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Wholesale Inflation Rises 0.2 Percent; Nicole Hockley is Interviewed about Closing the Gun Show Loophole; Ohtani's Interpreter to Plead Guilty. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired April 11, 2024 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Protests at a lot of the schools that are on that list that received failing grades from you.

In the eyes of the ADL, how can a university allow for protests against Israeli policies without having their grade reduced?

JONATHAN GREENBLATT, CEO AND NATIONAL DIRECTOR, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE (ADL): Oh, it's quite easy. I mean, let's be clear, there's nothing anti-Semitic about protesting Israel policies, there's nothing anti- Semitic about questioning the government of Israel. But there is something highly toxic and absolutely bigoted when your idea of prejudice is to harass Jewish students at a Hillel, when your idea of protest is again to interrupt students learning in a classroom, or to defile a religious observance, or to tear the mezuzah off the doorposts of Jewish students.

So, right, we are looking here, John, at things like administrative actions taken to deal with students who do these things. We're looking at how Jewish students are protected and Jewish life on campus. So, this is much more dimensional than any single thing. But your politics can never be a pretext for again intimidation, harassment, and hate.

And, unfortunately, as you pointed out, John, at Ivy League schools, at top research institutions, like Stanford, MIT, Cal Tech, that's exactly what we're seeing, and it's got to stop.

BERMAN: I did want to ask you, because Donald Trump keeps on playing to what for centuries has been an anti-Semitic trope about dual loyalty. Most recently he just said, any Jewish person that votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined.

So, you know, how do you feel about Donald Trump essentially telling Jewish people how to be Jewish?

GREENBLATT: Yes, it's really sad when political candidates feel the need to engage in these anti-Semitic tropes and fictions. Whether its Donald Trump implying dual loyalty or its candidates like a Congresswoman Tlaib implying the blood libel. All of it is bad. As Jews, we know what this means. And it's a reminder that your views on Israel, or your views on Gaza, don't somehow exempt you from anti- Semitism. We should ask all candidates, from the right and the left, to treat us like Americans and know the difference between right and wrong.

It's that simple, John. I wish the candidates and the elected officials would remember that once and for all.

BERMAN: Jonathan Greenblatt, great to have you on this morning. Thank you very much.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're getting our first look at how markets are reacting to new data on inflation. Wholesale prices rose 2.1 percent over the past 12 months. And these fresh data points come one day after consumer prices rose more than expected.

CNN economics and political commentator Catherine Rampell joins us now.

The wholesale numbers not as bad as predicted, but those coupled with the inflation numbers, what does that tell you about the economy that in many other ways is doing well?

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right. On paper the economy looks great on most metrics, whether we're talking about job growth, GDP growth, investment, and so on. The one stickling fact though, the one thorn in our side, obviously, is inflation, which has been very hard to vanquish. It's come down quite a lot since its peak. But getting it all the way back down to the Fed's preferred target has proven quite difficult. And after those sizzling numbers yesterday from the Consumer Price Index, market participants started to discount the idea that the Fed would cut rates quite as much as had been expected, because usually the Fed cuts rates when the economy needs a little bit more shushing, needs a little more stimulus when there is less of a risk of the economy overheating and inflation sticking around given that we've had higher than expected inflation numbers, at least by some metrics, again not today's numbers, that looks a little bit less likely. And you can see that in the markets so far.

SIDNER: You're saying that these numbers could really influence the Federal Reserve to say, you know what, we're going to hold off on cutting interest rates as many times as people thought they would.

I do want to ask you about what these numbers mean politically, particularly to the Biden administration, in power now, and has been touting this great economy. But many of the voters just say they don't feel it.

RAMPELL: It's a really difficult situation, to be fair, that the Biden administration is in because people still are feeling the pain of those price hikes that we saw before, even if inflation has come down quite a lot, again, not completely vanquished. Things look better than they had. There was already quite a lot of price growth to date that's been built in.

[09:35:02] And even though Americans wages overall have lately been outpacing inflation, that still doesn't mean that Americans feel great about their finances. They might think that they deserved those wage hikes, whereas the inflation is something that happened to them, let's say.

SIDNER: Yes.

RAMPELL: So, Americans not feeling great about their own finances. Again, Biden has a lot to legitimately tout, but he risks looking tone-deaf if he says, hey, everything's great, why are you complaining?

And I think he's trying to find the right balance of bragging about some of the good numbers while still acknowledging some of the lingering pain or frustration that American consumers have because of those paths - those past price increases.

SIDNER: Yes, some of that lingering pain. All you have to do is look at just how high the credit card debt is among Americans right now. Some of the highest ever.

