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Shaun White Says Beijing Olympics Will Be His Last; Pence: Trump Is Wrong To Say Election Could Be Overturned; DOJ Releases New Violent, Profanity-Laced Videos From January 6; Scientists Warn Climate Change Threatening Future of Winter Olympics; NFL Facing Lawsuits, Allegations of Discrimination Days Before Super Bowl; Los Angeles Police Prepare for Super Bowl. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired February 05, 2022 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:00]
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: The 35-year-old snowboarder says numerous injuries influenced his decision to step back. White too once had a nickname The Flying Tomato. Because of his bright red hair has won three halfpipe gold medal since his debut at the Turin games back in 2006. Why describe the moment he made the decision as sad and surreal, but also joyous.
Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining me. I'm Amara Walker in for Fredricka Whitfield. We begin with a clear picture of what took place on January 6 in our nation's capital and the growing rift in the Republican Party between those condemning and acknowledging what happened and those who refuse to acknowledge it at all. In just the last 24 hours former Vice President Mike Pence rebuked Trump's claims that Pence actually had the power to overturn the 2020 election results.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election. The presidency belongs to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Well, that same day the Justice Department released new videos from January 6. Their violent, vulgar and target the very man you just heard denounce what the Capitol mob was trying to do. We want to warn you that what you are about to hear is disturbing and profane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN NICHOLS, CAPITOL RIOTER: I'm telling you what I'm hearing that Pence -- I hear that Pence caved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
NICHOLS: Is that true? I'm heear -- I'm hearing reports that Pence caved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. NICHOLS: No. I'm telling you, if Pence caved, we're going to drag motherfuckers through the streets. You fucking politicians are going to get fucking drag through the streets. Because we're not going to have our fucking shit stolen. We're not going to have our election or country stolen. If we find out you politicians voted for we're going to drag your fucking ass through the street.
Because it's the second fucking revolution. So let me find out Pence. Let me find out myself that you treason the country. We'll fucking drag your ass too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut their fucking head off.
NICHOLS: Cut their head off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can do it.
NICHOLS: You do the right thing or we're going to force you to do the right thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: It's frightening. And imagine coming face to face with this kind of anger and depravity. CNN's Katelyn Polantz joining us now. What more can you tell us about the investigation?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME ANDA JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Amara, those videos do come out in the court cases of January 6 defendants. And so those are people who are charged with being in and around the Capitol on January 6. Justice producer Hannah Rabinowitz and I this year. So a year later have been checking in with their defense attorneys of some of the more than 700 Capitol riot defendants.
And we've been asking them about the political conversation now. That was the political conversation then. Now we have former President Donald Trump out there talking about giving some of these rioters and maybe even all of them pardons. We asked defense lawyers, four Capitol riot defendants what they think about that, and a handful of them told us that they believe it is largely theatrics.
It's political theater from Trump right now. That's because a lot of these people have been charged a year ago, some of them have been in jail for nearly a year. And there's just not enough time here. Trump is not President right now. He doesn't have pardon power. These people are being brought to justice at this point in time. They're going through the court system. They could be sentenced far earlier, they could be spending time in jail.
But that said, even if they are not really taking seriously, Trump's claims about pardons, there is a Capitol Hill investigation ongoing where the politicians on Capitol Hill especially in the House, are calling witnesses. So people close to Donald Trump as well as riot defendants asking them to come in and one of the consequences for people not complying with congressional subpoenas would be being held in criminal contempt of Congress. And so this part in conversation is something that is happening right now both about the riot defendants and people being caught on Capitol Hill. Representative Elaine Luria was on CNN yesterday, and she talked about the effect that Trump may have on some of the witnesses. Here's her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ELAINE LURIA (D-VA): If someone who, you know, is sort of waving out there that if, you know, I'm president in the future, I'm going to pardon you. You know, someone who could be, you know, right now thinking I need to do the right thing. I need to state the facts and, you know, potentially plead guilty to the criminal actions that I have. If they think that there's a way in the future to get off from any consequences from their actions, it could certainly call her what they do right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POLANTZ: So Amara, there is a lot going on here. A lot of moving parts both politically and legally. Back to you.
