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GOP Debate Tonight; Airport Security High Priority After Russian Plane Crash; SeaWorld to Phase Out Theatrical Killer Whale Shows in San Diego Park; Workers Stage Walkoff to Protest Wages. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired November 10, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00] SABRINA SCHAEFFER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM: The kitchen table level so that people feel like they can -- they can trust him, that they understand him and that he can sort of latch on to that likability factor.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: OK, let's talk about his new slogan then, "Jeb can fix it." So, Eric, the Fox Business Network says the debate will focus on the economy. The unemployment rate is 5 percent. Although Mr. Trump says it could be as high as 42 percent. "The Wall Street Journal" says that's only true if you include all the teenagers and retirees in the entire country. So how will Jeb, and Jeb -- or and Donald Trump, for that matter, address that?

ERIC FEHRNSTROM, FMR. SENIOR ADVISER, ROMNEY 2012 CAMPAIGN: Well, Carol, not even Hillary Clinton thinks this economy is performing as well as it should be. She says it's walking when we should be running. Wages aren't rising fast enough. People are getting left behind. We also have polling that shows two-thirds of Americans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country. So I think there's a great opportunity here, not only for Donald Trump and Jeb Bush, but all the candidates on the stage at tonight's debate to put forward a plan or a vision that will get this country back on track and get everybody fully participating in the economy and get that economy to reach its full growth potential.

COSTELLO: So, Sabrina, in your mind, does any one candidate have a cohesive plan to accomplish that?

SCHAEFFER: You know, I'm not sure -- because obviously it's difficult. You have to be able to differentiate yourself from other candidates up there who are -- all have similar ideas about how to fix the economy. I think it's less important what the specifics are of any of their economic plans and that they're able to sort of emphasize and talk to the American public about these issues in a way that resonates with them. No one out there is voting because somebody has one better economic plan or another. Very few voters are thinking that way. What they're looking at and saying is, gosh, you know, it's hard for people to break into the labor market. It's hard for me to move up the economic ladder. You know, food and goods today are more expensive than they were in the past. I don't have as much, you know, control over my healthcare spending anymore. These are the way -- this is what people are thinking about and they want to look for a candidate that kind of connects with them on those issues. That's what's going to be more important than the sort of very -- you know, details of their economic policies.

COSTELLO: So the moderators say they will pin the candidates down on such questions. Eric, do you think they will?

FEHRNSTROM: Well, we'll have to wait -- wait and see. I -- you know, we've had three debates so far, Carol, and so far the fundamentals of this race have not changed. Trump and Carson continue to dominate the field. None of the candidates have been successful in challenging their policy positions. And with respect to Ben Carson, sometimes those policy positions can be perplexing. And with respect to Mr. Trump, those policy positions are at odds often times with the Republican base.

Which gets me to a larger point, and that is, in these campaigns, nothing happens by accident. It has to be made to happen. And the successful candidate, the person who will emerge as the nominee, is the person who can methodically disqualify his opponents while making a strong case for his own candidacy. And on the whole, the establishment candidates have not been able to do that thus far.

COSTELLO: All right, I have to leave it there. Sabrina Schaeffer, Eric Fehrnstrom, thanks to both of you.

SCHAEFFER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

The numbers of those who serve in the U.S. military are diminishing. So much so that Defense Secretary Ash Carter is laser focused on attracting more than just a few good men. One of Carter's latest weapons for drawing talent, as in female talent, is FaceBook COO Sheryl Sandberg. I went to the Air Force Academy a couple days ago. I attended a talk Sandberg gave at the academy where she urged nearly 3,000 cadets to lean in and make the military a more comfortable place for women. But the raucous crowd reaction proved just how challenging that might be.

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COSTELLO: So that was one of the most fascinating speeches I think I've ever seen from an audience perspective because at times it seemed like you were in the lion's den, Sheryl.

SHERYL SANDBERG, FACEBOOK COO: The message of equality is one that we need to hear and it's not one that everyone yet believes. What I think's happening is, this is cultural change. Cultural change means something needs to change and some people believe it and some don't. I think there were people in the audience today who really believe that an equal world would be a better world. And there are people who believe that this is meritocracy and in a meritocratic system more men will naturally be at the top.

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COSTELLO: My full interview with Sandberg and Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James will air tomorrow on Veteran's Day.

[09:34:41] Still to come in the NEWSROOM, concerns an airport worker may have been involved in planting a bomb on a downed Russian passenger jet. What Homeland Security is doing to protect Americans abroad, next.

