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U.S. Market Open; Obama's State of the Union; Mexican Officials Want to Question Actress; American Artist Found Dead in Italy; Officer Goodman Trial Delayed; Wild NFL Weekend. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired January 11, 2016 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:31:08] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Ah, that's the opening bell. It range just moments ago. And take a look at stocks. Despite a 5 percent drop in China today, they are up almost 100 points already. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange.
Good morning.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And as you can see, investors trying to shake off their worries about the slowing economy in China. You are seeing the Dow have green arrows today, up 100 points. But you wonder if this is really going to follow through until the closing bell. We saw something similar happen on Friday when we saw the Dow open up 100 points and by the end of the day the Dow fell 167 points.
You look at what a week it was last week. Did you know the S&P 500 lost more than $1 trillion in value? That's a big deal because a lot of our 401(k) and portfolios track the S&P 500. What's happening here, you're seeing a lot of fear, you're seeing a lot of greed. Those are the words from one trader. And you're seeing a lot of guarded trading right now because there is a lot of question as to what's really happening in China. One thing is for certain, China's economy is slowing down. That's unsettling for the folks who trade here on Wall Street. So you're going to see a lot of caution. And don't expect, one trader says, to see those green arrows follow through till the end of the day. But they very well could, but don't be surprised if they don't.
Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Alison Kosik reporting live from the New York Stock Exchange.
The economy will likely be a centerpiece of President Obama's final State of the Union. In fact, job growth is the first thing highlighted in a whitehouse.gov preview of the speech. But don't expect tomorrow's speech to sound like any of Obama's others. The president's top aides say Mr. Obama's planning a, quote, "nontraditional address" tomorrow night.
So what does that mean? Let's head to the White House and CNN's Michelle Kosinski.
Good morning.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yes, obviously, the president here wants to go out with a bang for his last State of the Union speech. And they haven't given away a lot of details as to what exactly non-traditional means. People have had some fun trying to figure that out. Maybe some novel ways that he'll present this. Or maybe it won't even be a speech at all.
But what it appears to be is that, you know, it's not really going to focus in the same way on the same themes that speeches in the past have. He's not going to focus too much on the past but, obviously, he wants to really tout his record over the past two terms, all that he's accomplished. Doesn't want to focus too much on what he could possibly do with Congress because many people see that as being, at this point, not very much.
The way the White House has presented this is, they want to really focus on the big issues. President Obama himself said the big things. The big themes to carry America forward into the future. So it seems like this wants to be a really forward looking address. But they're also adding some other points of interest from what we've seen so far. I mean we know that Amazon is going to carry this speech after the fact, free of charge. We know that in the First Lady's box, they're going to have some interesting guests, including a Syrian refugee. There's going to be an empty seat symbolizing victims of gun violence. And after the speech, the White House wants to sort of make this continue. They want to have cabinet secretaries travel around the country and talk to Americans about the themes that come up in the speech.
So I think we can say, you know, without any hesitation, that this is likely to be very energetic. But -- but the White House has really kind of put the interest out there by calling it non-traditional. And we're going to have to wait and see tomorrow what all that entails, Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Michelle Kosinski reporting live, thanks so much.
You can watch President Obama's final State of the Union tomorrow night right here on CNN. Special coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. The address itself starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
[09:35:02] Still to come in the NEWSROOM, an Oscar winner, a drug kingpin and this woman drink tequila in a Mexican jungle. Who is she? Who is this actress and how exactly did she arrange the meeting that may have led to El Chapo's capture?
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COSTELLO: Mexican officials want to question Kate del Castillo, the actress whose tweets helped kick-start talks between Sean Penn and Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. Talks that apparently led to the arrest of one of the most dangerous drug kingpins in the world. CNN's Rafael Romo joins me now to tell us more.
