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Gunmen Surround Crimean TV Station; Memos Reveal Clinton White House Secrets; "Politico" Profiles Biden; Ex-NFL Star Surrenders on New Rape Charges; CNN Heroes -- Community Crusader; Medical Examiner's Report on Philip Seymour Hoffman; Openly Gay Jason Collins Says No Change in Locker Room

Aired February 28, 2014 - 15:30   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: Bottom of the hour, breaking news here on CNN, let's get right to it, this escalating situation inside Ukraine.

There is a group of 20 Russian marines wearing military fatigues, carrying weapons. They have now surrounded the state TV building in Simferopol. This is in the Crimea region.

Diana Magnay is there. She is nearby. And, Diana, tell me what you know.

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): The director general has been talking to us at that state TV channel.

And he said that the channel is broadcasting as normally, but it has been surrounded by masked, armed gunmen.

And it is, of course, masked, armed gunmen who have not taken control, but have certainly been patrolling in a very threatening fashion the airport, two airports, in two key Crimean cities.

And we are also hearing from another private channel that they tried to surround that channel.

But it's owned by the Crimean (inaudible), this ethnic grouping here in Crimea, and they formed a car convoy to prevent the gunmen from taking it over.

We don't know who these men are. They are not wearing any kind of military insignia. They are trying very hard to keep their identities secret.

They even don't have number plates on their vehicles, for example. They won't speak to you when they say -- when you say, who are you?

But their numbers, their organization, their military dress, their arms, it is difficult to imagine that if they are not Russian military personnel themselves, that they are in the pay of the Russians.

Brooke? BALDWIN: And I think it's also just important to reemphasize, as we're looking at this map and you see these two airports where these troops have been at, and now this breaking news that they are at the state station, just talk about tactically why the three locations are significant, are key areas.

MAGNAY (via telephone): Airports, logistics, flying in and out, Kiev is now so concerned, the government, that they've closed Crimean airspace.

If you shut down the logistics of this very kind of isolated peninsula, it is only attached by Ukraine by a very thin strip of land, and you also sabotage its telecoms -- we are hearing from the main telecom company that they believe someone has sabotaged their cables and there is no Internet connectivity or land line connectivity that they can provide between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine.

These are very key, strategic installations that seem to be being targeted, which is very concerning at a time when the international community and Russia are in talks, saying that it is essential that we try to deescalate this crisis.

BALDWIN: OK, Diana Magnay, we will stay in close contact with you, on the phone with me from Ukraine. Diana, thank you very much.

Let's take a turn and go to Washington now, because this afternoon, you could call it a new game in D.C. The goal is to find the juiciest details, the best nugget in these new Clinton papers.

Former President Bill Clinton's library released more than 4,000 pages of memos and so here is just one.

During Hillary Clinton's ill-fated push for health care reform, she told Democrats that an individual mandate, which Republicans were pushing, would be a tough sell for the White House.

Ah, the irony, since the mandate requiring people to get coverage is now the center of what we know as ObamaCare, loathed by the GOP.

Let's talk to Jake Tapper, host of "THE LEAD" here. And I know we've had this whole SWAT team there in the D.C. bureau, going through these pages, as I'm sure you have, as well, Jake Tapper.

Tell me what is your favorite nugget that you've found so far?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR, "THE LEAD": There are so many. One of the most interesting ones has to do with Rahm Emanuel and something he thought that he wanted to do with some gun legislation and Charlton Heston, but I don't think I can say it on the air, so that will be one that --

BALDWIN: Let's not get you fired.

TAPPER: We'll talk about that, because remember these are notes that people took contemporaneously as people made expressions of what they thought needed to be done. And, as we know, Rahm Emanuel, now the mayor of Chicago, has a rather salty way of talking.

A lot of the documents, about 4,000 to 5,000 documents released today, deal with the health care reform effort of 1993. And some of the interesting nuggets include John Dingell, the congressman from Michigan, talking about his fears as early as April 2009 that this was becoming too burdensome for lawmakers.

There was also talk about from Hillary Clinton's staff in the east wing, the first lady's staff, about outreach to media. If we are all out there consistently, we could erode the notion in the press that sometimes exists of Hillary being in a bunker mentality, Mandy Grunwald telling Hillary not to be defensive when she answers questions.

