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More Charged in Steubenville Rape Case; President Obama Pushes for Immigration Reform; Interview With Joel Osteen

Aired November 25, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: International inspectors will have unprecedented access to Iran's nuclear-related facilities.

So this will help Iran from building a nuclear weapon. And over the coming months, we're going to continue our diplomacy, with the goal of achieving a comprehensive solution that deals with the threat of Iran's nuclear program once and for all.

And if Iran seizes this opportunity and chooses to join the global community, then we can begin to chip away at the mistrust that's existed for many, many years between our two nations. None of that's going to be easy. Huge challenges remain, but we cannot close the door on diplomacy, and we cannot rule out peaceful solutions to the world's problems.

We cannot commit ourselves to an endless cycle of conflict. And tough talk and bluster may be the easy thing to do politically, but it's not the right thing for our security. It's not the right think for our security.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, this progress and the potential it offers reminds us of what is possible when the United States has the courage to lead, not just with the force of arms, but with the strength of our diplomacy and our commitment to peace. That's what keeps us strong.

That's what makes us a beacon to the world. That's how I will continue to lead so long as I'm president of the United States. And that spirit, not just what we can criticize or tear down or be against, but what we can build together, that's what brings me here today, because it's long past time to fix our broken immigration system.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

We need to make sure Washington finishes what so many Americans just like you started. We have got to finish the job. And it's fitting that we're here in Chinatown, just a few miles away from Angel Island. In the early 1900s, about 300,000 people, maybe some of them your ancestors, passed through on their way to a new life in America.

And, for many, it represented the end of a long and arduous journey. They had finally arrived in a place where they believed anything was possible. And, for some, it also represented the beginning of a new struggle against prejudice in a country that didn't always treat its immigrants fairly or afford them the same rights as everybody else.

Obviously, Asians faced this. But so did the Irish. So did Italians. So did Jews. And many groups still do today. That didn't stop those brave men and women from coming. They were drawn by a belief in the power of opportunity, in a belief that says maybe I never had a chance at a good education, but this is a place where my daughter can go to college. Maybe I started out washing dishes, but this is a place where my son can become mayor of San Francisco.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're going to pull away from the president, but you can continue watching him CNN.com/live, beginning to talk about something that -- a push for immigration reform, as we have heard him talk about in many, many speeches, also coming out and mentioning the significance of this really what it is right now, this interim deal while a major, major long-term deal is finalized when it comes to Iran.

The president there speaking in California, getting some money for the Democratic Party. We should also mention, a lot of discounted seats to actually see the president on this West Coast swing, so not quite getting the dollar that he had before in filling these rooms, the president there in California.

Let me move along and talk weather here because many of your eyes and ears are perked I know as you're heading out this week. A major storm is moving across the United States right now, just in time to snarl Thanksgiving travel for millions of Americans.

This is a large system. This is packing snow and ice and freezing rain and high winds. It's deadly. At least 10 deaths have been blamed on treacherous conditions thus far. Already, nearly 500 departing flights have been canceled at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport just to keep down the number of stranded passengers.

CNN's Nick Valencia is there in Dallas.

Nick, what do you see?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brooke, it has been a busy travel day here at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport. We have seen 300 flights canceled yesterday, another 180 departing flights cancel this morning. Passengers having mixed reactions of how they're handling the delays and cancellations.

Earlier, we spoke to the spokesperson for the Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport and asked how things will be here going forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MAGANA, DALLAS-FT. WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: We had about 180 departures cancel this morning at DFW Airport. And that's going to have a ripple effect across the country, but right now, the situation is that the weather has gotten much better and the afternoon flying actually looks really good.

Most of the cancellations were in the morning hours and a lot of them were actually due to the fact that very few planes were here in the morning to take those morning flights. It's looking a lot better for today and the rest of the day.

VALENCIA: We have seen things pick up in the last couple hours. Are you saying the worst is past? Are we in the clear?

MAGANA: I would say. The worst from a weather perspective is past, at least for the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. And so the afternoon schedule looks really great, only just a few spots of cancellations here and there, but a very busy schedule for the afternoon. We're aware that it's Thanksgiving travel week.

And it's a peak period for us anyway and as it is across the country, so we're trying to get as many flights out as we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: And we're talking about Dallas, but what happens here has a ripple effect all across the United States, impacting places like Central Pennsylvania, Upstate New York. We're seeing the severe weather system move through Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, causing a lot of problems there as well.

You know this is a busy travel week, Brooke, Thanksgiving holiday, lots of Americans, about 40 million Americans expected to get on the road, traveling 50 miles or more outside their home. If you're traveling, it would probably be the best advice to look at the travel advisories and stay safe out there -- Brooke.

