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Facebook Launches Auto-Play Video Ads; Diplomat's Arrest Strains U.S.-India Ties; One Direction Faces Plagiarism Claims; Bus Passengers Take Down Gunman; Outrage over Dangling Dog Photo

Aired December 19, 2013 - 10:30   ET

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

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS UNIT: Well, that's right Carol. And what Jody told me that was she was very fortunate they had a health adviser who Dr. Mitchkowski (ph) helped set them up with to go over all their options because these are spread sheets. They have a number -- she is on eight different medications. She needs to find out how many are covered, how many of my six doctors can I able to bring over to this new network?

So it is complicated. And she was lucky and she will tell you that I am lucky that I'm able to figure this all out. But it was certainly very stressful for her and for many, many seniors across the country who are now facing a similar situation.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Chris Frates many thanks to you.

FRATES: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still to come on the NEWSROOM anti-American anger builds in India over one of the -- over how one of its diplomats was treated here in the United States. We'll have the latest on strained relations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Starting today Facebook users will see something new. The company is unveiling auto play video ads that will run in users' central news feeds. Won't that be fun? CNNMoney tech correspondent Laurie Segall joins me to talk more about this. This could get a little irritating.

LAURIE SEGALL, CNNMONEY TECH CORRESPONDENT: Sure. We're thrilled that we hear about new advertising. Yes. But essentially this is how I like to think about it, Carol. It's almost like a commercial playing in your news feed when you kind of scroll down but here is the catch.

So these videos are going to auto-play but they're going to be on silent. So if you see it and you think it looks interesting and they're starting out with one that has Kate Winslet kind of promoting her movie, if you think it looks interesting you click or you tap on it and then you get the sound and then they show you multiple advertisements.

So it's really a new advertising style. And it almost seems a little bit commercial like. And I think you know they're having it silent so it's not going to alienate users but you know jury is out as to whether people are going to get really annoyed by these ads.

And also say you know Facebook has to focus on mobile. Mobile is the future of Facebook. And they make half of their ad revenue from their mobile users. So you know they are looking for advertising that will be very good on mobile, that will, you know, you can actually scroll through a mobile and it can actually play pretty well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes I think mobile is the future of everything, right?

SEGALL: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: It is. Laurie Segall thanks so much.

SEGALL: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Also this morning anti-American anger is boiling over in India. Take a look at that. Outraged Indians set fire to American flags and denounced President Obama in street protests that are growing decidedly more angry. They're railing against the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York City. This diplomat was strip searched, handcuffed after being accused of falsifying her housekeeper's work visa and grossly under paying her. This diplomat's treatment has ignited outrage as you saw among her countrymen.

We have one report from two countries. Mallika Kapur captures the mood in India and Pamela Brown is in New York with the U.S. view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The events that unfolded following the arrest of Devyani Khobragade the Indian consulate here in New York led to a tale of two continents.

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in India the same event triggering outrage some suggesting this will harm India's relationship with its close ally the United States.

BROWN (voice over): It all started last Thursday when Devyani Khobragade was taken into custody after dropping off her daughter at a school in Manhattan.

KAPUR: It didn't take long for the news from New York to travel more than 7,000 miles to New Delhi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Americans, Americans.

KAPUR: Tempers flared as details emerged about Khobragade's treatment during her arrests.

BROWN: Officials say she was brought here to this courthouse in lower Manhattan where she was strip searched in sight and put in a holding cell with others who have been arrested while she waited to see a judge that day. The U.S. Marshal's Service says that it was given no special instructions on how to treat her and that it was just playing by the book following standard operating procedure. One U.S. official adding that a female marshal privately searched her out of public view.

KAPUR: Many here in India argue that Khobragade is not a common criminal and that her treatment was barbaric and insults to all Indian women. It didn't take long for reaction to spread. First the security barriers placed right here outside the U.S. embassy in New Delhi were removed. Then staff working at various U.S. consulates across India were asked to turn in their benefit I.D. passes.

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL EXPERT: The real issue is whether the strip searching was appropriate. It seems to me that maybe a little more sensitivity should have been brought to the table in the processing of the arrest.

BROWN: The cause of the arrest according to these documents, allegations that Khobragade falsified the visa application about how much she paid her housekeeper. Prosecutors claim the housekeeper was over worked and paid less than $3.31 an hour.

KAPUR: Khobragade pleaded not guilty and has been released on bail. Officials in India are now demanding she be allowed to return home.

BROWN: Khobragade worked here at the Indian consulate in New York City she sent an e-mail to her colleagues thanking them for their support. The controversy has reached the highest levels of the U.S. government with President Obama being briefed and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressing his regret and saying the situation should have been handled more delicately.

