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What Brought Down a Russian Airliner?; Interview with Governor George Pataki; Jeb Bush Speaks in Florida with New Slogan; Kansas City Royals Wins World Series; President Obama Helps Newly-Released Convicts. Aired 10-10:30a ET
Aired November 02, 2015 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:01] CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Very cautious, because it's not only shutting down those six stores that are linked to sick patients, but it's taken the precaution of shutting down all the stores in those two states because presumably they're using the same suppliers in those two states, right?
Listen, in previous outbreaks this has -- previous outbreaks have impacted the businesses. But we'll have to see if this is going to become a reputational risk for Chipotle or if they can really isolate this specific outbreak to these particular restaurants and people will just get over it in a couple of days or if their reputation is on the line here.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Cristina Alesci, thanks so much.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, what brought down a Russian passenger jet? This morning, airline officials not ruling out terrorism as loved ones pile flowers at an airport memorial.
Plus --
JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That debate was a really weird debate.
COSTELLO: GOP candidates lay out their debate demands.
GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Harry Truman couldn't get elected president with explaining the United States of America's health care plan in 30 seconds.
COSTELLO: But should the candidates be running the show?
And thousands of nonviolent convicts being released early. New York City's police commissioner says it could be dangerous. Is he right?
Let's talk. Live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
Just minutes ago the nation's intelligence director weighed in on the deepening mystery surrounding that crash of that Russian airliner. All 224 people on board were killed. And while officials initially dismissed claims of responsibility by ISIS-linked militants, the Kremlin now says it cannot rule out terrorism.
Airline officials say only an external influence could have caused the plane to virtually disintegrate in midair. Here's what James Clapper had to say moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CLAPPER, NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: We don't have any direct evidence of any terrorist involvement yet. ISIL in a tweet claimed responsibility for it and there is a very aggressive ISIL chapter in the Sinai, but we really don't know. And I think once the black box has been analyzed and which they've recovered, then perhaps we'll know more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN's Arwa Damon is in Cairo.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a medical source who has been dealing with processing the bodies tells us that of the 175 that he saw, around 60 percent to 70 percent of them were still intact. And none of them had any sort of burn injuries or burn scars. But the more information that's coming out from the various different individuals and government parties that are involved, the more convoluted and mysterious the reasons behind the downing of this aircraft become.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON (voice-over): This morning, new photos emerging of the black box from Russian passenger jet flight 9268. Metro Airlines holding a press conference in Moscow, claiming the airliner could not have broken apart in midair by itself.
Metrojet Airlines holding a press conference this morning in Moscow, saying Russian passenger jet flight 9628 could not have broken apart in midair by itself. This amid new reports the passenger jet broke into pieces as it flew over the remote Egyptian countryside. The fuselage disintegrating around 20 minutes into the flight, from an Egyptian resort town to St. Petersburg Saturday, according to Russian aviation officials. The airline company says the only explanation would be an external influence.
Overnight, nearly 150 of the 224 passengers killed on board arriving in Russia. Mourners of the mostly Russian victims gathering at St. Petersburg Airport, where the air jet was supposed to end its journey. Aerials of the crash site show mangled wreckage strewn across nearly eight square miles. But Egypt's prime minister says there are no indications that anything out of the ordinary was about to happen on this aircraft.
Egypt's civil aviation minister adding, there are no reports that the airplane had faults. Checks done before takeoff did not reveal anything, and no one received any SOS calls. Still, questions linger as to why Flight 9628 hurled to the ground in a remote part of Egypt, in clear weather, an area plagued by a violent Islamic insurgency.
PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: You can certainly see whether there were any sign of a bomb or a missile striking the aircraft. They leave very distinctive markings. And that should be able to be eliminated very quickly.
[10:05:04] DAMON: The co-pilot's ex-wife telling Russia's state-run news, he complained before the flight to their daughter, wishing for a better technical condition of the plane.
Most passengers were found with their seat belts on, according to Egypt's military, suggesting the pilot asked them to buckle up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: The two black boxes containing vital data were recovered fairly quickly on Saturday, the same day that the plane went down. We're going to have to wait and see how long extracting that information is going to take. Amidst the Egyptians coming out and saying that they do not believe that any of the militant groups who operate in the area have the capabilities to bring down an aircraft traveling at that altitude -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Arwa Damon in Cairo this morning.
In just a few hours, the second flight will leave for St. Petersburg, Russia bringing home the remains of more people who died in that crash. The airport there already turning into a makeshift memorial with piles of flowers paying tribute.
