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Aftermath of Deadly Winter Storm; Debris Found Off Thailand May Be from Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight; Update of California Prison Escape; German Immigrant Issue Examined; Egypt Remembers the Arab Spring; Oscar Controversy. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired January 25, 2016 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:13] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour the deadly winter blast from the U.S. to Asia leaving dozens dead. The bitter cold in China comes as hundreds of million of travelers does a journey home for the Lunar New Year Holiday.

Jail break for inmates escape from a maximum security in prison in California by cutting through bars and repelling from a roof, all three describe as extremely dangerous.

And the stars weigh in on the old white Oscars with the academy promising big changes though it doesn't happen most of the time.

Hello everybody, great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. NEWSROOM L.A. start right now.

We begin this hour with the extreme deadly weather in the United States and parts of Asia. The U.S. East Coast is digging out from monster blizzard which brought record snowfall in six states and left at least 15 people dead. Bitter cold is now sweeping across parts of Asia and has blame for the death of at least 85 people in Taiwan. Temperatures on Mainland China have drop to their lowest in decades.

Let's start with Matt Rivers and live in Beijing. And Matt many parts of China is cold snap has been deadly especially in Taiwan.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPOSPONDENT: That's right. As you said dozens of people, dozens of death in Taiwan have been blamed at least in part on the cold weather the country -- that the island is experience of the weekend. State media reporting that 85 people at least have been or those deaths have been attributed in someway she performed to that cold weather and it's important to remember that in Taiwan many, many, many homes don't have central heating because simply put it, it doesn't get that cold on a regular basis there.

And so, you could guess that many people though the forecast were calling for cold weather in Taiwan. Many people there, many of them elderly according to state media were just not prepared for that level of cold weather that we saw over the weekend.

VAUSE: And Matt where at begin of what is the biggest human migration period on the planet the start of the Lunar New Year there in China. So what impact are these very cold temperatures having on the travel for so many people?

RIVERS: It has not been good so far. The Lunar New Year technically doesn't start until February 8th but the travels seasons began officially over the weekend. Here many student, many migrant workers leave big cities like here in Beijing and go home for the Lunar New Year. They take trains, they take buses, they take flights away they can get home. And what we saw because of the weather conditions specifically in eastern and in Southern China. We saw record low temperatures and we saw even some snow, some blizzard like conditions. And so that cause many train travelers to have their train trips cancelled.

And we also saw highways get shutdown, often times in China rather than plow the highways, they simply shut them down. And so that prevented many people from getting home. And then you can imagine too it was a nightmare at many airports in the country.

VAUSE: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Matt Rivers live this hours with the impact where a cold weather is having across China.

And thousands in the United States has shoveling piles of snow brought by the weekend blizzard. Crews are working to clear roads and return Transit services to normal ahead to the Monday morning commute. Government offices in Washington will remain close. More than a thousand airline flight are also canceled from Monday.

New York Central Park saw more then 68 centimeters of snow, the second highest total in nearly 150 years. And officials warn travel ban just linger even though the storm has moved on.

Well, let's get the very latest in the forecast. Down me Pedram Javeheri is with us. So Pedram, it stay warm up in the United but China will have to endure a few more days at least really bitter cold weather.

PEDRAM JAVEHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. It's a few more days and warm so quickly though when it does get there sometime med to late week. So at least some point a good news there across South China. But we'll start off across the U.S.

Look at these incredible snow totals. In some cases these are triple what they would seem an entire year coming down upward about 100 centimeters in a few observation points and in fact if you think about the amount of snow that comes down over this region of course in a very short time period. We must disruption in place.

And then look at major metro cities. In fact you bring in New York City in particular the snowfall remarkable when you put the historic numbers in place upward of 68 centimeters just 0.3 centimeters shy of the all time record in the snowfall department across New York City and of course not just confine the New York City. Expands area across the North Eastern United States where we does snow total upward to 60 to 90 centimeters stretching across the most densely populated corner, major metro airports and major metro cities.

You see JFK Dallas, New York, all of these cities and airports getting in over 70 centimeters of snowfall that led to several thousand cancelations of course.