And another thing having to do with the lawmakers in august, this might sound a little familiar, this is 1993, not 2009, but lawmakers worried about going back to their districts and hearing an earful from their constituents about healthcare reform.

So it's all very fascinating, certainly nothing disqualifying or anything that would put her possible presidential run in any sort of jeopardy.

BALDWIN: OK, I look forward to your --

TAPPER: It's early yet, though, Brooke, I have to say.

BALDWIN: It is.

TAPPER: We are pouring over these documents just --

BALDWIN: Of course we are, because we are fascinated, because of politics and everyone was fascinated by --

TAPPER: And history, this is history, really.

BALDWIN: Absolutely. Jake tapper, I look forward to your analysis, my friend, on the lead in 20 minutes from now. Thank you so much.

TAPPER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: But Clinton isn't the only high-profile politician we are learning a little bit about today, and this article in "Politico" really pulled back the curtain on Vice President Joe Biden's life in the White House, especially his aspirations, his frustrations.

It also described how Hillary Clinton turned to Biden at the very beginning of the Obama administration, how the v.p. was her so-called "Obama whisperer" and how they could be on a collision course, come 2016.

So, CNN political contributor Sally Kohn joins me from Washington. Sally, awesome having you on. Welcome.

SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Great to be on with you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So, according to this article, Biden and Clinton early on, as we mentioned, were breakfast buddies, and now, looking ahead, as Jake points out, and I realize it's early, but I can do this, they could be in a nomination fight next year.

Do we know really how close they are?

KOHN: We don't know. We also, by the way, don't know Hillary's side of this. This is all sort of -

BALDWIN: True.

KOHN: -- Joe Biden's telling -- not that Joe Biden -- I would ever accuse him of being too colorful or bending the truth or anything like that, but one can't imagine it's the warmest of relationships right now. You don't picture them as "besties."

Certainly, Robert Gates' book suggesting there were some real foreign policy tensions in the Obama administration between Biden and Hillary is one indicator of that.

And the other indicator is this possible 2016 run. So, Biden is not being coy; Hillary is. But look at the polling. Right now, the polls suggest she trounces him, 73 points to 12 points, which is the widest margin ever in any polling ever considered.

So, that's -- that can't exactly make him feel warm and fuzzy about her.

BALDWIN: So, we won't see Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden running around the White House in suits for a Let's Move campaign. Maybe, maybe not, I don't know. I don't know.

KOHN: That would be cute. It's one of the great things about politics in Washington which is it's so transient and transactional. It can be so frustrating to those of us who really want to see their politicians kind of stand firm and stand for something.

But the relationships are always mercurial. If Hillary does run and Biden doesn't, or vice versa, will they get behind each other? Probably yes.

BALDWIN: You mentioned the polls. Because when you read this "Politico" piece, it says that the odds, they're against Biden, that he knows that.

But my question to you in your D.C. circles, help us understand. If you know the odds are stacked against you, and I realize he's been in the White House for a number of years here, he has been in the Senate for many, many years, but still, why run?

KOHN: I mean, look -- and we don't know for sure. Obviously, he is strongly indicating that he will, but if Hillary does get in, I think he is trying to set himself up as the inevitable candidate if she doesn't run. If she does, does he still get in? We don't know. He might not be that self-destructive.

The reality is, look, people get into politics for a lot of reasons, but one of those reasons is certainly ego, as well as a sense that they can do something good in office.

And Joe Biden has a good ego. He also has a sense that he has a strong populist advocate for working people edge to him that is not being represented by Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, and so he really sees a calling to stand up for that.

He also knows it's his last chance. So, of course the guy is going to go for it.

BALDWIN: OK, we'll see. Incredibly gregarious guy, we'll see. We'll see.

KOHN: The gaffs alone will be worth it, OK?

BALDWIN: I guess so.

The article, Sally Kohn, it also suggests a sometimes chilly relationship between Biden and the president, and going back to this notion of backing one or the other, if it is Clinton or Biden, who would Obama back?

KOHN: Boy.

BALDWIN: That's a toughie.

KOHN: That is the toughie, right?

