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Obama Orders Review of Russian Cyberattacks During Election; Trump Criticized for Not Attending All Daily Intelligence Briefings; Alabama Lethal Injection Death Causes Death Penalty Controversy; U.S. Hit by Record Mumps Cases; Historic Army/Navy Football Game Tomorrow. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired December 09, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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


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[14:31:17] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNNA NCHOR: The president stepping up on allegations Moscow tried to sway the 2016 presidential election. President Obama calling for a full review into a series of cyberattacks on Democrats, even as Trump says he is skeptical about these reports.

Let's go to Jim Sciutto, CNN's chief national security correspondent.

And so, what we expect -- the president said by the time he leaves office, so that's 42 days. What do we know about what they're looking for and how it would affect the Trump transition?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: A couple things. One, the president ordered this investigation this week. He wants to have it done within a little more than a month and then, at that point, the hope is, his spokesman was saying today, to release the results of that review perhaps with some evidence backing it up.

The back story here is that many Democrats, in particular, have been pushing the president to get some of this information out there, particularly with it in mind that his successor, the president's successor, has said public both before and after the election he doesn't buy the intelligence community's assessment that Russia, in particular, was behind hacking this election. To be clear, this review will go back to 2008. The president says not just the 2016 election but back to his first election, which means you could be talking about other countries, China, North Korea. But let's be honest, the most unprecedented, most expansive attack relating to elections is one recently that the U.S. intelligence community has already pointed the finger at Russia.

BALDWIN: So there's that.

You also have reporting that the president-elect has been receiving, what, one presidential daily brief a week?

SCIUTTO: That's right. This is the PDB, the presidential daily briefing, designed for the sitting president to get every day, both in writing and face to face, with a briefer from the office of the director of National Intelligence designed to be a daily episode. But our understanding from officials I've spoken to is that Donald Trump is getting one a week, Mike Pence getting five or six a week, his vice president. I'm told that that relates to the PDB that Donald Trump has requested a more focused briefing with respect to North Korea and the North Korea threat. But that frequency is something you're hearing criticism from previous directors of the CIA, Leon Panetta, Michael Hayden, saying, listen, you need to get this deepest, darkest intelligence on a regular basis so you're prepared to deal with these crises once you take office. But to this point, before the inauguration, not the frequency that past presidents have had.

BALDWIN: Not the frequency. You talked to Republicans and they say let's wait until he puts his hand on the Bible and we'll see how things will change.

Jim Sciutto, thank you for bringing that up. It's important.

SCIUTTO: Thank you.

[14:35:03] BALDWIN: Coming up next, though, just before midnight, the state of Alabama put a convict killer to death, but it's what happened to this death row inmate for 13 minutes after the lethal injection was given that have many people talking today. We'll speak with someone was who was there, who witnessed the execution. What could have gone wrong? What needs to happen in the future? Next.

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BALDWIN: An execution overnight is raising pertinent questions about how the death penalty is administered in this country. Convicted killer, Ronald B. Smith, was among several death-row inmates challenging the constitutionality of Alabama's execution procedures. Before he was put to death, a flurry of Supreme Court decisions delayed the execution, until finally, Smith was executed by lethal injection last night. According to a number of witnesses, Smith coughed and heaved for 13 minutes before dying.

One of the witnesses to that execution is, Kent Faulk, the courts reporter for the Alabama Media Group.

Kent, thank you for taking the time.

I think it's important to mention the victim in this whole case because we know this man was convicted of the 1994 murder of Casey Wilson, Casey Wilson.

So, to you, Kent, this is the fourth execution you have witnessed. Tell me what you saw.

[14:39:52] KENT FAULK, COURTS REPORTER, THE ALABAMA MEDIA GROUP: Correct.

Last night, as in previous lethal injection cases or injection executions, the window was opened and Mr. Smith was strapped to the gurney. The death warrant was read by the warden and then a chaplain came over. He had also declined comment prior to the execution starting. The chaplain came over and started talking to him and it appeared they may have prayed. And then first drug in the protocol was apparently administered during that time. Then he started coughing. He started struggling for air, gasping, if you will, and he was not quite flashing, but it was close to it. He was struggling to catch his breath and, at one point, the -- during 13 minutes of this, a Department of Corrections officer checked him twice to see if he was -- met the unconscious test, even while he was intermittently coughing. And the test consists of calling out his name loudly several times and then pinching his arm and brushing his eye back. But they did that twice in this period, 13-minute period. And then after that second time, they administered the test, the second drug, a paralytic, was administered, and then followed by another drug that's supposed to stop his heart. And so that's what happened. He did go still soon after the second test.

BALDWIN: Let me just jump in, Kent, because I've never witnessed an execution, and I hope never to, but since you have, for those 13 minutes, were eyes looking around the witness box and wondering, is something wrong here?

FAULK: Well, obviously, something didn't go to plan, although the Department of Corrections said they followed the protocol and the protocol was met. But something, obviously, that I hadn't seen in two previous lethal injections executions, I had not seen the inmate act like that.

BALDWIN: This begs, then, the question. We know this inmate was involved in challenging -- involved in challenging executions and the drugs used, and the Supreme Court twice delayed his execution. Where does all of this stand? Do we need to take a good, long look at how this country is administering these drugs to execute people?

FAULK: Well, there have been examples of what happened last night previously around the country, most notably in Arizona in which that inmate was described as looking like a guppy out of water, gasping for breath, which is similar to what I saw last night. In both of them, they used the Midazolam (ph) as the first drug in the protocol. So, it's not up to me to say whether we need to continue looking at this, but the attorneys in Alabama certainly want to use this as a -- an example --

BALDWIN: A reason.

