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September Jobs Numbers; Polls on Voters Thoughts of the U.S.; Garth Brooks Accused of Sexual Assault; Army Hospital Helping Freed Americans; David Jones is Interviewed about Walking to His Daughter's Wedding. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired October 04, 2024 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

JENNIFER RODGERS, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: DA's office will consider when it says to the judge that he or she should or shouldn't take a look at this again.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, the fact that a big chunk of the country that may not have been alive at the time is now fascinated by this, I mean it really is a smash hit on Netflix. I mean what role does something like that play in shining a new light on a case? We sort of saw it with "Serial," the podcast, right?

RODGERS: Yes, I mean, it certainly can bring attention to it. The DA's office looks routinely at cases as part of this re-sentencing unit. They also can take, you know, letters and so on from the people who are in prison, and also other people. So, it can draw attention to it. It shouldn't have any impact as far as, you know, a certain set of people in the country want to see them re-sentenced or not. I don't think they'll consider that per say. But it certainly can shine a light on people who've been sitting in prison for all these years and might want another look at their sentences.

BERMAN: Do you think they have a chance? Do you think they have a chance to have their situation changed?

RODGERS: I think that they do. I mean, again, it's the judge who does the re-sentencing. So, what the DA's office is considering is, should we give them a shot at this? Should we make this motion? And then ultimately a judge will say, look, here are the facts as they were then. But even look at things as their disciplinary records in prison, right? How they behaved through all these years. Do they deserve now, in middle age, and getting into their older years, another chance to be out in society. The judge will decide that ultimately.

BERMAN: Jennifer Rodgers, I don't think this is the last time we're going to be talking about this. Seriously. I mean, it's very, very interesting.

RODGERS: Yes.

BERMAN: If a judge is looking at this, you know the interest level is extraordinarily high.

Thanks so much for explaining it so well. Appreciate it.

RODGERS: Thanks.

BERMAN: Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Country music star Garth Brooks accused of sexual assault and battery and facing a new lawsuit. What he is now saying about the allegations against him.

And a wedding rehearsal dinner interrupted for a harrowing high water rescue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:36:16]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking just moments ago, the numbers are in. The September jobs report is, well, really freaking good.

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

SIDNER: CNN's Julia Chatterley is with me now.

Wow.

CHATTERLEY: Wow. Yes, you took the words right out of my mouth. So, the expectations were around 140,000 to 150,000 jobs added net last month. Take a look at that blow-out, 254,000 jobs added net. Also, the unemployment rate, we were expecting that to come in around 4.2 percent. That actually went down in the month to 4.1 percent.

In terms of what's adding this, the food sector, we're, perhaps, going out and drinking more ahead of the presidential election, who knows, that was certainly a contributor. Construction also added. Health care was a big gainer as well. Government jobs adding. It doesn't get better for the White House and for the Harris campaign than a jobs number like this one month out from the presidential election.

We'll see what next month brings. That could be a bit more complicated. Hurricane Helene, of course.

SIDNER: Right.

CHATTERLEY: The strikes for Boeing. That could complicate the numbers next month. But the Federal Reserve, looking at this, is going to be saying, wow, gave you a half a percentage point rate cut -

SIDNER: And you went nuts.

CHATTERLEY: Think yourselves lucky. Yes.

SIDNER: I did want to ask you about that.

CHATTERLEY: Yes.

SIDNER: So, with the - with the rate cut that we've already seen, and they're seeing this. And, of course, they're trying to deal with inflation -

CHATTERLEY: Yes.

SIDNER: Which everyone is worried about.

CHATTERLEY: Of course.

SIDNER: So, does this sort of tell you that maybe they won't do another one anytime soon?

CHATTERLEY: So, this is a great question. Remember the Federal Reserve look at both jobs and they look at inflation. And what they've said to us in the past few weeks is, look, this is primary for us now. The jobs market not seeing any further weakness.