KAPUR: But Kerry's statement seems to have made no difference to people here in India who are still outraged. Many say they won't be satisfied until the U.S. accepts its fault and issues a full apology.

BROWN: This video shows Khobragade leaving the Indian mission to the U.N. in New York yesterday morning she's attempting to apply for full diplomatic immunity so she can avoid federal felony charges.

KAPUR: Khobragade's future and the long lasting impact of this international incident remain in question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. Let's head to New York City and Pamela Brown for more on this story -- Pam.

BROWN: Well, Carol, at this point officials from both countries are still trying to find their way out of this diplomatic tangle that has unexpectedly put a strain on relations between the U.S. and one of its main Asian allies. Now India's external affairs minister and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expected to be speaking today over the phone and, of course, the hope here is that they'll be able to reach an understanding and temper the fury.

Kerry has openly expressed regret about the situation as we heard in the piece there. And both officials have said they want this resolved but India's foreign minister is demanding those charges against Khobragade be dropped.

So of course, Carol, we will be keeping an eye on this developing story for you.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. Pamela Brown, thanks to you.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: They've captured the hearts and minds of millions of teenage girls across the globe but now the hit boy band One Direction is catching a little flack over accusations of plagiarism. Here is a sample of their chart topping song "Midnight Memories."

(MUSIC)

COSTELLO: Oh does that sound familiar, baby boomers? And not because you've heard One Direction sing that song. Some say this song sounds a lot like the 80s monster hit "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard.

(MUSIC)

COSTELLO: Oh Nischelle Turner I loved that song back in the day -- the greatest song to sing in the car. And I must say I hear the similarities between the two tunes.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there's definitely similarities between these two, Carol. But the thing that is trying to be flushed out here is, is this an instance of plagiarism or is this just a coincidence? And that's what we don't exactly know now. I can give you a couple of things that we do know.

First of all we know that One Direction did not credit Def Leppard at all on their album anywhere for this song. We also know this isn't the first time that One Direction has been accused of plagiarism.

Back in the summer remember their song "Best Song Ever". It was like their biggest hit? Well, at that point, they were accused of ripping off The Who's "Baba O'Riley" with that song and then Peter Townsend -- excuse me -- Pete Townsend came out and said that yes the same three chords were used in both songs but he said that happens in basically all pop songs. It's been happening since Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry so he really didn't have a problem with it.

What we know also is that Def Leppard hasn't gone as far as to say they're going to sue but they are asking their legal team for some advice here.

COSTELLO: I know it sounds awfully familiar.

TURNER: It is -- they definitely have the same beat. Carol, you know, we have seen this more and more often. I mean Robin Thicke is now being sued by Marvin Gaye's family because they said he with his big song of the summer "Blurred Lines" ripped off Marvin Gaye's "Gotta Give It Up". We hear this a lot and it becomes kind of a blurred line because, you know, there is so much sampling going on in music today with old stuff and new stuff and different genres and blending them all together. So we're seeing these kinds of accusations more and more come up with artists of today.

COSTELLO: Interesting. I liked how you used that pun blurred lines in there. That was -- Nischelle Turner.

TURNER: We've had this conversation before.

COSTELLO: We have.

Nischelle Turner -- always fun. Thanks so much.

TURNER: Absolutely.

Still to come in THE NEWSROOM a man pulls a gun on a Seattle bus but one passenger wasn't going to take any of it. We'll show you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Chaos on the commute. Bus passengers spring into action when a man pulls a gun.

Jon Humbert of Seattle affiliate KOMO reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON HUMBERT, KOMO, SEATTLE: In just a few seconds Chris Briggs' commute home became unforgettable. Police say the man with the gun and in this case at the bottom of the pile is 19-year-old Trevonte Brown. Briggs says that is the man who robbed him just moments after pulling a gun on a woman and shortly before this scuffle.

CHRIS BRIGGS, BUS PASSENGER: Then he came up to me and stuck the gun at me and took my phone.

HUMBERT: At first Briggs said no.

BRIGGS: He jabbed me a little harder and said don't make this harder than it has to be.

HUMBERT: The video shows the suspects moving farther up the bus and pulling the gun again. That's when passengers had enough. Briggs jumped into the fray, too, as horrified passengers scramble to get off the bus.

BRIGGS: People were kind of committed at that point.

HUMBERT: They held the man down until police arrived and took control of the scene. A quiet commute home that became something more even if Briggs doesn't think he and his fellow passengers should be called heroes.