[00:05:05] And this what John was talking about not only for Asia but also for the Northeastern United States. A warming trend that is significant over the next couple of days. Temperatures in New York City 7 degrees above zero but again not going to warming up to melt all of these rapidly and mainly because snow is fantastic coolant.

And what I mean by that is, once the sun energy the radiation that bounces off at reflect of it, everything is set up back up at the space. With the snow it does a good job keep itself on the ground and it's very slow to melt. If it gets dirty, if it's get mud, dirt on this and of course collusion on this then it get darker. It absorb more of the suns energy and it melts far more rapidly.

Look at this, across portion of China a different story not necessarily because of snow by just the brutally cold temperatures really touching people of guard a few spot. One of the more remarkable areas of high pressure I've seen in a very long time over this region sending temperatures some 15 degrees below normal.

You break down the numbers, so cold the temperatures since 2001. Shanghai since the 1970s. Hong Kong since the 1960s. Taipei also getting down to about 4 degrees that is 10 degrees below what is consider normal.

One of the impressive stories coming out this region. Time will shine high point across areas of Hong Kong. Folks often hike up to this point, the tourist take buses up to this point to look at the view point down towards Hong Kong.

And you take a look in this particular spot about a thousand meters up John. Temperatures went down a minus 5.7. A lot of people had made their way up here. We know 45 people are hospitalized because of the brutal the cold temperatures. The wind also, we had an ice storm and freezing rain come down. In fact track some 130 tourist across this area as well because they're very, very cold condition that were in place.

And warming trend is in store but again it will take a couple of days before it warms up and temperatures do what it make their way back up to the double digit in places such as shanghai the next coming -- couple days John.

VAUSE: Yeah. While we were talking about minus 17th to places like Beijing that doesn't into account the windshield which is basically cold.

JAVEHERI: Absolutely.

VAUSE: Pedram we'll talk to you next hour. Thank you.

JAVEHERI: Thanks.

VAUSE: A new video from ISIS appears to show nine of their terrorist before they launch the November attacks in Paris. And it strictly produce images the men give the so called final statements. One of them said it's the Paris attack were ordered directly by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The video goes on to show the terrorist beheading and shooting hostages. It ends with a threat suggesting Great Britain might be the next ISIS target.

Thai, Malaysian officials are investigating a mysterious piece of metal debris. A fisherman found this off the southern coast of Thailand on Friday. Some officials think it might be from the missing Malaysian Airline Flight 370. Other says it doesn't look like a piece from a plane.

Siama Moshin is live in Pak Phanang where the debris was actually discovered. So Saima, how long before we know from certain investigators that the debris is actually from MH370?

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi John. Yeah, the investigators have been gone it was full member team that came to look at this debris behind me. It still here, it actually been brought in and you can probably see the rain has been the storm overnight that's flooded the area. So it was around 30 meters out there. They brought it in land to the side of the road.

Now, a team of four from an Malaysian Airline and the civil aviation authority of Malaysia flew in this morning, they were joined by Thai authorities as well. They came, they've taken piece of those barnacles you can see over there. They took photographs of every inch of this debris, measure it up and took at look some serial numbers and some symbols as well.

Now they're going to go away obviously to discuss that today. They told me they will be making a statement later. And then this will now we're just waiting actually for the Thai military there's a number of Thai military officials here right now. We're waiting for the air force to come get this debris and take it back to Bangkok.

So you'll remember when the flaperon was found in July John. It took weeks before confirmation. Were really not sure how soon they'll be able to tell us whether this is from a MH370 but experts we spoken to have said that they don't think this is necessarily from an airliner. In particular because of those folks that I said that was particular interest in. John?

VAUSE: But at least the process in underway so they should be some kind of definitive announcement one way or the other I guess in next few day, maybe next couple of weeks of so.

Meantime, the search which is ongoing of the coast of Western Austria for MH370, that has now suffered a major set back. What are the details there?

MOHSIN: Yeah, that this is the Furgo Discovery that's been out there in the Southern Indian Ocean, in that extensive search area. Now they've been using very particular equipment the deep sonar tow also known as towfish hit a mud volcano.

