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Armstrong Stripped of Olympic Medal; Interview with Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia; Hollywood Shines on Utah; Pacino Takes on Paterno; New Rules for Mortgage Lenders; Tiger, Rory Shot Nike Ad Separately; Woman Wedged Between Two Walls

Aired January 17, 2013 - 09:30   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: What about the Tour de France, is it affecting that -- I'm sure it's affecting that race. What do they say about that?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (via telephone): Well, they feel at some point the integrity of the Tour de France, though it's been shattered for now, because of the whole Armstrong debacle that down the road they hope the image will be restored.

People I talked to said, you know, it doesn't matter how much Armstrong confesses or apologizes. The damage has been done. I was at the Eiffel Tower and talked to a bunch of people, he's just human. People make mistakes so there was much more sympathy than I expected there would be from so many people here I talked to.

There was one person that said that he sympathizes with Lance Armstrong and said, look, the guy's lost everything -- he's lost his fame, he's lost his money, he's lost his prestige. What more can be done to him? You know, it's over.

But I think that one of the things that stood out for me for many people was saying that you know he just really was a great role model and he made the Tour de France the last seven years, and it's just unfortunate that this happened.

COSTELLO: I think we can all agree with that.

Zain Verjee reporting live from outside of Paris this morning.

Reducing gun violence will be on the agenda when Vice President Joe Biden speaks to several hundred mayors across the country.

Coming up, Philadelphia's Mayor Michael Nutter.

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COSTELLO: Thirty-three minutes past the hour.

A month after the Newtown shooting massacre, President Obama signed 19 executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence, some would need congressional approval, others would not. But here's what they include: a universal background check on all gun sales, making federal rules for returning seized guns to their owners, reviewing federal safety standards for gun locks and safes, directing the Centers for Disease Control to study gun violence, and clarifying that the Affordable Care Act does not bar doctors from asking their patients about guns in their homes.

It sounds like a whole lot of bureaucracy, right? Well, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul tells FOX News that if the president signs these executive actions, he'll be acting like a king and Paul wants Congress to walk them back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: So we have a bill that we're going to introduce early next week, and in this bill, we will nullify anything the president does that smacks of legislation. And there are several of the executive orders that appear as if he's writing new law, that cannot happen. We struck down once, the court struck Clinton down for trying this, and I'm afraid that President Obama may have this king complex sort of developing and we're going to make sure that it doesn't happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Paul didn't specify which of the executive actions he thinks ought to have enacted by -- ought to be enacted rather by Congress, or what other king-like actions the president might be considering. The president's top lieutenant of the gun control debate will address several hundred mayors about the issues and he'll do that in Washington today.

Vice President Joe Biden set to speak at the U.S. Conference of Mayors just about four hours from now. When that happens, CNN will bring it to you live. The president of that group, that mayor's group is Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. He's a big Obama supporter.

And during an appearance before a U.S. House committee, Nutter slammed the NRA for this ad, the ad that criticizes the president for not wanting to put armed guards in schools while his own daughters get Secret Service protection.

Mayor Nutter joins me now from Washington.

Welcome, Mr. Mayor.

MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER (D), PHILADELPHIA: Good morning, Carol. How are you?

COSTELLO: What did you object to in that NRA ad?

NUTTER: For those of us in the political business, generally, it's been pretty much an unwritten but understood rule that family and children are out of bounds, that you don't attack someone's family. If you want to attack the candidate or the elected official, certainly that's your prerogative but generally family has been considered off limits, and that doesn't add anything to legitimate dialogue that really needs to take place on the issues of public safety and gun regulations.

COSTELLO: Although some people are also criticizing President Obama for surrounding himself with children, when he held his news conference on his gun control plans yesterday. Should children be used in that instance?

NUTTER: I don't think those children were, quote-unquote, "used." They were there at an event, they wrote letters to the president. He talked about the letters that they wrote.

They're very concerned that something as horrific as Newtown, Connecticut, or things that happened on the streets in Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Washington, any city in America, could possibly happen to them, and I thought the president gave them a voice in this conversation.

Often, the adults seem to forget that children care about these issues as well.

COSTELLO: But, you know, some might argue that the children didn't actually need to be present, perhaps the reading of the letters would have been enough.

NUTTER: You know, some might argue whatever they want to argue. The children were there, it was a very powerful experience yesterday. I was there. It was more than appropriate.

COSTELLO: Just this week you announced an interesting plan to put financial pressure on gunmakers and sellers by putting requirements on companies that would invest in your city's pension funds. Tell me how that would work.

NUTTER: Actually, it's kind of the other way around, and it really is about providing a more proactive and progressive method of engaging with the gun manufacturers and distributors, retailers, that you have a certain standard of business practices.

And so, we want to encourage what I'm trying to encourage is changes in some of their policies or standards or the way they operate, that they might actually invest more in what some call the smart gun technology, technology in the hands for guns and ammunition, that they support the universal background check system, that we make sure that those who should not have firearms, whether it's children, unless they're authorized or those with mental health challenges, again, unless authorized, or criminals, domestic or international terrorists do not get guns in their hands.

