Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Team USA Stunned by Portugal in Final Seconds; Kerry Visits Baghdad; White House Focuses on Working Families; Asiana Flt. 214 Crash: Who's to Blame?; Pope Excommunicates Italian Mafia

Aired June 23, 2014 - 09:00   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: So let's take you over to "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello.

Hey, Carol.

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

NEWSROOM starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): Soccer stunner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Equalizer.

COSTELLO: A devastating draw in the last second tie by Portugal that's got everyone talking this morning. Team USA now laser focused on the big match against Germany.

Plus, breaking overnight, Secretary of State John Kerry in Baghdad as more cities fall to terrorist control. Will he be able to convince Maliki to do the right thing?

Also, Hillary's head scratcher, saying she's, um, unlike people who are truly well-off. Fact, she and Bill have made $100 million over the past 13 years. Had the self-appointed crusader for the 99 percent really connect with working America?

And your Venti skinny mocha half fat, extra hot, whatever latte drink is going to cost you. Dig deeper for your next Starbucks.

And this. Yes. Golf's greatest Michelle Wie wins in Pinehurst, clinching the U.S. Women's Open.

Let's talk live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

The U.S. men's soccer team, what can you say? Joy and then so much pain. Less than a minute away from outright advancing to the next round, Team USA's hopes were dashed with a game tying score by Portugal. The celebrations began across the United States and the 81st minute when Clint Dempsey scored, giving Team USA a 2-1 lead.

New York fans went nuts. And Los Angeles, too. Wild cheers and hugs all around, but with seconds to go, Ronaldo, arguably, one of the best soccer players around, lobbed a pass to a teammate who sent a header flying past the U.S. goalkeeper, tying the game at two apiece.

And with that, U.S. fans were in shock. Overcome with feelings of anger, sadness and disappointment as victory slipped past them. Afterwards the players reacted to the draw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINT DEMPSEY, TEAM USA KICKER: Created some good chances, showed a lot of character, especially considering the first goal and fighting our way back into the game and then you go can go ahead with the go ahead goal. But yes, disappointing on three points, but still we're happy with four points and we're playing for the last game.

TIM HOWARD, TEAM USA GOALKEEPER: Draw is just -- draw is just blocked. You know, had we -- had we been down 2-1 and we came back and scored, everybody would be happy. So it ebbs and flows. It's a draw. It's a point. It keeps us in the hunt. And that's always what we want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It's like kissing your sister, but all is not lost. Team USA is still alive. They played Germany on Thursday for a chance to advance to the next round.

Lara Baldesarra is live in Rio de Janeiro to tell us more.

Good morning.

LARA BALDESARRA, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. This one still hurts. This one, it was just taken from the Americans, who would have thought this would happen. This could have been the biggest moment, the most exciting and important moment in U.S. soccer history. But 30 seconds remaining in stoppage time and that's snatched away from the American team. It really was just heartbreaking to watch.

But that being said, it's not over yet for the Americans. After this 2-2 draw, it means that all they have to do when they play their final match against Germany is draw and they are through. So a win against Germany, a draw against Germany, that will take them through.

And, Carol, I have to add, even a loss against Germany would take them through, but then it all depends on the other result in the other group match, that being against Ghana and Portugal.

So, Carol, it hurts still because it could have been a done deal.

COSTELLO: I know. BALDESARRA: And we could see the USA progressing, but it is not over

yet.

COSTELLO: Yes, one more heart attack to go.

Lara Baldesarra, thanks so much.

On to politics now, an estimated six out of every 10 American households with children led by parents who work. And today, the Obama administration is putting a spotlight on those families. And in an attempt to help them strike a better balance between work and home.

It's all part of a White House Summit on Working Families. Vice President Joe Biden is opening the daylong event, which will feature panelists from Wall Street, Congress and the academe.

Kate Bolduan talked with the president about today's event. She's live in New York with more.

