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Controversy Around Bergdahl-Taliban Prisoner Swap; Bergdahl "Forgotten" English Language; Two Kids Stabbed in NYC Elevator; New Study Says Colbert Educates Audience on Campaign Finance; GM Says Up, Despite Reports of More Car Deaths Than Reported

Aired June 03, 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, you're watching CNN.

We have to get back to the Bowe Bergdahl story, because President Obama says newly freed American soldier Bowe Bergdahl has yet to be interrogated.

But the president is getting grilled for his decision to swap five high- to mid-level Taliban leaders for this sergeant.

His fellow soldiers say men died in the search of Bergdahl and accused him of deserting his post back in 2009.

President Obama today said that the exchange for Bergdahl's release upheld a, quote/unquote, "sacred rule" never to leave a man in uniform behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Regardless of the circumstances, whatever those circumstances may turn out to be, we still get an American soldier back if he's held in captivity, period.

We have consulted with Congress for quite some time about the possibility that we might need to execute a prisoner exchange in order to recover Sergeant Bergdahl.

We saw an opportunity. We were concerned about Sergeant Bergdahl's health. We had the cooperation of the Qataris to execute an exchange, and we seized that opportunity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That was the president in Warsaw this morning. While it seems the president defended his decision, we're now learning this afternoon that the White House did issue an apology over this prisoner swap.

So let's go back to Washington to CNN's Joe Johns. Joe, we spoke about this, you know, apology from the chair of the Senate intelligence committee, Dianne Feinstein, but she's not the only one who got the phone call. JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

Dianne Feinstein apparently got a phone call from Tony Blinken over at the White House, apologizing for not giving them advanced warning about the release of Bowe Bergdahl in that prisoner swap.

Also we know the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, as well, got a call, too.

Now, what's the problem here? Well, number one, there's a law that says Congress is supposed to get 30-days notice beforehand before anybody's released from Guantanamo Bay.

And Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia reacted angrily when I asked him if he got a heads-up. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Senator, the White House says you all were kept in the loop on this. Were you?

SENATOR SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), GEORGIA: The White House is wrong about that.

I haven't had a conversation with the White House on this issue in a year and a half. If that's keeping us in the loop, then, you know, this administration is more arrogant than I thought they were.

Got a phone call last night apologizing for not giving us advance warning of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now, not everyone on the hill was blindsided by this news. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, told me that he heard about it on Friday, apparently, before the release actually happened.

So why is this an issue besides the legal requirement, which the administration already said it considered unconstitutional.

There are a lot of people on Capitol Hill, especially Republicans, who say they're very concerned that the five Taliban officers who got released are very bad customer, so they're asking more questions, including Saxby Chambliss.

He's actually asking for information about those five individuals, to be declassified, so people can see just how serious this situation is, in his view.

BALDWIN: I'm glad you followed up today with that, Joe Johns. Thank you so much, from the U.S. Capitol.

That's one piece of the story. Another piece, has Bowe Bergdahl, the last American prisoner of the Afghan war, forgotten English?

His father seems to think so. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB BERGDAHL, BOWE BERGDAHL'S FATHER: I'd like to say to Bowe right now, who's having trouble speaking English, (speaking foreign language). I'm your father, Bowe.

I hope that when you hear this and when you're ready to hear this and when you see this, I hope your English is coming back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That is Bob Bergdahl, who actually speaks Pashto, one of Afghanistan's native languages.

For his part, Bowe Bergdahl is said by some of his former soldiers to have studied Pashto, Arabic and another Afghan language in his bunk.

With me now from Los Angeles, linguist Sandra Disner of the University of Southern California. And, Sandra, welcome, first and foremost.

SANDRA DISNER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LINGUISTICS: My pleasure.

BALDWIN: Bowe Bergdahl was held, as we know, close to five years.

Is it possible that a person can forget their native language, either through trauma that Bergdahl endured, or through lack of use, if he was communicating with his captors through another language?

DISNER: I can't speak to the trauma -- I'm not a psychologist -- but I can tell you that linguists have studied this phenomenon, it's called language attrition, for quite a few years. And we're learning ever more about it.

The quick answer is, he hasn't forgotten it. The chances are overwhelmingly in favor of him retrieving his English quite quickly. People do this all the time. We've had studies that range from people that are just away for a junior year abroad, to those who have moved to another society for much of their lives.