So, this is really more about corporate policy, corporate good behavior. And in some instances cities like mine and many others, our pension funds make investments in a wide variety of areas, directly or indirectly, in companies that are related to the gun industry, and those who would be in compliance we would continue to support.

COSTELLO: Just to make it more clear, Mr. Mayor, for our viewers. So, let's say if Walmart wanted to invest in your pension fund, would you say well before you can do that, you have to agree to these specific things concerning guns.

NUTTER: I was going to explain, it goes the other way. Walmart doesn't invest in us. We actually are the investor in them.

COSTELLO: Got you. Sorry about that.

NUTTER: Sure, it's OK.

So, we would say, look, like a Better Business Bureau, corporate practices, these are the kinds of things we'd like to you adhere to. They have actually updated their own policies often in the aftermath of these horrific incidents.

If they were to comply, fine. If not, certainly we would explore our various options as it relates to how we invest our public dollars in a variety of companies.

COSTELLO: Mayor Nutter, thank you so much for being with us this morning. We appreciate it.

NUTTER: Thank you. Thanks, Carol. Sure.

COSTELLO: Playing the role of a football coach is nothing new for Al Pacino. But his latest role is a little different.

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COSTELLO: Hollywood spotlight shines on the mountains of Utah. The Sundance Film Festival begins today.

"Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer joins us from New York.

So, this festival has a history of award winning films. What's on tap?

A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Well, they have a good record. There are a couple of great films. "The New York Times" was talking about three comedies, Joseph Gordon Leavitt and Scarlett Johansson starring in one of them.

I'm going to have the details on all those films coming up in the next hour. But as far as foretelling what happens in the awards season the following year, this year, we have the Academy Award best picture nominee "Beasts of the Southern Wild" with our favorite new young actress Quvenzhane Wallis. That was at Sundance last year, and so was supporting actress, Oscar nominee Helen Hunt with her movie, "The Sessions."

The Sundance Institute says films from last year's festival 13 Oscars, including all five nominees in the documentary feature category. So, yes, that's a pretty good record.

And you look at some of the past Sundance Award winners that you certainly know that have done well in awards season like "The Blair Witch Project", "Reservoir Dogs", "Little Miss Sunshine", "Sex, Lies and Videotape", "Napoleon Dynamite," I mean, all great films. And then, a lot of directors, like Quentin Tarantino and David O. Russell, Steven Soderbergh, Darren Aronofsky, and Ed Burns, all directors who got their big breaks at the Sundance Film Festival.

So, of course, we're wondering which films will come out of the festival this year and make it big.

Carol, our Nischelle Turner will be covering the great new movies in Park City, Utah, and what a backdrop for a film festival. It's such a beautiful place.

COSTELLO: So beautiful -- I've only been there during Sundance. I've only been there once, but it is gorgeous. It really is.

Let's talk about Al Pacino's latest role, interesting.

HAMMER: Yes, Al is going to be starring in a film adaptation of "The New York Times" best seller "Paterno" and the working title of the film is "Happy Valley." It's going to cover the end of Joe Paterno's life as the Sandusky scandal unraveled his career, which, of course, made Paterno the winningest coach in college football. It will lead up to the time of his death and I think a great role for Pacino to play.

And what's interesting to note the film will reunite him with Brian De Palma who directed him in "Scarface".

Carol, that legendary film came out, are you ready, 30 years ago this year.

COSTELLO: My gosh, actually I was just watching it on TV the other day. Isn't that strange?

HAMMER: And it holds up.

COSTELLO: Yes, it does.

HAMMER: What a great gangster film.

COSTELLO: A.J. Hammer, many thanks.

HAMMER: Yes.

COSTELLO: The government announces new rules for mortgage lenders. But some critics say the measures don't go far enough to protect you.

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COSTELLO: Forty-seven minutes past the hour.

Time to check our "Top Stories". In North Africa the fate of several Americans remains unknown. There is an ongoing hostage situation happening there, that's all we know. Islamic militants have taken responsibility for seizing westerners in yesterday's attack at a remote gas plant that's partly owned by BP. It's believed that three Americans are being held hostage there.

A theater in Aurora, Colorado, reopens tonight nearly six months after a mass shooting left 12 people dead. It will start with a night of remembrance. The Governor of Colorado and the Mayor of Aurora are expected to speak. Officials say this is a way of moving forward, but some victim's families say the theater is being insensitive, they're boycotting the event.

Boeing's newest plane grounded, government aviation authorities in the United States, Europe, Japan and India will not allow the 787 Dreamliners to fly until a fire risk involving the plane's batteries is fixed. Several air carriers had various problems with their 787 jets over the past ten days.

The government is announcing new rules for mortgage providers today, aimed at protecting you homeowners who are facing foreclosure but some consumer groups say the new regulations don't go far enough.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. Tell us more Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And these consumer advocates, Carol, what they wanted to see was these rules sort of go one step further and actually force banks to lower rates on loans or even have banks postpone payment deadlines to try to keep borrowers out of foreclosure, but short of that the new rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau what they should do is prevent foreclosures from happening too quickly or unnecessarily.

