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New Day

American Captives in North Korea Speak Out; Experimental Drug Could Be Game Changer; Massive Hacking Scheme Leaks Photos of Jennifer Lawrence, Others; Tony Stewart Back on the Track

Aired September 01, 2014 - 07:30   ET

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

MICHELLE KOSINKSI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And it's interesting to compare this to what we've seen in the past. I mean, just a month ago we heard from two of these detainees in North Korea. They did a sort of short interview with AP Television, but it wasn't really shown in its entirety. It was these two sort of snippets; didn't get a whole lot of play. I personally don't even remember seeing this.

And then it was as if North Korea didn't get enough attention from that. Now they offer CNN this five minute each sit-down interview, tightly controlled, obviously, but interviews with the detainees. So it's clear that they want to send this greater message now.

And it seems like from what the detainees were saying, that message is right there. One of them saying, "I'm getting desperate," another one saying, "I need more help from my government." Hey, how about sending Bill Clinton.

And then when you go back a couple of years, remember in 2009, there were two American journalists who were detained. They had crossed the boarded and then crossed back onto the Chinese side were still picked up by North Korean guards.

One was Laura Ling, the sister of American journalist, Lisa Ling. And her family said later that Laura told them that she was told the only way that they would get released was if the U.S. sent Bill Clinton or some high-level envoy over there. Well, through working with the families, Bill Clinton did go over and the family said that he later told them that when he got there, the North Koreans wanted him to go on this big sight-seeing junket, to go to monuments and there was this stadium full of child acrobats that was set to perform for him but he declined.

They wanted this to be a humanitarian mission, nothing diplomatic or nothing that would seem to be too chummy or playing by the North Korean's rule...

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, of course. So Kenneth Bae is the most well-known American being held by North Korea. He spoke to our Will Ripley also. He said he's in a labor camp. He works eight hours a day, he works six days a week but he did say that he's being treated humanely. Let's listen to what the appeal that he made to the U.S. government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNETH BAE, KOREAN-AMERICAN MISSIONARY: I do ask the U.S. government to send an envoy as soon as possible. And I think that's the only hope that I have right now in order for me to go home, and be reunited with my family. I do believe that the sooner that this get resolved, it would be better for -- not only for myself, but for the rest of the other Americans that may come in here in the future as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: This is a real pickle, Peter, for the administration because when you hear Americans making a personal appeal saying, "this is my last chance, this is my only hope," what's the administration supposed to do?

PETER BEINART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's difficult. I mean I think what you've seen in the past is that the administration's -- because North Korea have done this many times -- is the administration's have has sent someone who is high-level but didn't have an official position, someone who they had some distance from because -- we also don't what the North Koreans are going to do, the North Koreans are unpredictable.

And as we were talking earlier, you don't want to seem to be making concessions to them. But I think if you can send -- if you can send somebody who you have a relationship with but is not actually an administration appointee...

CAMEROTA: Such as Bill Clinton.

BEINART: Well, or you know, Jimmy Carter has done that in the past, Bill Richardson, the former -- from New Mexico, the former administration official and the Clinton administration has gone many times. Has a relationship with them. Somebody who can negotiate but who you have some distance from, so you're not seeming to give the North Koreans exactly what they want.

CAMEROTA: Why do you think the North Koreans chose today to pull CNN's Will Ripley aside and say, "Look, we have these exclusive interviews for you."

BEINART: I don't know but I think one of the things we've seen with North Korea in the past is this tendency to feel ignored when there are other conflicts around the world. It's kind of this remarkable thing where I think the North Koreans want attention. They want various kind of support aid. Remember this a basket case economy that cannot feed its own people and has done various things to try to get the West's attention, whether it's talking about testing weap -- missiles or making threats against South Korea or now this, in order to get attention, especially when the West seems occupied with other things as it is certainly is right now.

CAMEROTA: In the interviews that we will play more of obviously throughout the program, there are portions that seem awkward, that seem peculiar, that seems scripted. Can we assume that these detainees were handed scripts by the North Korean officials or is it not that obvious, Peter?