Good morning, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Good morning, Carol. I mean, you really laid it out. I mean, the fact is the economy is changing with more and more women becoming the breadwinners of the families. But by and large, it seems that the policies towards work and family life have not changed with it. That's one of the focuses of the summit that the White House is pushing today. Big issues that they're taking on that I spoke about with the president. Paid leave especially maternity leave, child care as well as equal pay. Many topics we took on, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: You know this, but you talked to 10 different people, you're going to get 10 different challenges that they face in trying to succeed at the work and life balance, to succeed at both. What are the three things that you would like to see companies and employers, businesses do to make it work? Because you know those priorities don't always align.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes. There are some things that we know will make a difference in people's lives. Paid family leave. We're the only advanced country on earth that doesn't have it. It doesn't make any sense. You know, this is not just a women's issue.

One of the most precious memories that I'll ever have is when my first daughter Malia was born, I was lucky enough that my schedule allowed me to take that first month off, and, you know, staying up at 2:00 in the morning and feeding her and burping her and, you know, creates a bond that is irreplaceable.

And a lot of companies are already doing it and it's working. And Michelle and I have talked about this. You know, when we knew that employers had our backs, and were willing to give us flexibility to look after family, that made us want to work harder for that employer. Even if it meant taking work home with us. So we have unpaid family leave right now, but for a whole lot of families, it means they can't use it because they just can't afford it.

Number two, workplace flexibility. If I've got a parent/teacher conference, you know, we always say that we want parents involved in our kids' education, there are millions of families out there who can't even imagine taking time off to go to parent/teachers conference.

And then the third thing is the issue of child care. You know, we don't do a very good job providing high quality affordable child care. And there are a lot of countries, a lot of our competitors do it, that means that it is a lot easier for women to be in the workforce, and not have to make choices that ultimately mean they're in some cases getting paid less or having less opportunities.

I should add on that list equal pay for equal work. We've done some things administratively on that front. I always say that shouldn't be a women's issue because I always wanted Michelle to make sure that she was getting paid fairly because when she brought her paycheck home, that went into the overall pot to help us pay our bills.

BOLDUAN: Republicans, they will be critical of some of the initiatives --

(CROSSTALK)

OBAMA: I think I -- I think that's fair to say.

BOLDUAN: There we go.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: But it is no secret --

OBAMA: Shocking.

BOLDUAN: It's no secret that Democrats midterm election strategy is to pitch to women, to get the women to come out to vote. They have said that. Is this all politics?

OBAMA: I was raised by a single mom, who had to work, go to school, raise two kids. Didn't come from a wealthy family. We were helped by my grandparents and the primary breadwinner there was my grandma, who never got a college education, but worked her way up from a secretary to being a vice president of the bank, but also hit a glass ceiling.

I got a strong successful wife, who I remember being reduced to tears sometimes because she couldn't figure out how to juggle everything that she was doing. And I got two daughters that I care about more than anything in the world. And so this is personal for me and I think it is personal for a lot of people.

This is not just a women's issue. This is a middle class issue and an American issue. I'd welcome a -- a bipartisan effort with ideas coming from the private sector, and from Republicans and from Democrats and, you know, from nonprofits and faith community, about how we make sure that we're supporting families and reducing their stress.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Now they're bringing out their biggest star power in order to push this summit and push this message. The president is going to speak, the first lady will be speaking as well as Vice President Biden and Jill Biden, Carol. But it does -- it's clear as I pointed out and we talked about in the interview, the politics here don't hurt as well for Democrats.

The Democrats have really centered their strategy in the midterm election on trying to win and woo women voters and to get them out to vote. This is one of those issues that does not hurt in that effort.

COSTELLO: You're right about that. Kate Bolduan, many thanks.

Right now, in Baghdad, the Secretary of State John Kerry is preparing to hold a news conference. Earlier this morning he met with Iraq's embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as well as Sunni and Shiite leaders. Kerry is stressing that sectarian divisions need to be bridged and a unified government formed before Iraq can stop this terrorist siege that's going on.