CNN's Matthew Chance live in St. Petersburg this morning with more. Hi, Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol. You can see I'm standing here at Pulkovo Airport, which is the main airport in St. Petersburg, at the arrival's gate where the -- those families on board that Metrojet airliner from Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt are going to be arriving back, although a very different kind of homecoming, of course. The first the Russian plane carrying 144 of the bodies, the remains of the bodies, touching down early this morning.
We're expected, as you mentioned, another plane to be arriving in the hours ahead, taken to a local morgue where the very grim but necessary formality of identifying the remains will proceed.
Take a look at the scene behind me, though. Even three days after this catastrophe struck this city and this country, people are still coming here to pay their respects, lighting candles, laying flowers, there's lots of children's toys been laid here as well, as a memorial to the 25 children that were on board that aircraft. Many of the families, of course, torn apart by this absolute catastrophe.
It's something that's really struck the country very hard. And there are calls for answers now, of course. And of course the investigation is still in its early stages. There is no firm idea, as Arwa was saying a minute ago, about what caused this catastrophe but essentially it's either terrorism or a mechanical failure. These are the two strands that are being investigated at the moment. The Kremlin says nothing is being ruled out.
We're going to have to wait for the investigation to give us some answers.
COSTELLO: All right. Matthew Chance reporting live from St. Petersburg, Russia.
GOP presidential rivals revolt. The campaigns now banding together against the press and the Republican National Committee, demanding changes be made to future debates. The backlash comes after angry candidates complained about so called gotcha questions by the moderators at the CNBC debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: That debate was a really weird debate, you know, just because you didn't get a chance to continue on. I literally got cut off by three of the -- all three of them, saying, you know, next question. Next question.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have too many people on one stage and too few on the other. I don't mind being asked hard questions and challenging questions. I think some of the questions have been downright silly. And this thing has gone on too long.
KASICH: Harry Truman couldn't get elected president with explaining the United States of America's health care plan in 30 seconds.
DR. BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We should have moderators who are interested in disseminating the information about the candidates, as opposed to, you know, gotcha.
CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There has to be consequence when the debate process is abused in the way that CNBC did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Among the proposals on the table, a two-hour limit, equal speaking time for all of the candidates and a 30-second limit on opening and closing statements.
So let's talk a little more about this. With me now Republican presidential candidate, Governor George Pataki. Welcome.
GOV. GEORGE PATAKI (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good being on with you, Carol. COSTELLO: Thank you for stopping by. So your campaign also met with
the RNC last night.
PATAKI: Yes. That was the campaigns by themselves. I think there were more than 12 campaigns there discussing the next debates and how to go forward. And one of the things that came out of that is in the past it was the campaigns that directly negotiated with the networks. This time the RNC was in the middle. So now the campaigns are going to be more involved to try to have a fairer system for all involved.
COSTELLO: Is that a good thing?
PATAKI: I don't know if the process is a good thing, but I think the product can help it be a better thing because it was a disaster where you had these gotcha questions and you just don't have time to lay out a serious position. So I hope that it does change and you do have a chance to actually let people know your ideas.
COSTELLO: OK. So I'm going to throw a couple of things by you.
PATAKI: Sure.
COSTELLO: This is from Senator Ted Cruz, he wants to, quote, "Instead of bunch of attack journalists we actually have a real debate with real conservatives." He said.
[10:10:05] Could you imagine a debate moderated by Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin? Will that be OK with you?
PATAKI: You know, it wouldn't bother me. But I think the point that I would agree with Senator Cruz is to have a real debate. And I actually went back and read some of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and they were intelligent where you'd have people rebutting and refuting each other and directly commenting.
You know, yesterday, Fareed Zakaria, one of your great analysts, was on TV and he was saying none of the Republicans believe in evolution or science. During the debate I was talking about how Republicans have to embrace science and embrace the technology that will allow us to deal with issues like global warming, but nobody heard it. You know, so I do think we need a different system.
COSTELLO: It seems like some of the candidates, though, want to control what questions are asked. That's not a good thing, is it?
PATAKI: Yes, that's not a good thing. You don't want to control the questions, but on the other hand, you want them to know that the questions are going to be about the issues that affect the American people.
You know, I'd love to debate the rest of the candidates on something like global warming or science or evolution or vaccines. I'd love to debate them on so many of these issues, but instead it seems to be about, you know, did you kick your dog last week or something like that.
COSTELLO: But are you just talking about the CNBC debate or are you talking about the FOX debate, too?
PATAKI: The CNBC debate was particularly non-substantive, but I think some of the others were less than -- you know, as back and forth as you'd like to see and as less about the issues.