[00:10:03] Now this is no ordinary volcano John. We know the Southern Indian Ocean has mountain of region below the sea. This volcano was 2,200 meter high, it snaps way this towfish. It also snaps way 4,500 meters of cables. So, the Fugro Discovery is now well making it way back to Fremantle where it hopes to be able to replace that cable.

But on the way they're saying they're going to try and use a replacement towfish and of course they need that deep sonar equipment. And this just exemplifies just how hard this terrain is in terms of the search.

And another point I want to make John. This is thousands of miles away, nowhere near where experts -- where this is debris has shown on because expect of course saying that the plane when down in the Southern Indian Ocean and debris most likely went westward as in Reunion Island where we found that flaperon in the summer. John?

VAUSE: Siama Mohsin live this hour with the latest on that piece of debris which is washed up on the beach and also what's happening with the search of the cost of WA. Thanks Siama.

Brazil is trying to prevent the dangerous Zika virus from spreading junior Olympic in Rio. Authorities will inspect all of the Olympic and paralympic venues for staining their water every day until the game are underway in August and September, cause of water are breathing grounds for a mosquitoes which transmit the diseases. There's been an outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil and others South American counties some months now. The virus is going to a severe and sometimes deadly birth defect.

Authorities here in California are searching for three inmates who escape from a maximum security jail after cutting through steel grate making their way through plumbing tunnels and then repelling from roof. Official say the men are dangerous and have changers including kidnapping and murder.

Lieutenant Jeff Hallock the Orange County Sheriff's Department joins us now on the line with the very latest. So lieutenant, where do you think these three men might be right now? Where the search being is the search being fucus?

LT. JEFF HALLOCK, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARMENT: Well, it's a pretty widespread investigation in search. We've got investigators and crews spread out throughout Southern California just because we don't know whether their out and we're continuing to just follow up on information and intelligent that we receive which is taken this again to places across Southern California.

So, we've been added for about 48 hours now and are continuing to dedicate all possible resources to the effort.

VAUSE: Lieutenant what more do we know about how these men actually escape it tight tiles and sheets together, they climb about four stories. And there's also the possibility that a fight may have been stag. It some of diversion?

HALLOCK: Yeah. It well base on the preliminary investigation that we've conducted. We know that they breach several layers of security. The initial breach we've released some photos earlier today. But they breach a metal plate, if you will. The steel plate actually, they cut through that my act to an unsecured area of the jail in the plumbing tunnel.

Again, compromise from others the security through there in terms of rebar and metal and steel and those types of things. But they eventually made access to unsecured area on the roof of the jail and then from there they repelled down the grown about 50 or 60 feet and then, you know, obviously fled the area on foot. And again we're just still trying to follow up on where they went from there.

VAUSE: Do you have any suspicion that maybe they had some inside help. They had someone maybe handling them get the tools to cut through, to get through the roof and then escape?

HALLOCK: And those are all question that we have and we're continuing to investigate that. Again, the investigation were mean objective and by possible and in looking to see if there anybody on the inside or outside was complicit in this plan. We base on the information we have. We know is a very thorough, very well-thought-out plan to me it's been going for several weeks or even months.

And so, again we're continuing to just gather information. The important thing to note here it's a bit of bifurcated investigation. We got the investigation of, you know, how they escape occurred and what end to it and who may have been involve.

And then we have the more -- the higher priority investigation which is to apprehend the three inmates that are in the loose. And so we really focus the most of our resources and our efforts on the apprehension and once we get the three back in custody we'll then divert more resources and more focus on that internal investigation just determined how they escape from jail.

VAUSE: Which base on sanction (ph) we have the photograph after the three escapees right now. So, as we look at the images of these three men. What is your advised to anybody out there who actually may see these three inmates?

HALLOCK: From the beginning we've told everybody if you see anyone or see all three of these inmates we would ask that you would call 911 immediately and simply base on the charges that these images were in custody before they should be considered very dangerous.

[00:15:06] We don't have any specific information at this point to indicate that they are armed. But I think it's -- would be safe to presume that they are.