WALKER: A lot to follow and thanks for staying on top of this and following up with those defense lawyers. A lot of work for you.
[13:05:03]
WALKER: Katelyn Polantz, thank you so much.
And we're also learning new details about when Trump loyalists Republican Congressman Jim Jordan spoke to the President on January 6. Two sources are telling CNN that President Trump spoke on the phone from the White House residents with Jordan for 10 minutes on the morning of January 6. Timeline is key here. CNN's Annie Grayer as following these developments. Annie, what more are you learning about these conversations?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Thanks Amara. What is really key here is that Donald Trump was speaking to a key Republican ally for him on Capitol Hill the morning of January 6. Jordan is a key ally for Trump, as you mentioned, who was instrumental in trying to help the former president stop the certification of the election. The fact that this conversation happened in the morning before Congress met to certify the election shows how in close contact these two were.
Now Congressman Jordan has said himself that he spoke with the former president that day, but he has been very unclear about how long those conversations were, when exactly they happen. I spoke with him yesterday on Capitol Hill to try and pin down some of those details. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): As I said, I had a number of calls with -- I talked to the president a couple times that day, but I don't remember the times. So I don't remember. I don't remember.
GRAYER: So you don not -- you don't remember if it was the morning? If there was one in the morning, before --
JORDAN: I don'rt recall. But I know, I talked to him after we left thefloor, but I don't recall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRAYER: As you can hear from that audio, Congressman Jordan is, you know, really not being clear about when and for how long he spoke with the former president. You know, and this is exactly why the January 6 Committee wants to speak with Congressman Jordan. They reached out to speak to him voluntarily and Congressman Jordan has denied that request. The Committee is currently weighing whether or not they want to take the unprecedented step of actually subpoenaing Jim Jordan to get the information that he possesses from those phone calls.
But the big picture here is that the January 6 Committee is building -- trying to build the definitive narrative of what happened in the lead up to and on January 6. And the reporting that we broke yesterday, this new phone call in the morning of January 6 is a key detail for that timeline and the committee is putting together.
WALKER: Yes. Absolutely. What happened right before the riots took place, and of course, during and what were those conversations. Annie Grayer thank you very much.
And despite being at the center of the threats on January 6, former Vice President Mike Pence has not strongly rebuke Trump about overturning the 2020 election until now. CNN's Randi Kaye attended that conference where pence rebuked Trump and talked to Republicans about their reaction to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Would you like to hear Mike Pence pushback on Donald Trump about his false claims that Pence had the right to overturn the election results?
RANDY FITZGERALD, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Oh, no. I'm looking forward to hearing the former vice president speak about what real American leadership looks like.
KAYE: But does the former Vice President have a duty to push back against these false claims by the former president?
FITZGERALD: No, he's not. He's a private citizen. I don't think he has a duty to do that. No.
KAYE: Shortly before former Vice President Mike Pence took the stage at the Federalist Society Florida chapters conference in Orlando, members weighed in on whether Pence should address the recent attacks from his former boss.
JESSICA MARRA, REPUBLICAN VOTER: I don't know that this is the the time or the place for that kind of conversation.
KAYE: This week, the former President Donald Trump lied once again, saying Pence had the authority to reject the 2020 election results. So will Pence respond?
PENCE: I think he's too much of a man with great demeanor and civility to address that openly in the public until it's the proper time.
KAYE: Before Pence spoke, some here didn't see a need for Pence to address his decision to certify the vote because they agree Trump lost. Period.
FITZGERALD: Joe Biden won the election. So, I don't you know, I don't know what more I can say. I mean, Joe Biden won the election. The role of the Vice President and that is very ceremonial. They counted the electoral ballots, the members of Congress voted to certify Joe Biden won the election.
