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White House to Texas Governor: Obama Open to Meeting; Chicago Mayor: Gun Violence, "Totally Unacceptable"; Israel Firing More Rockets Into Gaza; Family of Teen Beaten By Israeli Police Calls for His Release

Aired July 08, 2014 - 10:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.

Tensions flaring on the border and the political sparring firing up between Texas Governor Rick Perry and the president over whether or not the two will sit down and talk solutions to the crisis.

Open for business but it might be a rocky start for retail marijuana sales in Washington.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The car came around the corner and hit the tree.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just fell. There was a loud boom.

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KEILAR: Trapped dangling 20 feet in the air on the ninja. What caused this coaster to derail and how the riders had to be rescued? NEWSROOM starts now.

Good morning. I'm Brianna Keilar in today for Carol Costello. Thank you for joining me and we begin with the battle over the crisis on the border and a White House offer to meet with Texas Governor Rick Perry about his concerns over the issue.

In a letter, Obama advisor, Valerie Jarrett writes that the president would quote, "Welcome the chance to talk to Perry." It also invites Perry to a meeting with a group of faith leaders in Dallas that the president was already partaking in tomorrow. He is going to be, President Obama, in Texas tomorrow, as I mentioned. He will be there for a series ever fundraisers.

Earlier, Perry refused to greet the president at the airport, saying it would be in his words, nothing more than a tarmac handshake that doesn't address immigration. President Obama still has no plans to visit the U.S./Mexico border during his visit and it's a decision that has been criticized by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HENRY CUELLAR (D), TEXAS (via telephone): I hope this doesn't become the Katrina moment for President Obama, saying that he doesn't need to come to the border. He should come down.

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KEILAR: Want to bring in CNN senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, and correspondent, Ed Lavandera. The Obama administration talking about some of the concerns about specific policies that are in place. What's the administration saying here?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they definitely wanted to respond to Rick Perry. That letter from the Texas governor came to President Obama's desk late yesterday, essentially inviting him to a meeting on this border crisis, saying as you mentioned a few moments ago, a meeting on the tarmac in Austin just wasn't going to cut it. The White House very quickly responded, this letter from Valerie Jarrett saying to Rick Perry that, if you want to meet, we're willing to do that except they want to do this in Dallas.

Just to give you a sense as to what the president is going to be doing in Dallas, in addition to hosting a fundraiser, he will meet with faith leaders and local elected officials who are looking at plans to convert school buildings to house some unaccompanied minors and other migrants who have been crossing the border in recent months from Central America. That is a key issue not only along the border, but also in some of these other cities as some of those migrants are heading north.

The president was already planning to have that meeting. The meeting was not previously announced. They were keeping that under their hat here at the White House but decided well, once Rick Perry offered this invitation, they decided to offer Rick Perry an invitation to go to that meeting. So we are now waiting to hear what the response will be from Rick Perry's office.

In the meantime, very soon this morning, we will be getting details from senior administration officials about this funding request the president is going to be making to lawmakers up on Capitol hill for well north of $2 billion, I'm told by administration officials. It had been reported in various news outlets it would only be around $2 billion. It will be much higher than that, I'm told.

That money is going to be going to really sort of judges and other functions that will be taking place along the border to sort of expedite the process of moving these undocumented immigrants through the system and in many cases, sending them back to their countries of origin.

KEILAR: Thanks, Jim. Ed, we have seen so many of the clashes over this that are really grabbing the headlines in California, but it's Texas I think that is so, you know, really at the front line here dealing with an influx of undocumented immigrants. What are things like in Texas? What's the concern level there?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think there's a great deal of concern, and I think a lot of people are simply trying to figure out, you know, given the amount of people, 90,000 unaccompanied minors expected throughout the course of this year to make their way into the United States, the question really becomes how is this going forward, how is this situation going to come under control. I think there's a great deal of concern with that.

But it's also become highly politicized at this point where you have, you know, many immigrant rights advocates who are pushing for the young children to either stay here or have them treated a certain way, and then you have many people on the other side who are pushing for quick deportation. So it's become highly politicized and highly controversial and it's becoming a very intense debate, as you well know.

LAVANDERA: And the tarmac greeting, this is sort of interesting. With Perry, we have seen other governors, Jan Brewer, Arizona, use this to give the president kind of a piece of her mind. But this is seen very much as a snub, right, to kind of say I'm not going to this customary hello, I've got a beef with the president.

ACOSTA: You know, Rick Perry has kind of used these moments several times throughout the course of President Obama's administration, whether several times he's gone out to the tarmac and made a point of handing the president a letter so he has definitely in the last five or six years kind of used these moments for Rick Perry to make the political statements and the political points that he wants to do. He's never been shy about doing that.

