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Crisis in Ukraine; Kerry Kennedy Acquitted; Oscar Preview

Aired February 28, 2014 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PARKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexican Marines tell us they discovered this network of underground tunnels and safe houses when they arrested the head of Chapo Guzman's security. And he gave them this information.

It once again underlines the very central role of intelligence in the arrests of one of the world's most wanted men.

Nick Parker, CNN, Mexico, Culiacan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Here we go, hour two. Thanks for watching on this Friday. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Presidential archive document dump, not the sexiest story in the world, usually, but this one today is different and that's because it involves a former first lady, secretary of state, who could be gearing up for a presidential run all on her own.

And right now the world is about to learn a whole lot more about how the White House worked under President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton's name keeps coming up. We will tell you what those doctors are revealing here. Stand by for that.

But first I want to take you to Ukraine and a basic theory of military strategists. If you think about it, if you are about to invade the first target you take over, the airport. There is really little wonder the United States is intensely watching men in uniform here with guns patrolling outside two airports in Crimea.

Media there report more troops are on the way. And surveillance video here, look at this with me, shows armed men entering a government building yesterday in the same city in Crimea. This is where we are focusing, because Crimea, just look at the geography here. This is the heavily pro-Russian region inside Ukraine, whose fugitive president went on television today. We will get to that in a second here.

But the Ukrainian defense chief said the men at these airports are Russian forces and his troops have kept them in check. Let's be clear here. It's not really clear exactly who the armed men are working for, but there is no doubt there are tensions. They're familiar tensions, Russia poised to dominate the U.S. warning it not to. And the overarching question is this. Is the Cold War about to flare up in the 21st century, with Ukraine being the trigger point? On the record, Russia has told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: He reaffirmed to me that President Putin is committed and that, as a matter of policy, they do not intend to violate the sovereignty of Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And Viktor Yanukovych, the fugitive Ukrainian president who left the country last Saturday, said he is not going to turn to Russia to get back into power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH, FORMER UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I categorically am against any intervention, any interference in the sovereign integrity of Ukraine as a state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's go to CNN's Fareed Zakaria, host of "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS."

Fareed, before we get into the bigger picture questions, I'm just curious your reaction to the news that we're looking at these armed troops, maybe they are Russian, in these two airports, and also as the correspondent was telling me last hour, even surrounding peacefully, but surrounding a TV station.

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN WORLD AFFAIRS ANALYST: It seems very unlikely that Russia has no hand in this, Border Patrol

It's possible they are not Russian, actual Russian official troops. They may be some kind of paramilitary. They may be some kind of -- remember, the Ukrainian army tends to be drawn from the region it's from. There may be Ukrainian army forces that are more loyal to the Crimean area than they are to Kiev, which is a very pro-Western anti- Russian part of Russia.

But the Russian intelligence services have been active in Ukraine ever since the breakup between of Soviet Union and the independence of Ukraine. You have to assume that what they are trying to do is create facts on the ground, as you said, take over the key areas, which is the airport and government buildings.

And then you have some kind of autonomous local government that is trying to act in a way that creates facts on the ground that Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, cannot do very much about.

BALDWIN: OK. So, it was Sergei Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia, who told John Kerry, we respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine. I feel like Russia is saying one thing, but if in fact they invade, and that's a big if, what's in it for Russia to do that? And then what then -- what are the options for responses from the U.S.?

ZAKARIA: Well, first, I very much doubt they will invade because...

BALDWIN: You doubt it?

ZAKARIA: Yes, because what the strategy and the path is more likely to be if they were to do anything is to allow the -- have, as you said, control Crimea in a way that the Ukrainian government forces can take it back. Then they would secede.

Remember, Crimea has historically been part of Russia. It was only given to Ukraine in 1954. This was part of an attempt to show during the days of the Soviet Union, we're all pals. We're going to give you -- we so trust you. Ukraine is so much a part of the Soviet Union that we, the Russians, will give you a crucial part of it.