MIKE BELTRAN (R), MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I don't think he needs to address it. It's -- I mean, what happened, you know, right, wrong or indifferent. We lost in 2020.
KAYE: Do you not want to hear Pence correct the record that Trump is falsely claiming that he could have overturned the election?
BELTRAN: I think Pence probably feels. I'm not going to speak for Pence but I think Pence probably feels that the record does not need to be corrected otherwise he would correct it.
KAYE: Then came the former Vice President speech.
PENCE: And I heard this week that President Trump said I had the right to overturn the election.
[13:10:07]
PENCE: But President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election. The presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone.
KAYE: We went back out to the group after the speech to see how it was received.
CHRISTINE PRATT, REPUBLICAN VOTER: I was pleasantly surprised with how we handled it. I thought he did a great job. I think it's time to move on from the 2020 election and look forward to 2024.
TOM FEENEY, REPUBLICAN VOTER: I think he's made it clear. The Vice President has and he has a difference of opinion with the President. The President's team over what the duties of the vice president required on January 6.
KAYE: Were you happy to hear him address it?
FEENEY: Well, I think he needed to address it. This is a great audience. These are constitutional scholars here. So you're speaking to a very educated group.
KEISHA RUSSELL, REPUBLICAN VOTER: I think Mike Pence was -- did the right thing. I think Mike Pence should have done what he felt was right. And it sounds like he did what he felt was right.
KAYE: How do you think those -- how do you think that comment will sit with former President Donald Trump being called wrong?
RUSSELL: Probably not well, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what he says.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Randi Kaye, thank you. Michael Zeldin is a former federal prosecutor and he is the host for the podcast That Said with Michael Zeldin. Good to see you. Thanks for joining me. Let me start by asking you how this new video where we hear rioters talking about dragging Mike Pence, using profanities, extremely angry, the vitriol that we hear as well. And they want to drag Mike Pence and the lawmakers to the streets saying off with their head.
How do you think this may impact the January 6 investigation?
MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, it's certainly going to impact their individual trials because they're charged with various offenses of -- to which they're essentially admitting in these videos. So this evidence the prosecutors will introduce that trial and say this was a deliberate plan. These guys weren't there accidentally or swept up by a crowd and weren't intending to be there. They were intending to be there.
They had a specific intention to stop this certification and exact violence on anyone who stood in their way. So, it's pretty compelling in that respect. And respect to the January 6 Committee, it fleshes out the narrative of who these people were, why they were there, what their intentions were. What we don't know is who else coordinated with them. And that's the big question that remains to be seen.
WALKER: We know now that Congressman Jim Jordan spoke with President Trump for what, 10 minutes, according to sources on the morning of the Capitol riot. And then that afternoon, he went to the House floor to object to the certification of Biden's Electoral College win. Can you talk to us a little bit about why that piece of information is so important and this timeline?
ZELDIN: Well, what we see is that the President actually called to Jordan, it wasn't that Jordan called to the President. And so the President of the United States is calling Jim Jordan saying, essentially, I think we can reasonably infer, Jim, it's time for us to execute this Green Bay sweep the effort to to contest the election by protesting the certification, and I'm expecting you to be on my team.
And I think that Jim said, I'm with you, Mr. President. Because exactly after that, they went to the floor. And Jordan did contest the election. He also contested it after the insurrection was over. So I think it's clear that that's what they were talking about. That indicates what Trump was intending to do. That's indicates what Jordan did do.
WALKER: Yes. It's interesting, you know, when you go through all of Jim Jordan's comments about, you know, when and how many times he's spoken with Trump on that day, you know, it's kind of all over the place. But this line of I don't recall, I don't remember. Can you give us the legal -- like a background for giving such an answer? I mean, we hear that all the time that at, you know, hearings and depositions. What's the point of saying, I don't recall?
ZELDIN: So that they don't get caught in direct lie. If they say, I did not do it. And then evidence comes forward, like this telephone record that there was a 10 minute call at 11:45, then that's a lie. And so they don't remember conveniently. So don't make an affirmative statement, which could then be proven to be untrue. Whether it is in fact true that they don't remember, you know, it's anyone's guess.