So if you do see anyone of these image, we have to get call 911 and allow law enforcement to respond and potentially take this individual back into custody.

VAUSE: Lieutenant Jeff Hallock there with the Orange County Sheriff's Department on the line with the latest on the search for those three escaped inmates.

Thank you, sir.

A short break here when we come back. Oil apprises there out slightly compared to last week but it's still selling cheap and that hurting consumers in some countries will show you how just ahead.

Also, refugees in Germany, fear of backlash in the wake of New Year's Eve attacks in one of the country's most historic cities.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KATE RILEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kate Riley with your CNN World Sport headlines. So let's start with what was the game of the day in the English Premier League and this month's unpredictable of seasons take the action of the twists. There's Arsenal lead home to Chelsea, the gallant's holders in the space of five, pivotal first half minute but both incidents both involving the blue strike at Diego Costa, first Arsenal Per Mertesacker got his matching orders red card after he holds down Costa as the striker right clear and then Costa applauded on the agony scoring the only goal of the game. It means that last maintain their 3-point lead of the top table.

Elsewhere, an American golfer, Ricky Fowler, is enjoying and encouraging start to 2016 after winning the Abu Dhabi championship. Fowler overcame the late challenge from the Belgian Thomas Pieters to emerge victorious. Fowler finished all 16 under after final round with 68 which was three short ahead of Pieters, Rory Mcllroy ties the third along side Sweden and Henrik Stenson.

And on Melbourne, well, number one and raining Australian Open Champion, Novak Djokovic, has overcome a real guess to regret to the quarter finals on years first tennis major. Djokovic was taken the distance by (inaudible) Gilles Simon but it came through a real battle, it lasted 4.5 hours despite making a 100 unforced errors to serve is three to hit 27th consecutive grand slam quarter final.

And that's look All Sport Headlines. I'm Kate Riley.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back. It the start of the trading week, first stocks in the Asia-Pacific region so let's take at the numbers right now and there is green across the board.

In Australia which is now close the ASX 200 is not by almost two percent Shanghai compulsive up by moving one percent. The Nikkei had a blockbuster week last week and continues that up impulsive territory by more than one percent and in Hongkong Hang Seng up by almost one and three quarter percent.

[00:20:10] The recovery of the Asia market comes as oil prices were down slightly. Crude oil is still selling low in that hitting Russia's economy especially hard. But in Creole has more of the impact lower oil prices they're having on life for many Russians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alexander Krupetskov the situation well stinks. The luxury cheese market in Russia as with most import industries has been hit twice as hard as most.

First, economic sanctions meant to Krupetskov could not import much cheese from countries like France, Italy, or Spain.

ALEXANDER KRUPETSKOV, CHEESE SOMMELIER: I try to find some cheese in Russia. I spent a lot of time searching them and their Russian's little villages or some little features (ph).

KRIEL: And now, he and his customers must battle rising inflation and the devaluing global (ph) dependent on the price of oil that's act as low as in years, many no longer can afford the appetite.

Outside Moscow, those economic issues continue to play poorer Russians much the same, except here, many have no alternative.

That is people are forced to spend what they can't afford. North of Moscow at a local market in the town of (inaudible). Women explained how bad business has become.

At the end of the month, where do you find that your salary is going?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's enough only for food. Nothing else.

KRIEL: The elderly may be some of the worst affected.

She couldn't tell us he would increase pensions but they remained low and everything is getting more expensive.

Oil is the linch pin of the Russian economy that has apprised as currently as of 13-year low. The nation is currently running on a budget deficit on 2016 and the Kremlin has just downgraded its economy forecast from 0.7 percent growth to 8.8 percent decline. Couple of those circumstances with Moscow's tenuous relationship with the West and it would appear that at this juncture, Russia faces a very worrying perfect storm.