BLITZER: Give yourself extra time. Nick Valencia for us in Dallas.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

BALDWIN: It's not just the weather that can impact your holiday travel plans. It's also the airline. And in about 20 minutes, we will tell you about the best and worst airlines for holiday travel. See which list your airline is on.

Meantime, some stunning new fallout today from the rape of a 16-year- old girl by two high school football players in Steubenville , Ohio. A grand jury has now indicted four more people in connection with this case, including the school's superintendent.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced earlier today that two other educators and an assistant football coach were also indicted. He talked to Ashleigh Banfield moments after today's announcement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE DEWINE (R), OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL: The grand jury did an exhaustive job of examining what happened, and, really, I think the message out of this today is, how can we hold kids accountable if we don't hold adults accountable? And that's really what the grand jury is saying by these indictments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Superintendent Michael McVey is the only one to be charged with felonies, tampering with evidence, obstructing justice. Six people in total have been charged in connection with this case after two students were convicted of rape back in March.

Jeff Toobin, let me bring you in, our CNN senior legal analyst and legal mind here.

We have the news of these indictments, and these are educators. What is a person's responsibility to report something like this?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, the important thing to remember is, it's actually a tough -- the law has never been entirely clear on what your obligation is to report what you see. Do you have an affirmative obligation?

But if you go to the police and if they ask you questions, you can't lie to them. You can't tamper with evidence. That's what these cases really are about. They're not about failure to report in the first place. They're really about lying and obstructing once the police started looking into this crime, which, as everybody probably remembers, all came about through social media, through the force of social media.

BALDWIN: Right, and the videos and photos that were seen by so many and apparently passed around by the students.

TOOBIN: Right.

BALDWIN: But what about the grand jury investigation, specifically, Jeffrey Toobin? We just heard from Mike DeWine saying they did this exhaustive job. What did that involve just to get this evidence?

TOOBIN: Well, this is what is so fascinating and disturbing about this case is there were a lot of suspicions that once this rape became public, once those photographs came out in social media, that this football-crazy community closed ranks around the suspects, not around the victim, and then tried to protect these football players from being charged.

That is precisely what Mike DeWine, the attorney general, is saying happened, that, instead of trying to assist the investigation, instead of trying to assist the victim of this terrible crime, many prominent people in this community, including the school superintendent --

BALDWIN: Could face prison time here.

TOOBIN: -- lied and obstructed.

BALDWIN: Right. Right.

Jeff Toobin, do me favor and stick around because I want to move along. Moments ago -- I want to move from Steubenville here to Connecticut. State officials in Connecticut released this report about the crime that shattered the nation just about one year ago. And our CNN team has been combing through the report of the Sandy Hook shootings. We have these new details just released. We will reveal them and have a bigger discussion about what this means coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, just minutes ago, Connecticut's Division of Criminal Justice released the summary report on what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School just about a year ago. That was December 14 of last year.

Joining me now from New York, national correspondent Susan Candiotti. Also with me, Jeff Toobin.

So, Susan Candiotti, first to you. You have gone through this report from this horrendous, horrendous shooting from a year ago. Does it answer the question why?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It doesn't. Don't we wish that it did?

It's only about 44 pages long, and, honestly, we have not had time to go through everything, so I'm pulling together some information from the executive summary, but there are three main findings that it contains. And that is this.

First of all, probably to no one's surprise, the shooter acted alone, according to the state's attorney. They have found no evidence that indicate that he planned this with anyone or had help with anyone in carrying out this terrible massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Secondly, no clear reason why he did it and why he chose Sandy Hook Elementary as his target, where he killed 26 people, 20 of them young children. And, finally, they recognize that he had significant mental health problems. How and whether that played a role, according to the state's attorney, remains unknown at this time.

They have interviewed several mental health care professionals, none of whom, according to the state attorney, say they could have predicted this kind of behavior, perhaps not surprisingly.

BALDWIN: Why -- Jeff Toobin, this is for you? Why, then? Because I immediately think of the families, not even just the families. Having been in Newtown, it's really the entire community. Why release this report if there's no real answer? Why reinjure the community?

TOOBIN: Well, given the magnitude of the event, I can understand why. There's a significant public interest in knowing what happened, if there was a conspiracy, if there was a failure in the mental health system, if there was a failure in the system of gun regulation.

Another fact that I learned in reading -- just starting to read it since it came over is that all of the guns used were purchased legally by Adam Lanza, the killer, who also killed his mother. They were all purchased legally by his mother. There has been a big controversy in Connecticut about release of the 911 calls.

BALDWIN: Right.

TOOBIN: A lot of the journalists in Connecticut have wanted those tapes to be released. The Connecticut authorities have said, no, that is too disturbing, too upsetting for the community.

