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Report: Clinton Staff Kept Tight Reins on E-mail; Senator Warren Wants Clinton to "Be Clearer" on Trade; Only 5,000 Black Rhinos Left on Earth; Banks to Pay Billions for Market Manipulation; Patriots Won't Appeal Deflategate Punishment. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired May 20, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Wow. I think so too. Those are some moves.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Respect?

CAMEROTA: Yes, do you do those? Do you jump up on the bench?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: I respect everything she's doing trying to get people to move more and be into fitness. The country needs it badly.

CAMEROTA: What about the moves?

CUOMO: She's obviously very strong and works out.

CAMEROTA: Do you do those moves?

CUOMO: I don't do most of those moves. I'm big in resistance, I believe in weights, but as long as you're doing anything you're good and she looks strong and fit. And that's a good image to have.

All right, so "Inside Politics," speaking of strong and fit, not John King, Gloria Borger will lead the way.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: I don't get people to move. I get people to talk. OK. That's all I get people to do. We got a lot to talk about today, Chris, largely involving Hillary Clinton who finally spoke herself.

She's been on the campaign trail for 28 days. She finally spoke to reporters. We've got two reporters with us today, two of the best, Jonathan Martin of "New York Times" and Jackie Kucinich of "The Daily Beast."

Let's talk about Hillary Clinton State Department e-mails first. We learned from the State Department yesterday that it was going to take a year to release them, January 2016 to be exact.

Then a judge ruled very, very quickly, the State Department needs to start releasing them on a rolling basis. For her part Hillary Clinton says I want them all out there as soon as possible, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have said publicly, I'm repeating it here in front of all of you today. I want them out as soon as they can get out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But will you demand it?

CLINTON: Well, they're not mine. They belong to the State Department.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BORGER: Well, what does it do for her? If these things get released in batches, is that just a drip, drip, drip of targets?

JONATHAN MARTIN, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Yes. It's better for her to get them out all in one fell swoop and the sooner the better. You know, it's going to be a story perhaps a couple of stories, but the idea of these things being put out as you put it, Gloria, on a rolling basis for the next however many months is a political prospect that is not too appetizing for Clinton --

JACKIE KUCINICH, "THE DAILY BEAST": But it's not great to have them released all at once in January in 2016 right before the caucuses so -- better earlier definitely, but the drip, drip isn't going to help either.

BORGER: Well, but I just have a basic question which is does the public care about this e-mail story at all? Hillary Clinton remains usually popular in the Democratic Party. Her favorability has dropped a little bit, but you would expect out of somebody who goes from secretary of state to being a political candidate. So the public seems to be shrugging its shoulders at this.

MARTIN: I think there's a certain amount of baked in, if you will, assumptions about politicians generally and about the Clintons. And I think that that works in their favor.

I will say though that if you've got a sort of succession of stories about the e-mails, about the content that's in there and questions about impropriety or at least about appearances, that's the kind of thing that eventually could take its toll further on her approval rating. And that's the danger here.

What is so striking is Republicans have focused almost entirely on character here. You know, their campaign against her in the first couple months is almost wholly focused on character and ethics.

KUCINICH: Well, the trust question is important. It's something voters cast their vote upon if they can trust this person if they're going to execute the office in a way they think is all right.

BORGER: Transparency is also an issue. "The Wall Street Journal" has a story today questioning the transparency at the State Department making the case effectively that at the very top levels of the State Department including Hillary Clinton's chief of staff were slow walking a lot of these requests that were made for documents. Does this story tell us anything, Jackie, about the way the Clinton world operates?

KUCINICH: I think it just re-emphasizes how the Clinton world operates. There is this thought that they are very enclosed, they operate outside of what the normal person would have to operate in. And this just re -- it's that narrative again.

BORGER: Let me play devil's advocate here. Staffers always protect their bosses, particularly in government, but also everywhere else. Aren't these just careful staffers protecting the secretary of state?

MARTIN: Sure. And I think on its face one story in the May 2015 "The Wall Street Journal" about a chief of staff sort of picking what to release and whatnot to release is hardly fatal politically. But it's the accumulation of those stories over a period of the next 15 months that could be challenging to her, which is why back to our point it's better to get the stuff out now at least sooner than later.

BORGER: Right, and she also answered some questions yesterday about Sidney Blumenthal, another former staffer who worked at the White House back in the day who was communicating with her about Libya.

MARTIN: Right.

[07:35:08] BORGER: He had some business interests in Libya and she said, I thought it was kind of interesting what she said. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I have many, many old friends and I always think that it's important when you get into politics to have friends you had before you were in politics. And to understand what's on their minds and he's been a friend of mine for a long time.

He's sent me unsolicited e-mails which I passed on in some instances. And I see that's just part of the give and take. When you're in the public eye and when you're in an official position, I think you do have to work to make sure you're not caught in a bubble and you only hear from a certain small group of people. And I'm going to keep talking to my old friends whoever they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN: So, rich --

BORGER: Where to start? Where to start?