Robyn Kriel, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: All this week, we're looking at the migrant crisis. More than a million refugees has made their way to Germany in just the past year. And in Cologne, hundreds of women were assaulted on New Year's Eve. More than half of the suspects are said to be asylum seekers. Atika Shubert talk with several refugees about their fears now of the backlash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Police have described what happened at the Cologne Train Station on New Year's Eve as a new dimension of crime by a mob of North Africa's men. Germany's federal police used an Arabic term. He says, "This is a new phenomenon to Germany. And we are very concerned." He knows this phenomenon taharrush gamea from Egypt, "mass sexual assault happening in large crowds," he says. It is not a game, anybody who commit assaults like this must be arrested and brought to police regardless to anyone, whether German nationals or refugees.

This is exactly what Mustafa Karita (ph), 48-year old Syrian refugee had feared would happen. "Some people were waiting for something like this to happen," he tells us, something that puts refugees in a bad light but we will do our best to prove to others that most refugees are not bad.

Mustafa and his family were among the one million asylum seekers who came to Germany in the last year. Initially, Germany publicly welcomed refugees. But national polls now showed Germans increasingly dissatisfied with the Chancellor Merkel's policies. Seventy percent now believe more crime is coming.

Nabil Hamdi (ph) himself, a Kurdish refugee who's lived in Germany for the last 14 years introduced us to Mustafa and his family to understand how the New Year's Eve assaults and the backlash will impact refugees.

Mustafa's son in law believes the assaults were less about culture, more about the disrespect for law and order brought with them.

"There was no law in places like Syria," he says. Some who came to Germany grew up like this and do not want to know anything in this new place. But refugees must realize that there are laws in Germany and they have to abide by those laws. "Everybody has rights here but also responsibilities," he says.

The assaults have galvanized anti-immigration groups, attacks on refugees and migrants have also increased but Mustafa's son Ussef (ph) is not afraid."

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

"No, I'm not afraid, definitely not" he says. Because the people I met within the last four months I have seen in Germany were good people, full of respect. Small groups of refugees have come to leave messages and leave flowers at the Cologne train station but even Hamdi (ph), the refugee coordinator, admits it will take time.

"I'm a very positive person", he says, and I think we have reduced people's prejudices against refugees but like understand people will feel or if you invite someone to you home and offer to take care of them and then this person betrays you, it's natural to be sad and very disappointed.

Time to rebuild trust between residents and refugees who are here to stay.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Cologne.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Five years ago this week, Egypt uprising had us beginning in Tahrir Square and coming with other live report from Cairo on the turmoil surrounding this year's anniversary.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles, I'm John Vause. The headlines this hour.

ISIS has released the propaganda video that claims to beating nine men behind the Paris terror attacks. The footage shows the attackers so- called final statements. It also shows some of the terrorist beheading hostages and it ends with an implied threat that Great Britain maybe a future ISIS target.

[00:30:03] The cold waves sweeping across parts of Asia has turned deadly in Taiwan. At least 85 people have died from hypothermia or heart issues caused by the suddenly rigid temperatures.

Meantime, Hong Kong had its coldest day in 59 years and the mainland is feeling a deep chill as well.

In the United States, states along the East Coast are digging out from a major blizzard which brought break hold (ph) snowfalls and led to at least 15 people dead.

Crews are working to clear roads and restoring transit services in time for the Monday morning commute but more of those that the airline flights are canceled 'til Monday.

When Egyptians took to Tahrir Square five years ago this week, it was the start of an uprising which throw off one of the world's longest serving dictators only to be eventually replaced with another authoritarian regime. Ahead of this milestone, the government headed by Former Army General, Abdul Fatah al-Sisi has riled up just to as this, raided homes and has made it perfectly clear, January 25th is just another day.

Ian Lee joins us now live from the Egyptian capital with more. And I guess Ian this is just on the other side of the grand happiness many Egyptians had with the government and also within economy which continues to struggle.

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right John the economy really took ahead on January 25th five years ago and it's really struggled to recover since then and it doesn't help that there's been a sluggish world economy as well.

Egypt paralyzed heavily on tourism, on construction and also revenue through this Suez Canal which has led to high unemployment, wage stagnation, as well as high inflation and this has been really the root cause for a lot of angered but there's also we've seen part of the reason we -- this heavy crack down is underway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Arab leaders quake at the site of Tahrir. Millions of Egyptians took to the square of force for change demanding a better life. That was 18 days of 2011. The masses were returned to do it again in 2013. Shortly after, the new government cracked down. Police arrested Youssef during a protest charge with threatening national security. He says, we are concealing the university students identity. He's afraid for his safety.