FAULK: -- as why we shouldn't.

BALDWIN: We should be looking into it.

Kent Faulk, appreciate you describing what I am sure was not easy for you to witness, but it's an important piece of the conversation and we needed to talk about it.

Thank you very much, from Birmingham, Alabama, for us.

Next, it's a frightening statistic, the highest number of mumps cases in a decade. What's causing the outbreak and how you can protect your family? Sanjay Gupta will join me live. [14:45:38] And we'll get back to our breaking news. CNN learning

through sources that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been told he's out, no longer up for that secretary of state post that he wanted so badly. Lots to discuss in the political front as well today.

We'll be right back.

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BALDWIN: It turns out the U.S. is being hit with the most mumps cases in a decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been more than 2800 reported cases this year. Six states are reporting mumps outbreaks, more than 100 cases. They include -- this is the worst outbreak since 2006 when more than 6,500 people contracted the virus. So, I know we're throwing a lot of numbers at you.

Let me go to Sanjay Gupta, our chief medical correspondent, for the first "why."

Why is this happening?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we do see this fluctuation from time to time in the number of mumps cases, as you point out, but this is a significant increase compared to the last few years. In part, it tends to occur in these situations where people are more closely clustered together. So, when you show those states, if you drill down even more, a lot of times it occurs within college campuses and specifically within dormitories. As the weather gets colder, people are inside more so you see these spikes in the fall and winter. And again, in the early spring, when it's cooler outside, and even among people who are vaccinated, Brooke, the vaccine tends to wear off about 10 to 15 years. So most people get the vaccine for mumps between four and six years old. Right around the time they're starting college and being in these dormitories is coinciding with the time the vaccine starts to lose its effectiveness. So, it's a combination of all these things.

[14:40:21] BALDWIN: How would you know if you had mumps?

GUPTA: Well, the symptoms of mumps can be somewhat vague but also characteristic because people tend to get swelling. That's what people tend to think of, the parotid glands, those get swollen. That can be characteristic. In rare cases, it could cause an inflammation of the brain, and that can be serious and, even more rare, deadly. Someone hasn't died of mumps in quite some time, but that's what you would see, and you can get tested for that in a hospital.

BALDWIN: So if you think you might have it you go to the hospital, you get tested, then what?

GUPTA: Well, there's not a mumps medicine, per se. It's typically one of those things that the symptoms will go away on their own, but people may need fluids, may need to be given medication for the discomfort associated with this, and people will recover. It's a few days of the worst symptoms, then another week or so of milder symptoms. It can be pretty crummy for a few days. But getting the diagnosis and what is called supportive treatment, if you will, is typically what happens. Most of the time, that can be done at home. People don't need to be in the hospital. But they have to be careful not to spread it because it's so contagious.

BALDWIN: Just something we needed to talk about today. I never thought I'd be talking about mumps, the most cases in a decade.

Sanjay, as always, thank you.

GUPTA: You got it. Thank you.

BALDWIN: Straight ahead, we are watching, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where President-elect Donald Trump is set to take to the stage any moment. We will take you there live when it starts.

Plus, from the inner machinations of Trump Tower we have learned new information with regard to the secretary of state search. Who's in, who's out? Lots to talk about on this Friday.

We'll be right back.

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[14:57:37] BALDWIN: Years before, the very first Ohio State/Michigan game, or the first Iron Bowl, there was the Army/Navy game. And now as the two teams prepare to meet for the 117th time, Army is hoping to snap that 14-game losing streak to Navy.

Coy Wire is in beautiful Annapolis, Maryland, hanging out with some midshipmen, I see.

I was there at Navy Memorial Stadium not long ago. I love that place.

Take it away.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORESPONDENT: As you know, it's a great place, Brooke, at the naval academy. But this Army/Navy game puts the spotlight not only on men who dream of playing the game they love in front of the nation, but men who aspire to serve and protect our nation when they're playing day's end.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Army/Navy game, it's the greatest game in college football, the greatest rivalry in sports.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can play at a big stadium, big team, come out Army/Navy, it's a different feeling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you're on the field, the crowd's roaring. The cadets of Army, everybody going nuts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's awesome to go out with a bunch of guys you have shared experiences with and go play each other on such a big stage and just do it for your country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As bad as we want to beat them and bad as they want to beat us, still a great respect for each other.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This game is a fight. You know, it'll be blow for blow, a 15-round headway bout.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(CHEERING)

WIRE: Now, Brooke, these teams are getting ready to go toe to toe. They're doing it. Each team will don special uniforms. Army's are inspired by that which their 82nd Airborne paratroopers wore, all black and gray, netted helmet representing the divisions' tactical era during the World War II. And Navy is stepping back in time to 1963 with throwback uniforms, the year Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Roger Stallbuck (ph) was there. An anchor on the helmet and gloves that say "Beat Army."

Now if anybody is going to win this game --

(CHEERING)

WIRE: I don't know. They're winning me over in Annapolis.

(CHEERING)

Speaking of throwback, Commander Dave McKinney gave me a throwback cardigan.

And what do you think? Is it go Navy?

(SHOUTING)

WIRE: Brooke, back to you.

BALDWIN: I love it. You can tell those guys I have a Navy brotherhood football Jersey hanging in my office. I love the Army, but, you know where my loyalty is.

All right, guys, thank you so much.

[15:00:] All right, we continue on. Hour two. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me.

Let's get straight to the breaking news in what may be --