Like we've seen in some other states across the country, it's become kind of like that lightning rod moment were someone who is opposed to President Obama can use that moment to make their point.

KEILAR: It is always an interesting moment in these presidential trips. Thank you both.

Well, a bizarre accusation by the lawyer for Senator Robert Menendez. He says Cuba was behind a smear plot against the New Jersey Democrat. He is joining us now. Evan first of, we kind of to start with what we are finding, which led to an FBI investigation. Menendez was accused of traveling to have sex with under aged Dominican prostitutes and those accusations were picked up by a conservative web site.

But let's bring in justice correspondent, Evan Perez. We first have to start at what we are now finding out, which is we are hearing from the senator's camp and also, it appears, from some reporting, that there may not really be something to these allegations, right? CNN has looked into them as well and really struggled to find this guy who was the tipster accusing Menendez of these things, right?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes. These allegations were shopped around to reporters in Washington for some months back in 2012, and then finally, it did get published by a conservative website. Now, I was not able to find any Indication that this actually happened and so we never really did anything with this story. The FBI itself had trouble getting in touch with and getting any information from this alleged tipster who had come forward.

And so that part of the inquiry kind of went away. But that said, the FBI has an investigation still open against Senator Menendez, and so that is still something that is intensifying according to sources I have talked to, so this new allegation from Menendez's lawyer could be put in that context. It may well be that this is what I call a legal Hail Mary which is intended to help perhaps throw some doubt into the government's case against the senator -- Brianna.

KEILAR: So the sort of seedy parts of this it appears may be -- he seems to have a case here that the seedy parts are kind of dispelled, but this is pretty serious, right? He is the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee and yet the Department of Justice is -- walk us through this a little bit. It's about whether he's used his position to benefit a friend, a donor, a businessman, right?

PEREZ: Well, yes, exactly. There's a couple of different facets to this investigation. On the one hand, he's accused of helping perhaps a donor and a friend who is an ophthalmologist in Florida who has faced these allegations over billing of Medicare.

PEREIRA: To the tune of millions of dollars. We are talking several million bucks.

PEREZ: Exactly right. Then there's another donor, another family that's been donating money to the senator also for his 2012 campaign, two Cuadorian brothers who are facing charges back in Ecuador of embezzlement and they have been fighting extradition. He is accused -- the senator is accused of getting in touch with the federal government, the DHS and so on, to try to argue on their behalf.

Now, it's not necessarily illegal for you to advocate on behalf of anyone so the FBI is looking at whether or not there was any quid pro quo, perhaps, or any laws broken in those outreach efforts by the senator. Now, what this lawyer is saying now is that all of these allegations, especially the allegation of the Dominican prostitution allegations were really cooked up by Cuban intelligence against the senator, and you know, it's not something that we have any proof of.

We have asked for additional information from the lawyer. We haven't heard of any additional information. So it is something we are going to keep an eye on to see if we have any more indication of what this is about.

KEILAR: So it's what's cooked up and what may not be cooked up. Evan Perez, thank you so much.

In Chicago, a 19-year-old woman is gunned down overnight as she walked down the street with a group of friends. The violence has continued after a July 4th weekend marred by multiple shootings. Nine people killed, more than 60 have been injured by gunfire. The city's police chief says without tougher gun laws, authorities can't keep violent criminals off the streets. George Howell is live in Chicago. George, it just seems like the violence here will not let up.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, it's a difficult problem, no doubt. The police, the people in these communities, they are trying to get their hands around to deal with. You mentioned the 19- year-old who was killed and then at least eight other people who were shot Monday night. That's the problem that police have been dealing with along the backdrop of this very, very violent 4th of July weekend.

When you go into the neighborhoods, you talk to people, you get a sense that people are frustrated. They want something more to be done. Neighbors question whether police are doing enough. Then you talk to police, and they say look, we are putting more officers in the different communities where they think that they will be effective and these things still continue to happen.

Especially when the temperatures warm up here in Chicago, it is a frustrating situation that police, that officials, community members, are trying to deal with. Mayor Rahm Emanuel spoke about it. Take a listen.

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MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL (D), CHIGAGO: The gun violence that was part of this weekend is totally unacceptable to anybody from the city of Chicago. I believe everybody in Chicago is part of building what I call a partnership for peace.

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HOWELL: So one person that I spoke with in a neighborhood where this shooting happened, he questioned, you know, is it a matter of talk or is something going to happen. That's really the resounding question that you hear in many of these neighborhoods. Is it talk or will new policies come into play, what will happen to make these situations change. It's important to put all of this into context.