YOUSSEF, TORTURE VICTIM: They electrocuted me with two wires to the chest and the back. I was screaming in pain. My torturers said the electricity was weak. Plug it into the A.C. It shocks at me and two guys holding me back a few meters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Youssef languished in prison for over a year.

LEE: How did you deal with the torture?

YOUSSEF: I cried hard. I felt extremely weak, impotent and crushed. I broke a piece of glass and felt that I wanted to end all this. I wanted to die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN can't independently verify Youssef's story but Egyptian Human Rights Lawyer say, this is not unique.

RAGIA OMRAN, EGYPTIAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: The use of extreme force, violence, torture violations in prisons and especially in police stations have gone off on the rise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One report detailed the police abused in 2015 and at nearly 500 people died in police custody, 700 cases of torture were documented.

LEE: In the lead-up to the anniversary of the revolution, activist tell us the government is cracking down on any perceived threat including making arrests as well as raiding cultural centers and private homes.

TIMOTHY KALDAS, TAHRIR INSTITUTE OF MIDDLE EAST POLICY: There is a deliberate attempt to send the message to anyone that we consider protesting that it won't be tolerated this time around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Egypt's Minister of Interior defended his tactics as legal on state TV.

EGYPT'S MINISTER OF INTERIOR (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Questions are being raised now about some practices that violate human rights. Well, they're unnecessary because of the reality we live in. We are facing a ferocious way of a terrorism that Egypt hasn't witnessed to modern history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Among the wave of terrorism, ISIS and Egypt has killed over 1,000 people including hundreds of civilians but Youssef sees the government's tactics as counterproductive.

YOUSSEF: The government gives the terrorist organization a kiss of life. The youths joining these groups as a result of the government oppression and terror. They don't give the young people a way to vent their anger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five years on, for many, the hope of Tahrir has been replaced by despair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And John we were talking to right activists and lawyers, they say that right now the oppression is greater than it was under Mubarak, the long time dictator of Egypt but even though we have this anger, there hasn't been widespread calls for protest on its anniversary. John?

[00:34:46] VAUSE: Ian thank you. Ian Lee live this hour in Cairo. As we'll break here on CNN NEWSROOM but when we come back one of Hollywood's biggest stars has joined a boycott of the Oscars this year, the lack of diversity among its nominees. Now the Academy is announcing some sweeping changes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[00:37:10] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible). Speak a little true and they try to take you out. But if anybody wants to leave there's the door. Who's staying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah guys who is staying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you mind I am.

CECILY STRONG, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE ACTRESS: And the best actor is -- oh my God I knew it it's a five-way tie, all of the white guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: They said that out live. They're taking on the Oscars so the white controversy for the second year in a row or 20 nominees of the Academy awards and the acting categories, a white of most the other nominees and an example of a big cry online and calls for a boycott.

We have Segun Oduolowu. He was an entertainment reporter for Access Hollywood, Pop culture contributor. He always have good things

SEGUN ODUOLOWU, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Always good things.

VAUSE: Absolutely. Let's talk more about this. We were talking about this for a while now so it's -- Saturday Night Live is good, funny?

ODUOLOWU: No it's kind of -- it wasn't funny because it wasn't real and that's how black people would really feel. People of color actually feel that yes if there were five white guys, one of them on a telephone in a movie about a black who's doing absolutely nothing ...

VAUSE: The white guy will get nominated. ODUOLOWU: The white guy will get nominated so it's was little kind of just hitching and there was no guile to it. Like it was -- it should have just been a documentary and like you thought it would have been honored.

VAUSE: It's a reality TV. OK a few big names have come out and spoken out of the lack diversity. Danny DeVito perhaps was the most blots. He was speaking at the Sundance Film Festival over the weekend. And he said this, "We are living in a country that decimates and has certain racist tendencies so sometimes it's manifested in things like this and it's illuminated. But just generally speaking, we're racists. We are a bunch of racists."

