Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Dems to Face Iowa Voters in CNN Town Hall; Cost of Winter Storm; Chris Rock Takes on Oscar Controversy. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired January 25, 2016 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:29:50] MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: But one thing I think is worth pointing out is that there's campaign rhetoric and then there's governing. And I think that no matter who gets elected whether it is Ted Cruz or Donald Trump, whether it's Bernie Sanders or any of these other candidates out there, when you come to Washington you might want to stand by your beliefs but you do have to work with the other party, you do have to work with folks in your own party.

And I think what we're hearing now, no matter who it is, is that that rhetoric will change a little bit, otherwise nothing will ever get accomplished and what we have is a divided government now -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. I have to leave it there. Mark Preston, Kenneth Cuccinelli -- thanks to both of you.

KENNETH CUCCINELLI, TED CRUZ SUPPORTER: Good to be with you.

COSTELLO: Thanks.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, we are hours away from tonight's Democratic town hall. You see Bernie Sanders is already on the stump speaking to supporters in Iowa.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

Tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN, the three Democratic presidential candidates will make their case to Iowa voters at a town hall meeting moderated by Chris Cuomo. Iowa presents a different challenge for Democrats than a lot of other states -- it's mostly white.

[10:35:02] Just check out the crowds at the Clinton and Sanders rallies from the past week. You can see not a ton of diversity there. Just about 3 percent of Iowans are black, about 6 percent are Latino. But still a strong showing among African American and Hispanic voters in Iowa could set the tone for other states with larger minority populations. For some perspective I'm joined by Iowa state representative

Wayne Ford; and Joe Henry, national vice president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. Welcome to you both.

WAYNE FORD, IOWA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Thank you very much -- Carol.

JOE HENRY, LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN-AMERICAN CITIZENS: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thanks to you both for being here.

So let me ask this question of both of you. What will minority voters be looking for tonight from each candidate? I'll start with you -- Joe.

HENRY: Well, it's the issues of where the candidates stand on jobs, health care, education, comprehensive immigration reform. And really, just we want to know how much they're willing to commit to programs to make those things happen because we do need better jobs, good paying jobs. We do need more affordable health care, access to affordable education. And we do need a pathway to citizenship.

COSTELLO: How about you, Joe? I mean -- Wayne, I'm sorry.

FORD: Ok. No problem -- Carol. Don't worry about it. Criminal justice with Ferguson, Black Lives Matter -- all those issues, Carol. Although we're the fifth whitest state in America, we have issues here. We have some of the highest incarceration of black men in the country.

So criminal justice is what I'm hearing if I go around to the community. People want justice to be color blind. And we're not getting that. So there's a lot of excitement about the next presidential election. And criminal justice is our number one priority.

COSTELLO: Ok. So back to you -- Joe. The head of your organization sent out this tweet earlier this month and I'll just read it. Quote, "I've been critical of the Clinton campaign in Iowa for lack of Latin outreach. I do that as a supporter in hopes to make them better campaign."

But still nationwide, Hillary Clinton has a huge lead among black and Latino voters. She's up by 50 points. So why change tactics if what she's doing seems to be working?

HENRY: I don't think that the Clinton campaign is going to change their tactics. What they're focused on is they're focused on regular caucus goers -- people who have gone to the caucuses before. When it comes to the Latino community -- that is an older group of Latinos that Clinton is focused on. And clearly that seems to work for their campaign.

But when you look at the other presidential campaigns on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley, they're focused on the younger Latinos -- those who may not have gone to caucuses before. But it's a growing element of our community.

As you may already know, the median age of Latinos in Iowa is 22 where the overall is 38. So we will have many young Latinos participating in the caucuses this time around. They are not on the radar screen for some of the presidential campaigns.

So, again, for the Clinton campaign, they appear to be looking at those people that they could count, that have a history of participating in the caucuses.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

HENRY: But for the other two presidential campaigns, for Sanders and O'Malley, they're focused more on those who have not participated before but are very energized especially with what we're doing through LULAC here in Iowa to make sure that our people know about the caucuses and are wanting to participate.

COSTELLO: Ok. So Wayne -- Bernie Sanders is just not doing so well among minority voters, among black voters. There's an interesting op-ed in the "Washington Post" over the weekend. And I'm going to read a bit of it to you.

It said "Despite Sanders' commitment to civil rights, he hasn't spent his political career in any environment where African-Americans are where they are in most of the country -- the very heart of the Democratic coalition. Sanders has a steep hill to climb with African Americans.

So I'll ask you. How can his campaign make inroads in light of this.

FORD: Well first of all I want to let you know that I'm co-chair of the Brown and Black Presidential Forum, and also as an individual, I've already given my support to Hillary.

But the question is when Jesse Jackson first came to Iowa to run back in the 80s, he went to an all-white community and put his headquarters there. He didn't wait until the last minute to get close to the community. He wanted to make an impact. He wanted whites to understand that I can come into your community and I can work.

Jesse Jackson ran -- did pretty well back in the Iowa (inaudible) caucuses back in the 80s. I'll tell all the candidates if you care about our community, come to our community, begin working in our community for many years. Understand our community.

So Jesse was a classic example many years ago when he ran. And went to all the candidates. If you want to come to our community, don't wait every four to eight years. Start working in our community as soon as you can.

COSTELLO: All right. Representative Wayne Ford, Joe Henry. Thanks to both of you.

[10:40:05] Still to come in the NEWSROOM -- more snow, more problems. The staggering cost to clear of all of that snow from the blizzard-weary northeast -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right. We've been monitoring a news conference out of Washington D.C. and they just announced that all of the Metro is now open in the city of Washington D.C. So get out of your homes and, I don't know, go look at the snow someplace else other than your front yard because everything else is closed in Washington D.C. including all federal offices because, oh, the big cleanup has begun and it's going to be costly not only in Washington D.C. but in New York City, in Philadelphia, in Baltimore.

