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Saudi Arabia Cuts Ties with Iran after Embassy Attack; Armed Protesters Occupy Federal Wildlife Refuge; Obama to Take Executive Action on Gun Control; Voting Begins in 29 Days; Massive Gas Leak in California; "Inside Steve's Brain"; Rescued Dogs Living American Dream. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired January 03, 2016 - 19:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. you're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN center, in today for Poppy Harlow.

Breaking news right now out of Saudi Arabia -- The Kingdom severing all ties with Iran after this weekend's attack on its embassy in Tehran -- a source familiar with the situation calling it a last resort for the Saudis. It all stems from the execution of 47 prisoners, but more specifically, a prominent Shia Muslim cleric.

CNN's senior international correspondent, Frederik Pleitgen, has the latest.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN'S SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka -- many saw this as a very surprising move there on the part of the Saudis to sever all ties with the Iranians really on very, very short notice. The Saudis, accusing the Iranians of undermining Saudi Arabia's security -- this is something that the foreign minister said in a press conference tonight.

It is something, of course, that comes in the wake of that siege that took place in Tehran of the Saudi embassy where a mob of protesters, of Iranian protesters broke into the Saudi embassy, set part of the building on fire, ransacked some other rooms. That, of course, comes after the Saudis executed some 47 prisoners in Saudi Arabia including a very senior Shia cleric. Iran, of course, is the main Shia country there in that region.

Now, the Iranians, for their part, have tried to do something like damage control throughout the course of Sunday while the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei went out and heavily criticized Saudi Arabia also calling for, quote, divine revenge against Saudi Arabia's ruling family.

The President, Hassan Rouhani who's more moderate went out and also criticized those who actually went into the Saudi embassy saying this is something that was bad for Iran and he also vowed to bring those to justice who were part of that storming of the embassy. The Iranians today announcing that they have arrested some 40 people in relation to that incident. However, obviously, that wasn't enough to soothe over the Saudis and it really is anybody's guess as to how this is going to impact the many conflicts that are going on in that region.

On the one hand, you have Yemen where the Saudis have accused the Iranians of meddling in that conflict. The Iranians for their part have been very critical of the Saudis for their bombing campaign in Yemen but the main conflict that this could potentially influence is the one in Syria where the U.S. has been doing a lot to try and bring the Iranians and the Saudis to the table together to try and find a way to peace in that country there. And it really seems highly unlikely that those talks will be able to continue in the way that they have so far.

So certainly what's transpiring right now is something that does not bode well going into 2016 -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Frederik Pleitgen -- thank you so much.

The U.S. State Department is weighing in on this saying tensions between the two countries must be reduced. Let's bring in more analysis now -- global affairs analyst Kimberly Dozier joining me now; as well as Michael Weiss, senior editor for the "Daily Beast". Good to see both of you evening.

So, Kimberly, shouldn't Saudi Arabia have expected some sort of fallout from this mass execution especially including this cleric?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: They were probably expecting it, and they're just going along with it using it as an excuse to send a message to Iran that they're tired of the meddling in Syria, the meddling in Yemen, and to anybody else watching that King Salman's rule inside Saudi Arabia is going to be possibly harsher than his predecessor. So if anyone is thinking of protesting, this will be the response.

WHITFIELD: So Michael, a source familiar with the situation in Saudi Arabia said this was the Saudis saying enough already. What have been the grievances in the past to take it to this level?

MICHAEL WEISS, "THE DAILY BEAST": Oh, I don't even know where to begin with that. Recall in 2013, President Obama gave an interview to the New Yorker in which he said one of the objectives of his foreign policy was to try and create, quote, "equilibrium between the Saudis and Iranians", or more specifically the Sunnis and Shia.

I think we're now at a fulcrum point in terms of sectarian tension in the region. I haven't seen it this bad since even well after the 9/11 period.

The Saudis obviously object to Iran's propping up of Bashar al Assad and their dispatching of Revolution Guard Corps officers into Aleppo under the guise of protecting quote, "Shia shrines" except there are no Shia shrines in Aleppo that's really there. They're there to protect the Assad regime. The Iranians have built a consortium of Shia sectarian militias in Syria who have been conducting pogroms, doing ethnic cleansing.

On the Iranian side of the ledger the Saudi campaign in Yemen which includes dropping carpet bombs all to beat back this Houthi rebellion which is backed by the Iranians has been quite devastating and taken a huge humanitarian toll.