ODUOLOWU: I thought the comments were very strong as you said but Danny DeVito, let everyone remember, he's been a director, an actor, a producer. He knows Hollywood inside and out so for him to say it, it rings of credibility. I think he's speaking not only his truth but what he's seen. What he's experienced and then to talk about the country. Just look at our politics here in America. The leader in the polls is a democratic figure that scapegoats minorities and people of color and, you know, immigrants every chance they get and it just climbs in the polls. So to say that art is imitating life and life is imitating art, you go no further than our own country.

VAUSE: And if you look at the democratic side, you got three white people reign, two white guys and an older white woman, right? There's diversity there either.

ODUOLOWU: Let's think of the establishment absolute.

VAUSE: OK let's look at some of the changes the Academy is promising to make at the Oscars so they put this out. I think they brought it out Saturday morning. A ten-year terms bringing only if that person is actually is active in a motion picture. Lifetime terms after three ten-year terms. All of that had been nominated for an Oscar. The new rules will be retroactive.

[00:39:59] In other words if you haven't worked on a movie for 10 years, you wouldn't get to vote and the academy where they go and to identify and recruit new members for a greater diversity. How was that going to play? Are they going to work?

ODUOLOWU: It's not enough in the sense that 10 years is a lot. I was pushing for 6. I think that if you've been nominated for an Oscar in 1965 that should not grant further you in. I mean there are special effects that would have been around. There are different things from someone being nominated for an Oscar at long ago. But I want everyone to understand is people of color are not saying that there needs to be some typical affirmative action push.

VAUSE: It's not going to be of push. I know we've got to have three black nominees including after the year.

ODUOLOWU: No, no it's not that. It's to make the academy a representation of what Hollywood is becoming.

VAUSE: If this is an attempt or if that is enough?

ODUOLOWU: It's an attempt but why now. I mean two years in a row that they just realized there was 90 percent old white guys. They had just realized that there are only two people of color in the academy. They are just realizing this. I don't want to say it's too little too late but I want to say if you really want to make a stand, 6-year term and it's -- and let's open it up. Let's make it more and possible for women, for Latinos, for Asians. It's not just about black will not be enough ...

VAUSE: I'd love that you have made that point. There are no Latinos out there and there are no Asians out there either.

ODUOLOWU: None, none and that's again, people are getting hang up on someone like me saying, OK it needs to be more diverse and they say, no, no black. I want it to be more diverse. I'm saying look at the lack of women, the lack of Latinos and Lack of Asians. The academy is not a picture or it's not a snapshot of what Hollywood is becoming. It's not you and I. Look at us.

VAUSE: Exactly

ODUOLOWU: Look at us we've got the wrong firm (ph) and you are an Australian.

VAUSE: OK but people hold that against me all the time.

ODUOLOWU: If we were Australians, there you go.

VAUSE: Where it come through that year. We got Chris Rock who's being hosting this as second time. He's been on the pursuit of boycott. This is not that he's going to rewrite the whole show. He's redoing his monologue. Was that the right thing for him to do? Is that going to be more powerful I guess for him to just stay there and do a monologue addressing this issue or he just need to walk away.

ODUOLOWU: It's more powerful that he does the monologue and address the issue that if you don't run from it and that you don't hide from it. He's the master of ceremony. He's the emcee. If I was up there as a presenter and I took the time presenting an award to you to highjack the Oscars and speak my piece, that's not right. That's not the time for it. But the emcee, the guy who's in charge of addressing the crowd, address the crowd with some of the fierce and some of the anger and some of the issues that the academy is facing and that's perfect for Chris to do this.

VAUSE: And he wrote that there'll be a lot of uncomfortable seeing that.

ODUOLOWU: And he is so. I also.

VAUSE: Yeah, February 28th, we can all watch and see what happens. Segun that's coming in so that's good.

ODUOLOWU: Always a pleasure. VAUSE: OK you're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause. I'll be at the top of the hour today in latest World News. So please stay with us. World Sports is next after a quick break.

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