BEINART: Well, I would imagine that, you know, we knot they're being tightly controlled. Surely, they would not be able to say freely whatever they want, and that's why, I think one has to take, unfortunately, these claims of good treatment with a real grain of salt.

We know that Kenneth Bae had serious health problems, that a person in with his health condition would be working in agricultural labor eight hours a day, does not strike me as particularly good treatment, and I think it only raise, you know, raises the level of concern about this really awful situation.

CAMEROTA: Peter Beinart, Michelle Kosinski, thanks so much for all of the information.

Let's go over to Michaela for more. Let's look at your headlines.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much, Alisyn. 34 minutes pass the hour.

Iraqi forces celebrating a victory against ISIS terrorists, breaking the group's stranglehold on Amerli. They received some help from American jets delivering targeted air strikes on ISIS' positions. Thousands of Shiites have been facing massacre there by the terrorists.

Texas Governor Rick Perry in a bit of damage control over a now deleted tweet. That tweet apparently mocking democratic district attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, in her arrest and drunk driving charges. Lehmberg later brought an indictment against Perry on charges of abuse of power when he cut her funding. Perry, for his part, said he did not authorize the suit.

Joan Rivers' daughter says her fingers are crossed considering her mother's recovery. The 81-year-old comedian remains hospitalized in New York in serious condition four days after she stopped breathing during throat surgery. Rivers apparently suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest during that procedure. A lot of folks praying and rooting for her and a lot of people (inaudible).

CAMEROTA: Right. Everyone's fingers are crossed.

All right, meanwhile, next up on NEW DAY, new hope for the millions who suffer from heart disease. We'll ask a doctor about an experimental heart drug so promising, they say this could be a game changer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Good to have you back with us here on NEW DAY. Some potentially groundbreaking medical news for you this morning. After promising results from an experimental drug to treat heart failure, the drug from Swiss drug maker Novartis lowered participants' chances of death or hospitalization by about 20 percent. So the questions is are the results sustainable and could this be a game changer for the 6 million people in the U.S. who suffer from heart failure.

I put all those questions to Dr. Nieca Goldberg' she's a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. You got up nice and early, although I imagine cardiologists are up fairly early

NIECA GOLDBERG, CARDIOLOGIST: We are.

PEREIRA: Significant, 20 percent, that feel significant to me is that in your world?

GOLDBERG: It is significant, because not only did it prolong life, but it also reduced recurrent hospitalization and improved the patient's quality of life.

PEREIRA: Quality of life is such a key part, and then also the expensed of having repeated hospitalization.

GOLDBERG: Hospitalizations (ph), very expensive, and takes a total on the patient and their families.

PEREIRA: Touch me about how this differs from previous treatment and medicine that was being used to treat heart failure.

GOLDBERG: We have some pretty good medicines to treat heart failure and this is the first medicine in about 25 years that is shown to be a big difference and a game changer. We used -- one of the medicines that was compared to was an allopurinol and we commonly used that with in patients with heart failure...

PEREIRA: That's an ACE inhibitor, correct?

GOLDBERG: ... that's an ACE inhibitor and with people with heart failure on a cocktail (ph) of medicine, they're on ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, diuretics or water pill.

And this medication would be added to that, the new medication would be added to the ACE inhibitors and the beta-blocker -- not -- the beta blockers and the water pill.

PEREIRA: So then touch me about because the first thing people always want to know about are side effects because you're adding a new medicine to the mix...

GOLDBERG: Well, there...

PEREIRA: ... on its own or their side effects or with in conjunctions?

GOLDBERG: Well, it's very interesting in the study, the people on the new medication where more likely to have low blood pressure, but that did not require them to stop the medication.

As expected, it was more common for people on allopurinol to develop a cough, and also with a concerned but not -- but did not happened in the study was to get compromise that the kidney function, it did not happened in the study. PEREIRA: Interesting, interesting. Now, often times, these medicines will be used, if not as a last-ditch effort, but depending on how far along people are in their illness, is this -- and just as affective in somebody who's showing those first signs of heart failure as it is in the end stages?

