational force, so we have the potential for coastal flooding, as well. I want to bring you a quick update, Errol and Rosemary, on Beijing, we have been talking about the extreme air pollution there -- the -- Beijing has actually lifted its first pollution red alert which was in effect up until yesterday.
A cold front came through and cleared things out. We hope that that will stick around. We know the reality of the situation. More than likely not, this weekend its set to settle again.
CHURCH: And they had a lot of controls in place.
(CROSSTALK)
VAN DAM: All right, I'll get to it. Thanks a lot.
BARNETT: Now, when you think of Christmas you usually don't think about zombies, hopefully. But a U.S. man's nativity scene is getting attention just for that.
CHURCH: Surprise, surprise, it has baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, all of them undead. And of course, it has led to a Christmas controversy. Here is Scott Wagen, with our affiliate WCPO.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT WAGEN, WCPO: When Kathy Thomas bought their family out to look at the Christmas display on Voorhees Lane in Sycamore Township, it was not a complete success. That is because the nativity display may seem more appropriate for Halloween than Christmas. There is Joseph and Mary, and even the baby Jesus as zombies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some people don't like it, but like it. Why, because it's different.
WAGEN: Jason Dixon's nativity has been getting global publicity after the township threatened to fine him.
JASON DIXON: The zombie of baby Jesus made a lot of people mad.
WAGEN: But the township says the undead were un-relevant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't have that big structure -- absolutely had nothing to do about the zombies.
WAGEN: Many people including Kathy and Karen assumed the township was upset at portrayal of the holy family as flesh eating monsters. The township received several profane emails telling them to stop interfering with the display. One of the few they put on TV, I hope you guys get coal. This is what the display looked like before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a structure that's 15 feet tall and probably 100 square feet. You can't have that.
[03:54:01]
WAGEN: Dixon was cited -- with fines up to $500 a day. By Friday, Dixon had made the display smaller by removing the top piece.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He made the structure compliant with the zone code and we're done. We move on. WAGEN: So this holiday horror will continue to delight or scare those
who stop by.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: All right, Scott Wagen there from WCPO reporting there.
BARNETT: Why would you take your kids to that?
CHURCH: I know.
BARNETT: One last Donald Trump story before we go. The Republican frontrunner sat down with Time Magazine for an interview recently. And we're getting a look behind the scenes for the first time.
CHURCH: Things didn't go quite as planned, however, he was posing with an iconic symbol of America, a bald eagle, which seemed to take a liking to his hair.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hand out -- how does my hair look?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: If you look closely, the eagle handler can say he has tamed Donald Trump's hair, kind of tamed it down for just a moment.
CHURCH: He did, didn't he? All right, well, thanks for watching CNN. I am Rosemary Church.
BARNETT: And I am Errol Barnett. We will see you here next week. Early Start is next for those of you in the States.
CHURCH: And for our viewers elsewhere, stay tuned for CNN NEWSROOM. Have a great day.