Police do point out that by this time of the year, the number of homicides is down compared to last year, so you could say that some progress is being made, but certainly it's a problem that everyone's trying to deal with here.

KEILAR: Yes. What is a partnership of peace, how do you achieve it? All of these outstanding questions. George Howell, thank you very much.

Still to come, tensions brewing in the Middle East after the murder and kidnapping of Israeli and Palestinian teenagers. Now the Israeli military is calling on reserve forces to beef up its presence around Gaza. CNN's Diana Magnay is near the Gaza strip with the latest -- Diana.

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We have just been hearing the red alert right behind me. There are bombs of Israeli air strikes in the distance. We will tell you about operation defensive edge in just a few minutes.

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KEILAR: Now to the Middle East, where violence is edging on the brink of war. Tensions over the recent killings and kidnappings of Israeli and Palestinian teenagers are at a boiling point. This morning, we are hearing from the mother of Naftali Frankel, one of three Israeli teens brutally murdered in the West Bank. She offered her condolences to the family of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, the Palestinian teen burned to death in an apparent revenge killing.

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RACHELI FRENKEL: No mother or father should go through what we are going through now. We share the pain of the parents. The legacy of the life and death of Naftali, Eyal and Gilad is one of love, of national unity.

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KEILAR: Despite a mother's call for peace and unity, violence in the region appears to be spiralling out of control. Overnight, Israel launched a new wave of air strikes and plans to call up 40,000 reserve troops to help beef up ground presence there around the Gaza Strip. Let's bring in CNN's Diana Magnay. You are near the Gaza Strip. I can tell, I have been hearing in the commercial break that things are happening there. Tell us what's going on near where you are.

MAGNAY: That's right, operation protective shield, you can feel it where I am. In the distance is the Gaza strip. Over the last two hours as we have been standing here, you can see Israeli air strikes. There are huge columns of smoke that will appear in the distance behind me and a huge bang of the air strike going in.

We have had a couple of red alerts which basically is a warning for people living in this vicinity that when you hear that alert, you have 15 seconds to get to shelter. That is how long it would take a rocket from Gaza to reach the area where we are. So a very, very narrow radius. This is exactly why the Israeli defense forces have decided to launch this operation, to stop what they call a barrage of rocket fire from coming out of Gaza, a hundred since last night. Let's take a look at what this operation involves.

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MAGNAY (voice-over): Israel is now at the ready even sending troops to positions alongside the Gaza border. This as rocket attacks between the Jewish state and Hamas continue to escalate. Overnight, Israeli defense forces say they struck 50 targets and air strikes across the Gaza strip. At least ten injured. Israel now launching a clear offensive.

Their operation even given an official name, "Protective Edge," using increased targeted air strikes and calling out several hundred reservists to build up troops for possible ground maneuvers. Israel's change in tactic comes in response to an uptick in rocket attacks from Gaza with some 80 on Monday alone, those strikes forcing hundreds from neighboring summer camps to be sent back home.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will do whatever is necessary to stop the attacks. The Hamas spokesman issuing a battle cry on Facebook. The enemy has crossed the red lines and will be made to pay the price for its crimes. Hamas even showing off its weaponry in a propaganda video on their military web site.

These explosive scenes of violence just painting a backdrop to mounting anger in Jerusalem. Tensions in the city, their worst in a decade. After the murders and beating of both Jewish and Palestinian teenagers.

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MAGNAY: Israel is now at the ready, even sending troops to positions alongside the Gaza border. This as rocket attacks between the Jewish state and Hamas continue to escalate. Overnight, Israeli defense forces say they struck 50 targets in air strikes across the Gaza strip. Israel now launching a clear offensive. Their operation even given an official name, protective edge, using increased targeted air strikes and calling out several hundred reservists to build up troops for possible ground maneuvers.

Israel's change in tactic comes in response to an uptick in rocket attacks from Gaza with some 80 on Monday alone. Those strikes forcing hundreds in neighboring camps to be sent back home. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will do whatever is necessary to stop the attacks. The Hamas spokesman issuing a battle cry on Facebook. The enemy has crossed the red line and will be made to pay the price for its crimes. Hamas even showing off its weaponry in a propaganda video.

These explosive scenes of violence just painting a backdrop to the mounting anger in Jerusalem. Of the murders and beatings of both Jewish and Palestinian teenagers. What Israel says it's trying to do with these air strikes is to target the terrorist infrastructure that Hamas uses to launch rockets against Israel, so concealed rocket launchers, the tunnels they are digging to supposedly launch terror attacks into Israel, weapons-making facilities, that kind of thing. But of course, however precisely those strikes have targeted, there will be casualties and we now know from our sources within Gaza that there have been 16 deaths.

