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Microsoft CEO to Retire; Technical Issues Stop Nasdaq Trading; Obama Sits Down with CNN; Obama Sits Down with CNN; World War II Vet Beaten to Death; Teen Saves Kids from Burning Car
Aired August 23, 2013 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We're back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Steve Ballmer retires and stocks surge. How strange is that? Let's head to New York and check in with Christine Romans.
I'm thinking people don't think Steve Ballmer is very effective any more.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR: Well, I think they're thinking that whatever the change of leadership will be, will be a good thing for Microsoft shares. Microsoft up 8 percent right now. You can see over the past year how the stock has done. When many of other tech stocks have been doing well since pretty much the beginning of the year, middle of the year, you can see this is what Microsoft has looked like. And now it's moving higher by about 8 percent higher here.
Steve Ballmer's been there. You know, he - he's very close with a former CEO Bill Gates. They haven't announced who will be the next person to run the company. He's going to stay on for 12 months until they find a successor to run Microsoft. And, again, the stock is surging on that.
I got to tell you, though, Carol, this is a stock that a lot of this stuff wasn't trading yesterday for three hours. Major, major stocks weren't trading because that big Nasdaq glitch. And that's something a lot of people are still very, very angry about this morning. Everything's open. Everything's up and running right now, Carol. But to have a major stock exchange go down for three hours raising very serious concerns about how dangerous this interconnected electronic trading system has become and whether humans don't know how to manage the risk from the machines that are running the stock market. Three thousand stocks affected yesterday, including Apple and Google and some of the biggest names in your 401(k).
And, Carol, I think it's a big hit to investor confidence. They've got this thing fixed. Now, they haven't explained exactly what happened or promised it will never happen again. But I want you to take a look at this. Investors, regular people, with the lowest share of stock ownership ever, right? People don't believe that the stock market is safe for them and absolutely appalling glitches like yesterday's only feed into that. So, you've seen wealth grow over the last couple years because of stock market wealth. That's been going to the smart money. That hasn't been going to a lot of regular investor who look at things like yesterday and say, you know what, this is a casino played by a bunch of machines. I don't want to be in on it. I think it's very, very dangerous for our ability, you know, to really grow - to grow wealth and they've got to figure out a way to fix it.
COSTELLO: They do. Christine Romans, many thanks.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, presidential praise. CNN's exclusive chat with President Obama and what the president has to say about the school bookkeeper who averted a tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told her, I said, that not only did she make Michelle and me proud, but she probably saved a lot of lives, including the life of the potential perpetrator.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN's Chris Cuomo joins us with his exclusive one-on-one with the president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: I'm Carol Costello. Welcome back.
The most powerful man in the world sometimes feeling as powerless as any other parent on the planet. President Obama opening up in an exclusive one-on-one with CNN's Chris Cuomo. Chris is in New York now to tell us more.
Good morning.
CHRIS CUOMO, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEW DAY": Hey, Carol. Thank you for running the interview. Appreciate it.
You know, it's nice to get a little peek inside life inside the White House for the president. He may be the ruler of free world, you know, of the United States, but also still has to be a parent and deal with all the issues that all of us do. So here's -- take a look at what the president had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CUOMO: So we have this horrible situation that was luckily avoided down in Georgia.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Right.
CUOMO: We saw something that we see too much of, and then we saw something that we almost never see. OBAMA: Yes.
CUOMO: We saw someone who was mentally ill -
OBAMA: Right.
CUOMO: That somehow wasn't being properly monitored, and they find a weapon and they almost created a tragedy.
OBAMA: Right.
CUOMO: But then we saw Antoinette Tuff. What do you think about her?
OBAMA: She was remarkable. I talked to her today.
ANTOINETTE TUFF (voice-over): I learned from the best. The best president in the world.
OBAMA: Because when I heard the 911 call and, you know, read the sequence of events, I thought, here's somebody who's not just courage and not just cool under pressure, but also had enough heart that somehow she could convince somebody that was really troubled that she cared about them. And, you know, I told her, I said, that not only did she make Michelle and me proud, but she probably saved a lot of lives, including the life of the potential perpetrator.
