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President Gives Speech on NSA Reforms; Governor Chris Christie Attend Fundraiser; Cruise Ship Hit with Virus; Detroit Auto Show Unveils New Car Models; Tesla Motors Issues Recall; CEO of Tesla Motors Interviewed

Aired January 18, 2014 - 14:30   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are the top stories we're following in the CNN Newsroom.

A manhunt following another school shooting.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I came down from the school, the girl was walking with her arm like she got shot.

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WHITFIELD: Two students at a Philadelphia high school shot. And new developments just last hour, the suspected gunman turns himself in.

And after months of leaks over how the NSA scoops up data, some of it yours and mine, the president says he's making changes, but will better privacy protection create greater security risks for the U.S.? Also, more than 2,500 passengers on a cruise line get a terrifying letter. The warning -- their ship may have been hit by an outbreak.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is in Florida hoping to raise money for fellow GOP governors and hoping to change the message. For the past two weeks, all the attention was focused on what he knew about those lane closings at the George Washington Bridge, closings that caused massive traffic jams for several days in September. Tory Dunnan is in Orlando. All right, it's Christie's first time oust state since the scandals broke. How is his trip going so far?

TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Fred, earlier this morning he attended a fundraiser for Florida's governor Rick Scott. This was just one stop along the way. I have to mention, all of these events are going to be closed door. Now, I did talk to one woman at the fundraiser here in Orlando earlier today, and she said there was not one mention of any of these scandals. So this weekend could shed some more light on his political future.

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GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) NEW JERSEY: Whatever test they put in front of me, I will meet those tests.

DUNNAN: Now the tests for New Jersey governor Chris Christie move some 1,000 miles south, from the garden state to cash-rich Florida. More than a week after the bridge controversy blew wide open, this week, Christie's first trip out of state, a jam-packed weekend with stops in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach. His star power and fundraising abilities will be on display in the midst of a political scandal. The governor is in town to fund-raise for Florida Governor Rick Scott, who despite the controversy, is not shying away.

GOV. RICK SCOTT, (R) FLORIDA: I know he did the right thing, he apologized, he went to the community and apologized. So I look forward to seeing him.

DUNNAN: And as its chairman, he will also raise money for the Republican Governors Association. Christie will attend events on Palm Beach to network with his potential donor base, those he would rely on if he decides to run for president in 2016.

ADAM SMITH, POLITICAL EDITOR, "TAMPA BAY TIMES": I think Florida Republicans would be a lot more excited if it was pre-bridge-gate, but he should play really well, especially in southeast Florida. That's basically New Jersey south.

DUNNAN: It turns out the excitement could still be there. His main political event is at Home Depot co-founder and billionaire Ken Langone's home. Even with the scandal Langone tells CNN he has been flooded with requests to meet the governor.

ANA NAVARRO: The most important thing on Chris Christie's plate right now is New Jersey, focusing on his to-do list there, and setting that ship straight. But he also has other responsibilities. He's the chair of the Republican Governors Association, and then he also has to think about Chris Christie and what his future is. He's got a lot of donors that are here in the Florida area, people that want to hear from him, that want to ask him questions, and that want to go and listen to what Chris Christie has to say.

DUNNAN: A sign his popularity remain as threat, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz will be along for the ride with her own agenda.

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DUNNAN: And another thing, Fred, that people are talking about here is the potential, what this trip might mean for political ambitions. Say, if he were to run 2016, I know that's looking far ahead, but I talked to someone who was else inside the fundraising event who said that there are no questions about this being an issue for 2016. None of that came up at all.

WHITFIELD: And so are Democrats there seizing on this?

DUNNAN: Oh, yes, for sure. The Democrats are definitely not sitting on the sidelines for this. This morning actually, the Democratic National Committee released an ad that was welcoming Chris Christie to the area, but not so much -- it was pretty much the opposite of that. And Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who chairs the DNC, is basically shadowing these events throughout the weekend and providing her response. I asked why she was doing this, and this is what she had to say.

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DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Campaigning with our governor today and doing it in a way that is totally private, answering no questions, no public events. And, you know, I think that means either Chris Christie doesn't want to answer any questions or Rick Scott doesn't want to be seen in public with Chris Christie. It's probably a little bit of both.