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COSTELLO: If a bomb brought down that Russian jet in Egypt, could it happen again? Homeland Security officials are trying to make sure it does not. As officials investigate what happened onboard that plane, there's growing suspicion that a bomb could have been put on the plane by an insider at the Egyptian airport where the aircraft made its final takeoff.

Let's get more now from CNN's Rene Marsh.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVT. REGULATIONS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. You know, at this point, the focus really is for the Department of Homeland Security on those overseas airports with direct flights to the United States. We know that some of those airports include airports in Cairo, Kuwait, as well as Amman, Jordan. So mostly Middle East airports. Of course the list could eventually expand. So far we are not seeing any changes as far as airport security measures domestically at airports here in the United States. Again, the focus, Carol, is on those foreign airports.

[09:40:11] COSTELLO: What's being done specifically at U.S. airports to keep us safe?

MARSH: Well, again, the focus truly is on the foreign airports, but I can tell you that there is a growing concern about this insider threat. You're hearing more and more U.S. officials talk about how well do we know the close to one million airport workers who are at U.S. airports across the country and have secure access to all parts of the airports and even the aircraft? So the question is, how well are they vetted? A some serious look is being taken when it -- as it relates to the vetting process of these airport workers.

The TSA head was just on Capitol Hill just this month and told Congress, he admits that more work needs to be done as it relates to the insider threat. I know that there is legislation that passed the House which would essentially increase the number of background checks that these airport workers would undergo. It would also increase random screening, physical screening that they would endure when they show up to work. That legislation, again, passed in the House. It hasn't passed the Senate at this point.

What a lot of people don't realize, Carol, is that TSA relies on airports to do a lot of the criminal background checks. So TSA vets all of these employees based on data that they get from the more than 400 airports across the United States.

COSTELLO: All right, Rene Marsh reporting live for us. Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Sea World is saying see ya to one of its biggest attractions. Will the change satisfy critics though?

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[09:46:21] COSTELLO: It sounds like a victory or animal rights advocates, but is it? SeaWorld is closing the curtain on an iconic attraction. The company canceling theatrical killer whale shows at its San Diego park starting in 2017. For years, critics have slammed the shows for their circus-like cruelty. At the center of the backlash, a 2013 documentary, CNN's documentary, "BLACKFISH".

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you look into their eyes, you know somebody is home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're an animal that possesses great spiritual power, not to be meddled with.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All whales in the captivity are all psychologically traumatized. It's not just Tilikum.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you were in the bathtub for 25 years, don't you think you would get a little psychotic?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The industry has a vested interest in spinning these. That sells a lot of Shamu dolls; it sells a lot of tickets at the gate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no record of an orca doing any harm in the wild.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right, SeaWorld's latest announcement on the heels of a troubling earnings update. SeaWorld's shares since the documentary aired plunged more than 10 percent. The company now pushing for a more natural experience at its parks. CEO Joel Manby says, quote, "2016 will be the last year of the theatrical killer whale show based on the customer feedback we're getting there."

Now, keep in mind, this only applies to San Diego. Theatrical killer whale shows will continue at other SeaWorld parks.

With me now is Howard Garrett, co-founder of the Orca Network and Killer whale researcher. He also appeared in that CNN film "BLACKFISH". Welcome, Howard.

HOWARD GARRETT, CO-FOUNDER, THE ORCA NETWORK: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: What do you think of this decision by SeaWorld?

GARRETT: Well, at first it looked real good. The headline reads "SeaWorld will phase out their killer whale shows." But once I looked into the story I was a little underwhelmed, you could say. Because really, while they are phasing out one kind of show, they're really phasing in another. And it won't really make any material difference to the whales themselves. They'll still have to live in concrete boxes and be dominated and coerced by food deprivation and be deprived of all semblance of any normal life in any family or in any natural habitat. So it won't change anything for the whales.

COSTELLO: SeaWorld is now promoting its new program. It's calling this campaign SeaWorld Cares. I just want to play clip for you. Listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I think about SeaWorld, the words that come to mind for me is love and passion, education, conservation and inspiration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fun, wonder. Amazement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you're there and you're touching it and you're interacting with it, it gives you that emotional connection to it so that you know this is a life. And this is something that should be treasured.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, Howard, it sounds like SeaWorld, at least in San Diego, it is going to be more like a zoo?

GARRETT: Well, maybe so. And the messaging sounds much more passionate and emotional. And maybe they are going to weave in some science and some conservation messages. That's all very good, but we're looking at it not so much from the portrayal of the whales, but the whales themselves, how they live in those places, in that situation, as a captive deprived of everything.

[09:50:00] And they will still continue to exhibit the stresses and the infectious diseases and need to be medicated and all the other harm that comes to them in captivity. So I don't see areal difference from the point of view for the whales.