But oftentimes, what happens is they're confronted with the evidence of the call and they say, ah, that refreshes my recollection. Let me tell you about it. And so, that's usually the dance around these things.
WALKER: Yes. Quite a strategy. Michael Zeldin, great to see you. Thank you so much.
ZELDIN: Me too.
[13:15:06]
WALKER: All right. Still ahead. A deadly shooting near the campus of Virginia Tech triggering an overnight lockdown. What police are learning at this hour.
And the NFL under fire. Allegations and lawsuits casting a shadow on the Super Bowl. That's just days away. We're live in Los Angeles.
Plus, after nearly two-year pause, could alcoholic beverages be returning to your Southwest flight? What the airline is now saying.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: New today. A deadly shooting near the campus of Virginia Tech. At least one person was killed. Four others including one Virginia Tech student have been injured. It happened just before midnight at a Hookah Lounge. And that shooting forcing a campus lockdown early in the morning. CNN's Polo Sandoval following all the developments. Polo, what's the latest?
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Amara, police there in Blacksburg, Virginia calling this not only a complex investigation but also a ongoing one. You see this just happened overnight.
[13:20:07]
SANDOVAL: Authority saying that was just before midnight when they were called to that Hookah Lounge. Reports of shots fired, they arrived to -- find five people had been injured, one of them fatally and nearby campus officials at Virginia Tech immediately started issuing alerts to members of their community even issuing a Shelter In Place order for just a couple of hours and then was later lifted.
Authorities also confirming that one of those people who -- persons who was injured is in fact a Virginia Tech student. But their identities not been confirmed at this point. The identification of anybody really has not been identified, or at least has not been released up to this point. What is unusual that we have not heard from police regarding a possible suspect or possible motive, but again, this investigation still sort of in those early stages.
We should also mention that this lounge is less than a mile from the memorial that pays tribute to those 32 people who lost their lives during the Virginia Tech shooting back in 2007. That we also need to be clear police have not said anything to indicate that that is simply any more than a coincidence, but nonetheless extremely tragic for the community there and obviously for those affected as this investigation is ongoing. Amara.
WALKER: Very sad indeed. Polo Sandoval. Appreciate your reporting. Thanks.
SANDOVAL: Thank you.
WALKER: Coming up. As the Olympics kickoff, news that one legendary medalist will make these games his last. We'll have more next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: Under a backdrop of swirling global political tensions, boycotts and a pandemic, the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing are now fully underway. The first metals of the games have been handed out as official say they are dealing with at least 45 new COVID cases among Olympic athletes and personnel. To prevent the virus's spread, China is restricting athletes to an Olympic bubble and really limiting the number of spectators of venues.
The U.S. and several allies are engaging in a diplomatic boycott over China's human rights abuses. We're also getting some big news from legendary U.S. Olympian Shaun White, announcing that these games will be his last.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAUN WHITE, THREE-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: I hope that my writing speaks for itself. You know, I'm always trying to push and progress and do the next biggest thing and try to pick up on what trends are happening within the sport and be ahead of that curve. And, you know, everyone's catching up, incredibly talented writers out there and I feel like I had a helping hand to inspire them. So, you know, I'm just kind of enjoying every moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: White is a three-time gold medalist in this snowboard halfpipe. Well, this year's games already look far different than those in the past. For the first time, the Olympics are relying almost entirely on artificial snow for the events. Beijing doesn't typically get a lot of snowfall. But scientists warn the threat of climate change will have a huge impact on the future of winter sports. CNN's Rene Marsh has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE
RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): No natural snow, a Winter Olympics first. Over 100 Snow generators and 300 snow making guns are doing what mother nature did not. Blanketing Beijing's bare slopes with snow.
JAIME ANDERSON, U.S. OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER: It's not quite ideal, but I would say we're all making the most of it. You definitely don't want to fall. It feels like pretty bulletproof ice.