So I do think the Connecticut authorities are trying to balance legitimate needs of the public with an attempt not to reopen and make worse those horrible, horrible wounds.

BALDWIN: Sure, it's a delicate balance, not just the 911 photos. I remember there was discussion about some of the crime scene photos as well.

Susan Candiotti, is this it? Investigation over?

CANDIOTTI: It's not. In fact, we're expecting fairly soon, actually, a much more extensive report that will be filled with evidence in a criminal investigation conducted by the Connecticut State Police. This is what they do. And it will be several thousand pages long.

So that will be interesting to see. And all of this, we have to remember, is in hopes of trying to learn lessons here in how to try to prevent these kinds of terrible mass shootings from happening again, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Twenty little lives cut short just about one year ago. I hope a lesson can be learned, but, again, just one year later, you can't help but just feel for these families in Newtown, Connecticut. Jeff Toobin and Susan Candiotti, my thanks to you.

And in just about 10 minutes from now, special guest here joining me live in studio, Joel Osteen, the televangelist. He's the pastor of one of the largest churches in the country. With the news from Newtown, let's talk to him. What would he say to one of the parents who lost a little one in Sandy Hook? We will have a huge conversation with Joel Osteen coming up in just about 10 minutes from now. Do not miss that.

Also today, we have some new developments to report on a story I'm sure you remember from the summer, just the pictures from Philadelphia. The district attorney there, the office has just announced charges against the contractor involved in that deadly building collapse; 49-year-old Griffin Campbell has been charged with six counts of third-degree murder and six counts of involuntary manslaughter.

This happened back in June. There was a vacant building in downtown Philadelphia that was being torn down when a four-story wall just collapsed on that Salvation Army thrift store next door. A number of people were inside at the time. Six people died; 13 others were hurt.

Coming up next, millions of Americans will be traveling this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. You want to get to your destination on time and safely, right? We will give you the rankings for the best and the worst airlines for holiday travel.

Also, the pope meets Putin. The Catholic leader and the Russian president sit down behind closed doors. What was the topic of that conversation? Don't you want to know? That's next. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: It is a big week for travel, and just in time for Thanksgiving, you have ice and snow and freezing rain. It's moving east across the country, threatening to upset travel plans for millions of you.

The storm has already claimed 10 lives. Fortunately, as you look at these pictures, you will see this SUV spinning about, flips over. This person -- look at that -- my goodness -- the person is OK because the person inside was buckled up.

But it's frightening certainly nonetheless. No doubt, the bad weather will affect a lot of people hitting the air this holiday week for Thanksgiving.

Zain Asher has been looking at which airlines handle the holiday crush the best.

Zain, spill it. Who's the best?

ZAIN ASHER, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brooke.

So, yes, we looked at statistics from the Department of Transportation ranking the 13 best and worst airlines in terms of holiday travel specifically over the past three years during the Thanksgiving week, airlines obviously judged in terms of online -- on-time performance, delays, diversions, cancellations, things we all care about.

So, in terms of best airline, Brooke, Hawaiian Airlines scored the best; 93 percent of their flights arrived on time over the past three Thanksgivings, and also over the past two years specifically, they reported absolutely no cancellations.

Now, part of the reason for this is Hawaiian Airlines rarely has to contend with bad weather for obvious reasons. Also, their flights are shorter. They're not necessarily flying across the country.

Now, on the other end of the spectrum, SkyWest came in last. Also, Alaska Airlines didn't do too well either, again because of weather issues as well for obvious reasons. In terms of major airlines, JetBlue didn't do too well. They scored the worst in terms of diversions and delays. JetBlue, as you know, flies to some of the busiest airports in the country. We're talking JFK, Newark, LaGuardia. And also they often have to contend with East Coast very severe weather systems -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: So, then, with all these numbers and the different airlines, will things being any better this year as people are traveling?

ASHER: It's going to be interesting.

Obviously, CNN has been following very closely the severe weather system. We know that specifically out of Dallas-Ft. Worth, 500 flights have been canceled. Also, 10 percent of the flights coming out of Oklahoma City's Will Rogers Airport have been canceled as well, but, overall, Brooke, I do have to say that things in general are getting better. In 2004, 72 percent of flights came in on time over Thanksgiving. Now that number is up to 87 percent -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK. Zain Asher, thank you very much.

ASHER: Of course.

BALDWIN: Moments ago, President Obama actually responding to hecklers there in San Francisco as he talks immigration reform. You will hear that back and forth. We're going to pull that up for you.

Plus, he is the leader of one of the biggest churches in this country. Joel Osteen in studio seven, going to join me to talk everything from America's mental health crisis, the state of spirituality in this country. Got a brand-new book out. We will talk to him coming up. Do not miss this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)