KUCINICH: The pope mobile, they are in the bubble. That's the whole issue with the Clintons.

MARTIN: Right.

BORGER: Well, unsolicited e-mails, which means I didn't ask --

MARTIN: Passed on in some instances.

BORGER: But she passed along to top staffers.

MARTIN: She did. And my colleagues had a great story got some of those e-mails where she's passing along to some high level diplomats to say take a look at this. I joked yesterday, Clinton-thelogists, those who have been fascinated by this family for decades are going to take that response and examine it meticulously.

BORGER: And she knows it.

MARTIN: Sid Blumenthal she says is a friend from before politics, as though he's some kind of high school chum. You know, Gloria, somebody --

BORGER: Partisan.

MARTIN: Right, who has been linked to the Clintons because of their political rise and it's a fascinating --

KUCINICH: Also hear the old friend quote coming back over and over again. If something happens with -- old friends.

BORGER: Everybody's been an old friend when you're in politics for 30 years, right, OK, very quickly I've got to get to an issue on trade because Hillary Clinton again was asked about trade yesterday. She said I've been very clear on this and then went onto sort of parse it.

And Elizabeth Warren came out and said, you know what, she needs to come down somewhere on this trade issue. Either you're with the president or you're with Elizabeth Warren. What do you think?

MARTIN: I think she is not going to go on a limb for a bill that may not even get out of the house. Why would she spend any kind of capital, Gloria, when that bill is having a hard time moving from the Senate? Forget the House, the Senate on free trade. So buy some time if the House does move it, you got to find a stance. But wait until the House actually passes it.

BORGER: Maybe that's exactly what she's doing. That's exactly what she's doing because Hillary Clinton is not new to politics in Washington. Back to you, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: No, that is a true statement, Gloria. You're so right. She has been around the block in Washington certainly. All right, great to see you. Thanks so much.

BORGER: Thanks.

CAMEROTA: Here's a story you should see. A Texas hunter bids $350,000 to kill an endangered black rhino in Africa, but he insists he's trying to help them survive. CNN's cameras are there as he tracks down that rare rhino. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:42:19]

PEREIRA: A big game hunters from Texas was granted exclusive access to CNN as he tracked and hunted an endangered black rhino in the jungles of Africa. The kill is legal, but very controversial.

That hunter invited CNN along this hunt that he says was designed to help save the species. CNN's Ed Lavandera was there. He joins us live from Namibia -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. Well, the idea of killing an animal to save the species might be very hard for a lot of people to understand, but it does have the support of many prominent wildlife organizations across the world including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the World Wildlife Fund. That's exactly why Corey Knowlton wants the world to see how this hunt went down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Three days of hunting a black rhino through the unforgiving desert brush of Northern Namibia -- ended here. And Corey Knowlton has no regrets.

COREY KNOWLTON, HUNTER: I'm pretty emotional right now to be honest.

LAVANDERA (on camera): You've been heavily criticized for doing what you just did.

KNOWLTON: Yes.

LAVANDERA: Do you still feel like what you did is going to benefit the black rhino?

KNOWLTON: A 100 percent, 100 percent, I felt like from day one it was benefitting the black rhino. And I'll feel like that until, you know, the day I die.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Knowlton granted CNN exclusive access into this controversial hunt for the black rhino, one of the most endangered species in the world. He won the license to hunt the rhino in an auction last year.

(on camera): There are so many people who think that what you're doing out here is barbaric and you don't care about this black rhino.

KNOWLTON: Nobody in this situation with this particular black rhino put more value on it than I did. I'm absolutely hell bent on protecting this animal.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Knowlton's received death threats and scathing criticism. Some animal welfare groups call conservation hunting a horrific idea.

AZZEDINE DOWNES, INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE: These are incredibly majestic creatures and their worth alive is far more than -- it's far greater than they are dead.

LAVANDERA: In Namibia, the biggest threats to the black rhino are poachers and often the rhinos themselves.

KNOWLTON: I'm Corey. Nice to meet you.

LAVANDERA: Knowlton is told by Namibian government observers to target four specific rhinos considered a high priority threat to the herd, that's the story of this rhino spotted by cameras at a watering hole just before sunrise.

[07:45:00] Last year, it killed another rhino in a gruesome fight. The hunt begins. The African brush is dense. Knowlton will have a split second to decide whether to pull the trigger.

(on camera): It would be a catastrophic mistake for Corey if he were to shoot the wrong rhino, one not on the list of eligible rhinos to be taken out of the herd.

(voice-over): Local trackers pick up the rhino's footsteps and walk deeper into the brush.

(on camera): This was the angry one that's already killed another bull. So he's likely just going to get up and come. So we need to be ready.

(voice-over): Silence is crucial. Trackers direct Knowlton and his Namibian hunting guide with hand signals. We get closer and in an instant the rhino flashes before us. The rhino moves around us but he's invisible, silent.