MARSH: Climate scientists warned this scene will become the norm as global warming threatens the future of snow sports. A new report finds that viable venues for the Winter Games are dwindling. Iconic Winter Olympic host sites like Vancouver, Norway, Sochi and the French Alps are seeing temperatures warm and shorter and less reliable snow seasons. Of the 21 cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics, only one is expected to have the necessary conditions to host them again safely at the end of the 21st century if greenhouse gases are not drastically reduced.
ELENA HIGHT, U.S. OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER: I worry that the mountains around me won't have snow for the next generation or maybe even in my lifetime with the -- with the path that we're on.
MARSH: Two-time Olympic snowboarder Elena Hight says climate change is already impacting her sport in her hometown of Lake Tahoe. Due to shorter winter seasons and a lack of snow, resorts have done away with this concave structure known as the halfpipe. One of snowboarding's most famed contest.
HIGHT: We don't have consistent enough snow for the resorts to be enticed to build them. So I see that and there are no younger generations coming in to Lake Tahoe that will be able to be home and train in the halfpipe and potentially pursue those Olympic dreams.
MARSH: Hight says artificial snow as a substitute comes with higher injury risks. Less training, coupled with increased danger are a worrisome combination for these athletes. Environmental advocacy group Protect Our Winters warns artificial snow has limitations.
MARIO MOLINA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PROTECT OUR WINTERS: In order to make artificial snow there's a temperature threshold. So you can't just -- you can't make artificial snow in 40-degree weather. You still need cold temperatures.
MARSH: Fake snow also comes with environmental risks. Beijing, one of the most water scarce cities in the world estimates it will use some 49 million gallons of chemically treated water to make snow for alpine sporting events. Something environmental advocates have criticized.
[13:30:06]
HIGHT: So, it's actually causing the problem that we're being affected by. I hope we never get to the point where snowboarding isn't a viable sport because of lack of snow. And really I think that we have the ability to make those changes now.
MARSH (on camera): While artificial snow can create a faster surface because it's almost 30 percent ice compared to real snow that's closer to 10 percent ice.
So it's a much harder and much more slippery surface. And that is what creates the risk of severe injuries when an athlete takes a fall.
But outside of the Olympics, ski resorts and the towns and economies surrounding them are also being threatened by warming temperatures and unreliable snow.
Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST: That is one very important story.
Rene, thank you.
While this weekend's forecast is less brutal than last, thousands are without power after a winter storm blasted much of the U.S. this week, killing at least seven people.
More than 200,000 customers, most in Tennessee, are experiencing outages. Other states include New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Cold temperatures remain. Parts of Texas and Arkansas felt temperatures fall into the teens and potentially single digits this morning.
Plus, a fast-moving system is expected to bring snow to North Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan. Look at all that white powder.
All right. Still ahead, it has been a tough week for the NFL. The league dealing with lawsuits and allegations of discrimination all just days before the Super Bowl. We'll discuss next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:36:19]
WALKER: As the count down to the Super Bowl begins, the NFL is facing intense scrutiny over hiring practices alleging that the National Football League runs like a plantation.
Former Miami Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores, filed a class-action suit this week.
He claims that job interviews with teams in New York and Denver were discriminatory, a sham designed to get around legal policies meant to boost hiring of minority candidates.
He also claims his ex-boss, Dolphins owner, Stephen Ross, broke league-tampering rules and offered him money to lose games.
Hue Jackson, the former coach of the Cleveland Browns, told CNN he's been in similar situations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUE JACKSON, FORMER COACH, CLEVELAND BROWNS: When you talk about incentivizing a four-year plan that led to the team not being able to play as well, that, you know, people benefited off that, that's different. But at the same time, it has some of the same similarities to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: CNN's Camila Bernal is following these latest developments.
Camila, this isn't the only thing the NFL has been dealing with this week. What more can you tell us?
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It has been a very difficult week for the NFL.
