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House Hears Defense of Bergdahl Swap Today; Ed O'Bannon vs. NCAA; Providing Better Childcare to Women; Donations Pour in for Seattle Shooting Hero

Aired June 09, 2014 - 10:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There are new details this morning on Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl and the five agonizing years he was held captive by the Taliban. Sources describe Bergdahl's physical abuse and psychological trauma all part of the reason why the White House exchanged five Taliban commanders for Bergdahl.

Secretary of State John Kerry defends sending those detainees to the Middle Eastern country of Qatar.

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JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: They're not the only ones keeping an eye on them.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. is going to be monitoring them?

KERRY: I'm just telling you they're not the only ones keeping an eye on them and we have confidence in those requirements and if they're violated, then we have the ability to be able to do things.

LABOTT: What kind of things?

KERRY: I am not -- Elise, I'm not telling you that they don't have some ability at some point to go back and get involved. But they also have an ability to get killed doing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. Let's head to CNN's Nic Robertson he's in Doha, Qatar with the latest. Nic I know you spoke with a Taliban source who had knowledge of Bergdahl's captivity. What did you learn?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He said that in the first period of captivity, Bergdahl was held in a house that wasn't very secure. He described it as being sort of looked after by an old man that Bergdahl managed to break out of there, get away and was on the run for three whole days.

But because the Taliban controlled that whole area, he had no chance of escaping and then when the Taliban recaptured him, they put him in a much more secure location where they say that he had no chance of getting away from that time. They say over the period of five years that he learned the local language Pashto, he learned it well enough to communicate effectively with the Taliban. He complained about his food. That he was getting too much lamb wanted vegetables and fruit. He was given that. That's what this source with the Taliban says.

But also that Bergdahl stayed true to his Christian faith. That he wanted to observe Christmas and Easter. And he was able to do that. The Taliban also say that they gave him reading material. Also Islamic reading material as well as English reading material and that he was able to exercise on occasion even playing soccer with the Taliban.

So the way that the Taliban source is describing this captivity is that they were giving him a decent diet and he was allowed to observe Christmas and Easter. That was clearly very important to him and not so for his captors at all, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well we also know the Taliban is adept at propaganda. So I mean you're painting a very rosy picture of his captivity frankly.

ROBERTSON: Sure. And you've got to -- you've got to look at it in that light absolutely. What I will say about this source is that this is someone who has provided accurate information on westerners held by the Taliban in the past, while they're being held, information that's proved reliable and accurate later in time.

This source says if you go talk to Bergdahl, you'll find out this information is correct. However, we really need to put it in perspective. The Taliban is adept at propaganda and this source isn't familiar with all aspects of Bergdahl's captivity. It was over a five-year period. He -- you know we have a few lines of information from him far from painting a complete picture, Carol.

COSTELLO: Very complex story. Nic Robertson reporting live from Qatar this morning.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, UCLA made money off Ed O'Bannon when he played for them. Now O'Bannon wants some of the profit. He is suing the NCAA to get some cash.

Let's talk about it with Andy Scholes. Good morning.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Good morning Carol. You know this lawsuit could change the landscape of college sports as we know it. Will the athletes start getting paid? We'll discuss after the break.

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COSTELLO: Former college basketball player Ed O'Bannon has been waiting five years for his day in court and today he will get it. O'Bannon's lawsuit against the NCAA goes before a federal judge in Oakland. The suit seeks to end the NCAA's control over the right to college athlete's names, images and likenesses. Right now, college players must sign a waiver relinquishing those rights, you know, while the university makes all that money.

CNN's Sara Ganim covering the trials, Andy Scholes is here to talk about the big picture in college athletics right now. But Sarah I want to start with you. Tell us more about this hearing today.

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's the trial that begins today, Carol. And the argument that these players are making is that the NCAA essentially bullies these players. They give them two options. You either sign this waive that relinquishes your right to make money off your own image or you don't play and the players are saying that's not fair.

Now what's interesting about this lawsuit is that when it was filed five years ago, it was actually about video games. Ed O'Bannon was at a friend's house. He sees himself in a video game a college sports video game. And he says hey I never gave my permission for you to use my image and I'm not making any money off that. So he sued. But that's part of the lawsuit was settled last year. The video game maker EA Sports settled for $40 million. They agreed to stop making these games so when they go to trial this morning, what this is about is television contracts. The NCAA, the conferences, the universities, they make millions of dollars each year on TV contracts so that you can sit at home in the comfort of your home and watch your favorite games on TV. You don't have to go to the stadium physically to see your favorite games, your favorite teams play. And the players are saying that's not fair. Everyone around us is making money. We want a cut of that.

COSTELLO: I can see their point. So how will the NCAA defend itself?

