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Chaotic Start To Trial Of Egypt's Morsy; Toronto Mayor Won't Quit Over "Mistakes"; Kanye Sports Confederate Flag: Says "It's Mine"; Crist Launches New Run For Florida Governor

Aired November 04, 2013 - 14:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: The trial of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy is off to a chaotic start. Morsy arrived for the trial and immediately invoked his status as Egypt's first freely elected president. And that is about as far as things got there. The trial was postponed until early next year.

Ian Lee live in Cairo for us right now. Ian, it sounds like it barely got going before it was postponed. What happened inside there?

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brooke. Initially, we thought it was going to be a quick, non-eventful procedural trial, but really was anything but. Morsy came strolling in, wearing a suit, not the typical white jumper that most defendants are seen wearing. When asked who he was, he said he was the president of the republic, and that he did not recognize the legitimacy of the court.

His other co-defendants, the seven others, also broke out into chants, saying that they do not recognize the legitimacy of the court twice. The judge had to adjourn the court, calm things down. Probably the most bizarre was two local Egyptian journalists got in a fight with a lawyer. The journalists chanted execute Morsy angry at him and that stopped proceedings for a while as well.

Now, they finally were able to get through it. There are over 5,000 pages of court documents that lawyers are going to have to go over, as well as Morsy will have to decide if he wants a lawyer to represent him. Now, if he does have a lawyer to represent him, that means he recognizes the legitimacy of the court. So that's a big question that will be answered before the court comes back on January 8th.

BALDWIN: All right, Ian Lee, thank you so much for us in Cairo.

Now to Toronto, and the mayor there, he says he is not going anywhere. He's not stepping down. He's not going to resign. Even though police say they have a video that purportedly shows him smoking a crack pipe. After months of scandalous headlines alleging crack cocaine abuse and bizarre behavior. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford took to his radio show yesterday to come clean. He admits he drinks but denied using crack. Even says he wants police to release the video for everyone to see for themselves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR ROB FORD, TORONTO: I'm not perfect. I have made mistakes. I have made mistakes and all I can do right now is apologize. I'm not going to sit here and say I'm never going to drink again. That's not realistic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything in moderation, bob.

FORD: Everything is moderation is fine. Whatever this video shows, folks, Toronto residents deserve to see it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Despite the calls for him to resign, he says he's not going anywhere. In fact, since all this broke, I want to show you this one poll that shows the approval ratings are up by 5 percentage points after those police comments.

Criminal defense attorney, Drew Findling is here with me now. We were talking in the commercial break how the system is so different in Canada versus here in the U.S. In the U.S., if there's a video, throw it out there.

DREW FINDLING, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely. Even the chief of police has made reference to that may be the way they do it in America. Really what's interesting is what's happened here is it's one thing that reporters made it available last May, but then last Thursday when the chief of police specifically references the video, the mayor in fairness to him is saying, it's one thing for those guys to do it.

But you're the top law dog in the city, and now you're talking about it. Well, let the people decide for themselves. The chief is hiding behind the rule that in Canada. It can't go out unless it goes through the court system and eventually the case. The mayor is saying there is no case so let everybody see it.

BALDWIN: What do you make of the fact the mayor is saying show the video? I want everyone to see the video. The police say he's smoking crack. Cleary he contends he is not.

FINDLING: Well, there's two ways of looking at it. Either he is smoking crack because he is so stupid that it will show you that he is smoking crack --

BALDWIN: Well, then why would he want to show everyone the video?

FINDLING: Or he knows he didn't. He knows that the video comes out and shown him doing something that's technically exculpatory like smoking pot or smoking cigarettes, but he knows that it will not shows that he is using a crack pipe or whatever it is showing him ingesting crack cocaine.

BALDWIN: Where do you think this goes?

FINDLING: I think at some point, it's going to come out, whether through judicial order or through the media, through some type of leak. I cannot fathom because I live in America, it's always going to come out and everybody is going to decide for themselves. I seem to remember a mayor somewhere like Washington, D.C. with something like this similar happening.

BALDWIN: Yes, yes. Marion Berry, yes. Drew Findling, we'll see you next hour, talking about the Miami Dolphins with you.

Meantime, Central Connecticut State University is locked down right now after a man with a gun was reportedly seen on campus. A campus wide alert told everyone to shelter in place while police investigate. No shots have been fired, as far as we know. Our latest I-Report -- our latest report, rather, is police are going door to door and floor to floor in some of the dormitories where the gunman is believed to have gone. As soon as we get any more information, we'll bring it to you here on CNN.

Kanye West, certainly no stranger to controversy and this time, the rapper making headlines by wearing this. See his right arm, confederate flag. Coming up next, find out why he is now claiming this controversial flag is his.