Over the weekend, militant fighters did capture more towns and villages and are now pushing ever closer to Baghdad.

CNN's Jim Sciutto is traveling with the secretary of state. He joins us now live from Baghdad.

Any word on what transpired in that meeting, Jim?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Carol, I have to tell you, I've been coming to Iraq for 11 years since the very first days of the U.S. invasion. And this is the worst I've seen it. Worse than the dog days of 2004 when al Qaeda militants were assaulting Fallujah, in 2008, '09, when there was an effective civil war.

What's different now is that a huge portion of the country has been ceded now to al Qaeda-tied militants. And that's the situation that Secretary Kerry and the Iraqis are faced with. And what he's been saying, we're told in these meetings, is two things. One, the U.S. stands with Iraq, we will help you in any way we can. But two that it's really up to Iraq to get its political house in order and that a political solution, and that is one that makes all these Iraqi divisive sects, the Sunni, the Shia, the Kurds, feel that they have a voice in government.

That is a mission that Iraq has failed at for the last eight years under this government of Nouri al-Maliki. Those are the messages being delivered behind closed doors. We don't know how -- how well they're getting through, how Maliki will respond, will he deliver that more inclusive government, but I'll tell you, it is an atmosphere U.S. officials say of extreme anxiety on the part of Iraqi officials. They feel that they are losing their country, they're desperate for U.S. help. COSTELLO: Jim, just curious, John Kerry is going to come out to -- to

speak momentarily. Will any Iraqi official appear with him? I mean, they're talking about, you know, being on each other side and all that. Will they appear together at this news conference?

SCIUTTO: At this news conference, no. What we're told, it will just be Secretary of State John Kerry. I imagine he's going to give some sense of what he heard in these meetings, but as always, he'll keep those cards close to his chest, respect that confidence.

But what we do hear from U.S. officials in other communications with Iraqi officials is that they do want U.S. help. They want it quickly and that, you know, that's a dramatic change. Right? It was three years ago when Iraqis said they wanted American forces gone. Thank you very much. And now it's a very different story.

COSTELLO: You got that right. Jim Sciutto, we'll get back to you, thanks so much.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, terror on the runway. Now the NTSB is set to vote on whether plane manufacturer Boeing may have played a part in the deadly Asiana crash last year.

CNN aviation correspondent Rene Marsh is here with more.

Good morning.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. You know, it was the first and only deadly airline crash in the U.S. in more than four years and soon the NTSB will reveal why the 777 crashed. We'll tell you what to expect on the other side of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Nearly a year after the deadly Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed in San Francisco. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to reveal the official cause of the accident tomorrow. Federal investigators say inexperience in the cockpit contributed to the crash. But safety officials will also weigh whether the plane manufacturer, Boeing, created a system too complicated for those pilots to understand.

Three people died, nearly 200 others were injured in that crash.

Let's bring in our CNN aviation and government regulation correspondent Rene Marsh to tell us more.

Good morning.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

So the question is, who or what was to blame for the crash of Asiana Flight 214? In just over 24 hours from now, the National Transportation Safety Board will make its final decision on the probable cause. Remember this deadly crash killed some three people, injured more than 200. The 777 was flying too low and too slow when it was coming in for a landing at San Francisco International Airport. It hit the seawall, it somersaulted and erupted in flames.

Now, the NTSB will focus on a few key questions. Were the pilots too reliant on computers to land the plane? Did they fully understand how to operate the plane's automated systems, or was the problem the design of the Boeing jetliner's systems?

All questions that ultimately concerns anyone who flies. We should point out, though, Carol, Asiana was first and only fatal airline crash in the United States in more than four years. The last one was Colgan crash that happened near Buffalo, but really the purpose of tomorrow's hearing is to determine why the crash happened so safety improvements can be made in hopes that it doesn't happen again.

