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Donald Sterling Exclusive Interview; Abductions, Terror Haunt Nigeria's Parents; Aircraft Tracking Vote Set for Today; Domestic Dispute Ends with Fire, Blast

Aired May 13, 2014 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much. Have a great day.

NEWSROOM starts now.

Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

First came the apology, then the attack. Disgraced L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling says he made a terrible mistake and insists he is not a racist, but in the same exclusive interview with Anderson Cooper, Sterling goes off on Magic Johnson, and takes shots at the media, who he seems to blame for his problems.

Here's Sterling, in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD STERLING, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS OWNER: Here is a man who's -- I don't know if I should -- he acts so holy. I mean, he made love to every girl in every city in America. And he had AIDS. And when he had those AIDS, I went to my synagogue and I prayed for him. I hoped he could live and be well. I didn't criticize him. I could have. Is he an example for children? You know, because he has money, he's able to treat himself.

But Magic Johnson is irrelevant in this thing. He didn't do anything harmful to anybody. And I respect him. And I admire everything that he does. You know, I would like to help even more if he would offer me an opportunity to help. I like to help minorities. But he lulled me into waiting a week. Do you know what I mean? He says, "Don't do anything.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, AC 360: He told you -- you're saying he told you not to say anything?

STERLING: Yes, don't do anything. I know the girl. Don't do anything. I'll help you. I'm waiting. I'm waiting and I'm waiting and I'm waiting.

COOPER: What you're saying is, Magic Johnson called you up, or you called him up?

STERLING: I don't know his phone number.

COOPER: He called you up when the tape broke? STERLING: Yes. I don't call anybody.

COOPER: He called you up?

STERLING: I'm loyal to you.

COOPER: He called you up when the tape came out and he told you not to say anything?

STERLING: Yes.

COOPER: Why did he say, don't say anything?

STERLING: He just said, "Wait. Be patient. I will help you. We will -- we will work it out."

COOPER: Why do you think he said that?

STERLING: I think he wanted me just to do nothing, so he could buy the team. He thought maybe the whole thing would be resolved in two weeks. What has he done? Can you tell me? Big Magic Johnson, what has he done?

COOPER: Well, he has -- he's a businessperson. He --

STERLING: He's got AIDS. Did he do any business? I'd like -- did he help anybody in South L.A.?

COOPER: Well, I think he has HIV. He doesn't actually have full- blown AIDS, but --

STERLING: Well, what kind of a guy goes to every city, he has sex with every girl, then he catches HIV and -- is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about? I think he should be ashamed of himself. I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? Doesn't do anything. You call up and say -- well.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: He's opened a lot of businesses in inner-city neighborhoods.

STERLING: The Jewish people -- the Jewish people have a company, and it's for people who want to borrow money and no interest. They want to give them a fish pole -- a fishing pole. We want to help people. If they don't have money, we'll loan to it you. You don't have interest. One day, you will pay us back.

COOPER: So --

STERLING: I'm just telling you, he does nothing. It's all talk.

COOPER: So you're saying that African-Americans don't contribute to their -- to African-American communities as much as Jewish people do?

STERLING: There's no African-American -- never mind. I'm sorry. You know, I -- they all want to play golf with me. They -- everybody wants to be with me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And FYI, Mr. Sterling, there are 150 students on college scholarships thanks to Magic Johnson's foundation. Magic Johnson has opened dozens of movie theaters in underserved areas and he has also invested billions, that would be billions with a B, in urban redevelopment.

Sterling's Magic bashing was so bad last night the NBA felt the need to apologize to Magic Johnson. Commissioner Adam Silver released this statement, quote, "I just read a transcript of Donald Sterling's interview with Anderson Cooper. And while Magic Johnson doesn't need me to, I feel compelled on behalf of the NBA family to apologize to him, that he continues to be dragged into this situation and be degraded by such a malicious and personal attack."

The NBA Board of Governors is continuing with its process to remove Mr. Sterling as expeditiously as possible.

Magic Johnson himself tweeted last night, quote, "I'd rather be talking about these great NBA playoffs than Donald Sterling's interview." Well, actually, you can hear Magic Johnson tonight in a CNN exclusive. Anderson Cooper will interview Johnson tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Oh, but we have to talk more about Sterling's interview. Don't we?

Joining me now, CNN's Stephanie Elam, criminal defense attorney and Clippers season ticket holder Brian Claypool, and CNN commentator and legal analyst Mel Robbins.

Mel, why does he keep talking?

(LAUGHTER)

MEL ROBBINS, CNN COMMENTATOR: You know, this goes to show you that money can't buy you class, common sense or happiness, for crying out loud. It is kind of stunning that you would respond, Carol, to allegations about racism with more racism, with race baiting.

And as I watched this, I couldn't help but think, holy cow. How does a guy with this much money, these many lawyers, who's so aggressive about protecting everything that he owns, go on television and basically meander on and on and on, and dig himself such a huge hole? How do the people around him let him get away with this?

I guess the million-dollar question is, they've been doing it all for years, all because of money.

COSTELLO: OK. So Brian, I've been trying to figure out what big beef that Sterling has with Magic Johnson. And number one, I think he's jealous of Magic Johnson, and number two, he made it clear that he thinks that Magic Johnson is trying to buy the Clippers. But --

(LAUGHTER) BRIAN CLAYPOOL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right.

COSTELLO: I'm just stymied by it, really.

CLAYPOOL: Hey, Carol, before I answer that question, if there had been a lie detector machine in that room where he did the interview with Anderson Cooper, it would have blown up the room. I mean, this -- this guy's a pathological liar. He's had an issue with Magic Johnson dating back to when Magic was the head of "Showtime." Remember that? With the Lakers?

And at that time, Carol, the Clippers were the doormat of the town. You couldn't sell 5,000 seats to go see a Clipper game. And then Magic Johnson became part owner of the Lakers. And again, the Clippers were the stepchild in L.A. to the Lakers. And then Magic Johnson gets into the real estate business, competing with Donald Sterling in the real estate business.

So they've had an ongoing competition for probably 20 or 30 years in Los Angeles. But I will tell you firsthand that I met Magic Johnson about a decade ago, before I became a criminal defense lawyer, before I became a civil rights lawyer, at Starbucks in Seattle. He was at the corporate office there, because he's the only person that can franchise Starbucks, and he gave a speech to all those employees in that building, and inspired everybody. He's an exceptional man.

COSTELLO: He is an exceptional man, Stephanie. What are the people of Los Angeles, what do they think about this interview?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People are befuddled by it. They're befuddled that Magic Johnson continues to be a target for Donald Sterling. I mean, there's no doubt about it, Magic is loved in this town. And while he's poking holes at what he's done, Magic has actually done a lot.

I mean, I used to live in New York and I live here. Both cities, Magic had started enterprises in places where people were afraid to start businesses and show that this is where money can be made. He had Starbucks that were in south L.A. He had them in Harlem, same with these movie theaters. So it is bizarre.

And there are a lot of people who love Magic. Magic was at the last game here at Staples Center, people were cheering him on, he was sitting there, seen having a conversation with Commissioner Silver. People love Magic and I even saw people who were in the Golden State series up in Oakland. People had signs that said, Magic, please buy the Clippers.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: And I want to talk about that. I want to talk about that right now.

So, Mel, I'll start with you. So Magic Johnson says he'll never attend a Clippers game, unless Donald Sterling is no longer the owner but like he did, he kind of like, gave a charming little giggle when asked if he wanted to buy the Clippers and he's going to sit down with Anderson Cooper tonight. So I'm thinking, he probably does want to buy the Clippers.

ROBBINS: Well, there's no doubt that I'm sure he and his partner, the Guggenheim Group, are going to take a look at it and perhaps do a bid. But I think it's too soon to tell. And you're -- Magic is a smart guy, unlike Donald Sterling, and you're not going to see him say anything about it. But, you know, if you really look at what Donald Sterling is saying, what happened in that interview is he was saying that he spoke to Magic Johnson and that he's claiming Magic told him that he would help him through this controversy.

And what you saw happen is just Sterling unraveled as he was kind of pontificating and going off on a tangent like, why do people love Magic? Why don't they love me? It's almost as if he doesn't have a clue what's going on outside of the house that he lives in. He doesn't have a clue what's going on in the world.

ELAM: And he looks really annoyed.

ROBBINS: Yes.

ELAM: He looks so annoyed when he saw -- when Anderson told him that Magic was at the game. The look on his face was, he looked so annoyed that he was there. He seemed to have a very serious issue with Magic being anywhere near the Clippers or being that larger than life personality that he is.

COSTELLO: It's just so strange. So, Brian, I'll pose the last question of this segment to you. So if any of the NBA owners were watching the interview, you know, with Sterling, on Anderson Cooper last night, what do you think was going through their minds?

CLAYPOOL: Well I think what was going through their minds was. thank goodness for Anderson Cooper doing such a great interview. Thank goodness that Donald Sterling just handed the Clippers to the Board of Governors on a silver platter. And I'll tell you why. He said one thing that sealed his fate. He said, quote, "I humiliated and embarrassed the league." If I'm the Board of Governors, I'm taking that statement that he made last night and using that as an admission that he has tarnished the league and violated this morality clause and he has just written his own fate.

Thank you. Thank you, Anderson. Thank you, Mr. Sterling.

COSTELLO: Stephanie Elam, Brian Claypool, Mel Robins, stay with me because we have much more to discuss throughout the hour, including this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STERLING: I contend that they love me.

COOPER: You think they still love you?

STERLING: I do. I do. COOPER: You believe the players of the Los Angeles clippers love you?

STERLING: Absolutely. They know I'm not a racist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Donald Sterling seems to think he's got plenty of supporters who haven't just come out and said so publicly yet.

More of his exclusive interview with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: This morning, the United States is stepping up its role in the search for Nigeria's kidnapped schoolgirls. The U.S. is sharing aerial surveillance of Nigerian territory through satellites and manned planes from the Defense Department. That's according to two senior Obama administration officials.

In the meantime, nearly a month after the armed abductions, parents describe the horror that returns every day at sunset.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What exactly happened on that night?

MARY, MOTHER OF KIDNAPPED GIRL: I don't know exactly what happened but the day they came in this town, they started to run their gun and we hear it --

ELBAGIR: You could hear the gunfire?

MARY: Yes. The people in the town run out. And we hear no shouting. We say, "Where are the students?" We are thinking in our hearts and we hear nothing. We didn't hear their voice. We didn't hear their shouting up to daybreak.

When the daybreak in the morning, and we come one by one from the other places that we moved to. We come into the town and people say not any girls in the school. They have collected them.

ELBAGIR: You went to look for her?

MARY: Yes.

ELBAGIR: How far did you go? I mean, it's jungle. There's a forest there.

MARY: Yes.

ELBAGIR: But you weren't afraid?

MARY: Yes, that time we were afraid. But, as a Christian, I didn't grow up in the military, because I have my husband is sick. Yet, she showed me that you run small. And I run a long way. And I go and I put myself aside. God is the only person who can help us. That is what I know about this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Nima Elbagir traveled to that tense rural area to talk with those parents. She joins us from the Nigeria's capital.

Tell us more.

ELBAGIR: Well, Carol, nearly a month after the girls were taken and the trauma that is still incredibly fresh. One mother said she wanted to plead through is with the abductors to release her daughter. This is what she said, Carol.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELBAGIR: If you were able to tell the people that took your daughter one thing, what would you want them to know? What would you want them to hear from you?

ELIZABETH, MOTHER OF KIDNAPPENED GIRL: The only thing that I am going to say to them is to please leave those girls alone. May God get into their souls to leave those girls alone.

ELBAGIR: Do you think that your daughter will come back?

ELIZABETH: I rely on God and I believe my daughter will come back. I believe that God will return her home.

ELBAGIR: What has it been like for your family, since Miriam was taken?

ELIZABETH: We are feeling the pain. Until this day our hearts hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELBAGIR: I have to tell you, Carol, just the tension in Chibok, not just because of the insecurity, not just because of the threat of attack, but because it felt like everyone in that town, man, woman, child, was watching and waiting, hoping that by some miracle, they'd look up, and the girls would be home -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I wish that were so. Nima Elbagir, thank you so much.

Here at CNN we're not giving up on those girls and neither are you. Here's one iReport from the girls preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They assembled in the shape of a heart to not only show solidarity with the schoolgirls, but also to show support for the girls' mothers.

These iReport photos are from a rally in southern California posted by a native Nigerian. He says the world needs to know the ruthlessness of Boko Haram.

If you'd like to help girls worldwide trying to overcome barriers to education, you can go to our Web site. The answer: CNN.com/impact.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The airline industry is getting ready to vote today on whether it's time to set a global standard for tracking commercial air flights. It all stems from the mystery surrounding Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. Sixty-seven days later, the plane still has not been found. Today, the International Civil Aviation Organization plans to hold a vote at its meeting in Montreal.