It allowed Russia to locate its Black Sea Fleet in the area, which is why this is so geostrategically important. So, Crimea secedes or aligns itself with Russia. The Ukrainian government can't do much about it. No Russian troops have crossed into Crimea. That's the more likely scenario.

BALDWIN: You talk about geostrategy. And something that we were discussing that I feel like hasn't really come to light at least on this show, let's talk about the gas lines, the gas lines here, specifically from Russia through Ukraine into the West. And when we talk about politics, geopolitics, but also economics, how may that be at play in this whole sort of proxy tug-of-war between the West and Russia?

ZAKARIA: There are two ways.

As you say, Ukraine is crisscrossed by Russian gas pipelines. That's one of the key ways that Russia delivers gas both in Europe and actually south as well. They will another to make sure, if there is any kind of deal here, that one of the things they will make sure is that there is no interruption of Russian gas supply.

The other piece of it is Russia delivers gas to Ukraine at massively subsidized prices. This is probably -- the areas to look at are probably not the old-fashioned Russian invasion. What Russia will try to do is create facts on the ground in Crimea, probably have the Crimeans ask for some kind of autonomy or even secession.

And the second part is the Russians will say to the Ukrainians, fine, you want to be independent, you don't want to have any association with us, we subsidize your national gas to the tune of $3 billion to $5 billion a year. That subsidy ends today.

If they were to do that, the Ukrainian economy would collapse. It's already near collapse. That's why if you look at the administration in Washington, they are playing a careful game. You need to deter Russia. You can't have Russian troops enter. You want to make sure Russia doesn't try to reconquer Ukraine in some way, but Russia lives right next door. They provide Ukraine with a lot of cash, with a lot of subsidies, and there are a lot of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine. So, they are going to have to be involved.

BALDWIN: OK. We will be watching for your analysis Sunday morning, "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS." Thank you so, so much, Fareed, for that.

ZAKARIA: Pleasure.

BALDWIN: Now to California, because some much-needed rain is finally drenching the state, but heavy downpours have put parts of California in dangers of mudslides and flash flooding. At least three cities in Southern California are now under these mandatory evacuations.

A lot of people are rushing to protect their homes with sandbags concrete barriers. Emergency rescues have been taking place. Our affiliate KCAL reports firefighters rushed in to save two men and their dogs from a fast-moving river here, this tree branch. They became stranded in the middle of this heavy, heavy rainstorm.

And now this, a not guilty verdict for Robert Kennedy's daughter, a jury today acquitting Kerry Kennedy of driving while under the influence of a drug. Kennedy said she took a sleeping pill accidentally before crashing into a tractor-trailer two years ago. And that jury took just over an hour to reach this verdict and, afterwards, Kerry Kennedy talked outside the courtroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY KENNEDY, ACQUITTED: What's really important here is that you are right, I'm totally, I'm completely blessed by this amazing family and extraordinary friends and so much support. And I really did have great, great, great lawyers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Jean Casarez joins us outside that courtroom in White Plains, New York.

And just, Jean, take me back. What was the reaction to the verdict inside?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Inside the courtroom, the verdict came very quickly this morning, because they only deliberated about 30 minutes today on Friday, and even Ethel Kennedy was outside the courtroom and it was announced there was a verdict so a family friend had to bring her back in.

But the jury came in and they announced the verdict. The foreperson did. They were pulled and left. And then the courtroom started to applaud, people on the side of the defense, Kerry Kennedy. I have never, ever seen that before. Kerry Kennedy stood up and walked over to the prosecution table and actually shook the hands of the prosecutors and I don't think I have ever seen a defendant do that before, someone who had just, of course, though, been acquitted.

I asked her myself when she got into the gallery area, if this whole experience, she was a defendant in a courtroom, if it changed her life at all in any way. She said no. But the fact is the prosecutor had to prove three elements beyond a reasonable doubt, that she was driving a car, given, that she was impaired. The evidence showed that.

But they also had to show beyond a reasonable doubt that she knew she had taken the Ambien, instead of the thyroid medication, and continued to drive down that roadway, and her credibility I think is what the jury believed.