BRIGGS: No. I mean, it was just kind of one of those things that no one gave any thought to it once things started happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. But I think it would be wiser just to turn over your cell phone. But they were brave passengers. I'll give them that.

Prosecutors are calling the robbery suspect an extreme danger to the public. He has been charged and faces more than 15 years in prison if convicted. I'm still talking about the bus story.

Ok. Let's move on to other top stories now shall we at 51 minutes past.

We got a progress report this hour on the nation's housing recovery. It turns out the sale of existing homes fell last month 4.3 percent from October. That drop off was more than double what was expected. The news comes as economists expect mortgage rates to inch higher to around 5 percent.

In Boston it was a grueling journey to nowhere. Passengers boarded their Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt only to sit on the tarmac for five hours and then return to the gate. They say they then spent several more hours waiting on their luggage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were told we couldn't put our seat back, can't use our cell phones, we can go to the bathroom for emergencies but can't loiter in the aisles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They offered us a little plastic cup of water and one little bag of goldfish crackers the shape of airplanes. We'll never be flying them again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The gold fish crackers shaped like an airplane. Wasn't that the worst? The airline blames the snowstorm and a broken snow plow for all the problems.

Delta telling its passengers to stay off cell phones while the plane is in the air, JetBlue and Southwest also banning in-flight calls. The three airlines are making the call even before the government officially rules on in flight cell phone use. The FAA and the Department of Transportation are reconsidering that policy now.

Some NASA astronauts are turning into MacGyver before their spacewalk to fix the international space station. Saturday's spacewalk will be the first since the summer when a space suit malfunctioned and started filling up with water.

To help avoid that problem this time around, astronauts have created a makeshift snorkel to use inside their helmets in case something happens. Those astronauts will be making a spacewalk to replace a failed pump module outside the space station. That will happen on Saturday and maybe even on Christmas Day.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: How lazy can you get? Wait until you see what one man is accused of doing just to avoid taking his dad's dog out for a walk. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's raining out. The dog has to go, but the owner's son doesn't feel like moving. Police think that's why this dog was dangling from a second-floor balcony. Jennifer Snow took the photo.

JENNIFER SNOW, WITNESSED DOG DANGLING: Actually holding his dog down, lowering it, and then pulling it back up to actually let it out to use the bathroom.

MOOS: The photo spread and so did the outrage. Heather Vincelette helped share the picture.

HEATHER VINCELETTE, SHARED DOG DANGLING PHOTO: He needs to know that no, you can't do that.

MOOS: Folks online let him know, "How freaking hard is it to get your butt off the couch and take the poor dog for a walk?" But the most frequent comment was, "Hang his sorry butt out by a rope the same way."

(on camera): Police say the dog was tethered not to a collar but to a harness. He wasn't choking, he wasn't harmed.

SNOW: There was a lady and her husband actually were getting in their car, and they were kind of yelling at the guy.

MOOS (voice-over): Eventually the photo made its way to the Greenville Police. They went to the upscale condo and cited 23-year- old Tyler Smith with violating the city's Animal Care Ordinance, which carries a fine of $1,093 and the possibility of 30 days in jail.

Smith is the son of the dog owner.

(on camera): The son was house-sitting while his parents were out of town. The father told a news photographer that he was livid about what his son did to the dog.

(voice-over): We weren't able to reach him, but someone who identified himself as the pet owner and the dog as Mac responded to online critics by saying, "Our son is a great kid who made a bad choice. Mac is a much loved part of our family and no one would ever try to intentionally harm him."

Others defended the dog dangling by saying it was no different than pets going skydiving, like this rescue dog does. Not since Michael Jackson held his baby boy over the edge of a balcony has dangling generated such a fuss.

VINCELETTE: The stupidity of people upsets me.

MOOS: Letting a dog dangle has left people untethered.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "LEGAL VIEW" with Ashleigh Banfield starts now.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN HOST: A warning to 40 million shoppers. If you swiped your card at a Target store recently, hackers may have swiped your data and gone on a shopping spree. Better check that bank account and statement right away.

Also this hour, Dennis Rodman back in North Korea for more of what's called basketball diplomacy, but is it diplomacy? Don't expect him to press the dictator pal to release a detained American missionary.

And the head of "The Duck Dynasty" can't duck this controversy. Father Phil booted off the hit TV show for his anti-gay comments. Can the family overcome his family values faux pas?

Hello everyone. I'm Ashleigh Banfield and welcome to the show. It is Thursday, December 19th. This is "LEGAL VIEW". Let's begin here.

Who hasn't shopped in the three weeks since Thanksgiving, whether it's for Christmas gifts, holiday gifts or just every day basic stuff?