[19:05:12] But one of the ironies of this, I have to point out, of the 47 people that were executed on Saturday, the vast majority of them were actually Sunni militants. And one of them in particular was a leading cleric for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

What's interesting about this the current interior minister of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Nayef was almost blown up, blown to bits actually by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The Shia cleric that was executed issued had issued huge imprecations against this man's father who was the former interior minister saying that "I hope worms are feasting on his corpse in the grave. He should burn in hell". That kind of thing.

So there's definitely a personal component to this, I think. These decisions that taken to put the death sentence to these particular 47.

WHITFIELD: And then what about the U.S. reaction? You know, Kimberly, we've seen that statement, but Saudi Arabia is a key ally for the U.S. The U.S. can only go but so far. Isn't that right?

DOZIER: Well, absolutely. The U.S. needs Saudi Arabia's cooperation to maintain the coalition against ISIS; also to maintain its counterterrorism campaign against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen.

And they had those peace talks on Syria coming up in January sponsored by the U.N. Secretary of State John Kerry had managed to get Saudi Arabia and Iran in a room three times over the past several months to discuss these talks, and they seemed to be that close. And now this could blow all of that out of the water.

So that's a lot to play for and it's one of the reasons that behind the scenes right now U.S. diplomats are trying to let everyone express their anger, but then tamp things down.

You kind of had to wonder when Iran seemed to allow a certain amount of protests to go on at the Saudi embassy, but then the guards rushed in and stopped the total destruction of the embassy. Were they also trying to operate a relief valve to let the tension of their own people burst forth and then subside but perhaps it's backfired?

WHITFIELD: And then Michael, how much do you see this cross road as potentially undermining the U.S. efforts or even any, you know, ground that they may have, indeed, made with Saudi Arabia as Kimberly was describing in the fight against ISIS? And even the U.S. commitment with Iran on the nuclear deal -- how might this all make it that much more complicated for the U.S.?

WEISS: Well, I think the nuclear deal will be taken in isolation because both parties, both countries have a vested interest to see this to completion. I mean the United States is making excuses on a day-to-day basis for the Islamic Republic including backing away from what were essentially token sanctions for the testing of Iranian missiles which are in violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution because the Iranians said if you do, if you pass new sanctions, we'll just escalate the program even further.

With respect to Syria, look, I think that these efforts, the so-called ceasefire of all parties excluding Jabath al Nusra, the al Qaeda franchise and ISIS. This was Utopian from the start. I never thought, I didn't see any kind of progress being made from the Saudi or the Iranian side. These two countries hate each other. They're vying for regional dominance.

The Saudis see what they call the Shia crescence (ph), the exportation -- not just of Iranian influence but essentially Khamenei's influence throughout the Levant all the way up into the Palestinian territories. They see that has a vital strategic threat to their interest, their national interest and their security interest and they will stop at nothing to counter that threat.

And I -- what you will see now is an amplification of the Saudi insurgency, the Saudi-funded and backed insurgency in Syria. They will be sending more IRGC officers home to Tehran in boxes and on the Iranian side, probably greater underwriting of the Houthi rebellion. They might get up to some kind of mischief in Bahrain.

There's all number of countries where these two regional powerhouses can essentially play out this proxy war. Of course, the United States is going to be caught in the middle of it as it always is.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll have to leave it right there. Michael Weiss, Kimberly Dozier -- thanks so much to both of you. Appreciate it.

WEISS: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right. Back in this country.

In eastern Oregon, a tense standoff is still under way between armed protesters and police. We'll talk about how the feds should handle this.

And the difference between a case like this and the unrest we've seen in other U.S. cities.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Developments tonight on CNN: armed anti-government protesters are still holed up as they occupy the headquarters of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon. The group is led by this man, Ammon Bundy. He won't say how many people are with him. Ammon Bundy is the son of Cliven Bundy, a Nevada rancher. He is well known for his anti- government views. It all started because two Oregon ranchers, Dwight and Steven Hammond are set to go to prison tomorrow for arson. Bundy wants the Hammonds released and for the federal government to relinquish control of the national forest.