What these numbers show is a bump in hiring in a month. It's not really factoring in the benefits of the rate cut that we just saw beyond the psychological benefits.

SIDNER: Right.

CHATTERLEY: So, we could see a further lift to the jobs market when those rate cuts start to filter in.

To answer your question in an incredibly long-winded way, they've said that they think they can get another half a percentage point in for the rest of the year.

SIDNER: Yes.

CHATTERLEY: A quarter of a percentage point rate cut right before the presidential election. But maybe they'd be tempted to hang fire in the face of this and not take the criticism that perhaps they're trying to influence the presidential election. Not that they are, but they're open to that criticisms for right before -

SIDNER: Right, the criticism happens -

CHATTERLEY: Right before the presidential election.

SIDNER: Yes. Yes.

CHATTERLEY: He could hold off.

SIDNER: Yes.

CHATTERLEY: Based on these numbers. We've got more data to come. But it's a wow.

SIDNER: We will see. But - but it is a wow.

CHATTERLEY: Yes.

SIDNER: It's almost double. I mean you -

CHATTERLEY: Yes, it's much, much better than we were expecting, And, obviously, as you would expect. Pre-market, investors liking it.

SIDNER: Yes.

CHATTERLEY: Yes.

SIDNER: Up a little bit.

CHATTERLEY: Liking it.

SIDNER: All right, Julia Chatterley, thank you.

CHATTERLEY: (INAUDIBLE).

SIDNER: It's always lovely to see you in the morning.

CHATTERLEY: Thank you.

SIDNER: I think that we are going over to John. Yes, over to John.

BERMAN: Hi.

SIDNER: Hello, John.

BERMAN: Hi. Yes. I can answer that for you. Correct. Fact check, yes.

So, listen, those jobs numbers that Julia and Sara were just talking about, exploding expectations. Way over expectations. Unemployment low at 4.1 percent, dropping. Seems to say the economy is in a good place.

One of the numbers, Harry Enten, senior data reporter Harry Enten is here. One of the numbers we always talk about in election is, do voters think the country is on the right track or the wrong track? What do the polls show?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes, if we look at whether voters believe we're on the right track or the wrong track, I think that this sort of gets at a problem for Kamala Harris' campaign. Just 28 percent of Americans think the U.S. is on the right track. And I want you to put that in a perspective, right? When does the average - when the incumbent party loses the election, look at that, it's just 25 percent. That looks a heck of a lot like that 28 percent, right, that currently think the country's on the right track.

When the White House party wins, i.e. Kamala Harris' party, the Democrats, 42 percent on average think that the country is on the right track.

[08:40:04]

This 25 percent looks a lot more like this 28 percent. It doesn't look anything like this 42 percent. This, to me, is a bad sign for Kamala Harris' campaign. The bottom line is, it looks a lot more like a loser than it does like a winner when it comes to the country being on the right track.

BERMAN: Can an incumbent party win with numbers like this? ENTEN: Yes, so, if we look historically speaking, right, and we say,

OK, say the U.S. is on the right track, the incumbent party, when they win. Today, again, it's just 28 percent. Look throughout history, right, '96, '88, '04, '12, '84. In all of these instances, in all these instances, far more than 28 percent thought that the country was on the right track. Thirty-nine was the lowest back in 1996. We got upwards of 47 percent in '84. Of course, that was a blowout, right, for Ronald Reagan.

So, there is no historical precedent for the White House party winning another term in the White House when the country - when just 28 percent of the country thinks that we're on the right track.

John, simply put, it would be historically unprecedented.

BERMAN: So, is there any good news or interpretation or prism you can look through where Democrats can say, well, maybe it's OK.

ENTEN: OK, so let's look back to the last midterm because sometimes history is made to be broken, Mr. Berman.

All right, say the country is on the right track in midterms. Democrats had a good midterm despite this. The old low for the country saying that - the country saying that we were on the right track was 27 percent back in 1994. Of course that was a blowout, right? The Republicans romped over the Democrats and Bill Clinton.