GANIM: Well the NCAA says that it's protecting this amateurism model right? In all of the defenses of all of the different attacks on the NCAA, all of the reform movements, that's their stance. That they are protecting amateurism that these -- these athletes are getting an education, a world-class education for playing sports and that has been their mantra and we don't expect that to change.

You know, leading up to this as I said, the video game maker settled. The NCAA would not budge on a single issue.

COSTELLO: Because Andy they have amateurism on their side apparently, right?

SCHOLES: Yes and, you know, that's what they claim. They say that these athletes they get an education. They get housing. They get food. And they say that values about $40,000 a year and if you don't like it, just don't play college sports.

COSTELLO: Now that would get the players somewhere if that happened, right?

SCHOLES: If what?

COSTELLO: If all of the great players out there in high school said hey we're not playing. SCHOLES: But the problem in -- that's their problem college football

players their only avenue if they want to maybe play professionally and go to NFL, is college football. So they really have no choice in this matter. Now of course the direction we seem like we're going is we're going to start paying college athletes but Carol, there are a lot of hurdles to get to that.

Like for example do you pay the kids at Texas the same you pay the kids at middle Tennessee State? That's a good question. Do you pay them based on market value or do you pay everyone the same? And if you're paying the football players, you have to pay the swimmers. Where does that money come from? And then of course the big argument the NCAA likes to make is, well if you start playing these players and what incentive do they have to go to class?

COSTELLO: Well some of them don't go to class any way.

SCHOLES: Exactly but then the players' argument of course is we have coaches making $7 million a year, we have all these super conferences making hundreds of millions of dollars, why aren't we getting a cut? So there's -- there's great arguments on both sides. It seems that they're trying to meet in the middle.

COSTELLO: It seems though that the tide is turning. Like O'Bannon is in court today right. And you know a judge is hearing his case and also these college football players who voted to unionize that's on the table too.

SCHOLES: Yes but the northwestern players they made the point to say well it's not about the money. We just want a seat at the table when it comes to benefits and bargaining. But whenever anyone says it's not about the money, Carol what is it about? It's about the money.

COSTELLO: It's about the money. Andy Scholes, Sara Ganim many thanks.

Still to come, the war on women -- a hot button phrase that sparks a lot of political finger pointing but has been bandied about so much that it's now meaningless. We'll talk about that next.

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COSTELLO: At the White House today, a celebration of fathers -- specifically working dads and how big business is helping those working dads not only to be better employees but also better parents. A high powered panel expected to gather including New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy who made headlines when he took paternity leave on opening day this year. Also attending, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough, Transportation Secretary Anthony Fox and Council of Economic Advisors chairman, Jason Furman.

And while it is great that fathers will be in the spotlight, that White House event got me thinking about the state of working moms and the increasingly meaningless term "war on women" thrown around a lot. Includes everything from abortion rights to equal pay, but rarely does that term include child care. If politicians of both stripes really want to make women's lives more fair and easier, they would talk a blue streak about affordable child care. Instead we get cheap jokes about how lawmakers really do understand women's issues. I'm sure you've seen this. Michigan state lawmakers posed for a picture asserting they really do understand women and you can see that by the fashion magazines they're reading.

Yes, it was a joke. But it underscores how the conversation surrounding women's issues has devolved. And that's a sad thing.

Here now to talk about that, Kelly Wallace, CNN digital correspondent and editor at large, and Vicki Barnett, Democratic Michigan state representative. Welcome to both of you.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Good to be here.

COSTELLO: Glad to have you here. I can't wait for this conversation. Ok.

So Kelly the overall question, is the so-called war on women so politically charged it's become meaningless?

WALLACE: Well, I think it is politically charged. That is fair. But I think you would get a lot of people who would object to the sense that it is meaningless. I think in the case of Michigan, you always have to look at the context here, right? You know that three Republican lawmakers said this was a joke. It was light hearted. But guess what -- Carol. I believe the percentage of women in the Michigan state house is at the lowest level in 20 years.

And you also look at policies such as that so-called rape insurance bill two years ago passed in the Michigan state house where pretty much almost all abortions would not be covered unless women purchased this separate rider. So I don't know that -- it's politically charged yes, but in terms of meaningless, I think a lot of women would look at both the makeup of the House and the Senate there in Michigan and also some of the policies and say these are perhaps not the policies that support women in the long run.

COSTELLO: And Representative Barnett, I do think it's disheartening that Democrats and Republicans can't talk about issues that are important to women without bickering over who loves or hates women the most. Why can't we just talk intelligently about these issues?

We lost Representative Barnett. Kelly this is just not my day.

