Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Sen. Tim Scott Launches Exploratory Committee; Michael S. Regan is Interviewed about the Toxic Plant Fire and Vehicle Emission Standards; U.S. Inflation Fell in March. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired April 12, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: But it was aspirational as well. Listen about how he framed how much Belfast has progressed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: The dividends of peace are all around us. And this very campus is situated in an intersection where conflict and bloodshed once held terrible sway. The idea, as I said, to have a glass building here, when I was here in '91, was highly unlikely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So aspirational, but I have to say, his -- where that building is, you never could have imagined buildings could have gone up there a few years ago. However, just a short distance away, Belfast's big peace walls, that are bigger and longer than they were before the Good Friday Peace Agreement are still standing there, still dividing the communities.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's really a fascinating moment.

Nic, thank you.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Presidential candidate Donald Trump may have another Republican challenger in 2024. GOP Senator Tim Scott, launched an exploratory committee for president this morning. The South Carolina lawmaker will be in Iowa today meeting with voters before heading to New Hampshire. Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, has been testing the waters for months now.

CNN's Eva McKend is joining us now.

Give us some sense of what Senator Scott said about his committee that he just launched today.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, good morning to you, Sara. An exciting time for us political reporters as the field here is

starting to take shape. This is just an exploratory committee, not a formal announcement as of yet. Senator Tim Scott, though, really a very inspirational message here. It's a real contrast to former President Donald Trump, sometimes who has a very dark tone in his messaging and focusing on grievances. Senator Scott really forward- looking, arguing that America is a land of opportunity, not oppression. Sort of a version from what we heard of from Nikki Haley when she argued that America is not a racist country.

He also suggests he has no appetite to take on his fellow conservatives. That he doesn't want to make this race about Trump or other Republicans also vying for the presidency. He says that the field of play is focusing on President Biden's failures.

He spoke to Fox News earlier this morning. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): The field of play is focusing on President Biden's failures. What Americans want to see is the contrast between the radical left and the blueprint to ruin America and why our policies actually work.

As opposed to trying to have a conversation about how to beat a Republican. I think we're better off having a conversation about beating Joe Biden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: So, in response to this, Democrats argue that Senator Scott has an extreme record and that when it comes to policy differences there are none between him and Trump.

Sara.

SIDNER: Eva McKend, thank you so much with all that information.

John, they may not want to talk about Donald Trump, but he is the frontrunner right now. So, that's going to happen if he runs.

JOH BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I'm not sure that's how primaries work, you know, what Tim Scott is saying there. He may have to deal with the frontrunner in that race.

Speaking of former President Trump, he wants to delay his sexual assault and defamation trial. His lawyers say his recent indictment could taint the jury pool. And the EPA is unveiling a potentially huge change to emission rules. It could mean you will be driving an electric vehicle sooner than you thought.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:38:06]

BOLDUAN: Welcome back to CNN NEWS CENTRAL. Here's some of the top stories that we are following right now.

Police in Louisville, Kentucky, released the truly harrowing body camera video from the bank shooting that left five people dead and two officers shot. The video reveals new details on how quickly things unfolded and also how officers took down the suspect, neutralizing the threat in just minutes.

We're keeping a very close eye as well on Indiana. A massive toxic fire that officials say could be burning still for days. It happened at a recycling plant. And you can see it is just engulfed in flames. It forced nearly 2,000 people to evacuate. And new this morning, local officials say all of the blame falls on the owner of the plant, and also that the business had previously been cited for unsafe building conditions.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TIM BROWN, RICHMOND INDIANA FIRE DEPARTMENT: The issue was a unsafe building and unsafe grounds.

MAYOR DAVE SNOW (D), RICHMOND, INDIANA: This person has been negligent and irresponsible, and it's led to putting a lot of people in danger today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: These local officials adding, quote, we knew this was a fire hazard.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you, Kate.

Joining us now, EPA Administrator Michael Regan.

We asked you here to talk about emissions and the new policy that's going to come forward when it comes to vehicles, but first I want to talk about this fire. We have seen some -- a couple of accidents that caused toxic air. Is the EPA going to be involved in this and checking the air to make sure it's safe for residents?

MICHAEL S. REGAN, EPA ADMINISTRATOR: Absolutely we will. As a matter of fact, for this particular incident, we were on the ground just hours after. We are providing support to state and local officials during this emergency response. We've also activated our air monitoring assets as well to be sure that we understand what those air quality implications are. Our goal is to ensure that this community stays safe.

[09:40:03]

And so we've been on site since the beginning, and we're going to stay there until we can assure that this community is not seeing any threats from the air quality implications here. SIDNER: Mr. Regan, you mentioned that you do have the folks out there from the EPA checking the air quality. Do you have any sense how dangerous it is, how toxic it may be at this point potentially for residents?

REGAN: You know, we're awaiting for some results to come back. We've been monitoring the air quality overnight. And so we're going to keep the emergency response group on the ground up to speed on what those results are.