And it started on Sunday during the NFC championship game when some of the fans got into an altercation and a 49ers fan was punched, he fell to the ground, and all that led to a medically induced coma.
The suspect in that case was recently arrested. But we're still waiting for a lot of details on this investigation from the police.
On Tuesday, we heard from Brian Flores.
And on Thursday, lawmakers hearing from a number of former employees and cheerleaders of the Washington Commanders.
They were detailing allegations against the team's owner, Dan Snyder, saying, in part, that, in the past, he had directed some of his staff to create this lewd video without the knowledge or consent of many of these cheerleaders.
And then they also detailed new allegations of unwanted sexual touching.
The NFL conducted an investigation in 2020 and they fined the owner but did not make the findings of the investigation public, which is why a lot of these employees say that the NFL is complicit.
Now he did respondent. The team's owner, Dan Snyder, saying that while past conduct was unacceptable, he said allegations, many which were 13 years old, were lies. He also denied participating in that conduct.
So really, overall, a complicated week in the NFL. As you mentioned, everybody looking forward to the Super Bowl -- Amara?
WALKER: A lot of people, yes, for sure.
How are they preparing for the Super Bowl?
BERNAL: Well, what we're seeing here is really a team effort between Inglewood police, LAPD, the sheriff's office, and federal partners.
We have been told that there are no credible threats at the moment.
But there were some concerns of the Omicron variant because a lot of LAPD officers were out recently because they were sick with COVID.
The chief of police in L.A. telling us that a lot of the officers are essentially back to work and so he is not worried about that.
Here is what he told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHEL MOORE, CHIEF, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: We have a workforce of 9,500 police officers. And so we have the ability to put all those individuals on the street if we need to.
We're not going to need to, though. We can police this event and make sure that we have sufficient staffing across the city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERNAL: And the chief also saying that there are so many officers out there that anyone attending the Super Bowl or any of the events will be able to essentially spot an officer quickly and easily if that's what they need.
[13:40:00]
WALKER: All right, Camila Bernal, thank you.
Still to come, the Dutch city of Rotterdam may dismantle one of their historic bridges so that a super yacht purportedly owned by Jeff Bezos can sail through. Yes. That story just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: We're following breaking news near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There's a heavy police presence and SWAT team surrounding an apartment building in Brown Deer, a village northwest of Milwaukee.
As you can see, a big police presence there.
[13:45:01]
There are multiple reports of shots fires. And our affiliates are at the scene right now. They're reporting multiple ambulances on site and also dozens of police vehicles.
We'll, of course, continue to stay on top of this breaking news. And if we get new information, we will bring it to you. Well, airlines are taking a new firm stand as the number of unruly
passengers skyrockets.
On Friday, the CEO of Delta sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for all those prosecuted for incidents on planes to be placed on a no-fly list.
The numbers have been staggering. Just take a look. Last year was the worst on record for unruly air travel passenger behavior.
Gosh, get a grip, people. Nearly 6,000 reports logged by the FAA, 72 percent of which were mask mandate related.
And now Southwest Airlines is planning to allow in-flight alcohol sales for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.
CNN's Pete Muntean has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: This is welcome news for some passengers but not so good according to Southwest Airlines flight attendants. More on that in a second.
What's so interesting, Southwest is one of the last major airlines to resume alcohol service on board after so many shuttered it at the start of the pandemic.
Southwest has not been serving alcohol onboard its flights since March of 2020.
Here are the details. Southwest says it will start serving alcohol onboard again on February 16th on flights 176 miles or more. They'll be selling beer, wine, and liquor.
But Southwest Airlines flight attendants call this move unacceptable and irresponsible.
Lynn Montgomery, the head of the TWU Local 556, a union that represents Southwest flight attendants, says the following:
She says, quote, "We have adamantly and unequivocally informed management that resuming sales of alcohol while the mask mandate is still in place has the great potential to increase customer noncompliance and misconduct issues."