A nearly 3,000-pound beast that can move like a ghost in the brush until he decides to charge. We don't see him until he's 30 feet away charging right at us. And I have to dive below Knowlton's high- powered rifle. A short while later the rhino is dead.

(on camera): As we sit here at this moment and take it all in and we think about what the biggest threat to these rhinos are around the world that it's poachers, people who will kill these animals and leave them to rot in these fields of Africa just for this horn. These horns that you see here will sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars on the black market.

Corey Knowlton knows this isn't easy to watch, but he vows to take the abuse of his critics to convince the world that conservation hunting can help save the black rhino.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: And, Michaela, the government started issuing these permits back in 2009, since then only seven of them have been issued so seven rhinos killed legally through this hunting program compare that to last year 24 rhinos were killed in this country by poachers and that number has skyrocketed this year. So far in the first five months, 60 rhinos according to the Namibian government have already been poached here in this country.

PEREIRA: Ed, the thing so many of us are struggling with is why not spend the $350,000 that he spent to have a right to kill that rhino to put towards the conservation efforts of those agencies you spoke about at the top of your piece.

LAVANDERA: Well, the reason he does this especially here in the country of Namibia is that he says that there's also a scientific reason for doing this. The one rhino that he killed as we mentioned in the piece killed another rhino last year in that area where those rhinos are the government has three male rhinos.

So there's no chance of reproduction and that one black male rhino that was killed by Corey Knowlton was keeping them, the government, from bringing other females into that area to increase the chance of reproduction. That can now begin, that process begin and it's something the Namibian government is considering -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: Ed Lavandera in Namibia, what a story. We want to put it to you. You probably have all sorts of thoughts. Use #newdayCNN. You can also post your comments on facebook.com/newday. That is sure to get a lot of people fired up today.

CAMEROTA: My gosh, that was an incredible piece and how dangerous it is.

PEREIRA: Conservation hunting.

CAMEROTA: Wow. We'd love to hear your thoughts on all that.

CUOMO: Much less perilous situation, Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady appealing his punishment over deflategate, what are his chances for success? Will his team follow suit? We have the answers for you ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:52:55]

PEREIRA: It is CNN many now time, chief business correspondent, Christine Romans, in the money center looking at some big news for banks this morning.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Michaela. Billions of dollars in fines coming from some of the world's biggest banks, in just about two hours, the Justice Department is expected to announce agreements with Barclays, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and RBS, those banks expected to plead guilty to manipulating foreign exchange rates. UBS was slapped with $545 million in fines overnight.

Big news in Los Angeles, folks, it will boost its minimum wage to $15 an hour. Wages will start gradually rising next July all the way to $15 an hour by the year 2020. Now L.A. is the biggest city yet to approve $15 wages.

Seattle did it so does San Francisco. The hike will affect about 40 percent of L.A.'s work force. Small businesses, people who have less than 26 employees, they are being given an extra year to comply because it's will be a big change for Los Angeles businesses -- Chris.

CUOMO: Thank you very much. We will stay on how that rolls out and how it affects the workforce.

So Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, says he will not appeal the punishment. His team was given for deflategate a little bit of a flip flop there. What about his employee, touch down, tell me what's going to happen, Andy? Tell us in this morning's "Bleacher Report."

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Good morning, guys. You know, well, the part where Kraft is not contesting his suspension, a little surprising. You know, all along, Robert Kraft has been critical of the Wells Report. He even had web site, naywellreportcontext.com, go into detail of why he thought the report was unfair.

All signs were pointing to him appealing the Patriot's punishment, the draft picks taken away, the suspension, but yesterday, at the league's annual owner's meeting, Kraft says that he was in fact standing down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT KRAFT, PATRIOTS OWNER: I don't want to continue the rhetoric that has gone on for the last four months. I will accept reluctantly what he has given to us and not continue to dialogue and rhetoric. We won't appeal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now even though the Patriots are not appealing their punishment, Tom Brady is still appealing his four-game suspension. The Players Association has asked for Roger Goodell to recuse himself from the appeal.

[07:55:09] Now he has not responded to that request, but he may later today as Goodell is expected to speak with the media at the owners meeting.

Rockets and Warriors opening up the western conference finals last night, this was a good one. James Harden was hot in the fourth quarter. The crossover step back jumper right here ties the game at 97, but from there, Stephen Curry and the Warriors went on an 11-0 run to put the game away.

Warriors win 110-106, and Curry, the star of the game scoring 34 points, but it was his daughter, who stole the show in the postgame interviews.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN CURRY: We are both supposed to --

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Be quiet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Just too cute. At one point she crawled under the table and was playing with the curtains, and he is the MVP of the league, and if there was an award for cuteness, she would get it, and she has been trending on Twitter all morning. CAMEROTA: That's awesome. I like her.

CUOMO: A 6'5" guys can't stop them, but that 2-year-old can. That's for sure.

CAMEROTA: All right, thanks so much, Andy. All right, back to the top story, because air bag maker, Takata, issuing the largest ever recall. Is your car on the list?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)