But here's the point here. The Hammonds don't want the Bundys' help, actually. CNN Polo Sandoval explains how this all began.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're armed and staying put -- a group of protesters broke into an unoccupied building at an Oregon federal wildlife refuge Saturday. They claim to be taking a stand against the federal government's control and use of the land.

he armed occupation broke off from a peaceful rally earlier in the day to support Dwight and Steven Hammond. They're a father/son ranching duo expected to report to prison Monday.

DWIGHT HAMMOND, CONNECTED TO ARSON: It isn't my decision, obviously. It's a sentence.

SANDOVAL: Hammond and his son were convicted of arson setting at least 130 acres of federal land on fire. The Hammonds maintain it was a controlled blaze that accidentally got out of hand. Prosecutors, however, argue the flames were meant to cover up poaching.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's sort of frightening when there's people making threats and people touting guns.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are afraid.

SANDOVAL: Among the armed protesters, the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy. He was at the center of a similar standoff with the federal government last year over grazing fees.

AMMON BUNDY, PROTEST ORGANIZER: This is not a time to stand down. It is a time to stand up.

SANDOVAL: The younger Bundy called on militia groups to descend on Harney County and demand the government restore, quote, "the people's constitutional rights", part of a vague and vocal anti-government message.

BUNDY: The people have been abused long enough really. Their lands and their resources have been taken from them to the point where it's putting them literally in poverty.

SANDOVAL: The Hammonds, however, are distancing themselves from this latest face-off. Their attorney communicating in a short but clear statement to the county sheriff's office says, "Neither Ammon Bundy nor anyone within this group or organization speak for the Hammond family." Those protesters, however, say their demonstration is peaceful but if provoked, they will defend themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Polo Sandoval -- thank you so much for that.

Joining me to talk more about this in Oregon CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem joining us from Boston. So authorities have said the best approach now is to wait it out. Why?

[19:15:01] JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Because it's the best option. It will lower the temperature. Look, I mean if they wait this out, they can isolate however many men there are. They are armed. No food. No water.

Begin to what I would say divide and conquer. Offer misdemeanor charges to some of the men so that other men are isolated. Time is on the federal government's side since they don't appear to have any civilians, any children in harm's way. They're not posing an imminent threat. And the last thing you want to do is have the feds rush in, create a martyr-like -- you know, scenario, and have people dead.

WHITFIELD: And then what are the differences here? In the past year, you know, we've seen confrontations between police and groups like in cities like Baltimore. Are there any lessons from some of those situations that are being applied here?

KAYYEM: Well, I think the overall lesson is that it is incumbent on law enforcement to deescalate situations. In other words, you just can't treat them as comparable and so federal law enforcement at least in Oregon needs to do that.

I don't think the situations are comparable. I mean here in Oregon, or in Oregon, you have armed men who are essentially protesting a jury verdict, have -- are on federal land taking over a building on federal land and making a political protest.

In Baltimore where you saw other uprisings, so to speak, these were civilians -- people who were protesting and then were engaged by law enforcement in ways that led to violence or standoffs.

I don't think they're equivalent. I think overall, though, law enforcement is trained to deescalate all situations. They have to do it in this case. Otherwise there's just no reason for it to end in violence.

WHITFIELD: And now our own justice department correspondent, Evan Perez, was reporting earlier that federal authorities are hoping that, perhaps local authorities will get the upper hand on this situation. But when you're talking about federal land and a federal building, is it incumbent upon local authorities to be the first to approach or deescalate a situation when it pertains to federal property?

KAYYEM: Well, a -- sort of from the get-go you would want local authorities perhaps to take charge only because they know the situation. They're intimately involved. They probably know these guys. My guess is this isn't their first time to encounter law enforcement. But I do think it's important for the federal government to make a strong statement in this case. It doesn't mean rush in there, but it means to assert the federal authority here.

Here's a bunch of men, I mean who do they think they are, essentially? They are, you know, on federal land, heavily armed, asking others to join them. Saying that they're nonviolent except unless federal authorities approach them.

I mean this is a very scary situation. We shouldn't sort of brush it off. I think it's incumbent on federal authorities whether it's the FBI, the ATF, or whoever to have a presence there, if only to make a statement that federal authority and jury verdicts must hold in this country.

WHITFIELD: Well, isn't another statement being made that authorities are not challenging them when they have taken over this building? And as you underscore, they are armed.

KAYYEM: They are armed but I think the federal authorities not rushing in is actually a statement of federal wisdom, so to speak. In other words, these guys are not going to last very long. Appears they have no access to water, no access to food.