SIDNER: All right, I'm going to move now to - and we're just looking at these pictures, I want to remind people, from Richmond, Indiana, where you see that huge plume of smoke billowing over what is obviously both business and residential areas.

I want to move on to this big announcement that you have made about vehicle emission standards. This is a big shift. Can you give me a sense of what you're hoping to accomplish.

REGAN: Well, listen, we're driving towards a clean energy future. You know, we're following the market, first and foremost. This proposal will follow the investments that we've seen from the private sector. Just the past two years, over $120 billion invested in electric vehicles and batteries. We're going to save consumers money. You know, these vehicles don't require as much maintenance. Obviously, the gas prices are a little steeper and electric vehicles will be cheaper over their lifespan.

But we're also protecting communities and this planet. Listen, 10 billion tons of C02 avoided. That's almost like having no emissions from the transportation sector for a four year period.

And the last point I'll make is, we're shoring up our energy security. If this proposal becomes final, we will see our dependence on foreign oil imports, you know, decreased by over 20 billion barrels. And so this is a really exciting proposal that codifies the president's vision for an electric future, a lower carbon future, but a future that wins the day in manufacturing and jobs as well.

SIDNER: I want to ask you what this might mean for the average American. Many of us drive cars, especially those of us on the west where public transportation isn't as readily available and the spaces are long and large. Can you give me a sense what this means for, you know, someone who's just taking the kids to work.

REGAN: You know, this is a future for everyone. And we're starting to see all of the auto industry move in this direction. They're working on creating products that span the entire gambit of those who purchase vehicles. And, you know, the president didn't just, you know, wake up and think about this today. This has been part of his vision from day one.

If you take a look at the bipartisan infrastructure law, billions of dollars invested and charging stations all across this country to reduce that range anxiety, billions of dollars in the Chips and Science Act to bring battery manufacturing and manufacturing back to the United States. And then with the Inflation Reduction Act, a $7,500 credit, a tax credit, for those who want to purchase these vehicles. So, in addition to that $7,000 -- $7,500 tax credit, folks who purchase electric vehicles will see a cost savings over the lifespan of the vehicle because they're not having to buy gas, because they're not having to pay for maintenance.

And so this is a huge opportunity for everyone in this country.

SIDNER: All right, I got to ask you because there is a new Gallup poll out that was released just night -- just last night. You talked about the $7,500 tax credit, but 41 percent of Americans said that they would not buy an electric vehicle, while 12 percent said they were seriously considering it. Some of us, I myself and my family, we keep our vehicles for 10 plus years, and buying a car is extremely expensive, especially now. More expensive now than we've seen in a very long time. How do you convince Americans that they need to go forward? Are they going to be punished, say, if they don't go ahead and buy that vehicle in the amount of time that you have given?

REGAN: Absolutely no punishment, Sara. Listen, we're thinking out for the future. This proposed technology standards for automobiles, it doesn't kick in until model year 2027 and beyond. So, what we're looking at is a ramp up period. We know that in the next couple of years we're going to see automobile manufacturers offer a suite of products that will be attractive to consumers. We know that we'll see charging stations all across this country so that we can reduce that range anxiety and those who are concerned about where they can charge.

[09:45:05]

And people will have a number of years that they can take advantage of these tax credits.

And so we're going to see a massive build up over the next couple of years. And, listen, we're starting to see those electric vehicle sales numbers grow already. So, we anticipate that all of this will line up. And when we start to look at model year 2027 and beyond, I say that folks should fasten their seatbelts because this electric future has taken off.

SIDNER: Can I get a quick yes or no from you, are you going to go after industry as well because the general public is being told that you have to do it, is industry going to be told, hey, you guys have to transition?

REGAN: Listen, this is a proposal that provides options. We are in the proposal phase. We're going to continue to engage with the automobile industry. We're going to continue to engage with union and non-union workers. We're going to continue to engage with the environmental stakeholders. This is a proposal. It kicks off a process by which we can look at these numbers. We can look at this ambition. And together we can pursue a path that is good for this country, not only from a climate and pollution standpoint, but good for jobs, good for manufacturers and good for consumer choice.

SIDNER: All right, EPA administrator Michael Regan, thank you so much for joining us on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: A new key inflation measure was just released this morning. The clues that it is now offering about where the economy is now and also is headed. That is next.

Also ahead for us, kidnapped and now speaking out. The Americans abducted by Mexican cartel talk to CNN about what they went through and how they tried to escape. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:51:09]

BERMAN: We are just getting word this morning that the most important measure of inflation is cooling off. The Consumer Price Index, out just a short time ago, showed that prices rose just 5 percent compared to this time last year. That's down from a 6 percent increase in January.

Here to explain what this all means, and making her CNN NEWS CENTRAL debut, CNN chief business correspondent Christine Romans.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

BERMAN: Hello.

