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Christie, Scott Announce They've Reached Donor Threshold To Make GOP Debate Stage; House Committee Revives Gaetz Sexual Misconduct Investigation; FTC Investigating ChatGPT Maker OpenAI; 4 Injured After "Severe Turbulence" On Allegiant Flight. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired July 13, 2023 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:31:45]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Almost here if you can believe it. We're about one month from the first Republican primary debate in the 2024 campaign. Now two more candidates say they've reached the threshold to be on that first debate stage.

Today, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and GOP Senator Tim Scott, both revealing they hit the minimum number of donors to qualify.

CNN's Kristen Holmes is here to break all of this down.

All right, so you're seeing this debate starting to take shape. I can't believe it's almost here.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We only heard from six people, six in this enormous field, who say they've qualified.

Keep in mind, there are a few requirements. One is 40,000 unique donors. There were a lot of candidates who were really worried about this.

If you look at the field, the six who have said they've qualified and met this threshold are Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and Chris Christie.

Because of this requirement, you are seeing some candidates doing some unconventional things. We know the North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum was offering gift cards for $20 for folks who donated at least $1 to his campaign.

KEILAR: Interesting.

HOLMES: There's a lot of tactics going on here. People want to qualify.

The one person we haven't heard from, that we're waiting to hear from, really watching it most closely, is former Vice President Mike Pence to see if he has met that threshold to get on the debate stage. KEILAR: It would be interesting to have him on the debate stage, just

politically speaking.

So do we expect that there will be more people and this is going to be a crowded field? How crowded? Because at a certain point, it almost becomes clown car-ish, right?

HOLMES: Exactly. The 40,000 donors, that was one of the other big ones. The other one is polling. Those numbers have not all come in. You have to qualify at 1 percent or more in three national polls or two national polls and two state polls.

There haven't been that many polls. We do expect to see those numbers coming out.

Some candidates are not quite polling at 1 percent yet. We'll have to see how many polls come out and will they actually meet that threshold.

And of course, there's the question of who's going to be on the stage, and whether or not the former President Donald Trump will be on the stage. It has been a big back and forth. He is stoking the drama himself, saying maybe he put on another event.

[14:35:01]

But at the end of the day he will want to be at this event where all the eyes are watching the candidates.

KEILAR: He tried that before pulling out of a debate. I wonder if he didn't regret it. So it will be very interesting.

But some people, they can't afford these gift card shenanigans.

HOLMES: Exactly.

Well, Burgum is very wealthy, so.

KEILAR: Kristen Holmes, thank you so much.

Jim?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: This is just into CNN. We've learned the House Ethics Committee has revived an investigation into Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz and allegations he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, as well as other misconduct.

We're told investigators have started reaching out to witnesses in recent weeks.

CNN's Paula Reid has been covering.

I wonder, at this point, do we know why this has been revived, particularly since the Justice Department decided not to pursue allegations previously? Do we know what they're asking witnesses about? PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, this is

not a new investigation into the congressman. Earlier this year, the House Ethics Committee quietly reopened its probe into the Florida congressman.

We've learned for the first time that they have begun reaching out to witnesses to begin gathering evidence about his alleged activities.

Now these are not new allegations against the congressman here. In 2021, the House Ethics Committee publicly announced it was going to investigate Gaetz and allegations of possible sex trafficking, allegations that he had shared inappropriate videos and images on the House floor, as well as allegations about improper use of campaign funds and other alleged crimes.

But that ethics investigation was deferred at the request of the Justice Department that investigated the congressman from late 2020 until earlier this year.

When their investigation into possible obstruction of justice, possible sex trafficking and allegations of engaging in sex with a minor, that investigation was closed earlier this year.

The congressman was not charged. And the congressman has always denied wrongdoing.

But now, the House Ethics Committee reopening this is resurfacing a lot of these allegations.

We know at least one witness was asked about possible lobbying violations by the congressman and some of his associates.

A source familiar with the committee's work tells CNN that the Justice Department's decision not to charge the congressman has no bearing on what the committee will or will not investigate.

But those are the legal technicalities. These are also -- they're happening within a political reality. The fact that the congressman is increasingly at odds with the leadership of his party.

This is a Republican-controlled committee. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he doesn't know anything about this ongoing investigation.

And the congressman gave us a statement in response to our new reporting.