Thank you so much, Catherine Rampell. Appreciate you.

All right, ahead, the Biden administration is taking new steps to regulate gun sales. What they're doing to try to close the so-called gun show loophole.

And the family of a deceased inmate suing the Alabama Corrections Department claiming they stole their loved ones organs.

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[09:40:38]

SIDNER: New this morning, the largest expansion of background checks for gun purchases in decades in this country. The White House is moving to close what's known as the gun show loophole. Under this new rule, if someone sells firearms predominantly to make a profit at a gun show or online, they will have to do background checks on potential buyers. That has not been the case until this new rule takes effect in 30 days.

Joining us now is someone who has been fighting for tougher gun laws since her six-year-old son, Dylan, was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary. Nicole Hockley is a co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise.

Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

First of all, you live with the loss every day of your son, who you called your beautiful butterfly, Dylan, in that horrific Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

NICOLE HOCKLEY, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, SANDY HOOK PROMISE: Yes.

SIDNER: What does this new rule mean to you and your family? HOCKLEY: This is a huge victory. We have been advocating for and

championing for expanded background checks since the Sandy Hook tragedy. And, you know, when we failed so miserably with the Senate in 2013, it was a moment of utter despair in terms of not being able to even do something as simple as that. So, the fact that this is now happening, it's - it's not the full, expanded background check, but it's certainly closing a significant loophole that's going to save lives. That is a big deal, because that means that there will be more families who will not be going through what I experience every day.

SIDNER: Specifically, what kind of difference do you expect this to make in the idea that gun violence kills children and adolescents more than any other single thing?

HOCKLEY: And isn't that just heartbreaking, that fact on its own, that it is the - gun violence is the number one killer of children under the age of 19 for three years running now.

What this means is that there is going to be thousands of unlicensed dealers who can no longer just sell guns to anyone without doing a background check. So, that could be a felon. That could be a domestic abuser. That could be a child, such as we saw 25 years ago with Columbine and how they acquired their guns. Now, if you are in the business of selling firearms, whether that's at gun shows, in your backyard, at a car boot sale or online, and you are not a federally licensed dealer, you will have to become a licensed dealer and conduct background checks or face the penalty.

So, what that means is, trafficking is going to be reduced. That is the number one way of guns getting into the trafficking circle is through unlicensed dealers. So, it's going to really close that down. It's not going to stop every illegal sale, but it will curb thousands and make a difference.

SIDNER: In the case of the Sandy Hook shooter, he used his mother's guns that she legally obtained at a gun store. This new rule would, of course, not have prevented that horrific massacre at your son's school. But do you think there's any version or a law that could have stopped the tragedy that you experienced and 26 others?

HOCKLEY: Well, in terms of what could have stopped Sandy Hook, a lot of that was about missed or misunderstood or ignored signs that the shooter gave off, plus non - his mother did not practice safe storage. They were his mother's guns, but the gun safe was in his room and it was not locked. So, he had open access to those firearms. So, there's a lot in terms of mental health support and funding, a lot in terms of secure storage. Background checks would not have stopped Sandy Hook, but would have stopped Columbine, it would have stopped what happened in Odessa, Texas, it would have stopped so many other shootings and individual shootings that happened across our state where felons or domestic abusers can get their hands on guns and commit acts of violence. It couldn't have helped my family, but it will help thousands more. And that's worth advocating for and fighting for.

I want to ask you about something we just had a conversation about. Republicans, in some states, think arming teachers is the key to preventing these school shootings. We just spoke to a Republican state senator who sponsored a bill to allow teachers to carry firearms in schools in Tennessee. The bill has passed the state senate and it's headed to the house. I wanted to let you listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL BAILEY (R), TENNESSEE STATE SENATE: This was designed to bring about a line of defense if, in fact, someone tried to breach any kind of security doors and enter into a school.

[09:45:06]

And so, I'm looking more at it as a help for those rural schools. And if metro areas, urban, suburban areas don't want to implement this type of policy, that's fine. It's totally permissive. And it also gives local control as to how that they would implement this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: So, he's saying the bill would be up to, for example, the school board, but that arming teachers would be allowed.

What do you think about this idea of arming teachers for school safety?

HOCKLEY: Well, first of all, I'm very glad that they're not mandating it because I have yet to meet a teacher who says that they want to be armed in their classroom. And I think that legislators need to listen to what teachers want and what students want in terms of safety in their schools before they create these laws.