But this particular past mid-term, look, just 26 percent said that the country was on the right track. And Democrats did pretty gosh darn good. Maybe we've entered a new political environment where Donald Trump is so unpopular that these historical norms, these historical measures that we look at, don't actually mean what we think anymore.

I'll tell you this much, Kamala Harris better hope that's the case, because otherwise this right track, wrong direction situation will not work out in their favor.

BERMAN: The other thing Democrats do say is numbers, like the jobs numbers we just saw, they are seeing things improve a little bit week by week on the margins.

ENTEN: Yes, I would say, look, right now if we're saying, you know, 28 percent of the country is on the right track. That number was closer to low 20s at the beginning of the year. So, it has gone up a little bit. But still, you're very much in the danger zone when we're looking at that right track, wrong direction number. That's where Democrats are right now. They're going to have to hope that there's an historical norm broken, like there was in the past midterm, because if there isn't, Donald Trump's going to end up in the White House for another term.

BERMAN: I will tell you, no one except for Tom Cruise in "Top Gun" likes being in the danger zone.

Harry Enten, thank you very much for that.

Goose did.

Kate.

ENTEN: Oh.

BOLDUAN: I don't even know what to do. I'm going to leave it, because that was really -

ENTEN: Always best with John to just leave it.

BOLDUAN: I know. But it was a - it was a bit of a mic drop. That was a good one. A good one.

ENTEN: Good work.

BOLDUAN: I don't like to give him compliments, but that one, I guess I have to.

All right, let's turn to this right now. This morning, a former hair and makeup artist for Garth Brooks is accusing the country music star of sexual assault and battery in a new lawsuit. Brooks is also now speaking out and pushing back on the allegations, calling it extortion.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister is following all of this.

And, Elizabeth, you first obtained the lawsuit. What is he accused of?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, so Garth Brooks is accused of sexual assault and battery. This former hair and makeup artist that you mentioned says that she began working for Garth Brooks in 2017, but she had actually met him years before in 1999 because she began working for his wife, country superstar Trisha Yearwood.

Now, in the lawsuit she alleges that she was raped in 2019 in a Los Angeles hotel room when they were traveling for business for a Grammy's tribute performance. But she also alleges that the abuse continued. She said that she was sent sexually explicit texts, that he regularly exposed himself. He would change in front of her. There's one incident in this lawsuit, she alleges also in 2019, that Garth Brooks walked out of the shower in his home where she was to do his hair and makeup. He walked out completely naked and forced her hands on to him. This is just one of many allegations. It's very vulgar, very disturbing and very lewd.

But Garth Brooks is denying this.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: And what is Garth Brooks saying?

WAGMEISTER: So, last night I received a statement from his publicist. I want to read part of it to you, Kate. Here is what he has to say. Quote, "I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars. It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face. I trust the system. I do not fear the truth. And I am not the man they have painted me to be."

Now, this is just part of a lengthy statement. He doesn't discuss his relationship with this woman. He doesn't say if he knows her at all, if he knows who she is, if he's alleging that perhaps if an incident did occur if it was consensual. He gives no details like that.

[08:45:01]

But here's where things get interesting, Kate. Yesterday, hours before this lawsuit broke, I reported on a filing in Mississippi that came from an anonymous celebrity plaintiff who filed as a John Doe. We now know that John Doe was, in fact, Garth Brooks, and he was trying to prevent this lawsuit from ever coming out. He said to the court he was being defamed, he was being extorted, and he asked them from blocking this accuser from coming forward and for allowing him to continue under a pseudonym. Obviously, the court did not respond to that or did not respond favorably to that, and now this woman has come out with this lawsuit.

So, a lot more to come. We will see what happens. I have reached out to Garth Brooks' team. I've asked, was there ever a settlement payment despite his statement last night. They have not gotten back to me yet.

BOLDUAN: All right, you're going to be on top of this and bring us the latest as you're getting it.