And they all manage to retrieve -- to be able to speak their first language when necessary. They might not choose to do so, but they will certainly have the ability to do so.

My favorite example is the grandmother of my best friend in high school who was born in the Cape Verde islands, spoke Portuguese for the first 17 years of her life, and she emigrated to Boston, spoke nothing but English with her five children in her household. and lived to the ripe old age of 115.

She became the second-oldest person on earth at the time of her death. But what's interesting here is when she turned 108, she had a minor stroke.

It didn't create any impairment, other than the fact that her English disappeared, and all she spoke was the Portuguese that she hadn't spoken for nearly a century. BALDWIN: How about that.

DISNER: So your language is really well imprinted. Unless, of course, you have left it as a child, as a really young child.

Children under 8, for example, those in international adoptions, will forget their native language.

BALDWIN: Which we know that wasn't this case. He was 23 at the time of the capture.

But reportedly, Bowe Bergdahl sketched out the initials "SF" question mark on this paper plate when he was rescued. presumably asking if they were special forces rescuing him.

So that sounds to me that, maybe to your point, he hasn't forgotten English entirely at all.

DISNER: Correct. If anything's going to be lost, it will be individual words. The accent is less likely to erode and the grammar is less likely yet.

There is going to be diminution, as I said these cases of students, coming back from junior year abroad where they are immersed in Japanese or Spanish or something, will recognizably quaver in their English a little bit, but that won't be long.

Once they come back into an English-speaking environment, the first language will typically come back quite quickly.

No, not clear about the effect of his trauma. This might be totally overshadowed by any psychological damage he may have endured. But to a linguist, it's very optimistic situation.

BALDWIN: OK, Sandra Disner from University of Southern California, linguist. Thank you for your perspective on that one.

DISNER: My pleasure.

BALDWIN: And coming up next, major news for one of the country's largest automakers, General Motors is dealing with millions of car recalls and faulty ignition switches tied to at least 13 deaths.

But the news today, we have learned that the company's monthly sales are at the highest in about five years. We'll explain what's behind that.

Plus, his character is a snarky political pundit, but there's this new study that shows this individual is actually teaching you about one very specific subject.

What it is, that is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Today is primary date for voters in eight states. Right now folks in Mississippi are taking a side in the war within the Republican Party.

This is the tea party versus your establishment GOP, and it's the tea party's best shot at ousting this incumbent, Republican Senator Thad Cochran.

The 76-year-old is going for his seventh term. Polls show the race is as tight. Of course, every vote counts.

Cochran has been touting his years of experience and the federal dollars he's brought to the state, while his challenger, State Senator Chris McDaniels, says D.C. needs new blood, and he has the support of Sarah Palin and Rick Santorum.

And you know what any -- coming up next, is a serial stabber on the loose in New York? Three people have been attacked recently, the latest victims, a 7-year-old and 6-year-old in an elevator.

They were just apparently going to get ice cream. Police have released a sketch of the suspect. We'll tell you about that investigation coming up, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: For a parent, it's tough to imagine -- your child goes out and he or she doesn't come home, becomes a reality for -

(AUDIO BREAK)

BALDWIN: -- especially in Brooklyn, Sunday evening.

Two children were found brutally stabbed. Six-year-old boy is dead, and a 7-year-old girl is in critical condition, fighting for her life.

And police are searching for a man who they say might be responsible for another stabbing just blocks away.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick is following the story for us from New York. And, Deborah, the ages of these kids here.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah.

BALDWIN: What's going on?

FEYERICK: It's heartbreaking, and everybody wants this person caught and off the streets. There's a palpable sense of fear in that part of Brooklyn.

There were two children, best friends, playing together on a sunny Sunday. They were riding bikes, climbing the jungle gym, and adults were actually watching these two children.

Then those kids decided they wanted to go upstairs and get an ice pop. They stepped into the elevator of their East New York building and that's when they were attacked.

A heavyset man with an eight-inch kitchen knife repeatedly stabbing 7- year-old Mikayla Capers some 15 times, and miraculously, Brooke, she survived.

But her friend, 6-year-old Prince Joshua Avitto, known as "P.J.," he was stabbed more than a dozen times. He did not survive.

This took place in an elevator, so here was nowhere for these two little children to run.