Good morning.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Her connection to El Chapo started in 2012 with a tweet she posted saying she trusted the drug lord more than the Mexican government. The tweet generated a lot of controversy, but apparently it also opened some secret doors to the underworld of Mexican drug cartels.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO (voice-over): This is the woman Sean Penn says served as link between him and Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. Kate del Castillo has been famous in Mexico for a long time, but Americans have only been introduced to the actress in recent years. She has appeared in films like last year's "No Good Deed," a thriller about a man who escapes from prison.
KATE DEL CASTILLO, ACTRESS, "NO GOOD DEED": I tried to wait.
ROMO: The 43-year-old also played Mexican crime boss Pilar Zuazo on season five of the Showtime series "Weeds" in 2009.
ROMO (on camera): After a very successful career as a soap opera actress in Mexico, del Castillo rose to fame with (INAUDIBLE) Hispanics thanks to her role in the 2011 Telemundo series "The Queen of the South." In the wildly popular series, she plays a woman who, through a mix of tragic and fortunate events, she becomes a drug queen. A thriller partially based on a true story.
[09:40:09] ROMO (voice-over): She raised eyebrows in 2012 when she posted a tweet about El Chapo. "Today, I believe more in El Chapo Guzman than in the governments that hide the truth from me, even though it is painful," del Castillo wrote. She later reflected on an interview on CNN en Espanol that more than a compliment to El Chapo, her message was a criticism to the Mexican political class.
DEL CASTILLO (through translator): Someone like that, at least we know who he is. We know what he does. We know what his profession is. The others sometimes are worse criminals and have numbed us and hide everything from us.
ROMO: After El Chapo escaped last July, she told CNN en Espanol she was dumbfounded.
DEL CASTILLO: I feel very sorry about that because I always defend Mexico. First of all, I'm Mexican and I get angry when in the United States people say bad things about Mexico and I defend Mexico. But the moment comes when you can't defend that which is indefensible.
ROMO: In her roles and films or TV, she's been at odds with the law multiple times. Now, after helping Sean Penn get an interview with El Chapo, she may be in trouble for real. Mexican authorities told CNN they want to question her.
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ROMO: And Kate del Castillo published a very controversial letter to El Chapo where she asks him some provocative questions. Mr. Chapo, wouldn't it be cool if you started to traffic in goodness, she says in the letter. And, Carol, listen to this. Later she writes, let's traffic with love. You know how.
COSTELLO: I don't even know how to respond. Rafael Romo, thank you so much.
ROMO: Thank you.
COSTELLO: An American artist living in Florence, Italy, has been found dead in her apartment. Italian authorities say 35-year-old Ashley Olsen, not of the Olson twins, Ashley Olson has been murdered. The Italian news reports say she was found on her couch and she may have been strangled. Let's head live to Rome and bring in CNN's Barbie Nadeau.
Tell us more, Barbie.
BARBIE NADEAU, ROME BUREAU CHIEF, "THE DAILY BEAST": Well, right now the investigators are performing their autopsy and that really is a road map in any murder like this when there not an obvious cause of death. There were bruises and scratches around her neck. They're assuming perhaps she was strangled. They don't know necessarily if that's what killed her. There will be toxicology reports. There will be information not only about how she died, but what time she died, which will prove crucial when they start looking at CCTV tapes and things like that, that will then allow them to see who entered the apartment complex, who was lurking around the street and if she maybe took someone home with her.
What we've been able to understand from the investigators who leak out information, this is very standard, the way things go here in Italy, is that the boyfriend, who's the one who found her body when she wouldn't answer the telephone, apparently, as we understand, may have had an alibi that was corroborated. Whether the police are saying that in an attempt to make him feel more comfortable, we don't know if it's some sort of trap. We've seen that before in Italian investigations. But he apparently may have had an alibi.
We also have reports that she may have had a stalker. On her Instagram page, she did -- she posted at least two pictures in which she use the #ihaveastalker, or cre for creeper or things like that. So all of these things are going to be at the forefront of the minds of the investigators as they go forward and the autopsy, though, which we should get later this afternoon here in Italy, will really, I think start to answer some of these questions of this mystery, Carol.