I think the president will stay out of this, sort of vaguely reminds me of a plot in "House of Cards," or something like that.

I think the president is wise to stay out of it until it shakes down.

But, you know -- and like I said, I think if one gets in, if Hillary gets in, I don't think Biden gets in as well. Nobody seems to sort of see that happening. We'll see.

BALDWIN: We'll see. We'll see.

Sally Kohn, thank you so much. Come back. Come back.

KOHN: A pleasure.

BALDWIN: Coming up, former NFL star Darren Sharper surrenders to police. He has been charged with aggravated rape in two states.

We'll tell what you his lawyer is now saying, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Breaking today, a former NFL star and five-time Pro-Bowler faces fresh rape charges, Darren Sharper turned himself in to police in Los Angeles yesterday.

He already faces charges in California. Now, he is also wanted in New Orleans, and that is not the end of it.

CNN's Tory Dunnan joins me here in studio to talk about this, and, first, just walk me through what these new charges entail.

TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Brooke, this is interesting, because there lots of open, active investigations going on, lots of different jurisdictions involved, so it can get a little bit confusing.

But, basically, we should stick to what we know right now, because police are confirming that the former NFL star made arrangements and surrendered to LAPD yesterday evening. That was after he was charged in New Orleans with two counts of aggravated rape.

Now, prosecutors in New Orleans say the two alleged rapes happened in late September in an apartment there.

If convicted, Sharper faces a sentence of in prison without parole.

It's important to point out, though, that Sharper was in L.A. because just last week he pleaded not guilty to charges, including two counts of rape by use of drugs.

Now, he was free on $1 million bail and had to remain in Los Angeles County by court order.

So, this morning, Brooke, I've also reached out to police in Miami Beach, because they say there is also an open, active investigation going on there stemming from an incident report about two years ago.

There's also one in Nevada. We've talked to Las Vegas police. At this point. all they will say is it's open, active.

And even beyond that, in Arizona, apparently there's one going on as well where charges are expected to come, basically in the next few days or next week or so.

BALDWIN: So, with Sharper, we know he doesn't play anymore, but he is an analyst on the NFL Network.

What is, if anything, the NFL saying about this?

DUNNAN: The NFL has simply said, No comment.

BALDWIN: OK.

DUNNAN: As far as being an analyst goes, we know he has been suspended without pay. That's where all that stands down.

But, basically, where we are at this point is just waiting for all these open investigations to move forward if they do move forward or not.

BALDWIN: OK, Tory Dunnan, thank you very much. We will be following that one.

Now, here on CNN, just in, we are now hearing the cause of death for actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, those details for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: What happens if you have been homeless for five years without a stable place for your own children to sleep, and then you finally get an apartment or house, but having nothing in it to make it a real home?

If you are lucky enough to meet this week's CNN Hero, your life could be transformed in one single day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very emotional right now. I'm excited. I'm so glad things are starting to turn around.

For like five years me and my kids have had nowhere to go. We just had to go from place to place. We slept in abandoned cars.

We moved in here with nothing. When I see my children on the floor going to bed, it hurts me.

OK. Hi!

MARK BERGEL, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: There's no stability and there's no dignity when you live in apartments that have nothing in them.

So how this works, OK, anything it is that you want in here, you put your sticker on and that's what you guys will take home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

BERGEL: Once we get the homes furnished, they have a chance to just take a breath and start to create a different life.

We pick up the furniture and other home goods from people who have more than they need, and we distribute them free of charge to people who have nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like this table. As a family, we can just sit down and just eat.

Got something to sit on, something to lay on.

Now, we are coming back on track. Now, my kids can pursue their dreams.

BERGEL: This is a good start, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it is.

BERGEL: I help people find the hope that was missing from their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love you. Good night.

BERGEL: And the opportunity they did not know was before them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Each and every week we will be honoring a new CNN Hero, just an ordinary person doing extraordinary things to help others.

If you know someone like Mark who deserves this kind of recognition, please go to CNNHeroes.com and tell us all about them, CNN.com/Heroes.

And now to the breaking news on Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, we are getting the news -- this is from the New York medical examiner's office. Let me just read you what I have here, as far as the cause of death here.