COSTELLO: Can I you ask this? Because some Republicans weren't happy with the way FOX News posed its questions during its debate either.
PATAKI: You know, I think there are always going to be complaints. And some are valid and some are not. My only complaint is that I want to have a dialogue with the other candidates. An actual debate where when you have disagreements, you can discuss those disagreements. I think that's how the American people learn better. And I also think that basing it on national polls when, you know, pretty much everybody is somewhere between zero and three except for Carson, and Trump and Rubio, really does a disservice to the American people.
You know, if you look at history, those who were nowhere in the national polls at this time ended up winning, so I hope that changes.
COSTELLO: Well, let me ask you. I just wondered, all of the campaigns met.
PATAKI: Yes.
COSTELLO: So how much pull do you actually have since you're way down in the polls and Ben Carson and Donald Trump are on top? Because they have far different views than you do on what they want these debates to look like.
PATAKI: Well, I think there are similar views here. That they don't want gotcha questions. They want time to answer.
COSTELLO: Well, Ben Carson suggested that, you know, they take it off television and put it online.
PATAKI: Well, I like the idea of it being on television. I think as many American people as get to see the candidates, it's the right way to choose a president. Not with a 30-second sound bite but having a dialogue where you can actually discuss issues. So --
COSTELLO: And everybody wants it but there are 14 candidates.
PATAKI: Yes.
COSTELLO: And candidates with low poll numbers. And I'm sorry to say --
(CROSSTALK)
PATAKI: No, that's right. I understand.
COSTELLO: Right? So isn't the biggest part of the problem, there are just too many candidates. How can you have a fair debate and give everyone equal time when there are so many? PATAKI: You know, I think if you had a better balance to that. You
know, and instead of having 10 and 4, have seven and seven, and mix it up and give everybody a chance. You know, it's still early in the process. And you know, there's no guarantee of an outcome but what you'd like is to have your message get heard. And when you have this division based on early national polls, you don't have that equal opportunity to get heard. So I hope to have the chance to debate things like climate change and science with the other 13 candidates.
COSTELLO: My last question is about, you know, the next debate's going to be on the FOX Business Channel, right?
PATAKI: Right. Right.
COSTELLO: But these new rules that were talked about last night won't apply to that debate but the debate after that.
PATAKI: Right. Sure.
COSTELLO: And the "Washington Post" is reporting that's because everybody's afraid of Roger Ailes.
(LAUGHTER)
PATAKI: I don't think so.
COSTELLO: Is that true?
PATAKI: I don't think that's the case. I think the rules were set for that. I don't expect to see a change but down --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: So Roger Ailes wasn't brought up?
PATAKI: I didn't hear his name -- I wasn't there but my campaign --
COSTELLO: Your campaign people.
PATAKI: My campaign people never mentioned that his name was brought up. I think it was more like, OK, we know what's happening next Tuesday. Let's going forward try to get it done right.
COSTELLO: All right. Governor George Pataki, thanks for stopping by.
PATAKI: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, you're looking at live pictures from Tampa, Florida, where Jeb Bush is launching his "Jeb can fix it" tour this morning. Does that mean the Jeb exclamation point is gone? We'll talk about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:18:41] COSTELLO: Sharper, more nimble, aggressive? That's what campaign staffers are promising you will see from Jeb Bush moving forward. This comes less than a week after political observers started questioning how long Bush can stay in the race after delivering another lackluster debate performance on CNBC. The one- time GOP presidential frontrunner tried shaking off those concerns on this weekend's "Meet the Press."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I have enough self-awareness to know that this is the bumpy time of a campaign. This pales by comparison to being commander-in- chief. There's a lot tougher things that you have to do than, you know, debating in -- you know, going into nine debates in a Republican primary. There's big things that presidents have to do. So this is the process. I totally understand it and I'm more than prepared to fight on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN's Athena Jones is live in Tampa with Jeb Bush and his new campaign slogan. Good morning, Athena.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Good morning, Carol. You said it, Jeb Bush is under the microscope here. He has been struggling in the polls. He's been struggling on the debate stage, including in the most recent debate on CNBC. And his message has really not connected so far with Republican primary voters.
And so today he's giving this new speech, a new slogan and his campaign is calling it an important speech and a repackaging, I would say, of his message. It's not clear yet but it's going to be a brand new message. It's really the slogan that he can fix it that is new.
[10:20:11] We'll be looking to hear him make subtle digs against some of his rivals. He has a line where he compares, it sounds like Marco Rubio to then-senator Barack Obama, who is now president. He says that America is facing a testing time at home and abroad and that the challenges we face as a nation are too great to roll the dice on another presidential experiment. That is a subtle dig, comparing Marco Rubio, also in his first term as a senator to President Obama.