We don't even know if some of them sort of showed up because they thought it would be interesting or cool and then all of a sudden realize they're in some, you know, sort of domestic terrorism incident.

I think it's going to be very easy for federal officials to divide and conquer this group. Tell some of the guys, you know, we'll only charge you with misdemeanors, let them know that if federal authorities are killed or harmed in any sort of standoff, all of them will be charged with -- accomplices to a felony murder. And that starts to scare people, gets them out of a situation they found themselves in.

WHITFIELD: All right. Juliette Kayyem -- thank you so much. We'll leave it there, from Boston.

All right.

And don't expect President Obama to go into lame duck mode just yet. He's preparing to tackle an issue that is being considered a real huge stumbling block for his administration. And now word from the White House as to when the President will announce his executive action on gun control. Details next.

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WHITFIELD: President Obama will review his options for tweaking gun ownership rules when he meets tomorrow with Attorney General Loretta Lynch. And we're now getting word on when you will hear details of the President's plan for gun control.

The President has been pushing to reduce gun violence for years with zero success and now he will make his final move without Congress.

CNN is hosting an exclusive town hall with President Obama on Thursday and you can expect the President to make his biggest pitch yet on gun control to viewers around the world.

I want to bring in Chris Frates in Washington. So, Chris, when will the President reveal this plan?

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Fred -- so we're learning the President is expected to announce his executive action on guns early this week. Sources say expanding background checks will be a keystone of the President's actions and tomorrow the President plans to map out an impressive push not only with the attorney general, but with a number of other top law enforcement officials.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A few months ago, I directed my team at the White House to look into any new actions I can take to help reduce gun violence. On Monday I'll meet with our Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss our options because I get too many letters from parents and teachers and kids to sit around and do nothing.

FRATES: Sources say President Obama is expected to announce new executive action soon expanding background checks on gun sales aimed at closing the so-called gun show loophole which allows some gun sellers to avoid conducting a background check.

Gun control advocates have also pushed the White House to tighten regulations on the reporting of lost and stolen guns and want the President to prevent more alleged domestic abusers and passengers on the no-fly list from buying guns.

But before the President has even announced the details of his actions, Republicans running to replace him were seemingly competing on who would undo them faster.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So he's going to sign another executive order having to do with the Second Amendment, having to do with guns. I will veto that. I will unsign that so fast -- so fast.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All these executive orders he's going to come out with tomorrow that are going to undermine our Second Amendment rights, on my first day in office, they're gone.

FRATES: And Jeb Bush argued that there was no need to expand background checks because --

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The so-called gun show loophole which I think is what he was talking about doesn't exist. People that want to sell random -- you know, occasionally sell guns ought to have the right to do so without being impaired by the federal government. FRATES: Democrats have applauded Obama's efforts. On Sunday, Bernie

Sanders, whose Democratic rivals have called him weak on gun control, endorsed increased background checks.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think most gun owners in this country understand that people who should not own guns should not be able to buy them. And we do need to expand the instant background check. I don't think that's an onerous burden on anybody.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[19:25:07] FRATES: Now, measuring Americans' attitudes on gun control seems to depend on how you ask the question. In a recent CNN poll, a majority said they don't support stricter gun controls or the President's handling of guns. But in a Quinnipiac survey an overwhelming majority, 89 percent, say they support requiring background checks for all gun buyers -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so would enhanced background checks, you know, have impacted how some of the recent mass shooters obtained their weapons?

FRATES: Well, that's a great question. And we took a look and we found that a bulk of the guns used in recent mass shootings were bought legally and with federal background checks. For instance, all the guns used in the San Bernardino shooting were purchased legally, two handguns were purchased by the shooter and two assault rifles by a friend. Now the National Rifle Association argues that these tightened background checks wouldn't have prevented all of these recent mass shootings but, of course, the President says if the reforms could prevent just one death, it's worth doing -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Frates in Washington -- thanks so much.

FRATES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: This Thursday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, President Barack Obama will join Anderson Cooper for an exclusive live town hall event about "GUNS IN America".

The President will discuss the executive action on guns that we're told he will announce early this week as you heard Chris say. He'll also take questions from a live studio audience.