CUOMO: Oh, absolutely. She was calm in the face of the gunman.
OBAMA: Yes.
CUOMO: Did she keep her calm when she got a call from the president of the United States?
OBAMA: She was pretty cool, too.
CUOMO: Was she?
OBAMA: She was happy about it.
TUFF: Thank you, too. I greatly appreciate it and I hope I get a chance to meet you also.
OBAMA: I think we might have to have her maybe make a visit to the White House.
CUOMO: So - oh, that would be a great for her. That would be a great way to reward the kind of behavior -
OBAMA: To thank her, yes.
CUOMO: That we hope no person ever has to find themselves in.
OBAMA: Although, I've got to tell you, one of the things that you see and one of the reasons I love these bus tours, you know, you meet folks like this all across the country every single day they're doing incredible stuff. Usually it's not as spectacular and the stakes aren't as high as this one, but, you know, everywhere you go, you see people who are working hard, doing their jobs, looking after their families, but also giving back to the community. And, you know, sometimes I think in Washington you lose sight of what exactly makes this country so great. It's not -- it's not all the stuff that gets a lot of attention. It's that day-to-day courage, kindness, empathy that really makes a difference.
CUOMO: On NEW DAY we call it "The Good Stuff." We do a story about it every day to reinforce the idea that people are out there going above and beyond.
OBAMA: I appreciate it.
CUOMO: So, it works. It's my favorite part of the show.
What is more daunting to you, the prospects of protecting the free world or dealing with a teenager and a near teen? What gives you more pause for concern?
OBAMA: Well, I've got to tell you, and Michelle gets all the credit, Malia and Sasha are just doing great. They are poised, they're smart, they're funny. But, most importantly, they're kind, they're respectful to everybody. You know, I'm -- I just couldn't be prouder of them.
Now, what I'm discovering is that each year I get more excited about spending time with them. They get a little less excited. They -- but they love me, so they want to pretend like they want to spend time with me. So they'll come in to my office and they'll pat me, you know, and say, hey, daddy, I love you and they'll give me like a 10-minute conversation and then they'll say, OK, daddy, I got to go. I'll be gone all weekend and I'll see you on Sunday night.
CUOMO: Is that what the dog's about, the new dog?
OBAMA: Yes. I think - I think there is an element from Michelle and me of, you know, we're -- we see what's coming and we need to make sure that we've got somebody who greets us at the door when we get home. But part of it is also Bo. Bo was getting lonely because the two other puppies had growing up and, you know, they still have some responsibilities for him, but they're not always around with him between school, sports practice, you know, all that stuff. And so Bo was starting to look a little down in the dumps inside the house. And Sunny, the new dog, she's only a year old. And, you know, the truth is, she's faster than he is. She jumps higher. She's friskier. And -
CUOMO: Every man has to learn that though.
OBAMA: He is trying to keep up and, ultimately, I think it's going to be great for him over the long term. Right now Michelle is in full parenting mode and really focused on getting Sunny to sit and, you know, catch and also there have been a couple of accidents and --
CUOMO: Oh, no.
OBAMA: Yes. The - but -
CUOMO: Is that a -- is that like a federal violation?
OBAMA: Well, it is true that, you know, we live in --
CUOMO: Because that's a national museum.
OBAMA: We live in rental housing. We didn't have to put down a deposit, but we are making sure that it gets cleaned up for the next occupant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: He's right about Sunny. Sunny makes Bo run.
CUOMO: You know it's - it's nice. It's always nice to have some new blood. You know, it's good for Bo, it's good for the family. And, you know, they do have to try and keep some modicum of normalcy in such an abnormal existence, especially for the president.
And I think, Carol, what really mattered there was Antoinette Tuff has captured our fascination for all the right reasons, right? I mean she's -- she's showing just what grace under pressure is. And I thought it was an interesting point that the president made, that he sees her as a reflection of what he believes about this country. And that's an interesting perspective from the leader of the United States. You know, that he -- the way he sees her and what he valued and what she did on that incredibly fateful day where she certainly saved lives.