Great reporting, as always, Elizabeth. Thank you very much.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, ahead, the response to Hurricane Helene has become a campaign talking point. Could this slow down the efforts to get relief to people in need?

And the incredible journey by a father through Helene's disaster zone to walk his daughter down the aisle. Those stories and more, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:50:52]

BERMAN: This morning, the struggle for hostages that come home. After the celebration, when they do arrive, the journey absolutely continues.

CNN's Rosa Flores toured a U.S. Army facility that is going "Beyond the Call."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When Americans who have been detained abroad, like Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan, and Evan Gershkovich make it home, these are the doctors.

FLORES: Thank you for your time, Colonel.

COL. ELIZABETH MARKELZ, CHIEF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER: Of course.

FLORES (voice over): At Brooke Army Medical Center, or BAMC, in San Antonio, Texas, who help them return to life with their families.

CNN obtained extremely rare access to Colonel Elizabeth Markelz, an 18-year veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Corps, and Major Elizabeth Johnson, a psychologists with 16 years of service.

MAJ. ELIZABETH JOHNSON, DIRECTOR, CRITICAL PSYCHOLOGY I INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER: We want to really try and maximize that family time.

FLORES (voice over): Here she is inside a hangar recently welcoming Americans who had just been released from Russia.

FLORES: I was in there. I could feel the emotion. As one of the first physicians there to welcome them, do you feel weight on your shoulders?

JOHNSON: I'm just really excited to be a part of that journey and figure out what you want to accomplish now that you're back home.

FLORES (voice over): Johnson and Markelz say they've treated dozens of freed Americans through an elite reintegration program called PISA.

FLORES: What is PISA?

MARKELZ: It stands for post-isolation support activities. We support the medical component of PISA for the individuals that come to San Antonio.

FLORES: There's a part of the hospital where freed Americans spend the first 24 to 36 hours getting a comprehensive medical exam. We can't show it to you because it's supersecret. What I can tell you is that it's highly secure, access is restricted. And to ensure the privacy of the patient, even medical professionals have to surrender their cell phones at the door.

So, you're a bit of a wonder woman. You were saying that you delivered your boy in the middle of a mission?

JOHNSON: Yes. So that night I did go into labor and, yes, was in the hospital texting and helping coordinate.

FLORES: You're the chief of medicine here, and you established the team that treats these freed Americans. Where do you start?

MARKELZ: The first thing I do is contact my nursing lead. And then, of course, I work with operations, facilities.

FLORES (voice over): BAMC is the only level one trauma center in the Department of Defense. It has a burn unit, a hyperbaric chamber, and a prosthetic manufacturing floor. FLORES: What most people see is the pomp and circumstance. The president welcoming them and the joy of reuniting with their families. But what people don't see or the scars that they're bringing back. That mental anguish.

What's the toughest part for them mentally?

JOHNSON: Sometimes people are coming home without a job, without a - without a home.

FLORES: I wanted to read do you something that Brittney Griner wrote on her Instagram. I want to acknowledge and thank the entire PISA staff and medical team. I appreciate the time and care to make sure I was OK. To hear those words, what does it mean to you?

MARKELZ: That's meaningful. That means the team is succeeding and accomplishing the mission.

JOHNSON: Just an honor to be a part of, you know, somebody's recovery.

FLORES (voice over): Rosa Flores, CNN, San Antonio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Great story.

All right, this morning, Iran's supreme leader issuing a new warning for Israel while leading Friday prayers for Hezbollah's slain chief. He warned Iran will attack Israel again, quote, "if needs be." Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran for Tuesday's missile attack. How and where are still being determined. The Biden administration is hoping to avoid any major escalation.

And we have a lift off. The Vulcan Centaur rocket successfully blasted off this morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida. In its second test flight, the rocket, made by the United Launch Alliance, could soon be certified to take national security payloads into space.