A town hall on "GUNS IN America" with President Obama moderated by Anderson Cooper, this Thursday night 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

And now we are just three days into the New Year and by the end of it, we'll have a new president-elect. Getting there, however, is a long and potentially bumpy road. As Dana Bash tells us, if you thought this presidential campaign was already crazy, well, buckle up for one wild ride to come.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For some of us, it's felt like 2016 for a while now. But the race for the White House is about to start moving fast, very fast.

TRUMP: I'd like to have the election tomorrow. I don't want to wait.

BASH: Even before the first votes are cast in Iowa, the January calendar is jam packed. First up, an appearance by the guy currently occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- remember him?

OBAMA: The state of the union is strong.

BASH: President Obama will give his final state of the union address in just a few days. Could his agenda motivate Republicans or divide the Dems?

Then there are more debates dotting the calendar. January, alone, will see three more face-to-face confrontations. Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus engineered the 2016 calendar to try to coalesce his party around a single candidate. Here's what he said this time two years ago.

REINCE PRIEBUS, RNC CHAIRMAN: I think we've got a six-month slice- and-dice festival that's destroying our party. And so the first thing I want to do is shrink that six months down to 60 to 70 days.

BASH: February 1st is the critical day -- the Iowa caucuses.

TRUMP: This is the big potato.

BASH: Shaping up as a battle between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Cruz might have the better ground game --

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to date over 500 volunteers. Volunteer between now and February 1st to come from all over the country to Camp Cruz, to re-live life in a college dormitory. I'm told they're having a keg party next door.

BASH: But Trump could lure new voters if they turn out for the complicated caucus process.

TRUMP: If we win Iowa, I think we're going to win everything after that.

BASH: The winners and losers from Iowa will face each other again for another debate wedged in just before the next vote in New Hampshire.

TRUMP: I love New Hampshire.

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I appreciate the men and women of New Hampshire.

BUSH: It's great to be in beautiful New Hampshire.

BASH: A win by an establishment Republican in New Hampshire could set the stage for a South Carolina showdown. The Palmetto State's GOP primary is just days later, February 20th.

RUBIO: It's great to be back in South Carolina, a place that believed in me.

BASH: And don't forget the Nevada caucuses for the GOP just three days later. It's exhausting just thinking about it, but no rest for the political weary. One week later, the first day of March, Super Tuesday when no fewer than 13 states will cast their primary votes.

CRUZ: There is a very good possibility that the Republican primary will be decided by the end of March. Starting tomorrow morning, we are in a 90-day sprint to win this nomination.

BASH: So put the pedal to the metal. The race to the White House is full speed ahead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Dana Bash -- thanks so much.

And don't miss Donald Trump tomorrow on "NEW DAY" talking about his campaign for the GOP nomination just four weeks now away from the Iowa caucuses -- right here on CNN.

[19:30:06] And it's a toxic gas leak that has forced hundreds of people from their homes and the company responsible says a possible fix is months away. Celebrities and famous consumer advocate, Erin Brockovich, demanding answers and action.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It may be one of the biggest natural disasters in U.S. history but there is a good chance you haven't even heard about it. Hundreds of residents of the L.A. suburb of Porter Ranch have been forced from their homes after methane gas was found to be leaking from a storage facility. The company, now the focus of several lawsuits.

CNN's Paul Vercammen has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Katz family, a blended modern day Brady Bunch with five children and dogs, lives in a temporary home.

CHRISTINE KATZ, GAS LEAK VICTIM: It's disgusting what's going on. I'm heartbroken. And we had to leave our beautiful home.

VERCAMMEN: They are 33 miles from the house they vacated in Porter Ranch, a Los Angeles suburb reeling from a massive methane gas leak.

BRIAN KATZ, GAS LEAK VICTIM: The smell can cause you to be nauseated. It can cause to give headaches, nose bleeds which I have had, stomach problem.

VERCAMMEN: Infrared video taken by environmental activists shows a noxious plume rising over Porter Ranch from the Aliso Canyon storage facility owned by Southern California gas. The utility says the underground leak first detected in October, may not be stopped until late March.

MIKE MIZRAHI, SOCAL GAS SPOKESMAN: We're drilling a relief well. That relief well is going to go way down about 8,500 feet. It's going to intersect with the leaking well and then pump liquids and mud down there to stop the flow of gas and then cement to permanently abandon the well.