We also expect him to say that this election is not about personality. It's about principles and leadership. A dig at Donald Trump. So his whole goal here is to say that he is a man of action, not a performance or not a talk. And he's going to talk about his proven conservative record in the state of Florida to try to win over voters. The big question, of course, is whether this small adjustment, at least it looks like, to his message is going to work -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. Athena Jones reporting live from Tampa this morning.
The current CEO of Hewlett Packard Meg Whitman takes a swipe at her predecessor, the Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina. Whitman says just because Fiorina worked in corporate America does not mean she's the most qualified person for the White House.
Listen to what Whitman told CNN's Poppy Harlow. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEG WHITMAN, CEO, HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE: While I think business strengths are important, I also think having worked in government is an important part of the criteria. I think it's very difficult for your first role in politics to be president of the United States. And so I think having experience in either the Senate or as the governor of a state, I think, is really important. It's just hard to be dropped down into Washington, D.C., never having been in politics before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Well, Whitman admits Fiorina has many strengths, she's throwing her support behind New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the Royals rule. How the newly crowned World Series champs rally to win it all. They are amazing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:26:25] COSTELLO: The Royals are crowned kings of baseball. Kansas City rallies to win the World Series after another thrilling comeback.
CNN's Andy Scholes joins me now. Just like an amazing game.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: I mean, Carol, the theme of the 2015 Kansas City Royals, just never give up. Every time it looked like this team was down and out, they somehow found a way to make a comeback. And things were not looking good for them last night in Game 5. Mets' ace Matt Harvey had pitched a masterpiece in this game. Eight innings shut-out bomb. And he begged Terry Collins to let him go back out there for the ninth inning. And after originally pulling him from the game, Collins, well, he agreed to let him go back out there. He said he went with his heart, and not his gut.
That decision going to haunt him the rest of the off-season. Harvey gives up a run before being pulled, then the Royals would tie the game on a bad throw from Lucas Duda at first base. They go on to win of course, 7-2 in 12 innings. And according to the Alliance Sports Bureau, in the 112-year history of the World Series, the Royals are the first team ever to win three games after trailing in the eighth inning or later.
And CNN's Rachel Nichols, well, she was in the party, in the clubhouse after the game, and she asked the Royals how they were able to make comeback after comeback.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: What is it about the character of this team that you guys don't even know how to quit?
CHRISTIAN COLON, ROYALS SHORTSTOP: We just -- we just refuse to go home and lose. Like these guys, we love each other. We're brothers here. And we really care about each other.
NICHOLS: And this must feel nice.
JOHNNY CUETO, ROYALS PITCHER: Yes. You see that I feel very happy now. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: And next season's schedule came out before the postseason ever started. And ironically, the Mets will open the season next year in Kansas City against the Royals, so the poor Mets, Carol, are going to have to watch the Royals raise their championship banner.
And in case you were wondering, neither of these teams, Carol, are the favorites to win the World Series next. Vegas actually has the Los Angeles Dodgers as the favorite, at 8-1, the Mets are 10-1, Royals 14- 1, and in case you're wondering, your tigers, 20-1 odds to win the World Series next year, Carol.
COSTELLO: That's the only one I agree with because, man, we're hurting. We have no bullpen and no pitching, Andy.
SCHOLES: They still got Verlander.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Yes, if we got the good Verlander next year, it'll be great.
SCHOLES: Yes. We'll see.
COSTELLO: Andy Scholes, thanks so much.
SCHOLES: All right.
COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.
President Obama heads to New Jersey today where he will focus on prison reform and the challenges facing convicts trying to re-enter society. The visit comes after more than 6,000 federal prisoners were freed over the weekend. Their terms for nonviolent crimes were reduced under new sentencing guidelines that were enacted last year.
The president also expected to announce new actions today to help rehabilitate recently released inmates.
Joe Johns is at the White House with more. Good morning, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. The president visiting a treatment facility in New Jersey, also participating in a roundtable discussion. All of this part of a larger plan to try to create meaningful criminal justice reform in the country. Trying to get Congress on board.
Among the president's ideas, $8 million to nine different communities to try to create better re-entry systems for certain prisoners. There's also this issue of banning the box, which is getting rid of the check-off on federal job applications where inmates -- former inmates have to declare that they were, in fact, incarcerated before they're eligible for a job. Also some technical training there for people who have been released.
[10:30:06] All of this, of course, is sorted of a sea change here in the country.