The Brooklyn community is mourning. Here's how P.J.'s godfather describes the child.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY ALSTON, STABBING VICTIM'S GODFATHER: He was coming along great in school. I thought he was going to achieve great things. I really did.

I thought his learning capacity was growing, and there would have been no limits as to what he could have accomplished. It's just cut short, unfortunately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: So much joy taken from this community.

The Brooklyn housing project is supposed to have surveillance cameras, and money was allocated by the city, but there were no cameras in the elevator or hallway, even though this is a high-crime area. That is making capturing this man particularly challenging.

It is now under investigation as to why there were no cameras.

As for P.J. Avitto, he's related Taj Gibson who's a forward for the Chicago Bulls, and he tweeted out, quote, "They killed my Superman. Only two more weeks until your seventh birthday."

That is the loss that this entire community is feeling right now, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And on top of that, police are saying that this man may have stabbed someone else just a few days prior?

FEYERICK: Yeah. Exactly. Police are canvassing the neighborhood. They're looking for patterns.

And three days earlier, on the Friday, several blocks away, an 18- year-old girl, an aspiring nurse, was stabbed more than two dozen times, also with a similar kitchen knife.

Police are now trying to get DNA off that knife. There don't appear to be any fingerprints, but they're looking what can be done, because this community is very, very fearful there's a madman on the loose.

They want him off the streets. Police are looking to see whether there was anybody left out on parole, whether there was anybody from a mental facility that may have been released, so they're leaving no stone unturned. But this community is in a great deal of pain right now, Brooke.

BALDWIN: The fear is understandable. Deborah Feyerick for us, we thank you so much.

Coming up next, we've been talking a lot lately about General Motors, haven't we? Back in the headlines today, the car company issuing millions of recalls, also dealing with faulty ignition switches tied to the 13 deaths.

But here's the news today. We have learned that the company's monthly sales are the highest in about five years.

We'll explain what is behind that, next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In any election, you win or you go home. That's pretty simple. But other parts of politics are a tad more complicated, like campaign finance reform, anyone?

But a new study says this one person on this one TV show is actually doing a better job at educating you than other organizations. Who is that? This guy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDY CENTRAL'S "THE COLBERT REPORT": Can I spend it on other things besides politics?

Let's say if I'm Sarah Palin and I got a couple million bucks in my PAC there, can I use it take it to private jets to go someplace?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can.

COLBERT: I can?

I write a check from my super PAC to my 501(c)(4) to my second, secret 501(c)(4), and because I sent a letter along the way that said here's what I want you guys to do with it, neither I nor me nor me is responsible for what happens to the money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.

COLBERT: I love America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Answer - "The Colbert Report."

Researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that the "Colbert Nation" not only thought they knew more something about something as wonky as campaign finance reform than others, they were actually right.

So to our senior media correspondent who's about to give us a whole thing on campaign finance reform -- or maybe not -- and host of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter, in the flesh in Studio 7.

Nice to have you here, by the way.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Thank you.

BALDWIN: He has this certain je ne sais quoi, if you will, right? But they dedicate like chunks of time on that show to something such as that, and he pulls it off.

STELTER: Yes, and that's what the researchers found. It was the reason why it's effective. They did this phone poll of people the same way CNN and others do polls.

I tried to poke holes in the study. It's a legit study, and it found that Colbert came out ahead, in part because he had a narrative. He has a narrative about this issue, and he makes it part of the story.

So he is invested in it. He's not a passive observer. He's an active participant. And researchers said that made it more effective to viewers.

BALDWIN: And, full disclosure, the study pitted him against CNN, Fox --

STELTER: Fox, MSNBC --

BALDWIN: -- everyone else.

STELTER: -- everybody, yeah. Yeah.

It was in part because of the focus on the topic, you know? He's so passionate about it.

BALDWIN: You can feel it. The viewer can feel it.

STELTER: That's right. He made that PAC. What was it called -- "Americans for a Better Tomorrow Tomorrow?" It was this running joke, but it had a broader point.

BALDWIN: And viewers come back, each and every night, to see the next chapter of that.

STELTER: Right.

BALDWIN: We were talking earlier and -- because I'm curious, how many people did they have dedicated to something like this? You went to "The Daily Show."

STELTER: The one time I was in "The Daily Show" writers' room, there was at least 15 people throwing out jokes, even funnier than the show at some point.

And the same for Colbert, the same for John Oliver, who's now doing really innovative stuff on HBO.

