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Elon Musk Names Top Ad Executive as New Twitter CEO; Suspect in Chokehold Death Arraigned, Faces Manslaughter Charge; "What Happened to San Francisco?". Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired May 12, 2023 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Elon musk has named long-time media executive Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter. Today's announcement comes months after he promised to step back from the role.
Musk tweeting, quote, I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter. He went on to write that she will focus primarily on business operations as I focus on product design and new technology.
CNN's senior media reporter Oliver Darcy, joining us now with more on this. All right, Oliver, what do we know about Yaccarino?
OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: Well, we know, Brianna, that she's going to be inheriting a company in absolute turmoil. Since Elon Musk purchased Twitter and since he named himself the head of Twitter, the company has really been in imperiled. You know, you'll remember in the early days of Elon Musk's reign at Twitter, he laid off most of the staff. Other staffers quit in protest. He dissolved the Board of Directors. He's assailed news organizations, banned journalists, which resulted in at least so far, NPR for instance stopping their use of Twitter.
He's alienated advertisers. He's basically destroyed the verification system on Twitter. And he's launched a struggling subscription business. And so, she's going to come in and she's going to have to really grapple with all of these problems.
Now, she is a seasoned advertising executive. She has a lot of those key relationships. So, I am sure that Elon Musk is hoping that she's going to be able to restore Twitter's relationships with those advertisers. But the key is, how much is Musk going to still loom over Twitter? He is not stepping down altogether. He's going to be the chief technology officer. And he's basically saying she's going to handle, you know, the business operations while he handles everything else.
He plays an outsized role at the company -- given his tweets. And those are the things that often alienate advertisers -- his antics. You know, remember when he spread that deranged to Paul Pelosi conspiracy theory. Those are the types of things that really repel advertisers from Twitter. And so, I think she's got her work cut out for her as she takes the reins over at this company.
KEILAR: Yes, I mean, she really does, certainly, because that user experience is degenerated. So, that's going to be that open question, how is it going to change how people use Twitter? Oliver, thank you so much. We appreciate it -- Jim.
[15:35:04]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: All right, this just into CNN. Jamie Foxx's daughter has released an update on the actor's health following last month's stint in the hospital. We will give you the details ahead.
Also, move over, police dogs. We're going to show you how some cows -- you guessed it -- helped officers make an arrest.
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[15:40:00]
SCIUTTO: Daniel Penny, a U.S. Marine veteran -- he's the man you can see here earlier walking out of a police precinct in New York in handcuffs. He is now facing a second-degree manslaughter charge after this. This was him on a New York subway earlier this month. This is him walking out of the police station. Earlier this month on a New York subway, he used a chokehold on a homeless man to subdue him and that led to his death. The man who died his name is Jordan Neely. Witnesses say Neely got on the subway and was shouting, though had not physically attacked anyone. Neely's family says he had been suffering from mental illness as well.
CNN's Kara Scannell, she's outside the courtroom where Penny had been released on $100,000 bond. And Kara, tell us how the Manhattan DA's office approach this? What evidence, what argument did they present to justify this charge?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim. So, we learned a little information about how the DA got to this second-degree manslaughter charge today at Penny's arraignment. And so, what one of the prosecutors, Joshua Steinglass said, he said that since that May 1st chokehold that led to Neely's death, he said that they -- the DAs office and NYPD had interviewed a number of eyewitnesses. They reviewed video footage. There reviewed 911 calls. And they also interviewed the responding officers to the scene.
He also told us a little bit more information along the timeline of events. And so, what they said is that Jordan Neely had entered the subway at this one-stop in lower Manhattan. And then he said that witnesses observed Mr. Neely making threats and scaring passengers. It was then that Penny had come up from behind, put Neely in a chokehold and held him in that chokehold.
Now they said that the train went to the next station. And at that station, Penny still held Neely in a chokehold, and what he said, for several minutes. Two other men, the prosecutor said, more than helping to restrain Neely. And then what Steinglass, the prosecutor said, at some point Mr. Neely stopped moving. The defendant continue to hold Mr. Neely for a period and release him. He said it was then that paramedics who were on the scene, they tried to resuscitate Neely. But he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
So, prosecutors' kind of explaining how they got to this charging decision today. And as you said, Penny was released on $100,000 bond. He had to surrender his passport.
Now his attorneys are saying that Penny has been cooperating since he -- since he was on scene. He stayed. He answered questions. He met -- he went back to the precinct and answered the officers' questions. But he said he's continuing to cooperate. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS KENNIFF, ATTORNEY FOR DANIEL PENNY: Daniel Penny surrendered at the 5th precinct at the request of your county district's attorney office. He did so voluntarily, and with the sort of dignity and integrity that is characteristic of his history of service of this grateful nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCANNELL: Now, Penny will be back in court on July 17th -- Jim.
SCIUTTO: Well, it's a notable looking tour the pictures there. There were so many other people around as this was happening. It's acquired an event. Kara Scannell outside the courthouse, thank you -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Now to some headlines that we're following at this hour.
25-year-old Jamie Komorowski, the suspect involved in a deadly car crash in South Carolina that killed a newlywed bride, had a blood alcohol level III times the legal limit -- according to a state toxicology report. Komorowski is accused of killing 34-year-old Samantha Hutchinson and injuring her husband Eric and two other people when she allegedly drove her vehicle into the golf cart that the couple was riding on just moments after they were married on Folly Beach in late April.
And we have a medical update on movie star Jamie Foxx. Foxx's daughter announcing in a social media post today that her father has been, quote, out of the hospital for weeks recuperating. Foxx was first hospitalized in Atlanta on April 11th, after he experienced a medical complication -- according to his daughter. No word yet on what that medical complication was.