Here are some of the highlights. For one, they'll give borrowers time to modify their loans. Meaning banks won't be able to begin the foreclosure process if the borrower is actually in the middle of trying to get a loan modification and borrowers have to be delinquent for at least four months before banks can even file the first foreclosure notice.

Now these rules are really trying to make foreclosure the last resort. They're trying to exhaust all other options first. These new rules also force banks to actually make some employees available to help homeowners avoid foreclosure on their homes and the rules call for clear mortgage statements that can help homeowners understand what they're paying for.

So again, you know, it's all about avoiding these unnecessary foreclosures and giving delinquent homeowners a chance to get back on track Carol because so many times these banks have been so quick on the trigger to try to start the foreclosure process and the CFTC is saying well, wait a minute, let's hit the pause button let's try to work some step out before you kick everybody out of their homes -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Alison Kosik reporting live from the New York Stock Exchange.

"Talk Back" question for you today, "Why do we cheat?" Facebook.com/CarolCNN or tweet me @CarolCNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: In light of what's happening with Lance Armstrong, our "Talk Back" question of the day, "Why do we cheat?"

This from Steve, "We cheat because we tell ourselves everyone else is doing the same or worse."

This is from William. "Because no one is talking about honor and what it really means."

This is from Mark, "The U.S. loves to forgive people. We feel good when we see folks that have taken the wrong path find the road to redemption."

This is from Dale, "Because there's big money in cheating and getting away with it and only limited consequences. The reward outweighs the risk."

And this from Karen, "We cheat because we're sinners by nature in choice. However, recognizing it is wrong or sinful should cause us to reject cheating and teach our children not to cheat."

Please keep the conversation going Facebook.com/CarolCNN or tweet me @carolCNN and don't miss a CNN special Newsroom event today. "WHY WE CHEAT? THE PSYCHOLOGY AND THE SCIENCE". That's at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon with Brooke Baldwin.

I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Lebron James has celebrated a lot of honors in the last past year NBA title, league MVP, Olympic gold medalist and sportsman of the year. Now add this moment to the list and drilling a jumper against Golden State last night Lebron became the youngest NBA player in history to reach 20,000 points. Lebron hit another career milestone last night, assist number 5,000. It took Lebron 726 games to reach 20,000 points, just in case you want to know. Wilt Chamberlain still holds the record for the fewest games to get there, 499.

Philadelphia Eagles have their man. The Eagles have hired Oregon's Chip Kelly to be the head coach. Kelly had a 46 and seven records in four years with the Ducks. He interviews with Philadelphia, Cleveland and Buffalo after Oregon's Fiesta Bowl win but then he announced he was going back to Oregon. Apparently he had a change of heart and decided to go to Philly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be like that, huh? Ah. Someone wants to play.

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Just trying to keep up with the old guy, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude, is that your real hair?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I love that commercial, don't you? Well Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy looked like they were having a good time making this new Nike commercial together. Only problem is, they were not together.

ESPN.com reports that due to scheduling conflicts, they could not be available on the same day to shoot the commercial so they actually shot their individual parts in different places and TV made the magic happen. That's a look at sports this morning.

The next video might be tough to watch if you're claustrophobic. A woman in Portland, Oregon, fell between two walls and got stuck there for hours. And then firefighter came to the rescue. Here's CNN Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Imagine being stuck here, trapped here in a tiny space between two walls. On second thought, why imagine? Just look at this woman wedged between two buildings in downtown Portland, Oregon. As rescuers tried to cut through a wall to get her out. She was apparently on this second floor roof, often used as a smoking area when Kia King heard her yelling for help a little after 3:30 in the morning.

KIA KING, 911 CALLER: She's climbing on the wall. Why are you climbing on the wall at this time in the morning anyway? Then she falls in.

MOOS: Falls between the exterior walls of the two building. Firemen pulled down a section of wall and inserted air bags to widen the space.

LT. DAMON SIMMONS, PORTLAND FIRE AND RESCUE: They are using that bottle there and that's lubricant to try to make her more slippery.

Moos: Rescuers estimate the space the woman was in measured a mere eight inches or so.

LT. RICH CHATMAN, PORTLAND FIRE AND RESCUE: She couldn't really freely turn her head but she could breathe.

MOOS: About three and a half hours into the ordeal, KPTV Nicole Doll relayed some good news.

NICOLE DOLL, KPTV REPORTER: Oh, I see her hand I think. Do you see her hand. I believe I see her hand with a glove.

MOOS: At one point there were two rescuers in the hole. Lieutenant Rich Chatman was the one that she talked to saying --

CHATMAN: Mainly that she was cold and that she wanted to get out as soon as possible. She was in good spirit the whole time though, a real trooper. MOOS: He used scissors to cut off clothing, pulled and tugged and body part by body part she emerged. It's sort of literally like a birth.

DOLL: She looks relieved. Yes, here she comes. She was actually pushing and bracing her hand trying to help herself out.

CHATMAN: When she got that last foot and she looked over and she just said, I'm coming out.