All these guys are coming up with interesting new ways -- they wouldn't say it -- but to cover the news through satire.

BALDWIN: Good on them.

STELTER: Of course Colbert's about to go over to CBS --

BALDWIN: Let's talk about that, because will he --

STELTER: -- to "The Late Show."

BALDWIN: He can't -- can he do that over there?

STELTER: It will be so hard. Now I think if anybody can, he will. I'm sure he will try to --

BALDWIN: Totally different format.

STELTER: Jimmy Fallon is doing cool things with his format on "The Tonight Show," so I'm sure Colbert will do the same thing, but I doubt he will be able to have a running story on campaign finance reform on "The Late Show."

BALDWIN: They need to (inaudible) to that show, by the way.

STELTER: Absolutely. This time next year, he'll be on the air.

BALDWIN: So exciting. Thank you so much. "RELIABLE SOURCES," 11:00 in the morning on Sundays.

STELTER: That's right.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

STELTER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Now to this, a mixed bag of news for General Motors today, the automaker reporting today its best sales since 2008, people are buying G.M. vehicles despite this massive recall and at least 13 deaths linked to faulty ignition switches.

Now you have this new report from Reuters, saying that could be more fatal car accidents linked to that defect.

So to our business correspondent, Alison Kosik, we go, live at the New York Stock Exchange, and, Alison, tell me more about the report.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: OK, this report is really turning heads, Brooke, because -- it's from Reuters, by the way, and it's saying that more people than first thought were killed in these accidents in G.M. cars that were very, very similar to the accidents that happened because of the faulty ignitions, you know, the accidents that really started all of these recalls back in February.

Reuters is saying 74 people were killed not 13, the 13 coming from G.M. now this is an analysis that Reuters did on its own. It was comparing accidents of the highest profile G.M. cars with popular competitors' cars, and what it specifically looked at were accidents where the front air bags didn't deploy and the driver in the front passenger seat was killed.

And it found that those accidents happened more frequently in G.M.'s Saturn Ion and the Chevy Cobalt than similar cars that were made by Toyota, Honda or Ford.

But one thing that Reuters acknowledged in this report, also, Brooke, is it's not conclusive that those accidents were directly because of the faulty ignition switch.

Now, G.M. is strongly pushing back, saying that the total number of deaths associated with the ignition switch recall condition stands at 13.

Brooke?

BALDWIN: Still, when you see those numbers, you have to wonder -- I don't know if it's Mary Barra now, as the new chief that's helping turn things around, but simply the fact that their sales numbers are up. How about that?

KOSIK: They are. You know, G.M. sales not taking a hit. In May, its sales jumped 13 percent. Keep in mind, March and April sales, they were also up. Keep in mind, the May sales are the strongest sales since August 2008. So this is still after all of these recalls coming out.

A couple reasons for this, the cars involved in these recalls, they are not being manufactured anymore, so even when people are out there looking for a car, they're not connecting the old G.M., the old model, with the new G.M. So they're still out there buying those new cars.

Also, there have been so many recalls that consumers are kind of growing numb to them, so it's not sticking as long and consumers as a whole are moving on from it.

Brooke?

BALDWIN: OK, Alison Kosik, thank you very much.

Before I go, Stelter, stop the twitters. I want you to do this with me.

STELTER: I'm always twittering, even on live TV.

BALDWIN: You were just, not too long ago, hitched.

STELTER: Yes, three months ago.

BALDWIN: Have you seen this, this picture? A lot of people put a lot into the pictures they get for weddings, but there was apparently this ceremony that sort of kind of went underwater. Have you heard about this?

Everybody wants a great dock shot. This is Minnesota over the weekend. Wait for it. And in the water they go. A wedding party, 20 or so people, this is -- mind you. I love the slo-mo. Nice job, guys. This is one hour before the ceremony. Take a look.

Didn't know if we had sound, the screaming, just wanted to hear that. So a couple of bridesmaids --

STELTER: My wife is watching right now. I know she would --

BALDWIN: What would she wife have done?

STELTER: She would have been cool as a cucumber.

BALDWIN: She'd roll with it?\

STELTER: That's the first perfect test for that couple, right there.

BALDWIN: And they survived. And then they still said "I do."

STELTER: Absolutely.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

And thank you so much for watching. I'll see you back here tomorrow.

In the meantime, "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.