GOLDBERG: This medication in this study was shown to be effective in people with chronic heart failure, those who have already been diagnosed with heart failure, not those people who are coming into the hospital with the first signs of heart failure.

PEREIRA: That is such a relief for them to know that quality of life for them is going to improve.

GOLDBERG: That's right, you know, many, many years ago, people were lying in bed or sitting in a chair. Now heart failure patients can take a walk because of these medications and have quality time with their families and even take a vacation.

PEREIRA: Which those things also, you talk about, as a doctor, you know very well that those things support a person's health it as well.

GOLDBERG: It does support a person and, you know, it's nice to know medications prolonged a persons' life, but we really want to know they also have a good quality of life on those medications.

PEREIRA: Right now it doesn't have a name, it's called LCZ 696.

GOLDBERG: That's right. So the medication is now ready for prescription, yet it has to be reviewed and approved by the FDA, and then patients can talk to their doctors and ask for medication.

PEREIRA: Couple of questions there, so how long could that process take? Because I'm sure there's somebody at home who is ill and is hoping for some sort of retrieve, how soon?

GOLDBERG: It sounds like it's going to go in to the FDA for approval by the end of the year. And so, we'll know by the end of the year.

PEREIRA: And as always, talk with your physician.

GOLDBERG: You have to talk with your doctor because your doctor knows you best and could -- help you make those decisions for which medication is right for you.

PEREIRA: How promising, the first kind of break through like this in some 20 years, you say.

GOLDBERG: It's quite amazing.

PEREIRA: All right. What a pleasure. Dr. Goldberg, thanks for getting here and talking to us and walking us through some of these things.

GOLDBERG: Thank you.

PEREIRA: Appreciated. We're going to take a short break here on NEW DAY.

A massive hacking scheme, it is rocking some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including this young lady, Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence. The A-listers, so they are fighting back. What they're doing to keep some risque photos and going viral.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: A massive hacking scheme has rocked some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Hackers allegedly put new photos of several celebrities online, including Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence's representatives call this a flagrant violation of privacy. So how did this happen and what are the targeted celebrities doing about it?

Nischelle Turner is here with more. Good morning, Nischelle.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. That is a good question, and a lot of them are starting to try and get out in front of this and say, you know, we're going to pursue this, maybe alleging some prosecution.

OK, supposedly, there is this master list, and more than 60 celebrities that says -- that this person says they have compromising photos of now. Although we don't know if this list is real, we do know that this reported hacked has definitely touch a nerve in Hollywood.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TURNER (voice-over): Hacked celebrities are firing back this morning after a slew of nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities appeared online Sunday night. The photos were linked on a website 4chan and were allegedly obtained through a massive.

A publicist for Lawrence confirm that photos authenticity and released the statement saying, the hacked was "a flagrant violation of privacy" and added the Oscar-winning actress plans to seek legal action.

Other celebrities also spoke including horror movie actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who last shout out on Twitter saying, "To those of you looking at the photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves knowing those photos were deleted long ago. I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this feeling for everyone who got hacked."

Hackers also posted photos allegedly showing Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney, singer Ariana Grande and former Nickelodeon actors Victoria Justice, although, McKayla, Grande, and Justice have all denied the photos were real.

This isn't the first time celebrities have face the hacking scandal of this kind. In 2012, a man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for hacking into the account of Scarlet Johansson and Mila Kunis and posting their private pictures online.

(END VIDEOTAPE) TURNER (on camera): And many times in these matters, the celebrities affected, do not respond publicly to these types of things. But Kate Upton's attorney just sent us a statement this morning saying, "This is obviously an outrageous violation of our client Kate Upton's privacy. We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible."

Now, in Jennifer Lawrence's case, also her team is threatening to pursue prosecution. She's a pretty straight shooter with fierce PR teams. So it really doesn't surprise me that they are trying to get out in front of this type of thing and quick.