COSTELLO: But you -- you could see that in the way he described his daughters. He used the words kindness. They were kind to other people. That was one of the qualities he admired most in his own children. So when you look at Antoinette Tuff, I mean she defines kindness and love and belief in God. So, I totally get that.
CUOMO: Yes. And we really crave stories like that these days, you know, Carol. We really do. We need more of them.
COSTELLO: We do. Chris, thanks. You'll be back a little bit later. We appreciate it.
We're going to take a quick break. We'll be back with more in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Checking our "Top Stories" at 48 minutes past the hour.
A shocking death in Spokane, Washington -- A World War II veteran has died after being found beaten out by the lodge Wednesday. 88-year-old Delbert Belton was called "Shorty" by his friends. As police try to find his killers, friends and neighbors are expressing outrage over his death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They need to be caught, period because that's senseless, man -- beating an old man. What kind of person does that? Excuse the expression, a wimp.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Police are searching for these two men seen on surveillance footage and as of for now the attack appears to be random.
A Maryland teenager was in the right place at the right time to help save three kids from a burning car. According to affiliate WMAR the driver had just crashed and a small fire was burning when 15-year-old Michael Shearer ran to help.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL SHEARER, SAVED CHILDREN FROM BURNING CAR: She's screaming on top of her lungs. I need your help my -- my kids are in the car. I have three you know they were about five, maybe four year olds in little car seats in the back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He got them out. Shearer and the driver and the children's mother were able to get all three kids out just before the car exploded. The mother and her three children suffered minor injuries.
The monsoon in southern Arizona kicks up a wall of dust which is called of course the Haboob. You're watching a sped-up time last video of this haboob. Winds from the storm were so strong that at least 50 power poles were knocked down. Police shut down an intersection because they thought a hotel sign might collapse. At one point visibility was down to just 50 feet.
More now from our exclusive CNN interview with President Obama. The President joining "NEW DAY" anchor Chris Cuomo from his bus stop tour in New York talking about everything from college cost to gridlock in Washington.
Oh yes gridlock in Washington where some Republicans are again threatening to shut down the government over Obamacare and there's even talk of impeaching the President.
Republican Congressman Tom Coburn called the Obama administration incompetent at a town hall in Oklahoma adding that he believes there are sometimes in Coburn's words intended constitutional violations of the law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: Barack Obama is a personal friend of mine. He became my friend in the senate. But that does not mean I agree in any way with what he's doing or how he's doing it. And I, quite frankly, think he's in a difficult position he's put himself in and if it continues, I think we're going to have another constitutional crisis in our country in terms of the presidency.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Of course Coburn was responding to one of his constituent's questions, but these words from a man who calls the President a personal friend. Well the President told Chris Cuomo why a friend would threaten impeachment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Sometimes they say to me privately I agree with you, but I'm worried about a primary from, you know, somebody in the Tea Party back in my district, or I'm worried about what Rush Limbaugh is going to say about me on the radio.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley is here to talk about this and more. Good morning Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: So I can't say I'm really surprised by this but really, are there grounds for impeaching the President?
CROWLEY: You know, I think, I didn't hear the totality of Senator Coburn's statement. But I have heard a number of senators and congressmen including Ted Cruz who I spoke to this week, talk about constitutional crisis. And when they say that, what they're talking about is they believe the president has overstepped the bounds of the presidency by some of the things he's done.
For instance they believe this idea that he's going to suspend an existing law which is the health care law for businesses for a year is not something he can do unilaterally. Do they disagree, no, but they also think that overstepping his bounds. They wonder of some of the thing he's done on immigration via the executive branch needed to come through Congress. So there are various things that he has done and they say that's not -- he really can't do that.
So to me that's what most -- when I talk to Republicans, I have not heard one of them say let's impeach him but there are those out there who have said that certainly on the ground. And I don't see any big groundswell from Republicans. They are concentrated very much on budget issues which come to the fore when Congress gets back in almost mid-September.
COSTELLO: Well let's talk about those budget issues because the President also said Congress is not doing its job especially as related to the budget as in passing legislation or a budget. Although House Leader John Boehner disagrees with the President Mr. Boehner says Congress should not be judged on how many new laws we create but how many laws we repeal. Well they haven't repealed many laws either have they?