Christine Romans is here to tell us how much it might cost.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh yes, Mother Nature does not come free. It might be pretty but you're going to pay for it -- guys.

[10:45:05] The overall sort of forecast here so far for the cost of this winter storm in particular -- $350 million to $700 million. So what does that -- what does that encompass? Well, (inaudible) productivity, people who couldn't go to work especially shift workers -- you know, people who couldn't go get their shift, hourly workers.

It's also canceled flights. Those cost thousands of dollars every time a flight is canceled; lost consumer spending. You know, the coffee shop, the guys who have the coffee carts on the streets who didn't get a whole day's worth of business and the like.

And then there's the cost of getting rid of the snow, clearing the streets, the overtime will be -- some workers will get overtime, bravo for them. But snow cleanup in New York City, believe it or not, $1.8 million per inch of snow -- $1.8 million per inch.

So you look at 26 inches of snow in Manhattan and that is a good gauge of just what the snow cleanup is costing. Gas cost, the equipment and all that stuff. So we're not looking for this to be a big ding to economic growth by any stretch of the imagination. We've had a great winter, so far -- right. But that's how you tally it -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I know remember we're 70 degrees on December 25.

ROMANS: I know. I know. Seriously it's Hawaiian shirts for Christmas Eve -- you know.

COSTELLO: I remember that fondly. Christine Romans -- thanks.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Oscar host Chris Rock not dropping out but he is rewriting his opening monologue. The latest on the controversy -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [10:50:51] COSTELLO: As controversy swirls around a lack of

diversity at the Oscars we're now learning that the host Chris Rock plans to address the issue in the biggest way possible -- on the Oscar stage in his opening monologue. The producer of the Oscars told "Entertainment Tonight" Rock threw out what the show wrote and is now writing his own monologue.

CNN's Stephanie Elam joins us now from the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah with more. Good morning -- Stephanie.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- Carol. Keep in mind this is one of those shows that really showcases what Hollywood has to offer for the year. It's a big hosting job. And the fact that it's more than a month away, it's not surprising that Chris Rock is probably still working on his monologue.

And while we've been here on Park City, Utah I've had the chance to talk with the likes of Spike Lee, John Legend and also Don Cheadle -- all of whom have been nominated and of course just last year John Legend won an Oscar to talk about this controversy.

And Don Cheadle, he had an interesting take on it. He's like first of all, when it comes to the scandal, I don't think that there's a cabal of white people who just don't want to have black people or brown people or Asian people involved. He said it's just people vote for what they know and what relates to them and that's why we need to see change.

As far as Chris Rock, this is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON CHEADLE, ACTOR: Hope happens is that Chris Rock goes in and skewers everybody -- those who are complaining, those who are being nominated, those who are being celebrated, those who have been passed over. I think he should just -- this is a moment on the world stage, I think, to kind of turn the mirror on this whole thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And also talking to these other gentlemen, John Legend saying that it doesn't mean that people who are nominated weren't worthy it's just opening up the talk of diversity. Spike Lee also saying that if you have more diversity, it just means that there's better business because more people see themselves reflected. And that means they're turning out to see these projects and that means more people are working in the industry.

So they're saying it's all around a good thing, and Spike also pointing out that if you do have this sort of diversity out there, it would help if there were other Hollywood heavyweights who were not black people necessarily, who are not brown people who would come out and speak to this as well. And that there's been times in history when this has happened before, and that would help this cause right now too, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Stephanie Elam, reporting live for us this morning -- thanks.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a desperate man hunt for three fugitives in California, including an accused killer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:57:27] COSTELLO: All right. The weather conditions in Washington D.C. still mighty dangerous. The mayor holding a news conference just moments ago saying that the Metro is now up and running. All of it in Washington D.C., but the roads are treacherous. And she's also seeking federal help in the big cleanup, because many of the secondary roads haven't been touched just yet.

Of course, we'll keep you posted.

Checking some other top stories for you at 57 minutes past as Michigan's attorney general addresses the Flint water crisis today, Ohio isn't taking any chances either. After finding traces of lead in its water, too -- not the whole state, I should make that clear.

The state EPA has opened a criminal investigation in the village of Sebring that's in Mahoning County near Youngstown. It says the public should have been told four months ago about high lead levels in their water in Sebring's water. Schools are closed today as more tests are being run. A warning has now been sent out to the 8,000 affected residents.

A $50,000 reward is being offered for anyone who can help capture three fugitives in California who made a dramatic escape from jail on Friday night. Sounds like a scene out of a movie. Authorities say the three men cut through steel bars, crawled through plumbing tunnels and rapelled off a four-story roof using a rope made from towels and bed sheets. The men are described as very dangerous. One of the accused is accused of murder.

Is ISIS targeting the United Kingdom next? A newly-released propaganda video from the terrorist contains video of the United Kingdom. According to CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank, that might be a hint that Britain could be the next target. The video also praises the nine people ISIS says carried out the November Paris attacks. We're not going to show you this video because it contains final messages from those attackers and prisoners being executed.

Could a fisherman have found another piece of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane? A large piece of curved metal has been discovered floating along the coast of Thailand. The Royal Thai Air Force says it could be from a commercial airliner, but a Malaysian aviation analyst says it doesn't look like it's from a plane at all. Investigators will examine the piece of wreckage -- if it is a piece of wreckage they'll examine it this week to determine whether it did indeed come from MH 370. Of course, as you know, that plane disappeared back in March of 2014 with 239 people on board.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan starts now. [11:00:05] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: President Obama offering a

surprisingly candid assessment about the race to succeed him. Why he says Hillary Clinton is at a disadvantage against Bernie Sanders as --