VERCAMMEN: While SoCal gas drills, it's paying for residents of 2200 Porter Ranch homes to stay in temporary housing including Yitz Dekel.

YITZ DEKEL, GAS LEAK VICTIM: It's a slow-moving tsunami of evacuees. People realize that this is serious stuff.

[19:35:13] VERCAMMEN: The gas company adds more than 6,000 people are seeking financial aid due to the leak, many of them applying for help at a community center in established.

Some government agencies are now taking extreme precautions. The FAA (INAUDIBLE) no-fly zone to 2000 feet and a half mile around the leak site in response to fears gas fumes could be ignited by aircraft above. The L.A. Unified School District closed two schools below the leak and is transferring almost 1,900 students.

That means two of the Katz boys will start class on a new campus after winter break. And the family says two year old Eva has suffered the most.

The Katz has claimed in one of several lawsuits against SoCal Gas. The leak resulted upper respiratory symptoms that left Eva in intensive care for four days. So dad's Eva had no prior heath problems and experienced some form of seizure.

CHRISTINE KATZ: Even though we're so upset and saddened and stressed trying to hold to get together for them, you know, it's hard, we're a big family.

VERCAMMEN: Just one family moved out by a gas leak disaster that might be unseen and still months away from being undone

Paul Vercammen, CNN, Porter Ranch, California.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead, our conversation continues. Famed activist, Erin Brockovich, joins me live, there she is to talk about this environmental disaster why she is holding this company responsible and possible reasons why California Governor Jerry Brown is not getting involved. Don't miss this. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:39:50] WHITFIELD: It is the largest underground natural gas storage facility on the West Coast and since October, the Southern California gas company's Aliso Canyon facility has been leaking toxic methane gas into the air leaving thousands displaced, schools closed and people and pets are sick.

And now, famed advocate, Erin Brockovich, have taken on the case of the half of the dozens of residence of Porter Ranch and nearby communities. The case, equally (ph) similar to the story Julia Roberts won an academy award for depicting Erin Brockovich and the movie named for its title character.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Twenty million dollars is more money from these people ever dreamed off.

JULIA ROBERTS, HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS: This people don't dream about being rich. They dream about being able to watch their kids swim in a pool without worrying if they'll have to have a hysterectomy at age of 20. By the way, we had that water brought in special for you folks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Erin Brockovich joining me live now from Los Angeles. She's a consumer advocate working with the Weitz & Luxenberg to seek justice for the victims of the Porter Ranch gas leak.

Good to see you.

ERIN BROCKOVICH, CONSUMER ADVOCATE : Nice to see you. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: So you say this is the biggest environmental disaster since the BP oil spill. Why do you say that?

BROCKOVICH: Because it is BP, I just thought its BP oil so just on land. And this is a situation where it's very deep. There was a valve in place that would prevent this type of disaster that Southern Cal gas removed and never replaced and now we face this disaster in real time and all this gas is just billowing out, if you will, just like it did in BP. And the magnitude of it is significant. The depth, the length of time that these people in the community had been assaulted which is on going now for months. The amount of time is going to take for them to shut this off and just in three months we've had 150 million pounds of methane spewing into the environment and if this goes on, four more months, five more months, you could double or triple that number.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gush.

BROCKOVICH: It's outrageous.

WHITFIELD: It -- That's a huge number and just that infrared imagery really does show that spewing that you're talking about that we saw on Paul Vercammen's piece. So in a statement to CNN, SoCal Gas does say this, "We are working hard to both stop the leak and to address their concerns. We are providing relocation services for residents who wish to remove themselves from the leaks odor and have established a claims process for those who feel they may have suffered harm or injury. Beyond that, we are not going to comment on the legal action and we'll respond to the lawsuit through the judicial process."

So what is your hope or what would you want this company to convey or even do in the interim?

BROCKOVICH: Well, I don't expect anything other than what they did say and obviously we're going to have to face many lawsuits but this should have never happened.

For me, this is the definition of insanity. You continue to do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result and you can not continue whether be through deception or making the bottom line about your profits. The bottom line has to be about the health and the welfare and the safety of this community and this environment and this cannot happen again. And so, it is about taking accountability. It can't for me just be a statement or while you face the lawsuit and that you think this goes away.

We cannot do this moving forward. And so, that is something that they need to be accountable for and what about it just being a lawsuit. This is an ongoing assault. They knew what was happening. There was oversight failures...