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DUNNAN: So, Fred, one thing's for sure, that members of his own party who come into contact with him this weekend at some of these fundraising events will potentially be able to ask those questions about this scandal. Who knows if he'll answer, but they will be face- to-face with him at certain points.

WHITFIELD: Tory Dunnan, thanks so much in Orlando.

DUNNAN: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was not impressed by President Obama's proposed reforms of the NSA. The president detailed several steps to curb some of the spy agency's aggressive surveillance practices, but the NSA's controversial collection of email and phone records remains in place for now. Here's what Assange had to say.

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JULIAN ASSANGE, FOUNDER, WIKILEAKS: The real concern is that when you have an organization as powerful at the National Security Agency has become and it's flyby allies, and the cost of engaging in mass surveillance is decreasing about 50 percent every two years because of the cheapness of computers and the cheapness of bandwidth, that is a threat to constitutional government in the United States and also into other countries. What I wanted to see today was a mechanism that would retard that tendency of producing a long-term threat to constitutional government. I don't see that.

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WHITFIELD: The NSA's authority to collect phone and e-mail records from Americans expires March 28th.

All right, two Americans have been killed after a suicide bomber and gunman attacked a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday. Eleven foreigners and eight Afghans were killed. The Taliban took responsibility and said it was payback for an airstrike this week that killed civilians. Security forces killed the gunman in a shootout.

And a group of passengers who were aboard an Asiana airlines flight that crashed last summer at San Francisco's airport are suing aircraft maker Boeing. The suit claims that pilots got inadequate low air speed warnings due to equipment insulation errors and defects that it says Boeing knew. Boeing declined CNN's request for comment.

And Royal Caribbean says more than 60 passengers got sick from a stomach illness during a recent cruise. Yesterday the Majesty of the Seas returned to Miami after a four-day getaway to the Bahamas. Cruise officials suspect noro-virus, which is very contagious and can spread through food, water, or contaminated surfaces. And we'll have more details on this in about 10 minutes from now.

And right now in Florida, family and friends are saying goodbye to a man shot and killed inside a movie theater after a texting dispute. Chad Oulson was shot dead Monday. His wife Nichol was injured. Retried police officer 71-year-old Curtis Reeves was charged with second-degree murder and held without bail in that shooting.

The suspect in a school shooting in Philadelphia is now in police custody. Investigators issued an arrest warrant this morning for the minor. And he turned himself in to police about an hour and a half ago. Nick Valencia has the latest on this.

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NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The suspect in Friday's shooting at a Philadelphia high school has turned himself into police. Philadelphia police tell CNN that the suspect turned himself in about 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Because he's a juvenile, his name has not been released to the media and also police are still looking for the motive behind the shooting. They have not ruled out that it could have been accidental. Initially police were looking for two other suspects. They were questioned by police and later released. Police are confident now that the shooting suspect is in police custody. Now, the two students who were shot on Friday, they received non-life threatening injuries and are expected to make a full recovery.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

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WHITFIELD: First lady Michelle Obama turns 50 but looks years younger. Some tips on how you can, too, perhaps.

And dream cruise ruined? What made dozens of passengers so sick?

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WHITFIELD: Tonight for the first time in more than six years a black female cast member joins "Saturday Night Live." Just a few weeks ago, Sasheer Zamata was relatively unknown. But tonight all eyes will be on the former "Upright Citizens Brigade" theater comedienne. She's making her big debut along with two other writers who are also black.

All right, don't forget to check out coverage of the 20th annual Screen Actors Guild award. We will be live for the red carpet for the arrivals and the dresses. You don't want to miss any of that, the actors. Our red carpet begins at 6:30 eastern right here on CNN tonight. The awards start at 8:00 on our sister network TNT. Actress Rita Moreno will be given a lifetime achievement award at tonight's show. I recently talked with the star of "Westside Story" and "Electric Company" about her life and her loves off-screen.

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RITA MORENO, ACTRESS: My relationship with Marlon Brando was really chaotic and turbulent and tempestuous, very sexy, very fun, as the kids would say now. But we were addicted to each other. We were obsessed with each other. And if you know anything about obsession, it is like addiction. He was my drug. I was his, and we were not good for each other.

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WHITFIELD: Coming up at 3:00, not only will we talk about Brando, but Rita will also dish about her time with the king, Elvis Presley.