Remember, he died in his apartment in the West Village just about a month ago. The cause of death in this case is due to, and I'm quoting, "an acute mixed-drug concoction, including heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamines."

So, all of those in his system, according to the medical examiner's office, and the statement described his death as an accident.

We're going to get our chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta up here in the studio on the other side of the break. We'll give a little bit more context to the news here.

Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Want to get you back to our breaking news on CNN as we are now learning the details as it pertains to the death of the incredibly talented, Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Very quickly, our senior medical correspondent popped a microphone on. Remind everyone, the mix of drugs found?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. They call it an acute mixed-drug intoxication and the drugs that they are talking about are heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and benzodiazepines.

They called it this mixed intoxication. It's hard to know what the amount of the substances in someone's body, but in combination, these drugs could explain the cause of death and that's how they arrive at this.

BALDWIN: We knew about and we've been reporting on the heroin specifically because of what was found around him.

GUPTA: That's right.

BALDWIN: But when I hear cocaine and I hear about some of these other anti-anxiety drugs, you were telling me what was interesting, is that doesn't mean that he was doing it all at once. GUPTA: Yes. There are a couple of things that are very important. You can check levels of drugs, and it doesn't give you an idea of exactly when it was taken. You can get some rough idea, but you can't assume that someone took all of these things at the same time, for example.

And they can have counteracting effects. For example, benzodiazepines are more of a sedative-type drug. Think of the valium-type of drugs, whereas amphetamines are more stimulant-type drugs.

What the coroners, and when you look at this toxicology, what they are really trying to figure out, could this combination in some way have affected his brain in a way that he would stop breathing?

That's ultimately what overdose deaths really mean, is that when somebody is awake, they're able to consciously think about breathing and breathe.

However, when they go to sleep or they pass out or something like that happens, that drive to breathe is gone.

Could this combination of drugs cause that problem? That's a challenge the coroners have to answer.

BALDWIN: Isn't part of the issue, and I'm sure you've done reporting just on the deadly combinations of drugs, right, it's one thing to do heroin and there were questions at the time whether it was fentanyl- laced heroin -- it wasn't -- but then to know that was mixed, even not at the same time -

GUPTA: That's right.

BALDWIN: -- that's bad news.

GUPTA: It is bad news, and it's one of these things, as well, whether you're talking about even some of the narcotic medications out there that are legally prescribed medications, when people start to take these things more chronically, they take more and more of it because they are not getting the same effect.

But despite whether they are not getting the same effect, either pain- relieving or a high, it can still suppress the respiratory system. So, they're not feeling it, but it's still having an impacts on their ability to breathe, and that's the real problem.

It's called stacking. That's the term for it. You can stack the same drug too close together or you can start to stack other drugs, one on top of the other, and that's how people get in trouble.

They do call it accidental death, as well. They make a point of saying that, saying this was, based on what they are seeing, this did not seem to be intentional.

BALDWIN: Sad, nonetheless, more than a month out, but hopefully it shines a spotlight on just how horrible this can be, not just one, but altogether.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much.

GUPTA: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Appreciate that.

GUPTA: You got it.

BALDWIN: And now to this, when pro athletes choose which numbers they will be wearing during their careers, it's a really big deal.

Jason Collins who recently joined the Brooklyn Nets as the NBA's first openly gay player knows that all too well.

So he chose -- you see it here -- 98. What does 98 signify? Matthew Shepard. He was the gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten to death in a hate crime in 1998.

Collins met with Shepard's parents in Denver last night after the Nets beat the Nuggets.

He also sat down with CNN's Rachel Nichols for this exclusive interview, and Collins told her that he has not been treated differently by teammates ever since he announced that he's gay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN ANCHOR, "UNGUARDED": You had a great line when you first came out.

You said, I've been showering in the NBA for 11 years. Clearly it hasn't killed anybody.

You're back in the locker room. You're back in the training room, now. Have you noticed anything different?

JASON COLLINS, OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER: No. It's the same. Environment's the same. Everything is the same.

Just -- like I said before, 12 years in the NBA, not a problem, not an issue. Year 13, not a problem, not an issue. Same old, same old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That's it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Have a wonderful weekend.

"THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.