Plus, a New York University student goes missing. Thirty six hours later, he is finally found, and you will not believe the space in which he is found, the best video ahead. Hit play, coming up.

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BALDWIN: Kanye West making headlines again, this time for sporting a controversial and historic symbol of racism to so many people. Kanye West says he is taking ownership of the confederate flag, and quote, "made it his flag." Here it is. Flag is featured on clothing promoting his tour. This weekend, paparazzi snapped him wearing a bomber jacket with the flag on his right sleeve.

Listen, Kanye is known for making social commentary in his music if you are fan or even not you know that. His latest song entitled "New Slaves" is a perfect example of that, but is the confederate flag here, the clothing, is it a poorly executed publicity stunt, or does he have a point. This is what Kanye West himself said on an L.A. radio station.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANYE WEST, MUSIC ARTIST: Any energy you've got is good energy. You know, the confederate flag represented slavery. That's my abstract take on what I know about it, right? So I made the song new slaves. I took the confederate flag and made it my flag. It's my flag now, now what are you going to do?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: All right, let me talk about this with our entertainment correspondent, Nischelle Turner, and CNN political commentator, Marc Lamont Hill. So Nischelle, first to you. I mean, listen, isn't this just Kanye being Kanye, pushing the envelope, wanting some buzz, or is it more than that? NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, when you first see the picture and you don't hear what he has to say, you may very well think that, Brooke. But then when you hear what he has to say, listen to the radio interview, it does kind of seem like maybe he is trying to make a political statement here. He also could be trying to make a marketing statement here because he has other clothing with the confederate flag on it.

But it's like what a lot of African-Americans and especially hip-hop artists have done with the n-word, what he's saying is I'm going to take it. I'm going to embrace it. I'm going to flip it, and I'm going to make it a term of endearment. Now does it work? I'm not really sure because it's such a jarring image that people will have a really hard time wrapping their arms around it, just like they do with the n-word.

BALDWIN: Marc Lamont Hill, do you think this statement he's trying to make is a valid one?

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think in an abstract sense, it's valid. I mean, certainly people have the right to say whatever they want and do whatever they want. It is possible for people to reclaim words and use it with different meanings. I think that the African-American community has used the n-word throughout history in a range of interesting and complicated ways.

But the confederate flag represents such a deep and dark and painful history and such a dark moment in American life that it can't simply be erased just by Kanye West said, I'm wearing it so what's you're going to do now. As if just because Kanye West puts it on his body, it erases racism. It takes a heck of an ego to think you can destroy 400 years of racism by putting a hoodie on.

TURNER: You know what? And Brooke, I have a question because he had this other material, these t-shirts and what not, what would happen and how would he feel if one of his white fans went and bought his merchandise and his material and wore that? I mean, would you still have the same feeling? So that's kind of my question in all of this.

BALDWIN: Marc, don't you think young white fans go to a Kanye show, you buy one of these shirts, a jacket, is that OK?

HILL: Well, again, he would say that these new generations of fans, they have different sensibilities. These white fans aren't racist and they also want to re-appropriate the term. The problem is you can't separate that out, just from the image. It's not like there's a big X over the confederate flag. It's not like he wrote, you know, slavery is dead.

I mean, there are also some interesting complex -- things he could do with the image, but just to have a confederate flag, not only could a new fan do it. You know, the guy in the pickup truck in South Carolina who waves the old confederate flag, could buy some Kanye merchandise and wear the same thing. It's a dangerous thing if you don't have more commentary. BALDWIN: You know what this reminded me of, Nischelle Turner, and I'm pretty sure we talked about this on TV. Do you remember that Brad Paisley and L.L. Cool J. song, the accidental racist, how was that received?

TURNER: First of all, that wasn't a great song, so it wasn't received really well in the community because the song just wasn't great and those are two great artists who just didn't make a good collaboration. But you know I think the good thing about all of this, Brooke, is that the three of us are on television talking about these issues right now.

Having a very intelligent conversation that I think has been lacking a lot, especially in the music industry and especially about these types of topics because they keep coming up. So obviously, we need to keep having these conversations.

BALDWIN: Do you think, Marc Lamont Hill between Eminem and what we have seen recently, we know with this new album that's coming out, the homophobic lyrics and what we're seeing here with Kanye West. They just sit down like in between albums thinking, what can I do or say that will get me buzz when my music comes out?

HILL: Sometimes I feel like that. To me, the most interesting Kanye West moment is when he's doing it by accident. When he stands up and says a thing about George Bush after Hurricane Katrina, when he's giving a passionate response about glass ceilings in the fashion industry, he's being revolutionary. He is being dangerous and he is being honest.

But when he starts thinking about how to be edgy and starts thinking about how to be controversial, you get a mess like this. I think you're right, people like him and Eminem sometimes I think they're doing it just to get attention and it's the wrong kind of attention.