CAMEROTA: It doesn't, because I was interested because two of the actresses denied that it was them. She could've taken that tactic, and have been like, "We don't know who these photos are."

TURNER: Well, having said that, we do see that a lot. I mean, there's a lot of pictures out there online of, you know, that are photoshopped of celebrities claiming to be nude photos, so they could in fact be faked because we do see that a lot. So, you know, you just never know.

But having said that, also, Jennifer Lawrence and I have talked often about, you know, the invasion of her privacy as she sees it kind of the downside of thing. She's told me on several occasions that she actually gets panic attack when these things happen. She's had to go into seclusion in her home. And she has this really rough, you know, relationship with the paparazzi. But she definitely, you know, gets really freaked out about these things. So I can understand her team saying, "Listen, we're not taking this line down because we definitely want to defend her rights."

CAMEROTA: Yeah, great. Nischelle.

PEREIRA: Not a whole lot of privacy out there for people anymore.

TURNER: Well, no. The hackers are fierce. And I just almost got hacked myself the other day. I got a note from my bank saying someone had tried several times to put my information in and get into my bank account. And so I had to change everything. So they're out there. They're definitely out there.

CAMEROTA: Wonderful, Nischelle. Thanks, Nischelle.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: As the investigation of Kevin Ward, Jr.'s death on a dirt track continues, Tony Stewart returned to racing last night in Atlanta.

CAMEROTA: Andy Scholes has more in this morning's Bleacher Report. Hi, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, SPORTS ANCHOR/REPORTER AT CNN: Hey, good morning guys. Yeah, NASCAR officials said on Friday that Tony Stewart went through all the proper steps in order to get back on the track. And Stewart said getting back in the car would help him get through what's then a very difficult time for him. The three-time NASCAR champion received the loudest cheers when he was introduced before last night's race. He started in the 12th position, he drove all the way up into 4th place, but his night ended early after he blew a tire and went into the wall for a second time. Stewart ended up finishing 41st in the race.

All right, yesterday was the last Sunday without NFL Football for about five months. There was one college game, 10th ranked, Baylor, opening up their brand new stadium against (inaudible) for the Bears. He was unhanded. A larger than life statue of him was unveiled. President George W. Bush also unhanded you the very first coin toss at the new stadium. As for the game, Baylor ended up crushing SMU, 45-0.

All right, this next story is amazing. A high school baseball playoff game in Japan lasted for 50 innings. That's right, 50. Two teams traded zeros for 49 innings before one team finally scored three runs to get a win. Now, this is a break, so this game actually took place over a span of four days. The winning pictures, guys, threw 709 pitches. To set out the words, this game was the physically hardest ever for me. I could imagine 709 pitches. Some relievers don't do that in half a season.

BERMAN: No.

CAMEROTA: Wow.

BERMAN: They'll be visiting his arm every week or two.

SCHOLES: He can make an appointment with Dr. James Anderson.

PEREIRA: Thinking that they're high schoolers.

BERMAN: 709.

CAMEROTA: It bounced back a little bit.

BERMAN: Baseball, you play it one day. It's the cricket thing you play over a week.

PEREIRA: Four days.

CAMEROTA: Wow.

BERMAN: All right, Andy. Next for us on NEW DAY, CNN exclusive, three Americans held captive. They speak from inside North Korea what they now say about their conditions, their heartfelt messages to their families. And we'll hear from one of their family members, we're going to speak to Kenneth Bae's sister. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAE: I do need help and my health is failing.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: Breaking news, a CNN exclusive. Three Americans being held prisoner in North Korea speak out. A reporter inside the country gets a surprise interview with all three. So how are they being treated? And what now is their message to the United States.

CAMEROTA: Too cautious, President Obama criticized by his own party over his handling of ISIS. This is the U.S. helps an Iranian-backed militia take back a town in Iraq. Is there now coordination between these two countries?

PEREIRA: Terror threat, the British Prime Minister just hours away from announcing new policies to battle terrorism at home. This is that country raises its terror alert. Should the U.S. do the same?

BERMAN: Your NEW DAY continues right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira.