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California Fires; Sterling and NBA; Barbara Walters Retires

Aired May 16, 2014 - 14:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And here we go. Good afternoon. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

And in just a matter of really minutes, the fire fight in southern California ballooned into this all-out war and it did not take very long. I mean the pictures, they tell the story. Take a look at this. Small patches of flames erupted into just these towering infernos. People are using this phrase firenado because it looks like this here, swirling round and round, tornado-like, this is all across San Diego County. We are talking about more than 15 square miles.

Now, one of the blowouts ignited from the Cocos fire there in San Marcos, 3,000 plus acres burned. This fire incredibly active, only 10 percent contained.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, there it is right there. There it is right there. Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Oh my God. Oh my God. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God, dude. The helicopter's right there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: It is jaw dropping to look at these images here coming in from San Marcos, California. People describing the scene like a series of bombs going off. Burnt orange flames searing through the core of a number of homes. At least one person has now died. And the cause here of these fires still under investigation. But you see this young man? Nineteen years of age. He is one of two teenagers arrested in connection with two new brush fires. As of now, they have not been linked to other larger fires.

As for the firefighters here, they are desperate, of course, for calmer winds, more moist winds, lower temperatures to gain the upper hand. Ted Rowlands is right there in San Marcos for us.

And, Ted, tell me what you're standing in front of.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, think back yesterday to your show when you were showing viewers those tornado-like fire cylinders. This is that area and it is much different today. The hillside behind me -- you see some firefighters putting water on some hot spots here - but the hillside behind me was that area covered in black smoke. You couldn't see anything yesterday at this time during your show. What a difference a day makes.

And the key difference here is mother nature has chipped in with beautiful conditions for fighting a fire. All morning long they've been just assaulting (ph) this hillside and - with air drops, fixed wing and helicopters, and then they've been working the grounds as well. This fire is technically 10 percent contained. But I can tell you, at the next briefing tonight, that number will go up because they have made such dramatic, dramatic progress.

Of course, this is the reality for those that lost their homes. This is one of a handful of homes that were lost yesterday right around this time. Homeowners were able to get out. They got their pets out. But as you can see, there is not much left of their home. The good news, of course, is that mother nature not only has helped so far, but as we move forward, the weather is only expected to get better.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: Which is great news weather wise, but seeing some of those firefighters with their fire hoses in one of the shots, you know, you guys just showed, I mean you can still see smoke coming from the charred remains from that inferno from 24 hours. I mean what -- how many hot spots are there and how difficult is that for firefighters to really get a handle on?

ROWLANDS: Well, that's a great point because the hot spots aren't bad when there's no wind, but the wind can change at any minute. And you look at this, you know, the smoldering hot spots, they're incredibly hot. So you get a gust of wind that comes in here and you combine that with the drought conditions in southern California and this can just restart in an instant. So that's the big problem for firefighters. They're going to be here in force for a number of days to prevent that.

The good news is, the weather forecast, though, moving into the weekend should stabilize because conditions are going to change in that the temperatures are coming down, the winds are shifting going offshore, getting rid of the Santa Anas. So, firefighters are confident that they do have the upper hand for now. But your point is very valid. One of these hot spots can turn into another fire in an instant.

BALDWIN: Ted Rowlands, thank you so much.

And I want to stay on this story and just show you a stunning time lapse video of the Cocos wildfire there in San Marcos. So first you see whiffs of white smoke swirling around as the winds then kick in. Skinny white plumbs suddenly expand, look at this, into towering black columns of smoke. The fast, erratic winds keep pushing this fire until thick clouds of smoke almost blot out that beautiful blue sky. More than a thousand firefighters trying to quell the flames in San Marcos. Crews are hoping, as Ted was alluding to with the weather, you know, these calmer winds and cooler temperatures may help today's battle. But let's talk to the man in charge. Joining me on the phone, San Marcos Fire Chief Brett Van Wey.

Chief, can you hear me?

BRETT VAN WEY, SAN MARCOS FIRE CHIEF (via telephone): I can.

BALDWIN: Sir, how are you and your firefighters holding up here 24 hours after just infernos through these neighborhoods?

VAN WEY: We're holding up well. We're starting to get plenty of reinforcements to get the first in people are (ph) rested (ph) now. And with the weather cooperating, hopefully we start, as the gentleman said before, making some good progress here.

BALDWIN: Chief, what's the focus today?

VAN WEY: The focus today is, with no wind, is, you know, securing the edges, securing the lines with as many people and equipment we can. The other challenge is, when you have a fire of 3,000 acres, it's just not the edges. It's getting inside and making sure that there's nothing inside the burn that could ignite and cause us issues with homes or safety and quite a few power lines. so we're trying to keep our firefighters safe.

BALDWIN: Explain this to me, chief. When we talk about specifically the San Marcos area and its 10 percent containment, what does that really mean? Does that mean there are active flames in 90 percent of this area? Or does that mean, you know, you and your guys just don't have an entire handle on the majority of it?

VAN WEY: No. You know, we're pretty conservative. Ten percent means that we are confident in that 10 percent that nothing's going to jump over the line either with the edge or in a hot spot near the edge. And we're working, you know, on to the other 90 percent, I think that number will increase. Hopefully, like I said, with the cooperation of weather and it appears we may get some cool weather even tomorrow through the weekend.

BALDWIN: Chief Van Wey, I'm just curious, I don't know how many years you've been working in San Marcos specifically, but, you know, I'm hearing from people who have been living in the San Diego area for decades and decades and this whole notion of eight, nine fires all at one time, is this unprecedented?

VAN WEY: I've been with San Marcos Fire for 28 years. You know, it is the nature of what we live in southern California and, unfortunately, as we build more homes in California through the wild land areas, it poses a lot of problems. We do have a history in this area. I think the first time I was on this - almost similar area of this fire was in 1996. In a different position, but a lot of the same patterns. I think we've done a lot of good things, learning from our history, getting clearances of 102 - in San Marcos we have 150 foot clearance ordinance around structures, which I think was a huge, key component for us not losing any more structures.

BALDWIN: Fire Chief Brett Van Wey, San Marcos, California, really just doing an incredible job with your resources, getting a little help. Thank you so much, sir. We really appreciate you taking the time, as I know you are incredibly busy. VAN WEY: I appreciate it.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

Coming up next, Magic Johnson suggested Donald Sterling to quietly into the night, but Sterling, he isn't listening. We are now hearing the L.A. Clippers owner will sue the NBA. So what changed since Anderson Cooper's exclusive interview?

Plus, as crews search for bodies in that tragic mine accident, tear gas, water cannons now being used to quiet protesters? Hear why they are furious.

And, some big time surprises for the one, the only Barbara Walters on her last day. You will see the highlights of that. Plus the Joan London is joining me live to share some great personal moments she had with the living legend.

You're watching CNN. Stay right here.

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BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

And as the sports pundits predicted and he himself hinted, Donald Sterling has let loose his lawyer and will fight to keep his L.A. Clippers. "Sports Illustrated" is reporting anti-trust litigator Maxwell Bleacher has sent a letter to the NBA saying Sterling is not only threatening to sue the league, but will not pay that maximum fine, that $2.5 million the NBA fined him for his racist remarks. A source tells "SI" that the letter says Sterling has not done anything wrong. But if that is the case, why did Sterling apologize when he sat down with and spoke exclusively with Anderson Cooper?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, CNN'S "AC 360": Why not walk away from it? You'd make a ton of money from what you bought the team for.

DONALD STERLING, EMBATTLED OWNER OF LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: Remember we said money is not what I'm interested in.

COOPER: So why not walk away?

STERLING: I want to show all the people that are associated with basketball and the world I'm not a racist. When you ask me what I have in terms of rights, I think the league - the league would give you everything if you're a good member. But if you're not a good member, I don't think they want to give you anything. You know, I've got to maybe somehow make them believe I'm a - I'm a good member who made a mistake and I'm apologizing and I'm asking for forgiveness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: All right, joining me now, CNN legal analyst Paul Callan in New York, and in Los Angeles, our own Stephanie Elam. And, hold tight, Paul, I'm coming to you in a minute.

But, Stephanie, you live in L.A. You are talking to fans. You are talking to L.A., you know, residents. When we're hearing this news here, according to "SI," that he is -- he wants to sue the NBA and he is not paying this fine, how is that sitting with people you're talking to?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's -- it's interesting, Brooke, because it is - it's a -- like mixed messages dot (ph) basketball. I don't even know how to put it. It's not a small enough dot. But it really is. And one point (ph) is saying, what would it be me fighting and paying millions of dollars and then they're paying millions of dollars to lawyers and we're fighting. Then the next minute you hear that he's out shopping for lawyers and that he's looking to get his side represented to fight this. So, a lot of people that I've talked to - and I've gone out. I actually went out to Starbucks and a Fridays that used to be owned by Magic. I went out there -

BALDWIN: OK.

ELAM: It's close to LAX and Ladara (ph) and I talked to people to see what they would think and they said that he has to go. And then if you talk to the players, the players are not focusing on that right now, especially after the loss that they had last night.

BALDWIN: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

So, some folks are frustrated. I know a lot of people in L.A. and even, you know, hearing from other players, (INAUDIBLE) LeBron James, you know, saying, hey, I'm not going to play if this man still owns the team come next season. Paul, to you, really the big question, we don't actually know the chronology, but the question is, why is he all of a sudden saying, I'm not paying this money and I'm planning on suing the NBA. I mean do you think - and we don't know, but just might any of this have to do with the reaction? Maybe expected on his behalf of that sit down with Anderson or everything that Magic Johnson said?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I think it's a whole constellation of things. I mean, obviously, he expressed the idea that he wants to be vindicated and demonstrate that he's not a racist. And if he goes quietly, pays the fine and sells the team, he loses his public forum. I think he's kind of enjoying being in the limelight. I don't know why you would enjoy -

BALDWIN: He may not be going quietly, though.

CALLAN: He is not going quietly and he's not only - you know, he's like - he's like a captain who's bringing down his ship. He's going to go down with the ship. He's trying to sink the NBA.

And what he's done here in hiring this new attorney, Maxwell Bleacher, Bleacher's an anti-trust expert. And, you know, the thing that professional sports teams have always worried about is the application of the federal anti-trust rules to professional sports because those rules prohibit teams from getting together and having uniform rules about what players are going to be paid and how TV contracts will be handled. And if those rules are applied to the sports franchises here, you know, professional sports would be radically different in this country. So that's a -- that's an atom bomb now that's been brought into the room by Sterling.

BALDWIN: Right. With this atom bomb, Stephanie Elam, I mean do fans though really want a boycott if this is still in legal limbo in some months?

ELAM: You know, after the game last night, we talked to some fans outside of the game. They're like, we love the players. We love Doc Rivers. We love this team. But if there is any Sterling associated with this team, we're not going to be there.

Now, I should point out, for their part, the players, the coach, they did take the higher road. In fact, we have some sound from them from last night where they talked about how this sterling saga has affected their playoff play. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS PAUL, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: To tell you the truth, we don't think about that, you know what I mean? Like, that's the least of our worries right now is - is him. We just lost the damn series. We -- I'm sorry, but we don't care about that.

DOC RIVERS, COACH, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: We've gone through a lot of stuff over the last three or four weeks and I don't think that was why we didn't win. I don't think we should use that as an excuse. We're a team in process. I believe we were good enough to win it this year. You know, Oklahoma City told us we were not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And the one thing about this, though, is that now that Donald Sterling seems to be digging his heels in, this could become a much larger, longer process to get through and so that's where people are concerned about what the players are going to do. But last night they left the - the idea, though, that they plan to be there in October. Same thing for Coach Rivers.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK. I know a lot of fans, I'm sure, want to see them playing, right, come training time this fall.

Stephanie Elam and Paul Callan, thank you so much.

CALLAN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Just ahead, more than two months since Flight 370 disappeared. This raw data here is still not public. We're talking about the Inmarsat data. So who has the power to release it? One CNN aviation analyst says someone is lying. Plus, I will speak live with the one and only Joan London about this woman here, Barbara Walters, as the legend celebrates her last day. And wait until you hear the story about why Walters envied Joan London for something she did behind the scenes. Don't miss this.

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BALDWIN: Let me just be straight up with you right now. I may not be sitting right here in this seat had it not been for this woman, Barbara Walters. I mean, at the very least, my professional road could have been much, much longer. Barbara Walters, long a first lady of TV news, is taking a step back from television. Today was her last day on the show. She created "The View." And leave it to Barbara Walters, of course, to try to break news on her final day with a headline guest, maybe you've heard of her, Hillary Clinton?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": As long as you're here, let me ask you a question.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Oh, really?

WALTERS: Yes. Yes.

(CROSS TALK)

WALTERS: The question I want to ask is, are you going to run, but -

CLINTON: Well, I am running -- around the park.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The best moment was when this incredible array of famous female journalists came out one by one by one and hugged her and kissed her and gathered around to pay tribute to the woman who really paved the way for all of them. You know, Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Jane Pauley, Lisa Ling, Diane Sawyer, Paula Zahn, Deborah Norville, Connie Chung, Robyn Roberts. And if you take a look, we'll show you the picture in just a minute, the still photo, the woman standing over her shoulder here is the woman I happen to have on the phone, Joan London, who spent 17 years co-hosting "Good Morning America." Joan London on the phone.

Joan London, it's an honor for me to be talking to you. Welcome.

JOAN LONDON (via telephone): Oh, it's great to be with you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So, I mean, can we just talk about this moment here as we're looking -- here you are with Barbara in this shot and, I mean, standing right behind her, what -- can you just -- what was that moment like?

LONDON: You know, it was incredible being in the room right off set with just all of these women who were iconic who really went down a path because of Barbara. And everybody felt it. And when you went out -- she was actually really surprised. She did not know that this was going to happen. And, you know, one after another, from all the different networks, she really was, you know, quite overwhelmed. And, you know, for me, when I was, you know, in college and I was watching her on the air and I always thought she had the best job in the whole world.

BALDWIN: Totally.

LONDON: And it was certainly her inspiration and her influence on me as a young woman that, you know, gave me the audacity back then in 1973 -

BALDWIN: The audacity.

LONDON: To walk into a news affiliate and ask for a job.

BALDWIN: And so, there you go, you know, and you have been such a success in your own right and the, you know, getting that - such an incredible gig as co-host of "Good Morning America." And can you just tell me this story - because I read a very old "People" magazine article where it talked about how, you know, you had had your baby, Jamie (ph), and you brought this itty bitty creature into, you know, the studios of "Good Morning America" back in the day and that - set the scene for me because you were to interview Barbara Walters and she sees you and she sees this baby and says what?

LONDON: Well, you know, I had only been on the show as co-host for about, I don't know, a few weeks and I - every morning I brought this little baby, you know, eight weeks old when I started -

BALDWIN: Good for you.

LONDON: And I brought her with me because I was breast-feeding and I had a little room off my dressing room where she would be. And the morning that Barbara was going to be on, I was so nervous to meet this woman. And not only that, but to be interviewing her. And she came upstairs before the show and she came into the make-up room and introduced herself, obviously being very gracious assuming that I might be nervous, and all of a sudden I looked then and instead of just leaving I looked and she was staring down by my dressing room. And she turned around and said, this is remarkable. She said, this is going to change everything for women. And she said, if I would have ever -- I never would have even had the thought process to think about bringing my baby into NBC when I was doing the "Today Show."

BALDWIN: Wow.

LONDON: She was just amazed by it.

LONDON: What was she like, you know, babies aside, you know, just walking down the hallways with her? Even, you know, at "The View" taping when the cameras weren't rolling, what was that like?

LONDON: You know, I have to tell you, I mean she really was, you know, an iconic figure. She always cut a pretty wide path. She gave me - she - but she was incredibly gracious and she was very, very gracious with young women coming up. The buzz around the room at "The View" was everybody giving their story about the advice Barbara had given to them. So she obviously went out of her way with each one of us. She pulled me aside after the interview that day, and I don't remember what the interview was about. It was probably about one of her specials. But I remember every word of her advice. She said --

BALDWIN: Which was?

LONDON: Don't fight for equality around here. I know what happens. Do not. You'll be exactly where your two predecessors are, right out the door. Just take what they'll give you for now and if they're the woman stories, make each one of them shine. Like, really let them see you shine in everything that they give you and that's how you will rise to the top.

BALDWIN: Awesome advice.

LONDON: And she was right. And she also gave me one other piece of advice, send thank you notes.

BALDWIN: Yes. My mother would appreciate that one.

LONDON: She said - she said everybody - yes, she said everyone wonders how I get all these interviews. She said the reason why I get them is because when it's announced that someone's going to be in a play or a movie, I write them a letter and say, oh, I just heard about this, good luck. I'm sure it's going to be terrific. So that when it comes time around, you know, to be doing the press, who are they going to call? I'm the one that wrote them, she said.

BALDWIN: Yes. That's exactly what Chris Cuomo was telling me.

LONDON: And follow-up every big interview. Isn't that great.

BALDWIN: That she - she is on it like yesterday with writing those letters and we all -- if only all we could be a little like Barbara Walters and you, Joan London. Joan London, thank you so much for calling in. I appreciate it.

LONDON: Oh, my pleasure. Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right, thank you.

Coming up next, this. Look at that. Chaos in the streets. Police hitting protesters in water cannons. This is a town in mourning after losing hundreds of miners. Now they are taking action so that their voices can be heard.

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