Some of those Hamas militants, but some also civilians forming a human shield on the top of a building against air strikes and the Israeli defense minister has said this operation will not end in the next coming days -- Brianna.

KEILAR: That's the fear, that this is just the beginning. Diana, thank you.

Meanwhile, the family of an American-Palestinian teen who was brutally beaten and detained at a protest over his cousin's killing has been placed on house arrest. The family of the teen is demanding his release. It's unclear why he is being investigated or really, it's unclear if they are finding that he was using any sort of violence against Israeli police. We are trying to figure out what charges he may face.

We want to bring in Sahar Francis, one of three attorneys for this teen, Tariq Khdeir. Thanks for joining us. I'm wondering first off, Israeli authorities have arrested several Israeli suspects for the killing of Tariq's cousin, Mohammad. The protest he was at is because his cousin was so brutally killed. This is a shock to Palestinians. They assumed Israel wouldn't act. Do you see this diffusing any tension?

SAHAR FRANCIS, ATTORNEY FOR Tariq Khdeir: Good afternoon. Actually, the fact that they arrested a couple of involved people in the killing will calm but it's not enough because it's not clear how things will work out and of course there are claims of discrimination immediately after the disappearance of the three settlers, Israel was declaring they would demolish houses of the involved people while here in the Israeli citizens case, we don't believe they would do such punitive measures and now until the end of the interrogation actually against the Israeli citizens, we don't know what will be the end of the case.

KEILAR: So we are looking now at photos of Mohammed, the teen who was killed. You are representing his cousin, Tariq, who was very badly beaten. The pictures of the injuries he sustained, what appears to be at the hands of Israeli police. There is some cell phone video of this and it's under investigation. The officers here who allegedly did this, do you think that they will be held accountable for allegedly beating Tariq?

FRANCIS: Actually, this is what we are seeking, already in the hearing last Friday we requested the court to authorize an investigation and actually, the unit for investigating the police already started investigating and they will collect the evidences so we hope at the end, and we will be following this, that these people would be found accountable for this brutal beating against Tariq.

KEILAR: Your client is still at this point, we are seeing pictures of him now days after this happened. He's still under house arrest. He's not in prison, but he's in house arrest. He was released from prison. He is being investigated by Israeli authorities to see if he used force against Israeli police officers. Did he use force against Israeli police officers during this protest?

FRANCIS: No. Tariq said he wasn't using stones or any kind of force and they were arresting him, how they beat him and tortured him and later on he was interrogated. This is why the court refused to release him in the first day when he was brought to the court actually. Now he's under house arrest and was released on bail because these are acceptable conditions for the court in order to continue the case, because now the prosecutor claims they would submit charge against Tariq that he throws stones or attacks a policeman.

We believe that there's not enough evidence to initiate such a case and actually, this is why Tariq is still under house arrest for nine days, actually. Let me remind just about the previous issue about the complaint that usually the Israeli unit specially for investigating such complaints of torture and ill treatment for prisoners.

Most of the complaints, hundreds of complaints, end up without any result and actually, this is one element where we are fearing that also in the case of Tariq, maybe they will try to hide evidences or to escape investigating properly in order to find the people and bring them to the court at the end.

KEILAR: That certainly what you will be working on. Sahar Francis joining us, thanks for your time.

Still to come, Leanna Harris has not been charged, isn't named a suspect in her son's death but is clearly a focus in the investigation. We take a closer look at why police are interested in her, next.

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KEILAR: The wife and mother at the center of that story that's becoming more sensational by the minute, Leanna Harris, the mother of cooper Harris, has become a focus of the investigation into the toddler's death. Her husband, Justin Ross Harris, Cooper's father, is charged with murder and child cruelty. Mrs. Harris' behavior before and after her son's death in a hot car is now under scrutiny and so is the couple's relationship. Here's Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Leanna Harris' demeanor in the days before and after her son's death was odd and raised potential red flags for authorities investigating the case. She has not been named a suspect in connection with Cooper Harris' death, nor has she been charged with a crime. But still, authorities say she behaved strangely. Police detective, Bill Stoddard testified when she arrived to pick up the toddler from day care on June 18th and found he wasn't there, she predicted what had happened.

STODDARD: They walked back out into the lobby and in front of several witnesses, all of a sudden she states Ross must have left him in the car and they're like what, there's no other explanation. Ross must have left him in the car.

CARROLL: The detective had also questioned Harris' reaction to hearing her son had died after her husband Ross had left their 22- year-old strapped in the child's car seat on a hot day for seven hours.

STODDARD: She didn't show any emotion when they asked her or when they notified her of cooper's death. We all have a script in our head of what's the appropriate way for someone to react when confronted with a tragedy. People react all sorts of ways.