WHITFIELD: You think they knew about it before October 2015?

BROCKOVICH: We definitely know that they knew the well was bad. We definitely know that they knew back in 1979 that that safety valve that they removed should have been replaced and yes, there was indication that they knew about this leak prior to October 23rd, that's just when they reported it.

WHITFIELD: You are representing a number of residents who have not only been displaced but -- or, you know, alleged if they suffer the physical effects of this methane gas. So, can you explain what have been their experiences, their symptoms, what can this methane kind of exposure do to a person and a pet?

BROCKOVICH: Well, it's been thousands of people exposed and they're all experiencing the same symptoms. I'm not sure why none of us take a look at that and I've been up there with my co-workers and media crews, I've gotten sick, they've gotten sick and it is a very strange feeling. You feel very lozy (ph), you kind of feel like the air is coming out of your throat, you get a horrible and I'm talking to debilitating headache right in the front and right behind people.

This isn't like a one time exposure. We have to remember that they've been living in these conditions for months. So we are now getting reports that dogs die, we're getting reports of rashes, we're getting reports of respiratory problems, we're getting reports of skin rashes, and we've been out there and we've experienced it.

[19:45:06] This is some thing that's happening in real time and they need to be moved yesterday. The process to relocate them is taking way too long. There should be a declared state of emergency in our opinion and this community should be evacuated.

WHITFIELD: So this community has received some attention and even caught the attention of some celebrities, Leonardo DiCaprio, several local and state politicians, also getting involved but Governor Jerry Brown has not been on record is saying very much.

To what degree do you think the governor needs to say something beyond of this one statement that we have received? "The state is exercising its full regulatory and oversight authority. The focus is the health and safety of residents, period."

BROCKOVICH: If the focus is the health and safety of these residents, period, and the process with Southern Cal gas is taking this long to get people relocated and they continue to be in harms way, why you wouldn't step forward and issue a state of emergency and get this people evacuated right now if there is that concern of their safety and welfare.

Because they are being jeopardized and they have been for months. How much more do they have to endure?

WHITFIELD: Erin Brockovich, thanks so much, good to see you.

BROCKOVICH: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come. With the slogan, "Apple is going to reinvent the phone," Steve Jobs introduce the very first iPhone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They love the status symbol of having these things in their hands and looking at it all the time and it just felt cool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It was more than cool. It fundamentally changed the way we interact with our computers and each other. A talk to the author of the book "Inside Steve's Head," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs may not have invented the first computer but he certainly transformed what the computer was and how it was used.

[19:50:02]WHITFIELD: A new CNN film debuts in just a few minutes, and Director Alex Gibney shows how Jobs truly created the intimate relationship between man and machine. The film also explores what it was that drew people to the-bigger-than life CEO and his products.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It didn't matter. People didn't want to hear it. They loved this company, they loved its products. They loved the status symbol of having these things in their hand and looking at it all the time. And it just felt cool. And they stood in line for two days to buy one. And they didn't want to hear it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was one of those people who had to have an iPhone. I don't want to hear about other products, and I believed against all reason that owning an iPhone made me part of something better. And when it was in my pocket, for every idle moment, my hand was drawn to it like Frodo's hand to the ring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Leander Kahney, the editor and publisher of CultofMac.com, joins me now. He also authored "Inside Steve's Brain."

Good to see you, Leander.

LEANDER KAHNEY, EDITOR & PUBLISHER, CULTOFMAC.COM: Good to see you, Fred, thanks.

WHITFIELD: So, I know it's going to be hard to kind of encapsulate it, but what is it about those Apple products, and why was it that Steve Jobs was so good at promoting them, making us all want a piece of it?

KAHNEY: Well they -- It's a very (INAUDIBLE) industry, especially 30 years ago, or the '70s, 40 years ago when Jobs got started. And it wasn't for the rest of us. And that was always his ambition, to make technology accessible to everybody from a toddler to a grandmother.

And he did it, you know, three times, four times, five times, all of these devices. He reinvented the technology industry amazingly and it was always with devices that are so easy to use, so intuitive, they were fun, and he himself is very charismatic and he's a great salesman. He was a great storyteller. And the products itself were really beautifully made and beautifully designed, they were second to none. I mean, these are luxury products at sort of, you know, more or less everyday prices.