WALLACE: It is not. She's such a key part of this as you know because she and a couple of other female Democrats in the state house went ahead and put their photo out saying, you know, real women look at documents and bills and not fashion magazines.

I hear your point, Carol. I hear it loud and clear. And it is unfortunate when this gets into this political charged back and forth. But women's issues are key and it is up to women voters, Carol, ultimately, to make the determination on what issues are important to them and then vote on those issues when they go to the ballot box. COSTELLO: I hear you. I think women's issues are incredibly

important. I guess what I'm saying is we can talk about abortion rights all we want.

WALLACE: Yes.

COSTELLO: But the topic at the top of most women's minds is child care. That's what women deal with each and every day. Why aren't we doing something to help women care better for their children because let's face it, women have to work. They can't choose any longer to stay home. So why not deal with an issue that they grapple with every single day. And couldn't both Republicans and Democrats agree on that?

WALLACE: Carol, if only it were that simple, right? I mean many women in this country listen to this conversation and say one way is to get more women in the House and Senate and in states around the country and not just female Democrats but female Republicans who may feel this issue more personally and deeply and may want to do something about it. So that is one thing.

But it is also important, Carol, to talk about, you know, you talk about child care, there are issues such as in the Michigan state house there was a bill, I believe, in terms of requiring welfare recipients to perform community service or they wouldn't get the benefits and people would say, well, what are they going to do for child care to perform the community service and then they'll lose their benefits because they can't afford the child care.

This requires a thinking and a sensitivity to the issues of working women and working men in this country and a real desire to make those issues front and center and I think both parties are guilty of playing politics too often with these issues and not sitting down and getting things done on them.

COSTELLO: Kelly Wallace, thanks for filling in. I appreciate it.

WALLACE: I'm happy to.

COSTELLO: Thank you. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, panic and terror at a Seattle college after a gunman opens fire. Now the student security guard who tackled the shooter is hailed as a hero.

Up next, how the Internet community is teaming up to say a great big thank you.

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COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 56 minutes past the hour. Sounds like something out of a movie -- three inmates escape when a helicopter lands in their jail yard and whisks them away. A manhunt is going on for the men, two of whom were arrested in a drug bust. No information on the third suspect. The escape took place Saturday night at a Canadian detention facility near Quebec City. Authorities are trying to get details on how such an operation took place. Relatives of Flight 370 passengers are trying to raise $5 million for

investigations and whistle-blower reward. That news comes on the three month anniversary of the Malaysian plane's disappearance. There have been no signs of the plane and the underwater search has now been postponed. The fund-raiser has been launched on a crowd sourcing Web site.

The ground breaking meeting between Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas and Israel president, Shimon Peres -- they met with Pope Francis at the Vatican this weekend and prayed together for peace in the Middle East. The Pope said the meeting was a response to people who want to live as brothers and sisters and not as enemies.

California Chrome's owner is apologizing for his criticism at the end of the Belmont Stakes after Chrome failed in his Triple Crown bid. Owner, Steve Coburn, blasted the owners of the Belmont's three top finishers. Coburn says they took the coward's way out in not running in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Coburn made his apologies on ABC's "Good Morning America".

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STEVE COBURN, CO-OWNER, CALIFORNIA CHROME: Very ashamed of myself -- very ashamed. I need to apologize to a lot of people including my wife, Carolyn. First of all I need to apologize to the winners. They run a beautiful race. Their horse won the race. They deserve that. I did not mean to take anything away from them.

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COSTELLO: California Chrome will take a few weeks off from racing to recover from an injured hoof.

A Seattle college student credited with saving lives after tackling a university gunman is receiving thanks from complete strangers. This is Jon Meis, he's the student security guard who used pepper spray to take down a shooter at Seattle Pacific University last Thursday. Authorities say Meis sprung into action as the shooter tried to reload his shotgun after wounding three people. Those who know Meis say they're not surprised he risked his own life to save the lives of others.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not super surprised he would do something like that. But it's amazing and we're definitely very proud of him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was an act of bravery, of selflessness, of thinking about others in a situation that put himself at great risk.

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COSTELLO: Now complete strangers are showing their thanks and here's how. Meis is getting married later this month. After the shooting a link to his wedding registry began circulating online. Word got out and now almost every single item on his registry has been purchased. It gets better. According to reports, donors distributed at least $37,000 to help pay for the honeymoon. They'll go some place grand. That's awesome.

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

"@ THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA" starts now.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN HOST: Investigators in Las Vegas trying to make sense of something so terribly senseless. At this hour we are learning more about what might have driven a couple to proclaim a revolution before killing two police officers and a civilian.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Nine days after being freed from captivity, Bowe Bergdahl still has not spoken to his parents.