He said, in part, "The Ethics Committee has never found me to be in violation of House rules ,though they've been investigating me during my entire seven years in Congress."

I will note that this investigation was on hold for the past two years.

He goes on to say, "It's not something I'm worried about. I'm focused on the work." In response to the possibility that this investigation could be part

of some possible retaliation, the congressman tells CNN, "I always like to think the best about people and prepare for the worst" -- Jim?

SCIUTTO: So let me ask you, you mentioned the House is currently controlled by Republicans. It's a Republican-controlled committee. So for this investigation to be revived, you would need both Republican and Democratic member support?

REID: Reopening -- again, this is not new. It's just sort of been on hold. It's been on pause since the Justice Department asked them back in 2021 to defer this.

But, yes, I mean, there are members of both parties on this committee. But it's highly unlikely that they would be able to go through with this kind of investigation into a high-profile member of Congress like this without, of course, the blessing of at least a few members of his own party.

SCIUTTO: Paula Reid, covering it. Thanks so much.

Brianna?

KEILAR: Ahead, wait until you hear how this adorable 6-year-old girl says she was able to fight off and escape an alleged kidnapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When he came and grabbed you, did you scream?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.

[14:39:27]

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And then what did you do?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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KEILAR: The Federal Trade Commission has just announced it is investigating the parent company of ChatGPT. OpenAI is being scrutinized for possible violations of consumer protection law.

The investigation could also complicate OpenAI's relationship with lawmakers who have raised concerns about the threat artificial intelligence poses to jobs, to national security and to democracy.

CNN's Brian Fung is joining us on this.

What specifically is the FTC going to be looking at?

BRIAN FUNG, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yes, Brianna, it's going to be a lot of the same issues the FTC is traditionally concerned about, including things like privacy, truth in advertising, and whether or not these companies like OpenAI have been faithful to their commitments that they've been making to the public.

Earlier this week, we know the FTC sent a 20-page civil investigative demand to OpenAI with a number of requests for information, just looking at all sorts of things.

Including how it gathers data for its training models. How it modifies its algorithms to produce different responses when you input different inputs. And also how the technology may actually be harming people's personal reputations.

[14:45:04]

So let's take a look at part of this document. They said, "Describe in detail the extent which you have taken to address and mitigate risks that your large-language model products could generate statements about real individuals that are false, misleading or disparaging."

What they're looking at here is evidence that OpenAI may not be -- may be pushing information out there using its products that might not be lining up with reality.

Which, of course, plays into the broader debate about, could A.I. have negative effects on our democracy, on the way that we, you know, understand the world based on the information that's available on the Internet and stuff like that.

KEILAR: Also opening them up to defamation and that kind of thing.

FUNG: Well, potentially. I think they're -- it's a very open debate about what A.I.'s role is in the law. And we've seen numerous lawsuits in recent weeks about copyright infringement and there's possible litigation around that.

So there are a lot of big questions that policy makers have not yet figured out. Congress is really trying to get its arms around this issue now.

But this FTC investigation is really the first time we've seen direct regulation of the A.I. industry by the U.S. government.

KEILAR: Really interesting. We'll be watching it for that.

Brian Fung, thank you.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Now to some of the other headlines we are watching this hour.

Listen to this one. A stranger tried to snatch her, but a 6-year-old bit her way to safety. Police in Miami say the girl -- you see her there -- fended off a man who tried to kidnap her as she was playing outside her home last week.

They say he attempted to carry her away. She used the only weapon she had, her teeth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When he came and grabbed you, did you scream?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And then what did you do?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Bit him.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Then what?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: He slapped me and threw me on the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I told her, don't talk to strangers. If anything happened, just try to (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Brave little girl. So sorry she had to go through that.

A 32-year-old suspect was arrested with the help of video surveillance.

Also, in Pittsburgh, a jury has ruled that a gunman behind the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history is eligible for the death penalty. Robert Bowers was previously convicted of some 63 charges, including the murders of 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue.

Prosecutors showed Bowers had a history of making anti-Semitic remarks. The defense argues he suffers from mental health issues. The penalty phase begins Monday. That is expected to last several weeks.

And last night, at the 31st Annual Espy Awards, Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin got emotional while presenting the Pat Tillman Award for service to who? Well, the Bills' training staff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAMAR HAMLIN, BUFFALO BILLS SAFETY: This year's recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service, the training staff of the Buffalo Bills.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: They all helped save his life.