COSTELLO: Ultimately, what should SeaWorld do, in your mind?

GARRETT: I would like to see them look into and begin to phase their whole program out entirely and allow the whales to move to a natural sea pen kind of situation where they're in a netted-off pen, but in a real ocean. So that -- because they can't really return out into the wild. These are highly sophisticated mammals that live in complex societies. Without those societies, they really can't live. So, they'll have to be in a kind of a sea pen situation where they can be fed and they can get interaction with humans and they can be taken care of and monitored, but they'll be in what is known to be a therapeutic setting, which is their natural habitat. And that would be much better for them.

COSTELLO: All right, Howard Garrett, thanks for joining me this morning. I appreciate it.

In light of the news, CNN will be re-airing the "BLACKFISH" documentary this Saturday 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a fast food walkout -- the biggest yet. Workers trying to get a boost to 15 bucks an hour. Will their fight be an issue this campaign season?

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[09:55:45]

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COP: Stop! Stop!

(GUNFIRE)

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COSTELLO: All right, a look at our top stories now at 55 past. This is dramatic body cam video, capturing the moment a woman leading police on a chase rams a police cruiser with her car. It happened in San Springs, Oklahoma. Police say they fired two shots to try to stop her, but neither shot hit her. This is the woman police say was behind the wheel of that car. There she is. Authorities say they had to use a taser to get her out of the car. And as you can see, they eventually took her into custody.

Another domestic abuse scandal in sports. This time, baseball. Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes is accused of beating his wife in a Hawaii hotel room. According to reports, Reyes grabbed his wife by the throat and threw her into a glass door. She had injuries to her thigh, neck, and wrist. In a statement, a spokesman says Major League Baseball is now investigating.

And friends, family, and fans grieving the shocking death of a 29- year-old baseball star. Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher and former Braves player Tommy Hanson, he died after a catastrophic organ failure. He had been in the hospital since Sunday. Hanson has not played in a Major League game since 2013.

I'll take a raise with that.

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COSTELLO: Fast food workers in hundreds of cities across the United States walking off the job this morning. Tens of thousands of employees demanding a wage of $15 an hour. These kinds of protests have been going on for a few years, but many of the workers are hoping to make it a big 2016 campaign issue.

Christine Romans is covering this for us. I guess on the Democratic side it's already become a campaign issue.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNNMONEY CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It really has. You know, in 270 cities. These organizers say they want these to be the biggest walk-offs, the biggest protests yet, and it's not just fast food workers. This time they've home health aides and child care workers, lots of different kinds of low-wage workers.

You know, this has been sort of unfinished business for the Obama administration. They would like to raise the wage to $10.10 an hour. What you're hearing here in the streets, they want $15 an hour. And there's a lot of debate about whether $15 might be too high. Raise the minimum wage but $15 might be too high.

Here's what the Treasury Secretary told me.

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JACK LEW, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: You know, look, raising the minimum wage would be a good thing. We've proposed it. A lot of states are doing it. Some of the states are doing it at a level where you might say they would be uncompetitive with other states, but it hasn't turned out to be a problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Uncompetitive but it hasn't turned out to be a problem yet. You know, Carol, tonight will there be a vote in Berkeley -- Berkeley, California -- where there will be a vote to raise the minimum wage there to $19 an hour. $19 an hour. And some small business owners there, restaurant owners and civic development people, are a little concerned. They think that's too high. They don't want to be politically incorrect in their progressive town, but they think $19 might be too high. No question though, this is a very big campaign debate for 2016. We'll be hearing more about it.

COSTELLO: All right, Christine Romans. Many thanks.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.

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

The stage is set for yet another debate. Hours from now, the Republican presidential candidates go head to head and take center stage in Milwaukee, setting the scene for what's expected to be a fiery night. A new South Carolina poll showing Donald Trump and Ben Carson in a dead heat. And Donald Trump wasted no time taking aim at his top competitor.

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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You stab somebody and the newspapers say you didn't do it. And you said yes, I did. I did it. No, you didn't. Yes, I did. I stabbed him and it hit the belt. And they said you didn't do it. If they said I didn't do it, I'd be so happy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: As for Jeb Bush, who many agree fell flat the last go- around, his campaign is out with a new ad pushing a hip and fit candidate ready to lead.

Joining me to talk about all of this, CNN national correspondent Sunlen Serfaty.

[10:00:01] She is in the city of Milwaukee. Good morning.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Yes, the Jeb Bush campaign really trying to send their candidate onto the debate stage tonight with a little boost of extra energy.