BALDWIN: You have covered many a court case and this is a conversation that has came up in the wake of her acquittal. I'm just curious, the notion of fame, the Kennedy name factoring in for the jurors.

CASAREZ: A lot of people are saying, why did this even go to trial?

We don't know the background of this story, because there was a lesser included to this misdemeanor. It's a traffic violation basically. If that offered, they could have said, no, we don't want to plead guilty to a traffic violation. And that's why the trial proceeded. I will tell you something. It was amazing to sit there and listen to her testimony about her travels, and who her father was and her educated and where her children are educated.

It was a very -- just a jury that is part of the work force here in Westchester County. That definitely had to impact the jury, but it could have gone one way or the other.

BALDWIN: Jean Casarez in White Plains, Jean, thank you very much.

CASAREZ: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up here, he calls himself Hillary Clinton's Obama whisperer. Talking about this guy, our vice president, Joe Biden. He opens up about his role at the White House with some surprising secrets. We will share that with you.

Also ahead, an Oscar win could mean millions of dollars for actors and movie studios. We will talk about the business of the Academy Awards.

But coming up next, a young woman wanting a job, she fires off an e- mail on LinkedIn. Gets a nasty response back. We will hear that letter and why just being a millennial sparks such an angry response. Stay here.

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BALDWIN: A millennial looking for a job got a verbal smackdown from a Cleveland woman who runs an online job bank; 26-year-old Diana Mekota is planning to move to Cleveland. Back in February, she, this month, she sent a LinkedIn request and e-mail detailing her education and professional and volunteer activities to this woman, Kelly Blazek. She asked to join the online jobs list.

But this is why the story is everywhere, because this is the response from this woman -- quote -- "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you and tacky. Wow. I cannot wait to let every 26-year-old job seeker mine my top-tier marketing connections to help them land a job. I love the sense of entitlement in your generation. You're welcome for your humility lesson for the year. Don't ever reach out to senior practitioners again and assume their carefully curated list of connections is available to you just because you want to build your network." She wrapped with this: "Don't ever write me again."

Yowza. So, Blazek sent an e-mail response to CNN saying she has apologized to everyone involved.

But let me bring Marian Salzman. She's an expert on marketing millennials.

Marian, welcome. Nice to have you on.

MARIAN SALZMAN, CEO, HAVAS PR NORTH AMERICA: Hi.

BALDWIN: Here's the thing. I know that millennials get a bad rap, the whole entitled thing. But what I saw here was a young professional with enough courage to reach out to someone very senior. Is the bad rap really warranted?

SALZMAN: No, I actually don't think so.

I was going back and looking at our records and I think I have hired four or five people that actually approached me via Twitter or even via Facebook, friend of a friend of a friend.

A lot of it comes down to tone. I don't think that the tone of the millennial's approach was particularly off-putting even. So, probably, if she had written to me, I probably would have started a one-on-one chat. Three weekends ago, someone from Auburn University wrote me a really cute e-mail. She said, I'm doing a paper. I would really like to talk to a working professional. I agreed to do a FaceTime with her.

I actually think it's a brave new world. We have got to welcome them in. I am not sure rejecting them that way makes sense. However, once the rejection got posted, it makes me very nervous.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: How do you mean?

SALZMAN: I'm a lot more nervous about that particular millennial once I found out what she did to the poor, let's assume she's boomer who wrote that pretty snarky rejection note.

Probably the right psyche would have been just let it go. She's not for me. Forget about her. She's a bad person, but let's ignore her, not let's share that with the whole world and turn it into a cause celebre.

BALDWIN: Right. Right. Right. Right.

And it's funny, because I got an e-mail without the last hour. And people reach out to me all the time, young journalism students in college. I love it. I get to maybe one out of every three each and every time they e-mail me. But I appreciate the courage.

But I do realize -- and you work with millennials and you work with helping hire millennials. What have you found, just pros, cons?

SALZMAN: They are the greatest generation in terms of great ideas, great aptitudes. They are always on. They are always connected and they are completely of the news and of the world.