All right, an incredible image coming out of Brazil. That's lightning striking the Christ the redeemer statue that towers over Rio de Janeiro. The 130 foot statue is a frequent target for lightning strikes. Official say a strike in Thursday's storm chipped a piece off the thumb. A finger was chipped in a storm last month.

And happy birthday wishes to the first lady, Michelle Obama. She turned 50 yesterday. She's not slowing down anytime soon. If you follow some simple steps, you don't have to either. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has tips for looking and feeling fab at 50.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, the first lady said she wants to be able to enjoy her 70s and 80s. Who doesn't want that? It's a great goal for anyone. And 50 is a good time to take stock, put a few things on your to-do list medically. One thing, follow the recommendations on some of the cancer screenings. Colon cancer, for example, regular screening is recommended starting at age 50, and do it up to age 75. There are lots of different options out there, including colonoscopy, at least six different options out there.

Also mammography, keep up with your mammograms. Her recommendation, at age 50, do them every two years again until age 75. Also, no one likes to hear this, Fred, but 50 means menopause is probably looming, and one of the risks that brings up is osteoporosis. Now, this is important. You can't just start thinking about strong bones at age 50. You want to start thinking about this younger. And the best way to preserve bone or slowed down bone loss is regular weight-bearing exercise. I have my own mother doing this, pumping iron. You can walk, run, do any sort of workout with weights that's going to help.

Also, make sure to take in enough calcium and vitamin d. Don't forget the vitamin d. That's something I pay attention to. Without it your body can't absorb the calcium and your risk of bone loss actually goes up. And don't go overboard with the calcium. Too much can raise your risk o risk of heart disease. The NIH recommends at least 1,200 milligrams a day, not more than 2,000. There was this large study last year that found that taking in more than 1,400 milligrams can in fact raise your risk of heart disease. Either way, with enough in your regular diet, you shouldn't need supplements whatsoever. Hope that helps. Good luck to her. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Thanks, Sanjay.

Speaking of the first lady turning 50, next hour I will ask "Washington Post" contributor Sally Quinn what we know about tonight's big birthday bash at the White House.

Perhaps you're going on a cruise. Well -- you would expect it's supposed to be a dream getaway, right? That wasn't the case for dozens of passengers on one cruise ship. We'll tell what you ruined that trip.

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WHITFIELD: Pilot error is now blamed for a Southwest plane landing at the wrong airport in Missouri. It landed Sunday night at an airport about seven miles from its scheduled destination. The airport's runway, which isn't designed for large planes, forced the pilots to slam on their brakes, narrowly avoiding disaster just short of a steep drop-off.

Now to that nightmare end to a dream vacation. Dozens of passengers got sick on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Christi Paul has more on what caused the stomach bug.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I spent like the whole night on the toilet.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A major health scare on the high seas after dozens of passengers on a dream cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's "Majesty of the Seas," experienced severe gastrointestinal issues including vomiting and diarrhea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Announcement in English and Spanish, they went all morning, all afternoon.

PAUL: Royal Caribbean says the ship arrived in Port Miami, Florida, Friday after four days in the Bahamas and the Florida Keys, then would depart on another cruise as originally scheduled. Over the course of that sailing, 66 of 2,581 guests and two of 844 crew members experienced the illness, thought to be noro-virus. Those affected by the short-lived illness responded well to over the counter medication administered on board the ship. The CDC describes noro-virus as a very contagious virus that can be spread by infected persons, contaminated food or water, or through contact with contaminated surfaces.

A new set of passengers, including the Mendoza family, is getting ready to sail after the ship was thoroughly cleaned.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are concerned. We all brought medication and will make sure we're more cautious. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is really scary. I'm surprised they didn't notify anybody that has booked a trip.

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WHITFIELD: Passengers who boarded yesterday were give a letter asking if they had experienced any gastrointestinal symptoms within the last three days, and those who felt uncomfortable were allowed to reschedule their trip.

All right, the electric car Tesla made a big splash at the Detroit auto show. What about the company's future? The CEO talks about that and reveals when Tesla's cheaper models just might be available.

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WHITFIELD: The Detroit auto show opens to the public today, and automakers are unveiling really cool cars that you just have to see. Some are extremely fuel efficient. Peter Valdes-Dapena gives us a sneak peek.