I am not for arming teachers, mainly because there is no evidence base that it creates a safer school at all, where there are clear and consistent evidence basis is in upstream violence prevention, knowing the signs, threat assessment teams, that is more of a deterrent rather than asking our teachers to be that last line of defense. Teachers have the responsibility for ensuring community within a school, supporting our students, their academic and their - and their social skills. That's critical. Not arming them, especially the idea of having a gun in a classroom terrifies me as a parent because what if someone else accesses that gun? What if the teacher is not adequately trained? What if the teacher, in a moment of when they should be looking after the students, they have to have the responsibility of potentially shooting their own student or accidentally shooting their own student. It's just not a great idea.

Security, armed SROs who are properly trained, that is a different story. Arming teachers is not something I can support.

SIDNER: Nicole Hockley, thank you for taking the time this morning. I really appreciate you talking about this incredibly important issue.

HOCKLEY: Thank you.

SIDNER: John. BERMAN: All right, the largest power plant in the Kyiv region destroyed in a Russian missile attack. And the new CNN original series "Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight." It airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. here on CNN.

This is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No further communications with the spacecraft about 8:00 a.m. Central Time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang on. Let's listen it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And no further tracking data from the spacecraft that was gained from CBAN (ph) tracking radar at the Merritt Island (ph) tracking station in Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My team was in the control room and they were like, this is serious. We need to get Miles off that couch. And as I was making my way across the newsroom to this other set, I literally started heaving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The console that I was at, we had an off-duty flight director who called our console and said, hey, I'm watching the landing on TV and they're showing this debris in the sky. That's when we realized it really was bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:52:46]

SIDNER: Several Alabama families are suing the University of Alabama Birmingham and the Alabama Department of Corrections claiming the organs of their deceased loved ones were taken without their permission. They say each time bodies had been sent for an autopsy without the family's permission. Again, internal organs, including in one case a brain, was missing. In some cases they say body parts were used for medical training. When asked for comment, the Alabama Department of Corrections said it could not comment on pending litigation. UAB says it is the corrections department's responsibility to get family approval for autopsies.

All right, this morning, the largest thermal power plant in Kyiv has been destroyed in a Russian missile attack. There were no casualties and yet the attack has not yet resulted in power cuts there. But 80 percent of the power-generating facilities in the country are currently destroyed.

A legend of the sumo world has passed away. U.S. born Akebono died this morning of heart failure at 54 years old in Japan. He's considered to be a trailblazer for foreign born sumo wrestlers. Akebono became the first non-Japanese Yokozuna, a sumo grand champion. The highest rank in the sport. John.

BERMAN: That was a legend.

All right, new developments now in a gambling scandal that is rocking major league baseball. "The New York Times" reports the former interpreter for superstar Shohei Ohtani is in talks to plead guilty after accusations surfaced that he stole more than $4.5 million from Ohtani to gamble.

CNN national correspondent Nick Watt is in Los Angeles.

Nick, what's the latest on these possible plea deal?

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting some clarity on this story, John, and any whiff of scandal is moving away from Shohei Ohtani.

This is a bizarre story. About three or four weeks ago federal investigators looking into a bookmaker in Orange County, California, noticed Ohtani's name on money transfers. Now, Ohtani's interpreter came out and said that Ohtani had lent him, the interpreter, money to pay off his gambling debts. Shohei Ohtani's people came out and said, no way, this money was stolen.

[09:55:01]

So now "The New York Times" is saying that Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter, is in negotiations to plead guilty to some of the charges relating to this massive theft as Ohtani's people called it.

You know, they were more than just, you know, acquaintances. These two had worked together for a long time. They were - Ippei Mizuhara was the interpreter, friend, and confidant of Shohei Ohtani. So, you know, it was a pretty big deal.

And the one good thing is that Ohtani seems to not really have been impacted too much by this cloud. He, of course, is a two-way player. He's only hitting this year because of an injury. But he has been playing very, very well for the Dodgers. He has hit five straight multi-hit games.

So, as I say, with this reporting from "The New York Times," it seems any suspicion is moving away from Ohtani. And he is just, meanwhile, been getting on with what he does best, play baseball.

BERMAN: That is an important development, as you say, moving away from Ohtani.

Nick Watt, lifelong baseball fan. Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

SIDNER: I would like to add cricket as well. I don't know if you've ever seen this guy when it comes to cricket, but he loses his mind.

BERMAN: What can you say. Nick is a man of the world. SIDNER: He's a man of the world.

BERMAN: He is a man of the world.

SIDNER: I know your secrets, Nick.

WATT: Leave me alone.

BERMAN: I know. I feel like I'm in such trouble.

SIDNER: Thank you so much for joining us. This was CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

"CNN NEWSROOM" with Jim Acosta, up next.

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