CROWLEY: No but they have stopped some. And I've heard that Republicans do complain when we talk about a Congress that hasn't done anything. They say yes, we've stopped a lot of bad law is sort of what their -- what their explanation that we should use a different dynamic to say how productive Congress has been.
Nonetheless this has been a Congress that has passed very few big bills or any bills for that matter. But the Republicans fundamentally disagree on a lot of what the President has done and that includes the President's health care plan which they continue to fight, though it's been a matter of law for almost three years.
COSTELLO: Ok. Well tell us what's coming up on your show this weekend. Because I understand you're going to have Senator Cruz?
CROWLEY: We will have Senator Ted Cruz. We'll talk to him about 2016. But we also want to talk to him about health care and what Republicans would put in its place. Also they object very much Republicans Carol to our saying that Republicans want to shut down the government. They say that is not the truth at all. We're already starting with the kind of the maneuvering. You hear the President say the Republicans want to shut down the government. And what Ted Cruz says is listen we will pass a bill that funds everything that's currently being funded and then attached to that we're going to say and we -- we want to stop any funds from going to Obamacare.
(CROSSTALK)
CROWLEY: But they say if the President chooses not to sign that bill when it gets to him, well then he's closing down the government. You're going to see a lot of that dynamic going on with Republicans saying we're just doing what our folks want us to do which is to get rid of Obamacare which they say is causing jobs, is forcing businesses to put people on less than full time and that kind of thing. We will talk to him about that dynamic along with Egypt and a number of other subjects.
COSTELLO: All right. Candy Crowley, thanks so much for joining us.
CROWLEY: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next hour of NEWSROOM. President Obama schools Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Maybe you're not old enough to remember schoolhouse rock.
CUOMO: Oh, I remember.
OBAMA: Remember how the bill gets passed?
(MUSIC)
OBAMA: We like to make things complicated but this is actually not that complicated.
COSTELLO: Fighting words from the President to Congress, do your job.
Also, blue light special on Washington, DC's Medical marijuana aisle -- up to 20 percent off for patients in need. And Ben Affleck's big new role -- but is he bad ass enough to play Batman? That's all new in the next hour of NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Ryan Braun was suspended for the rest of the season for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. Guess what, he's not lying anymore. Andy Scholes is here with Bleacher Report. Good morning.
ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Yes, good morning Carol.
Braun is basically the Lance Armstrong of baseball. He doped, lied about it, attacked his accusers and now he's finally apologizing for it. Former NL MVP says he used a cream and a lozenge to help him overcome a nagging injury. Braun apologized in a statement saying, "I kept the truth from everyone for a long time. I was in denial and convinced myself that I had done nothing wrong."
In a letter addressed to Brewers' fans Braun said that he's committed to doing everything he can to earn back their trust an support.
BleacherReport.com asks the question today, would you shave your beard for $1 million?
COSTELLO: Yes.
SCHOLES: Yes, of course, most people would but Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, Brian Wilson, who has one of the most iconic beards in sports history says "No way". Wilson has been offered a million dollars by 800razors.com to shave his fabulous beard and be an ambassador for the company. According to (inaudible) sports, Wilson turned down the offer and said he's taking his beard to the grave.
All right. The Tulsa golden hurricanes may now have the cutest mascot in Florida. Meet Goldie. She's a five-month-old golden retriever and the new dog ambassador for the school. Carol her job is to make appearances and create smiles.
How can you not smile at a dog studying in the library?
COSTELLO: How can -- right. I'm smiling right now. Oh look, it's Superman dog.
SCHOLES: She's got a cape. She's actually got her own Instagram account. She's got about 1,600 followers. She's going to be at all their home games to lead the team out onto the field. One day they hope to train her to where she can run out on the field and get the tee after they kick off.
COSTELLO: That would be awesome. Andy thanks so much.
SCHOLES: Welcome.
COSTELLO: The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.
Happening now in the Newsroom, CNN's exclusive interview with President Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