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PETER VALDES-DAPENA: One thing you can always count on at the Detroit auto show, there will be at least a few really cool concept cars. Toyota, for example, rolled out the FT-1 that could become the next Toyota Supra. It's got the long head, short deck, very reminiscent of that car. For now you can only drive it is in a video games. It's got no real engine.

Then there's KIA with the PT-4 Stinger. This is a two plus two. It's got small back seats powdered by a 315 horsepower turbo charged four cylinder engine. Volkswagen, Audi, and Volvo all came out with cool crossover concepts. It is a 210 horse powered VW beetle that's been jacked to extra inches for getting over those rough spots. The Audi all road and the Volvo XE-2 are both plug-in hybrid concept cross- overs. Volvo has nice 21 inch rims while the Audi has got two electric motors for extra performance and can go zero to 60 in about 4.5 seconds.

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WHITFIELD: Fascinating stuff. I'm ready to buy a car. Give me more.

A little good news this week, and a little bad for electric carmaker Tesla. First it issued a recall on its charger. Then it announced its developing a lower priced model. Poppy Harlow talked with the CEO Elon Musk about the company's future.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Fred. Tesla is a company that is always in the spotlight. They just reported record sales in the fourth quarter. They're predicting huge growth this year. This week the founder and EEO Elon Musk sat down to talk to us in the wake of a big recall.

Here's what happened. About 29,000 of the wall charger adapters for the Tesla Model S have been recalled because they can overheat and possibly cause a fire. Now, Tesla says that it did an over the year software upgrade to fix the problem, but they are sending out new chargers as an extra precaution.

Now, this recall comes on the heels of a handful of fires in Tesla cars following some crashes this fall. That led the national highway traffic safety administration to investigate. That investigation is ongoing. Elon Musk says, look, he feels his company Tesla is getting far too much negative attention for the handful of fires and for this recall, arguing there are far more fires and gasoline powered cars, which is the case.

So we sat down to talk to him about all of the headlines and also what is ahead for Tesla.

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HARLOW: Can you understand that although electric cars aren't a new technology, it's a new market for a lot of people. So, of course, there's going to be more attention to it.

ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA MOTORS: Any new technology is going get added scrutiny. That's understandable. There should a spotlight on new technology, but it shouldn't be a laser beam. So I think in all fairness, the coverage probably is too high.

Now, at the same time, I think would accept some responsibility for that because at Tesla we built somewhat of a viral brand and it's a two-edged sword. So the good news gets heavily reported and the bad news gets heavily reported. Our mass market affordable car is about three years away.

HARLOW: That's going to be half the price?

MUSK: Yes, about a $35,000 car.

HARLOW: What about a pickup truck? I believe that you said recently you'd like to make the equivalent of a Ford F-150. Is that going to happen?

MUSK: Yes, we'd like to produce an electric pickup truck. We're not really thinking much about that, but that is part of our long-term plans. I would imagine that's probably something like four to five years.

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HARLOW: And you know, Fredricka, of course, more affordable models that don't cost $70,000 like the current Model S could help Tesla's scale to really compete more with the big automakers. Elon Musk also told me about the company's plans in China. He said they're going to begin delivering Tesla cars by the end of March. He expects China to be one of the company's biggest markets. Of course it is a huge market for any company right now.

You can see more of our interview with Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk at CNNMoney.com. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Poppy.

Now taking you to Hong Kong where a mother is making a desperate plea to her son. The mother placed a full page ad in the newspaper in Australia, saying she won't pressure him to get married anymore. Here's what she wrote. "Dear Pang, I've called you many times but you don't pick up. Maybe you will see this. Dad and mom won't ever force you to get married anymore. Come home for Chinese new year, from your mom, who loves you." And we're told the ad cost more than $2,400.

All right, so from Australia to Hong Kong and now to Atlanta, well, here it's 3:00 p.m. on the east coast, noon out west. For those just joining us, welcome to the CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield for a reset of this hour. Here are the top stories we're following.

After months of leaks over how the NSA scoops up data, some of it yours, the president said he's making changes, but critics including those involved in exposing the spying, say it's not enough.

A huge cheating scandal among military members whose maintain nuclear missiles is raising serious questions. Why do problems keep cropping up among those safeguarding the nation's most powerful weapons?

And it's another night of glamor in Hollywood, the Screen Actors Guild awards. Tonight we take you for a look at some of the favorites coming up.