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School Girl Rescued; Democratic Party Anger; Overtime Eligibility; Queen Opens Parliament; Russian Athletes Doping. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired May 18, 2016 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:31:40] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Break news out of Nigeria. One of the hundreds of school girls kidnapped by the terror group Boko Haram has been rescued by the Nigerian army and reunited with her family. Let's go right to our David McKenzie. He's in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more on this.

Good morning.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Yes, more than two years after more than 270 young girls were kidnapped by that ISIS affiliated Boca Haram, sparking a worldwide outrage, one of them appears to have been rescued. She was found by a vigilante group touring around the Sambisa Forest, the stronghold of that terror group. They found her. She had a young baby. They've handed her over to the military. And they say that she is one of the Chibok girls. One of those 270 that were taken. It would be the first one that has managed to escape if confirmed. The Nigerian military is saying that they did rescue one girl, but they use a different name. So at this stage unclear if they are the same person or if there has been this success just this week of possibly two girls. Either way, it is a major, major breaking moment in this story that has captivated Nigeria, angered many on the continent and around the world.

COSTELLO: Was she just found wandering in the woods and that's how they came across her?

MCKENZIE: Well, that's what's very odd here, Carol. She was found, they described activists I've spoken to, wandering on the edge of that stronghold, collecting firewood. They said she was breastfeeding a young baby. Presumably she was impregnated obviously during captivity. She said, according to those activists, that there are many of the girls still held by Boko Haram in that forest, but they are heavily guard by the terror group. And there's been a lot of criticism why the Nigerian military or others, which are backed by the U.S. military, haven't gone in and tried to do a rescue. Up till now they say it's just too unsafe for those girls. But potentially this is a significant moment and hopefully it will lead to more girls being freed or escaping.

Carol.

COSTELLO: David McKenzie reporting live for us this morning. Thank you.

Anger boils over inside the Democratic Party. On one side, supporters of Bernie Sanders who say they've been treated unfairly by a system they called rigged. And on the other, Democratic Party leaders who say it's time for Sanders to reign in his supporters. This was the chaotic scene at the Nevada State Convention over the weekend, where candidates are awarded delegates. Cursing, obscene gestures, even reports of chairs being hurled. Nevada state chairwoman, who you're going to see right here, she has received many, many death threats. She is now demanding an apology from Bernie Sanders.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Hi Roberta Lange, this is a citizen of the United States of America, and I just wanted to let you know that I think people like you should be hung in a public execution to show this world that we won't stand for this sort of corruption. I don't know what kind of money they're paying to you, but I don't know how you sleep at night. You are a sick, twisted piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and I hope you will burn for this cowardless (EXPLETIVE DELETED), running off the stage. I hope people find you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Wow. So could a repeat happen in Philadelphia at the Democratic Convention?

[09:35:04] Let's bring in the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, Larry Sabato.

Hi, Larry.

LARRY SABATO, DIR. OF CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: What do you make of this?

SABATO: It's a serious matter, Carol. If you take the long view, and you look at really both parties, when a party has a divisive convention, it easily loses in the fall. It can throw away a big lead, too. So it's possible for Nevada to become Pennsylvania, to become Philadelphia, at the end of July, unless, over the next couple of months, the Clinton and Sanders forces can come to some reasonable conclusion. I don't know whether they can or not, but the Clinton people, I'm sure, want to work on it.

COSTELLO: Bernie Sanders did release a statement condemning the violence, but then he went on and he -- and he said, you know what, people are frustrated because they do believe -- do believe that the system is rigged. Clinton supporters say that's not enough. Democratic leaders say Bernie Sanders should come out more strongly. What do you think?

SABATO: I'm not sure that Bernie Sanders is going to respond to much criticism from Democratic leaders because they haven't supported him. In the Senate, Carol, he was and is a lone wolf. He only has one senator backing him, Senator Merkley from Oregon. All of his other Democratic colleagues are either neutral or most of them backing Hillary Clinton.

The good thing about a lone wolf is, he's unbossed and unbought. I think that's the image Bernie Sanders has. The downside of being a lone wolf is, you don't work and play well with others. And that side of Bernie Sanders is also coming out to the detriment of the Democratic Party.

COSTELLO: So -- so what is -- what is Bernie Sanders' ultimate goal here? I mean, I know he wants to win the nomination, right, and he wants to go all the way to California, and maybe all the way to the convention, but does he have a plan, you think, for the Philadelphia convention itself?