COSTELLO: And, Barbie, why was she living in Italy?
NADEAU: Well, she moved to Florence three years -- two, three years ago after her marriage fell apart in Florida, where she's from. She went to join her father, who is an architect and an instructor at an art institute in Florence. He'd been living there for quite some time. And she put on her FaceBook page, you know, the day she bought a one- way ticket to Italy, really to start her life over again. You know, that's a dream a lot of people have, to move to Italy and find happiness. Unfortunately, for her, that wasn't the case at all.
COSTELLO: All right, Barbie Nadeau reporting live from Rome this morning, thank you.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, he's facing the most serious charge in the death of Freddie Gray. And, today, Caesar Goodson's going to trial. We'll take you live to Baltimore, next.
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[09:47:33] COSTELLO: All right. Breaking news to pass along to you. I want to take you live to Baltimore. I was just telling you that this Baltimore police officer, his trial was just about to get underway. His name is Caesar Goodson, Jr. He is charged with very serious charges in the death of Freddie Gray. But Miguel Marquez has this breaking news out of Baltimore that that trial may not happen. Tell us more.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's at least put off for hours or days. We don't know at the moment. The Court of Special Appeals of Maryland has intervened in this because of the last trial, the trial of officer William Porter, where he testified in his own defense. Prosecutors wanted to use Porter to testify in this trial. And a Court of Special Appeals has said hold on until we work out whether or not he can actually testify in the Goodson trial. We're not going to go ahead with the Goodson trial.
So Caesar Goodson, for now, is in the wings, waiting in the wings to see when his trial will go forward. And if it does, whether or not Officer Porter, one of the officers who was involved in his case, will actually testify in it. And if he does testify, what will he be able to say? Because Porter is meant to be tried now in June because of the mistrial in his trial. So it is not clear what exactly he could say without incriminating himself, basically.
It's a very -- I think we can underscore this to say it's a legal authority issue here they have to work out before this can go forward. It will go forward in some regard. The 46-year-old Caesar Goodson, he's 16 years with the force, he faces that most serious charge of second degree depraved heart murder, basically meaning that he meant, he willfully knew that Freddie Gray needed help and didn't get it. He faces involuntary manslaughter, two counts of manslaughter by vehicle, and misconduct and reckless engagement.
Ad you know, the last trial of Officer Porter ended in mistrial. The are trying to avoid that for this one but it is going to be some time before they are able to get to a jury, jury selection with Officer Goodson, and then get to that trial. It is -- it underscores just how difficult it is in Baltimore to move this forward, with six police officers charged, and just the emotion and the number of lawyers involved in these cases.
[09:50:01] It is going to be a long, hard slog before all these six police officers have been through the judicial system. Carol?
COSTELLO: Yes, and I just want to show our viewers once more, Caesar Goodman (sic) walking into court this morning. If convicted of these charges, he could face 30 years in prison. And he was the driver of that police van, right? And you know, you have to wonder, Miguel --
MARQUEZ: He was - He was the driver of the police van. And what makes this very, very interesting, there were six officers who were indicted in all of this. He is the only one who has not told his story. He never issued a statement, so we don't know what his side of it is. He was the only one who was with Freddie Gray from the very beginning to the very end. So it's his story that people really want to hear. It's why he was charged with the hardest and the highest charges in this case.
And Porter, because he came along at different stops that Goodson was on and they had discussions, Porter checked on Freddie Gray. There was -- there were moments when Porter and Goodson actually interacted. They need that testimony from Officer Porter. And that's where the fight is now.
Goodson has never told his story. We may hear from him for the first time in court now, if it gets going and when it gets going. But they need Porter in order to -- at least the prosecutors believe -- in order to convict Goodson of these most serious charges. Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Miguel Marquez reporting live from Baltimore this morning.
Checking some other top stories for you at 51 minutes past.