Earlier this year, Hamlin shook the sports world when, you may remember, he went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle in a game on live television. Thanks to that training staff, he is alive and well today. Also fully cleared to resume football activities in April.

That, Brianna, just incredible comeback. KEILAR: Yes. And it took that whole team to keep him alive.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

KEILAR: Amazing.

All right. So there's a bumpy ride, you know, some choppy air, and then there is turbulence that is so severe medics are rushed to the plane. Hear what happened on this flight that had one passenger describing the scene as something out of the "Matrix."

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[14:53:12]

SCIUTTO: Some really scary moments aboard an Allegiant flight that took off from North Carolina yesterday. The plane experienced severe turbulence right before landing in Florida. Two passengers, two flight attendants were injured.

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LISA SPRIGGS, AIRLINE PASSENGER: More than halfway through descending and, all of a sudden, we heard a small turbulence, and the stewardess beside us fell to the ground.

And then we hit a major turbulence, which was petrifying. And she was literally like "Matrix." Watched her go up in the air and just land straight down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Petrifying like "Matrix."

CNN's Pete Muntean is here.

Pete, tell us what we know about the specific incident here and how severe it was.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: You know, the nuts and bolts of this sound pretty much like every other turbulence incident we've been covering. It seems almost like they're on the rise.

This flight was going from Asheville, North Carolina, descending into St. Pete-Clearwater Airport. It was at 36,000 feet, descended down to 13,000 feet. We know that paramedics met this flight at the gate.

And we're going to play the air traffic control audio in a second where the pilots specifically asked for this. They knew right away that passengers on board were hurt.

In fact, in some of the audio, they say that some of the passengers were bleeding. There were about 197 people on board this flight. We know that the crew was hurt. They're especially at risk in incidents like this. We also know some of the passengers were hurt.

We heard that soundbite where they said it looked like the "Matrix," people being thrown up to the ceiling.

I want you to listen now to the calm of the pilots radioing this into Air Traffic Control in Tampa where they essentially say we need to land right now. We need to declare an emergency, and we need paramedics to meet us at the gate because there's some people really hurt here.

Listen.

(BEF)

PILOT: We need to get on the ground as soon as we can, we already called ahead for medical assistance.

[14:55:02]

PILOT: Allegiance 227, we have multiple head injuries and one broken ankle.

(END AUDIO FEED)

MUNTEAN: The FAA is investigating this. The NTSB says it's aware of this, although not yet investigating just because of the severity of the injuries.

You know, turbulence is caused by relatively common things. It can be wind coming off of a mountain or it can be different layers of wind at altitudes essentially like wind shear, and it could be thunderstorms.

I looked at the radar. There were some thunderstorms in the area at the time, not uncommon in the afternoon in Florida, as this flight was coming in to descend in St. Pete-Clearwater.

SCIUTTO: You and I have talked about more than one of these incidents.

MUNTEAN: Yes.

SCIUTTO: I don't want to establish trends from isolated incidents here and there. But do the numbers show this is more common? And if so, what could be the cause?

MUNTEAN: Injuries on board commercial airliners, the number-one cause is turbulence. And these turbulence incidents have gone down in number, according to the FAA, from when they really started keeping track of this in the early 2000s.

But it does seem, at least anecdotally, like we're covering this more and more often with more and more severity, more and more injuries.

So the real trend here -- and this is something that leaders at main airlines point to -- is that climate change is really contributing to more extreme weather events.

That is what causes thunderstorms when we see delays and cancellations. And of course, that's what causes big turbulence events like this. So of course, the NTSB is trying to get ahold on this. And they keep

looking at it in the totality in hopes of bringing this down and keeping incidents at bay.

But it won't be surprising to me if we keep seeing more and more of these incidents.

SCIUTTO: You can't always try to fly around it. You can't always fly around it.

MUNTEAN: You can't see it all the time, too.

SCIUTTO: Pete Muntean, he knows something.

(LAUGHTER)

SCIUTTO: Brianna?

KEILAR: Ahead, a judge in Italy making just a shocking ruling in a groping case involving a minor, setting a time limit on when it's OK and when it's not. It has people posting videos like this one in protest.

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