SABATO: He knows one thing, he is likely to have somewhere around 40 percent of the delegates. Forty percent, Carol. Think about what you can do with a raucous group of 40 percent of the delegates. He'll want all kinds of platform planks. He will want influence on the vice presidential pick. He may want to control some of the schedule. I mean this -- this is going to get really sticky and messy. You know, maybe it will all resolve itself, but I tend to think that we're in for two disruptive conventions this year. There is going to be a lot happening in and outside of the convention arenas.

COSTELLO: All right, Larry Sabato, thanks, as always, for your insight.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, it's a decision that could shock the global economy, and British parliament just got started debating it. We'll take you to London, next.

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[09:42:08] COSTELLO: A welcome pay raise is on the way for millions of Americans. A new rule announced by the White House nearly doubles the threshold for those who would qualify for overtime. And while workers may be thrilled, the plan has sparked criticism among some employers. Christine Romans has more on this.

Good morning.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

This is part of the Obama administration's push to raise wages for working families. Now, most hourly workers already get overtime pay, so this change applies to the millions of salaried employees, especially people who have a low salary, but they do have some managerial duties. Think fast food and retail.

So here's who gets a raise. About 4 million -- about 4.2 million workers, salaried workers who make up to $46,476 a year. That's about $913 a week. Salaried employees making up to that amount will now automatically be eligible for time and a half overtime pay for the hours over 40 a week they work. Until now, only salaried employees making $24,000 or less could get overtime.

Overtime pay has been slipping away from workers for year. A generation ago, 62 percent of salaried workers were eligible for OT. Today it's just 7 percent. Under the new rules, that will jump to 35 percent of workers.

Now, the problem with the current system is that bosses could delegate some managerial responsibilities to a lower salary employee. And as long as they make more than that $23,600 threshold, they couldn't get any overtime.

Here's an example of a typical salaried employee who would not be getting overtime today. They're an assistant manager, they pull in $35,000 a year, say, on salary, but they work 50 hours a week. Among their tasks, maybe they make the schedule, they train a new employee, maybe they close the restaurant or store twice a week. Under the new rules, this employee will now have to get overtime for every hour over 40 a week. It means a raise for some workers, maybe 4 million. It means maybe more free time for others.

And the administration feels it's a fair threshold for both workers and employers, but it's -- it's not popular with the employer at all, Carol. The National Retail Federation, the Chamber of Commerce, the National Restaurant Association, all of them fought it. Now, some employers may cap or cut hours, but not raise wages or maybe others will just raise salaries to just over the threshold and then pay for it with bonuses that would have gone to other workers. Others may have to convert -- may decide to convert their salaried workers back to hourly. We'll see how it shakes out. But the administration is really proud of this rule.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Christine Romance, many thanks.

Up next, in or out? The U.K. parliament just started debating whether it will stay in the European Union. And what it decides could affect the global economy.

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[09:49:05] COSTELLO: Queen Elizabeth has officially opened the new session of the British parliament. It holds a lot of -- it holds a lot more significance than usual because her country could be on the verge of leaving the European Union. If that happens, no one knows how it might affects world markets. There's plenty of doom and gloom predictions on both sides. A referendum on the divisive issue has been set for six weeks from tomorrow. Until then, it will be hotly debated in parliament. Max Foster is in London with more on this.

Good morning.

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, it's interesting seeing all that pomp and ceremony today. It's what Britain does best, of course. And it's quite stirring for Brits and it does raise the question of what it means to be British as well in this time when people are grappling with the very idea. As you say, they'll be voting whether or not to leave the European

Union. And the argument to leave is largely about that emotion. Laws that are affecting people living in this country should be made here according to those campaigners on the leave side. At the same time, there are those on the -- on the campaign like David Cameron to stay within the European Union. He very much lean on what President Obama said recently, which is that Britain is getting smaller all the time on the world stage. And in order to stay strong on the world stage, you need to pool that sovereignty with other countries to work together with other countries.

[09:50:25] And, you know, the debates are quite complex. And then you start looking at immigration and you start looking at security and both sides are arguing the same thing really, it's better for security if you stay in or you leave. Better for the economy if you stay in or you leave. And I think Brits are really struggling right now as we head towards that vote which way to go. And, actually, a lot of people do get quite emotional about it. And there is this sense that perhaps Britain should leave the European Union. That's what the heart (ph) is saying. But on the practical side, it makes more sense to stay in the European Union. The polls are inconclusive really at the moment, Carol, but I think we're going to be talking a lot about it as we head toward that vote and people make that final decision.