(HEADLINES)
COSTELLO: Still to come, one violent play, one crazy ending. If you saw the Bengals/Steelers game, oh, you saw some hard hits. So why does Donald Trump think the NFL is going soft?
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COSTELLO: It was a wild NFL weekend, emotionally devastating and violent. Minnesota Vikings' kicker Blair Walsh missed a game-winning chip shot. Oh, I bet his off-season will be fun, right? But it was the Bengals/Steelers game that will live on in infamy. Perhaps this sums up the game best. Vontaze Burfict launching himself at a defenseless receiver's head, and this was after this pass failed by Antonio Brown. Fans piled on, throwing garbage onto the field. Six fans were arrested. Boome Esiason, a former Bengal, was embarrassed by the way the players carried themselves on the field.
One man was not, though.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You used to see these tackles and it was incredible to watch, right? Now they tackle, oh, head-on-head collision, 15 yard -- the whole game is screwed up. You say, wow, what a tackle. Being flagged. Football's become soft.
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COSTELLO: Coy Wire is in Glendale, Arizona, for the national college football championship game but I want to center on the NFL for just a bit in light of what Donald Trump said. Coy, what do you think,? Was that hit over the top? Has the NFL becoming soft?
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Soft? Carol, Carol, Carol, I would say let's put Donald Trump in some pads on the field with Luke Kuechly, let Luke Kuechly hunt him down and run a shoulder through his chest and then see if the game is soft. Or better yet, Aqib Talib or Hussein Abdullah, two Muslim players who are defenderes. Llet them go after Donald and hit him and see if he thinks the game is soft.
It's gotten safer, not softer. Concussions are down 20 percent. A lot of great rule changes have been implemented. And it's working.
But we have talk a little more, Carol, about that extremely violent hit by Vontaze Burfict late in that Steelers/Bengals game. No question it should have been called for personal foul. The league has taken such great steps to protect defenseless players, especially those players who are vulnerable, like especially now for catches like the Antonio Brown one. He ended up getting a concussion on the play. Possibly the best receiver in the game. And now his status is unclear for Sunday's game against the Broncos.
The Bengals, their season is over, but there's a chance Burfict will be suspended to start next season. And, in my opinion, he certainly should be. The Bengals' Adam "Pacman" Jones was penalized after the play for unsportsmanlike conduct for getting into it with someone from the Steelers and a coach on the field. A total breakdown by the Bengals; their fans have to be livid about this. Steelers ended up kicking a field goal for the win after the dust settled. And Pacman Jones, he was not happy about what went on. And he went to Instagram to let the world know about it. Listen.
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ADAM "PACMAN" JONES, CINCINNATI BENGALS PLAYER: The refs did a horrible (EXPLEITIVE) job. You got (EXPLEITIVE) Jerry Porter in the middle of the (EXPLEITIVE) field talking to everybody, then when somebody say something to him, he ain't even supposed to be on the (EXPLEITIVE ) field!
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WIRE: Now the Bengals' implosion, that could end up costing their head coach Marvin Lewis his job. He's 0-7 in the playoffs.
All right, we still have eight teams left vying for that shot to be called Super Bowl 50 champs. The Patriots are hosting the Chiefs early game Saturday. The Packers and Cardinals will play here in Glendale in the late game. And then on Sunday you have the Seahawks and Panthers, followed by the Steelers at Broncos. Carol? COSTELLO: You know, I just want to mention the fans at the
Bengals/Steelers game, because six were placed under arrest. When Ben Roethlisberger got hurt, fans were cheering and saying I hope he dies. What's happening?
WIRE: Yes, it's a mind set and a mentality that I think many of us are sick of seeing in the sport. You know, we have kids watching these players and looking up to the players. And we have kids, these are their parents who are the ones throwing beer cans and setting that type of example.
[10:00:02] Certainly unnecessary and uncalled for, Carol. But it's been part of the game.
COSTELLO: All right, Coy Wire reporting live for us this morning. Thanks.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.
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