And finally, an utterly bizarre story to bring you. Crime-fighting cows. Police in Boone, North Carolina are crediting a herd of cows with helping catch a suspect who led them on a high-speed chase and then ran from his car. Police say the cows literally led them to find the suspect hiding in their pasture. Officers even gave them a shout out in their statement.
Writing quote: obviously, we want to express our gratitude to the cows.
Boris, yesterday it was goats that sounded like humans. Today it is cows fighting crime.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: They should get some kind of honor. They should be honored with like a metal or something for preventing crime.
KEILAR: I agree.
SANCHEZ: Well, San Francisco is home to tech titans and it was the center of the counterculture movement back in the 60s. But now it's also home to high crime.
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CNN is bringing you the whole story. Stay with us.
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SANCHEZ: San Francisco has dominated headlines for crime, unaffordability and its street conditions. According to one recent survey by the city controller's office, residents there feel less safe now than at any point since 1996. This week on "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER," CNN Sara Sidner heads to the Bay Area -- a place that she once called home -- to find out what happened to San Francisco.
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PHIL MATIER, SAN FRANCISCO JOURNALIST: The video of the guy wheeling his bicycle into the Walgreens in San Francisco loading up and then bicycling out, went worldwide. The mass swarm of robbers went worldwide.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR, SENIOR NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even with some high-profile videos going viral, robberies and larceny -- which is property theft without threat of violence -- were down in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels -- according to San Francisco police data.
While the number of car break-ins was actually higher in 2017. Auto theft though, did rise in 2022. The highest it has been in seven years.
SIDNER: I'll tell you the number one that I hear.
MAYOR LONDON BREED (D-SAN FRANCISCO, CA): Yes, tell me.
SIDNER: The number one that I hear, it isn't necessarily violence. It isn't because --
BREED: It's theft.
SIDNER: It's the car break-ins. By far the thing people always say, girl, if you go to the city don't park your car here, there, or watch how you park. How do you combat that?
BREED: Most people, unfortunately in some capacity feel like they either have been or know someone who has been, you know, a victim. I mean, my car got broken into right in front of my home. And then there was nothing in it. So, that makes it even worse. It's like, I don't even have anything to steal because I know better. Right? But it's a tough thing and we're going to keep working on that to combat it.
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SANCHEZ: Joining us now is CNN anchor and my good friend Sara Snider. Sara, we see the viral videos. We hear about these high-profile crimes. But do the actual rates of crime, does the data backup the reputation?
SIDNER (on camera): In an answer, no, not compared to other cities of the same size. If you're talking specifically about violent crime and even more specifically about homicides, when it comes to violent crime, when it comes to homicides in particular, in the city of San Francisco. If you look at the numbers, the numbers tell you a different story. In 2021 and 2022 there were 56 homicides in San Francisco.
A city of similar size, Indianapolis, they saw about four times as many homicides with 271 homicides and 226 homicides respectively in 2021 in 2022.
In Jacksonville, Florida, saw almost 3 times the number of homicides. So, when it comes to something like data, I think you see these high- profile cases and you think, oh my gosh, that's happening all over the city.
But kudos to Mayor Breed. She was very candid in answering all of my questions. The issue is that everyday things like car break-ins, like theft, that is what people are running into. They are also seeing open air drug use. And the city's only seven by seven square feet. It is hard to ignore and people feel really unsafe there.
SANCHEZ: All right, we look forward to watching more of your conversation with the mayor and the rest of the report. Sara Snider, the pride of Hialeah Miami Lakes, always good to see you, my friend. Be sure to tune in. And all new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER." One whole story, one whole hour, it airs Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on only on CNN -- Jim.
SCIUTTO: Well, in the U.S. really 1.5 million children have a parent who's now serving time. This week's CNN's hero knows first-hand the challenges that come with having a parent in prison. Meet Yasmine Arrington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YASMINE ARRINGTON, FOUNDER, SCHOLARCHIPS: What we're ultimately doing is ensuring that young people who have incarcerated parents are overcoming systemic barriers. And also, changing the trajectory of not only their lives but their family lives and breaking the stereotype and the stigma around having an incarcerated parent.
ARRINGTON: Getting ready for graduation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I'm about to graduate. I'm so excited!
ARRINGTON (voice-over): What keeps me going is that proud mama effect, to see our scholars just achieve and accomplish and over time gain a sense of healthy confidence. Just a little bit of support can go a very, very long way. It really is a snowball effect.
[15:55:00]
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SCIUTTO: All right, so the NFL schedules are officially out. It's a big deal for people who like football. Some teams are having a lot of fun with it. Check out the Tennessee Titans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lightning McQueen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Red Stallions, ah ha.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chester Cheeto.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Atlanta, Florida.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Florida Dolphins.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Pirates from the Islands of the Caribbean.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Atlanta, Florida Dolphins actually was one of my favorites.
KEILAR: I love that.
SANCHEZ: I thought that -- was it the Pirates of the Island of the Caribbean, it's a better name than the Buccaneers. This video for the Titans has more than 20 million views.
SCIUTTO: Oh, on social media.
KEILAR: It's so clever. The Atlanta, Florida Dolphins, I'm going to have to go with the Lightening McQueen and that was great. But I think it's really fun how at the end, of course, although people sort of look at the logo, they do all get the Tennessee Titans.
[16:01:04]
Thank god.
SCIUTTO: Not the Carolinas. The Carolina Panthers, they suffered a little bit. By the way, no one had a problem with the New York Jets or Giants. Just saying.
SANCHEZ: Oh, I don't know about that.
SCIUTTO: It was in New York to be fair.
SANCHEZ: Alas, nobody knew who the Jacksonville Jaguars logo was. Someone thought it was made up.
KEILAR: That's not a thing.
SANCHEZ: Thanks so much for joining us today. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts in about 3 seconds. Have a good weekend.