[08:55:04]

And this is lovely. A man getting ready for his son's wedding rehearsal dinner ended up rescuing a woman from floodwaters in North Carolina. The woman was trapped inside her house as the water swirled higher and faster. The house started to tilt and break apart after debris hit it and she had to jump out. The groom's father, you see him there, first tried to use a canoe to get to her, but eventually jumped into the water, grabbed her, and helped her swim to shore, where she was reunited with her frantic husband. The wedding couple did invite both of them to their rehearsal dinner.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Amazing story.

SIDNER: So, cool. BOLDUAN: And wait, there's more. Different wedding, another amazing wedding story though. Here we go. What should have been a two hour car ride on any other day turned into a seven hour trek for one father determined to make it to his daughter on her wedding day in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. And those seven hours, that was just part of the journey. That was just the part of the journey that he could stay and drive in his car. Basically the last half of this odyssey, he had to take it on foot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID M. JONES, FATHER OF THE BRIDE: And everybody I met along the way, police tried to talk me out of this. State troopers. People clearing the roads. I told them all, my daughter's walking down the aisle and 11 this morning and I'm going to be the one walking her down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: In all it took David Jones 12 hours to get from Boiling Springs, South Carolina, to Johnson City, Tennessee. And you see it there. He did it and made it in time to reach his daughter and walk her down the aisle. She was married on Saturday.

And David Jones joins us now.

It is wonderful to meet you. How are you doing?

DAVID JONES, WALKED 17 MILES AFTER HELENE TO REACH DAUGHTER'S WEDDING: Hi. Thanks, Kate. Yes, I'm doing great. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: It's an amazing story. I know you've been getting quite a lot of attention after this has all started coming out. I mean, when was - what was it - what was the moment when you decided, not only where you going to try to take it to go by car. What did you come up against when you realize that you were going to - you're going to walk the rest of the way?

JONES: Yes. So, in Boiling Springs, the storm came through. We didn't have internet. We didn't have cell service. I really didn't know exactly what I was getting into. But normally around here, by the time the hurricanes get this far inland, it's just rain. So, really wasn't expecting the extent of the devastation.

But with all the traffic delays and all of that, and routes and detours, I was just in a mindset of, all right, what's next? What's next? What's next? So, when I came to, you know, literally the end of the road, it was just like, all right, what's next? I can't drive, I'm going to walk. I run marathons. I knew I was about 20 or 30 miles from Holmes (ph). I can do this. Let's go.

BOLDUAN: And I've seen those pics of you finishing marathon. So, this is nothing for you, I guess I would say.

But, I mean, what was the hardest part of this trek, David? I mean was there a moment when you're, you know, mile whatever through and you're thinking, maybe this wasn't the right choice?

JONES: Well, it was an easy choice to make. My daughter's getting married at 11:00, and I'm going to walk her down the aisle. The execution was a little harder. At one point I came across the road crew. There was a bulldozer and a backhoe, and they were zooming just back and forth across the road, clearing, trying to get the debris. It was huge piles of debris. Six, seven feet high, spanning the road. And I was trying to get their attention so I didn't become a casualty, because they weren't expecting anybody. And the bulldozer driver, who was kind of startled. He was like, where did you come from? And they were kind enough to let me through.

And there was another debris field blocking the road. And so I was looking for a place to go over it, and I really couldn't find any. It was all twisted and mangled. And I tried to go around it. And I dropped in what was - it was mud, but it was like quicksand, right up to my knees. And it caused me to fall back in a - sort of a seated position. I've got my cell phone light in one hand and I've got a stick in the other hand that I was going to use for self-defense if any animals came out at night. And the backhoe had started to back up again. And I couldn't move.

So, I'm, you know, talking to the Lord, telling him how much I need his help at this point. And I probably yelled loud enough that he could hear me over the loud - the equipment, the road equipment there.

[09:00:02]

And - and sure enough, I was able to get my right leg out, but the mud sucked my shoe off. And I thought, well, I'm not going to be able to