COSTELLO: So, what's Boeing saying?

MARSH: Well, essentially, they're saying that the airplane's systems were working just fine before the impact, and they're saying that it did not contribute to the accident. They're actually blaming the flight crew and saying that they failed to monitor things like the air speed. So, that's Boeing's stance on all of this. Of course, we're going to hear what the NTSB has to say and when they do put out these recommendations, they will be just that, recommendations. They will not be binding, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Rene Marsh, reporting live from Washington this morning.

Checking on some other top stories in 19 minutes past the hour.

Despite international outrage, three al Jazeera journalists accused of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood have been found guilty. The trio was arrested last December in Cairo on charges of conspiracy, spreading false news and endangering national security. They face seven to ten years behind bars. After the controversial ruling, al Jazeera said the court's decision defies logic, sense and any semblance of justice.

Golfer Michelle Wie is celebrating today. She took the top spot at the U.S. Women's Open yesterday in her first major title. The 24- year-old slid by Stacy Lewis in the final round with two strokes. Wie who competed in her first LPGA event when she was just 12 years old, went pro a few years later at the age of 15.

Still to come on the NEWSROOM, Pope Francis takes on the mafia. Now, his stern message to mobsters is making international headlines.

CNN's Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher is following that for us.

Good morning.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a hugely embarrassing weekend, fighting words for the pope, mafia slap in the face -- coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is the Holy Father versus the godfather.

In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis is taking on members of the mafia. On Saturday, during an outdoor mass, Pope Francis says mobsters are now excommunicated from the Catholic Church. He went on, quote, "Those who in their life have gone along with the evil ways as in the case of the mafia, they are not with God, they are excommunicated. They must be told no."

Let's bring in CNN Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher to tell us more.

Why now?

GALLAGHER: Well, Carol, now is as good a time as ever for the pope. He's actually started with a reform of the Vatican Bank, which some anti-mafia investigators say is the first thing to make the mafia nervous. But coming out this weekend, Carol, and telling the mafia that they are excommunicated is a huge embarrassment for the mafia.

Excommunication is the most severe penalty that the church can impose. Francis is the first pope to do it. And he did it in mafia territory. It would have been different if he had just written from his desk, a declaration from Rome. No, he went down to Calabria, to an open air mass, 200,000 people watching and listening and in the middle of it says, by the way, mafia are excommunicated.

That is important, Carol, because the mafia in these regions have always tried to portray themselves as religious men. If you've ever seen the processions, religious procession, go along the small streets in Italian towns, they often stopped at the houses of mafia bosses in some kind of homage.

The pope is saying this weekend that is ending. He's saying it to the mafia, he's saying it to any priests who are collaborating or acquiescing to the mafia, but mostly saying to the local community who lives every day with mafia intimidation. Very important words this weekend from the pope, Carol.

COSTELLO: Is this risky for the pope?

GALLAGHER: It is. It is a risky move for the pope as is -- as I mentioned earlier, what he's doing at the Vatican Bank. Anytime you start messing with the mafia, unfortunately, at least history has shown there are reprisals.

On the other hand, we know Pope Francis is willing in his efforts at reform and his effort that is speaking the truth and certainly the case of trying to reform Italy's cultural situation with the mafia, which nobody has been able to get a handle on so far, he's willing to take those risks. He said he's not worried about his personal safety, he said just two weeks ago, he's old, he hasn't got much to lose anyway. So, obviously, in the face of trying to usher in some important changes, he is willing to take those risks -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Delia Gallagher, reporting live for us this morning, thank you.

Still to come on the NEWSROOM, Team USA's hopes of advancing temporarily dashed by last night's heart breaking tie with Portugal. But soccer fever is alive and well across the country.

Chris Cuomo is live in Rio de Janeiro.

Hi, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How you doing, Carol? I'm taking all positive on it. I'm saying the U.S. took a step toward progressing and I'll explain why right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)