COSTELLO: Max Foster reporting live from London, thank you.

Checking some other top stories for you at 51 minutes past. The Senate defied a White House veto threat on Tuesday, giving a rare, unanimous vote to a bill that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for any role it may have played in the terror plot. The bill now makes its way to the House of Representatives. Saudi Arabia has denied any involvement in the 2001 attacks.

Despite long lines still snaking through Chicago's O'Hare Airport this morning, officials say help is on the way. The TSA is sending scores of additional officers to the airport after major delays caused nightmarish lines, forcing hundreds of people to miss their flights on Monday. At a travel conference, the head of the TSA offered his apologies.

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PETER NEFFENGER, ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: We had a significant challenge in Chicago. I don't know what that was. We're fixing that. That's of great concern to me. I always tell people, I won't apologize for doing our job well, but I do apologize to the people who found themselves stranded in Chicago.

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COSTELLO: The bomb sniffing dogs are set to start soon, but it's not yet clear when those additional TSA officers will report for duty.

Repairs now underway on New York's metro north rail lines this morning after a four alarm fire broke out near the 118th Street overpass. It knocked out service on Tuesday night. This morning, some tracks are back online, but the MTA is urging anyone who can work from home to do so.

Nearly a dozen prominent conservative voices are set to meet with FaceBook CEO Mark Zuckerberg today after a whistleblower accused the site of burying conservative news stories in favor of liberal ones on the site. CNN commentator S.E. Cupp and radio host Glenn Beck are among those set to attend. For its part, FaceBook has denied any claim it hides news based on political bias.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Russia is slamming the FBI for investigating allegations of doping among its athletes.

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[09:57:13] COSTELLO: The Kremlin is angrily pushing back against allegations of systemic widespread doping among Russian athletes. The FBI has been investigating for more than a year, but Russian officials say it's none of their business. Andy Scholes is here with more.

Good morning, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Yes, Russia says the U.S. courts have no jurisdiction when it comes to Russian athletes, also noting that they are open to cooperating with the IOC's investigation. Now, in the last 24 hours, the FBI and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have confirmed that an investigation into claims of widespread state sponsored doping by Russian athletes has been ongoing for more than a year now. It's being handled by the same office looking at corruption in FIFA, soccer's governing body.

Now, the International Olympic Committee has instructed its lab in Switzerland to reexamine samples from the 2014 Sochi winner games after reports that Russia covered up doping from dozens of its athletes at that event. Now, the IOC has also retested 454 samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, finding that 31 athletes from 12 nations in six different sports were doping and they may now face bans after being caught by today's newer scientific methods.

Now, 250 samples from the London games in 2012 are also being retested as we speak. And more details of the names of those athletes and the countries and sports involved will certainly emerge in the coming days and weeks. And, Carol, you know, the saying always is, you know, steroid users are always ahead of the test, but hard to stay ahead when scientists can now go back in time and retest old samples with new methods.

COSTELLO: OK. So what happens with the upcoming Olympics? Does it affect the upcoming Olympics and the athletes participating in them?

SCHOLES: Absolutely, Carol. So, as I said, they already caught 31 athletes from the 2008 games of doping. Now those athletes, if they were planning on competing in Rio will likely be banned. And the more impactful tests that are ongoing right now from the 2012 London games, now those athletes from 2012 more likely to still be competing athletically in these 2016 games in Rio. So those athletes will certainly be banned if they were caught cheating in 2012. It's going to be interesting to see, you know, how widespread this was. It's across six different sports in 2008. And it could be even more in 2012.

COSTELLO: All right, Andy Scholes reporting live for us. Thank you.

Checking a few other top stories at 59 minutes past.

A historic first for the U.S. military. Eric Fanning has been confirmed as secretary of the Army. The first openly gay person to hold that position. Fanning has a long career at the Pentagon, including undersecretary of the Air Force, deputy undersecretary of the Navy and chief of staff for Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

[09:59:56] Mexico's president pushing to make same sex marriage legal throughout the country. President Enrique Pena Nieto says he's posed a change to the national constitution to make it happen. Same-sex marriage is already recognized in one quarter of Mexico's 32 states.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.