BALDWIN: It matters, I guess, as you say, when it's real. Marc Lamont Hill and Nischelle Turner, thanks, you two, very much.

Tonight, a special edition of "AC 360 LATER," Anderson Cooper will take a look at race and justice in America at 10:00 Eastern here on CNN. Make sure you tune in.

And election day, it is hours away. People across the country will be heading to the polls tomorrow. Coming up next, you have three contests getting national attention. Find out which race could help shape the 2016 presidential election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The former Republican governor of Florida wants his old job back, this time, as a Democrat. Charlie Crist announced this morning that he is running for governor again in 2014. Crist served as Florida governor from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican. He told supporters today that party labels aren't what is important?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHARLIE CRIST (D), FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: To take a journey, a journey to take back our state's destiny. To chart a new path, one that is built on the foundation of an economy that is fair for the middle class where hard working Floridians have every opportunity to get ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Crist ran for the Senate as an independent in 2010. He lost to Republican Marco Rubio. He officially joined the Democrats last December.

Tomorrow is Election Day. We're keeping an eye on these three key races here. First, you have New York City's Bill De Blasio, poised to put an end to the Democratic Party's two decade drought in elections for mayor. De Blasio, according to polls, has a huge lead in a race to succeed Michael Bloomberg.

Meantime, President Obama campaigned Sunday for Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia. McAuliffe has led in polls since the summer over Republican Ken Cuccinelli. In New Jersey, Republican Governor Chris Christie cruising toward re-election over his Democratic challenger, a big win tomorrow will only add to all the fodder that Christie has his eye on the White House come 2016.

In today's "Impact Your World," actor, Jeff Bridges tackles childhood hunger in America. His stated goal is no kid hungry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF BRIDGES, ACTOR: Hi, I'm Jeff Bridges. And we can make an impact on ending childhood hunger here in America. According to the USDA, we currently have over 60 million children who were struggling with hunger, one in five of our kids. Any of you kids see "Surf's Up"?

We think one of the most important things we can do to end childhood hunger is to have universal breakfast in schools. Another thing that is very important is there are summer meal programs available to kids. No kid hungry is about making people aware of the programs in the state.

It affects me in a person way thinking about what that would feel like if I wasn't able to provide for my kids. But also, even in a patriotic way, we can't compete with the rest of our world if our kids aren't in good shape. Join the movement, "Impact Your World," go to cnn.com/impact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Jeff Bridges, thank you.

Coming up, a man flicks his lighter at the gas station and then his wife bursts into flames. That shocking video, the fallout from that.

Also, a billion dollars worth of art discovered inside a mansion decades after the Nazis stole it. We will tell you who has been holding on to these priceless works of art all these years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The Denver Nuggets had a high flying preshow planned for their first home game, but it didn't quite go as planned. Because you could see here, this is the mascot being lowered from the ceiling center court Friday night. If you're watching here, what isn't happening? He's not moving because he blacked out on the way down. The good news is he was OK. He was able to walk off the court once he finally came to. By the way, the nuggets lost the game to the Portland Trail Blazers, 113-98.

Time now for some of the hottest videos of the day, we call it hit play.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN (voice-over): Trapped, a 19-year-old student wedged between two buildings for nearly two days, finally rescued late last night. The NYU student had gone missing after a fire alarm went off at this dorm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They would not have found him for who knows how long and he would probably be dead right now.

BALDWIN: Stuck in a space only 6 inches to 12 inches wide, firefighters had to break through the wall to get him. Now he's hospitalized in serious condition and police still don't know how he got stuck.

A Georgia man facing charges today after doing this at a gas station, you see the man apparently flick a lighter right next to the gas tank. Flames shoot out, engulf his wife. She suffered second and third degree burns to her legs, arms, and head. Her husband charged with reckless conduct.

Take a big-rig truck filled with honey, a whole lot of bees, and a blown tire, and you get this mess all over a Georgia interstate. Crews spent hours moving the hives off the highway. No one was injured.

The playoff beard, love it or hate it, it worked for the Boston Red Sox. The team swore off shaving during their championship run. And today, sadly, the beards of Big Papi, David Ortiz, and Shane Victorino, fell victim to the old razor, still good looking, guys. And that is today's hit play.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: It's called a virgin tax. NFL rookies shelling out big bucks, all part of a hazing ritual. In one locker room, did it go too far? Sending one player over the edge. I'm Brooke Baldwin, the news is now.

Priceless art stolen by the Nazis, found inside a mansion. Find out who had it all these years. In many states, child care is now more expensive than college.

Plus, secrets revealed from the 2012 campaign trail, including Chris Christie calling CNN's Newt Gingrich a joke.

And Clint Eastwood making one of Mitt Romney's guys vomit.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A new drug reverses overdoses including this woman's brush with death, all caught on video.