Their parents and their grandparents have told them how fabulous they are their whole lives. You can't really coach them to think very much that is very different. It's very tough. It's very hard to say no to them because they actually don't hear no. They hear no as maybe or maybe you made a mistake.

BALDWIN: Interesting. How many times do you have to say no before they get it and move on?

SALZMAN: I find that you actually can't say no. You have to give them another way of doing something a different way, so figure out they zig and zag.

BALDWIN: I see. I see. I would love to see this 26-year-old or even the woman I guess who fired out this note very publicly.

But, again, apparently all is kumbaya and apologies and accepted.

Maria -- Marian -- forgive me -- Marian Salzman, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it here.

SALZMAN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up, confidential Clinton documents released just a short time ago laying out a number of facts we did not know, including a potential appearance by Hillary Clinton on the TV sitcom, remember this, "Home Improvement"? We have some nuggets we are culling from these thousands of pages.

Also ahead, an Oscar win could mean millions of dollars for actors and movie studios. We will take a closer look at the business of the Academy Awards coming up here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The Academy Awards is this Sunday, and the star-studded weekend means big money for Hollywood. But the business of Oscars is also a moneymaker for the nominees. We're talking about blockbuster cash here.

CNN's Stephanie Elam breaks down the numbers for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: A million here, a million there.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Six million dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Twenty-two million!

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A best picture nomination is worth millions for this year's nine nominees, this is a show business. With nominations come notoriety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Philomena," I wouldn't have heard about it otherwise without the attention that it's garnered.

SALZMAN: It's a marketing advantage for the studios, who take the opportunity to put the films in more theaters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would like an old person's ticket to see "Her."

ELAM (on camera): Were you at all influenced to see movies that are Oscar-nominated?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we try to see most of them.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: We sure would like to see what a million dollars looks like.

PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, RENTRAK: For films like "Nebraska," "12 Years a Slave," "Philomena," "Her," "Dallas Buyers Club," these are films that still have a ways to go in terms of their box office potential, both at the movie theater and also moneys earned through VOD on demand home video.

ELAM (voice-over): Paul Dergarabedian, who has been monitoring Hollywood receipts for 21 years, says an Oscar win is worth more than its weight in gold.

Take 2004's "Million Dollar Baby." Its box muscle grew by more than $90 million after its best picture nomination and win, or 2008 winner "Slumdog Millionaire."

DERGARABEDIAN: That was a film that probably would have been dead in the water at $49 million, $50 million. It went on to earn close to $150 million. So, for "Slumdog Millionaire," those nominations meant everything.

ELAM: Nebraska and "Her" are among the smaller films seeing a 50 to 100 percent increase in sales after their nominations.

TOM HANKS, ACTOR: Is this how you do business?

ELAM: "Captain Phillips" is among the three nominees that sailed past the $100 million threshold before getting an Oscar nod. But afterward, they were hustling for more.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: And $75,000 in this briefcase.

ELAM (voice-over): So, you have some movies that don't really need the pop, right?

DERGARABEDIAN: Let's take "Gravity," for instance. By the time of tonight nominations, it had made like close to $250 million. They kept it out there in theaters and then re-released it again in IMAX and they're taking that Oscar buzz and building it into more box office.

ELAM (voice-over): A buzz that brings business.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Got a couple mil coming in like a week.

ELAM: And for one of these nine films, a hunk of gold.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: At what price?

ELAM: Stephanie Elam, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Stephanie Elam, thank you.

And tonight, CNN's Nischelle Turner goes on-on-one with Matthew McConaughey, "CNN SPOTLIGHT: Matthew McConaughey" tonight 10:00 Eastern here on CNN.

Coming up, top -- top secret documents, easy for me to say, from the Clinton camp released today giving this new look at the inner workings under the White House back in the Bill Clinton days. We will have a preview of what was in those confidential files and how the '90s TV show "Home Improvement" was apparently a topic of discussion.

And he called himself Hillary Clinton's Obama whisperer. I'm talking about Vice President Joe Biden, who opened up in this interview with some pretty surprising revelations from inside the White House. Stay right here.

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