So, let's talk about that vote.

CNN safety analyst David Soucie is here, along with CNN aviation analyst Peter Goelz. He's also the former managing director of the NTSB.

Welcome to you both.

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

I expect this proposal will get the green light, David. Is there any obstacle in the way?

SOUCIE: No. Actually I think, I'm very impressed with what ICAO has done here, for trying to get this thing moving forward.

Historically, the organization's been slow to move on things, but before this is even completed now they're moving forward with it. And I've just read the criteria as to what they're looking at here. I'm impressed with what's going on and who is involved. I think that there's' going to be motion forward. I'm encouraged.

COSTELLO: So, Peter, how long would it take to, if a vote to approve this global tracking device, how long will it take to get those global tracking devices installed in airplanes?

PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, it depends precisely on what they're going to require. That -- you've hit on the key point. For instance, they are replacing batteries in the flight data recorder, but they've given a number of years to get it done, so that we actually won't see a complete switchover to 90-day batteries until 2018 or later.

So, that's the key. The key is not necessarily what they pass -- excuse me -- but what's the time frame? It's got to be timely, and there are solutions that they can put in place that would be an interim nature that would help solve the problem.

COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about those, David. You know what Peter is talking about. My next question to you would be, so they install global tracking devices. Does that mean another Malaysia 370 would never happen again?

SOUCIE: Well, that's the objective, certainly. And as Peter mentioned, an interim measure is something they're looking at as well. Remember, 11,000 of these aircraft, 99.9 percent of every air commercial traveler in the airspace right now, is, has the equipment onboard. They have the ACARS system, they have the Satcom system, they are connected with Inmarsat.

So, the interim measure which Inmarsat is saying is going to be free, to just provide some basic information to location is feasible to be implemented right away at minimal or no cost to the airlines. Again, I'm impressed not only with ICAO for taking action, but with Inmarsat for stepping up to the plate.

COSTELLO: Peter, can't they do something really simple, like make the transponder impossible to turn off?

GOELZ: Well, you don't -- they were -- for every action, there's an unintended consequence. For instance, why you have the transponder with an off/on switch is when the plane is on the ground, at an airport, you know in a concentration of other planes, you really do want to turn off the transponder, because it clogs the system. You've got 200 other planes there.

But as David pointed out, Inmarsat offered up a system. If we just have transoceanic what they call Ecops (ph) planes reporting every two minutes, every minute, every three minutes, heading, location, altitude, that's the step that we need to take right away.

COSTELLO: OK. Well, we'll keep you posted on the vote that takes place today in Montreal.

David Soucie, David Goelz, thank you as always.

An unbelievable scene in New Hampshire. A house literally explodes in a fireball on live television. It started with a 911 call, domestic dispute between a father and son. Police arrive. But something goes horribly wrong.

The officer who came to the house to respond to that call, shot and killed. In this video you can see the fire already burning. Then, a massive explosion wipes out the home. The garage door comes flying out. The home completely engulfed.

CNN's Don Lemon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(EXPLOSION)

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This violent explosion tearing through a New Hampshire home is leaving police puzzled and adding to the mystery just moments before the massive explosion -- a man in the home shot and killed a police officer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just felt the explosion. We looked at each other. We really got to get out of here.

LEMON: Officer Steve Arkell was responding to a call of domestic disturbance when authorities say Michael Nolan fatally shot him.

JOSEPH FOSTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE ATTORNEY GENERAL: Officers arrived and a short time later the home was engulfed in flames and then exploded.

LEMON: According to neighbors, Nolan lived in the home with his father. Neighbors also saying that a loud argument could be heard before the blast.

(EXPLOSION)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could see our house. We saw the explosion go up and stuff blow over to our house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not only did we hear it, we saw it simultaneously. Very frightening.

LEMON: The cause of the fire and explosion are still unknown. A frightening scene leaving this neighborhood on edge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the cops came, SWAT team, people there walking around house with machine guns. It was just scary, scary, scary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Don Lemon reporting.

Police believe the son was killed in the fire. More details are expected to be released by investigators this afternoon. So, stay with CNN all day for the latest.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM: Donald Sterling's racist rants sparked outrage from the players who take the court for his beloved L.A. Clippers. So why does Sterling think his players still love him? We'll talk about that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)