ROMANS: And I come with some good news.

BERMAN: Excellent.

ROMANS: I know, right?

Look, it was 9.1 percent, this CPI number last summer, and that really hurt and we were quite worried about that, and now it's down to 5 percent.

Look, that's still way above what the Fed wants to see. The Fed wants to see a 2 percent number here, but 5 percent, less than last month, which was 6 percent. Less than people expected. And so that's a really important, I think, improvement here.

When you dig inside of these numbers, you can also see that gas prices, energy prices, down year over year. That's really important. You can see that overall month to month only up 0.1 percent. That's hardly at all. So that's the kind of number we want to see.

In some of these sectors where a year ago, John, they were just going up, up, up, up, now, year over year, energy prices down. This is -- food prices moderating. And what I'm still concerned about here, though, is this number, this shelter number. Shelter here still, quote/unquote, sticky inflation, harder to turn around. You can't switch your cuts of meat like you can for grocery store prices like you can - you can't just change where you live every month to try to find someplace cheaper. So, the shelter price is something that I'm still concerned about.

BERMAN: Easier to change your cuts of meat.

ROMANS: It is.

BERMAN: Absolutely.

Christine Romans, thank you very much.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

BERMAN: Bring more good news. We really appreciate it.

ROMANS: I'll try.

BERMAN: Kate.

BOLDUAN: None of us deserved it. That is what the Americans abducted by a Mexican cartel are telling CNN. They're sharing details of their terrifying ordeal after they were kidnapped in Mexico. LaTavia Washington McGee and Eric Williams, they sat down with CNN's Anderson Cooper last night for this exclusive interview.

The backstory you will recall. Early last month, they drove as a group to Mexico with two of their friends so Washington McGee could get a medical procedure. While on their way, they say that gunmen surrounded their van, shooting Williams and two of their friends before taking them hostage.

A warning now, this video may be difficult to watch.

They say that their friends were still alive when their bodies were dragged onto the truck bed. They shared their goodbyes before they died.

I want to play for you Washington McGee, how she describes the moment that they woke up in a dark room to see a man standing over them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LATAVIA WASHINGTON MCGEE, AMERICAN KIDNAPPED IN MEXICO: He was like, there's nothing that we can do to bring your two brothers back. He's like, but we're sorry. Somebody made the wrong call. They was high and drunk. And I'm from America too. I'm fighting with my boss for him to give you all up. He's like, I don't know how I'm going to do this, but we're going to try to get you all back home see you all family. And he just basically kept saying he's sorry. He's like, when I give you all up, I'm going to leave too because they're going to kill me for letting you all go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: I mean, that is crazy, right, to hear from the abductors after they have killed your friends, your family. The two survivors, they were eventually, of course, as we know, rescue. The two survivors say they were taken to several locations while they were held in captivity, blindfolded every time they were moved. And as you can very well understand, they are still recovering from the physical, emotional and all of the trauma that they're dealing with from what they lived through.

Sara.

SIDNER: That was harrowing.

Vladimir Putin is set to sign a law streamlining military conscription in Russia. This is raising fears that more Russians could be forced into Putin's war in Ukraine. The bill would ban those eligible for military service from traveling abroad and allow for the electronic delivery of military call-up papers.

CNN's senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is joining us now from Moscow.

[09:55:03]

Matthew, Russian officials talk about laying the groundwork for this new bill. Can you give us a sense whether or not Russians in general are concerned, especially those between 18 and 27 who can be conscripted.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think they are concerned because this -- this new bill, which is going to be signed shortly I expect by Putin, basically means that Russian men are going to be able to be drafted into the military by email, whereas previously they'd have to be physically handed a letter by a recruitment officer. They said what they'd do is they wouldn't answer (INAUDIBLE) if they don't respond within seven days to this electronic notification, they're going to face all sorts of sanctions. They're going to have their driving license potentially suspended. They won't be able to buy and sell stuff.

And they're going to be crucially banned from foreign travel. Now, that's important because you may remember back in September, when the Russian president announced what he called a partial mobilization of 300,000 people to fight in the -- in the conflict in Ukraine, we saw a max -- mass exodus of Russian men from the country. Estimates somewhere between 300,000 to 700,000 men. Sort of making a run for the border to try and -- to try and get out to avoid being sent to that bloody meat grinder conflict in Ukraine.

This law will effectively stop Russian men from leaving the country once they've been issued this electronic notification. And so it's raising all sorts of concerns that if the Russian government wants to quickly bring more people into the -- into the military and avoid the chaos of last year, it's now got the legal means of doing so.

Sara.

SIDNER: Matthew Chance, thank you for all of those details there, live for us from Moscow.

John. BERMAN: New body camera footage from the officers confronting the gunman who killed five coworkers at a Louisville bank.

President Biden is wheels down in Dublin in just minutes after marking a quarter century of the Good Friday Agreement during a speech in Belfast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)