WHITFIELD: Do you think it was part of his design, you know, or was it even his dream or hope that people would be so enamored by these Mac products that they would be -- it would almost feel like being in a little special club, you know, are you a Mac person? I mean, you'd hear people actually say that, "Are you a Mac person or are you PC person?"

Did he ever envision that was the kind of reach that was the kind of appeal he would help create?

KAHNEY: Well, if you look -- I mean, you know, my site is called Cult of Mac which is a joke. And it used to be very much so that, you know, there was -- when he came back to Apple in the late '90s the company was on the ropes and this club was a small exclusive club, it's the only thing that really kept Apple alive.

But if you got, I mean, these days, everybody is -- it's a mainstream. It's a very, very mainstream company. It's the biggest company in the world. It's no longer a small exclusive club. If you go to any Apple store, you know, you'll see all kinds of people there, of all ages, of all sort of economic backgrounds.

I don't think, you know, he -- people used to say that they would keep supplies limited so that there were lines outside the stores and this caused hype and news stories and make you want for more. I don't think any of that is true. He wanted to do the simplest, I think, you know, this is true of Steve Jobs and of Apple today even without him, which is to simply make the best products they can. And they're their own, you know, harshest critics and own toughest competition. They keep on every year coming out with a device they think is better, faster, sleeker, that has -- you knows, does something better like a better camera or whatever.

WHITFIELD: And that really is the legacy of Steve Jobs, right?

KAHNEY: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: Bu if there were no Steve Jobs, how do you think the evolution of the phone or technology, you know, might have gone about? Do you think it would be this kind of same warp speed of all these other companies trying to keep up, catch up with Mac?

KAHNEY: I think the -- you know, it would be very different. We'd probably be living in Bill Gates' world or some other technology mogul, maybe Sergey Brin, Larry (INAUDIBLE) world.

WHITFIELD: Mm-hmm.

KAHNEY: He definitely has had, put his imprint on to the technology world. And, I mean, looking back to the original Mac in 1984 and then the iMac which made sort of internet computing, very much more friendly to people, and then the iPhone and the iPod, and the iPads, you know, these devices are very, very much in his image. And, yeah, things would have been very, very different without him.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, everybody wants to take a bite of the Apple, right?

Leander Kahney, thank you so much, all in large part because of Steve Jobs

KAHNEY: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: So the CNN film "STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE" debuts tonight, 9:00 Eastern.

[19:54:56] Coming up, Golden Retrievers, once cherished in the country of Turkey, then discarded in the streets. How many of them are now living the good life in the United States? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, finally tonight, a follow-up to a story we brought you a couple weeks ago. A woman in Istanbul, Turkey, has spent the last 12 years rescuing dogs and finding them homes in the U.S. CNN's Sara Sidner shows us how they're now living the four-legged dream in America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, to a comfortable home in Atlanta, Georgia, Daisy has come a long way. She's one of more than 100 Golden Retrievers that were rescued from Turkey and brought to the United States in the hope of giving them a better life. This is the fifth group to arrive in Atlanta this year.

I was in Turkey and met with the group that rescues these dogs, and they have partnered with "Adopt a Golden Atlanta", that is trying to help these animals find their forever homes in the United States. Adopt a Golden founder, Lauren Genkinger, says adoption day was a grand success and these dogs are doing really well in their new homes.

LAUREN GENKINGER, FOUNDER, ADOPT A GOLDEN ATLANTA: They're thriving in America. We receive pictures daily about them. They're swimming in the swimming pools and playing with dogs and tennis balls and they now have their own beds and toys, and they're loving the American life.

SIDNER: And nearly everyone who came to adoption day went home with a new family member.

The Libbys adopted Jelly, the 100th Golden to arrive in the United States for their granddaughter. And now, the two of them are now inseparable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good boy.

SIDNER: And one of them, Lira, even got to be best dog at the wedding of her new friend, Amanda Dukes. And of course, dogs like Daisy don't have to worry anymore about where their next meal is coming from. In fact, they don't have to worry about anything at all, really, except to sit in the sun in the backyard and play.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daisy.

SIDNER: Sara Sidner, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[19:60:01] WHITFIELD: Ah, dog gone.

Well, next on CNN, "BLINDSIDED", Fareed Zakaria reports on ISIS.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield, thanks for being with me. Poppy Harlow is back next weekend. Have a great week.