"Airline flight attendants have been on the front lines of ugly, unruly incidents onboard commercial flights that shot up in this pandemic era of air travel."
Look at the latest numbers. About 323 incidents reported by flight crews to the FAA so far this year, 5,981 incidents in 2021.
So many incidents, flight attendants say, involving the federal transportation mask mandate still in place until March 18, 2022. And they say many of them are fueled by alcohol. Flight attendants say they need all the help that they can get and this move is not helping them.
Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Here with us now, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, Sara Nelson.
Sara, welcome back.
First off, I'm so sorry for, you know, what you and your colleagues have had to endure the last couple of years.
First off, let me get your reaction, you know, to the Delta CEO pushing for these unruly passengers to be placed on the no-fly list. What do you think?
SARA NELSON, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: Look, I'm happy that the Delta CEO used his position so ask the government to do something to make our workplace safer as opposed to his advocacy over the holidays of the CDC to make our workplace less safe.
But in this case, he is representing where the industry has been. And we have to do more. We have to redouble efforts right now.
Everyone is unified around the idea that there has to be severe consequences for these people who were acting out. They're a relatively small group of people who are ruining travel for everyone else.
And they're making this a situation where flight attendants, every single day when they're putting on their uniforms, they're not sure if that will be a sign of authority and leadership in the cabin or a target for a violent attack.
And so that is a terrible place for people to be when they are coming to work. And we need to do everything we can to stop that.
A no-fly list across the board, where you can face either fines, jail time, or never being able to fly again is a good way to go.
And we all applaud that. We're all behind it. And we encourage the government to get busy and get it done.
WALKER: You're right, it's a select few, but they ruin the entire travel experience. I mean, planes have had to turn around because of unruly behavior. How awful is that?
What do you think about bringing alcohol back? It looks like American Airlines is the only one that hasn't brought alcohol back yet. Good or bad idea?
NELSON: I want to applaud American Airlines for working closely with the unions and for not having alcohol sales.
They have done a great job throughout this pandemic making sure they're working with us and supporting the people on the front lines.
I absolutely agree with my good friend, Lynn Montgomery, who represents the flight attendants at Southwest, that this is the wrong move.
Southwest stopped selling alcohol just a week after the flight attendant who got her front teeth knocked out in an incident on board. And alcohol is a major contributor to these events.
[13:50:08]
So as long as we are enforcing the mask compliance, people have a harder time, even if they're not acting out, have a harder time complying when they're drinking alcohol.
We have more touch points in the middle of a pandemic going on here. And people are more aggressive when they get alcohol in their system.
This is the wrong move. I really condemn Southwest for doing that. And I really stand with the flight attendants there who are saying this is the wrong way to go.
WALKER: Listen, I like to have my alcohol on flights. But honestly, if it's going to protect the flight attendants, I'm all for it.
Because, again, I'd rather have no alcohol than have an incident on a flight that may be unsafe or, you know, require our flight to be turned around.
But, at the end of the day, do you think this is about the bottom line, the money?
NELSON: Absolutely it's the bottom line. That's what we're getting back to. We're getting back to choose the economy over peoples' safety, over public health.
And we have to remember that the pandemic is still going on. It would be really great if we could all get on the same page, have the same communications, not a patchwork of policies everywhere.
So that everyone knows what the rules are, why they're in place, and what the consequences are if you fail to meet them.
And to your point, alcohol is a really good opportunity to have peer pressure to say, come on, guys, let's follow the rules because we'd all like to have a drink on the plane, wouldn't we?
If it's going to contribute to not only the risk of serious safety and health concerns but also to disrupting our travel plans, maybe we don't need to have that there because it's a not a great help.
WALKER: Yes. I tell my 3-year-old, just follow the rules. If you don't, there are consequences. If the rules say you have to wear a mask --
(CROSSTALK)
WALKER: -- wear your mask. End of story.
NELSON: Kids do a great job.
(CROSSTALK)
WALKER: Sara Nelson, thank you so much.
NELSON: Thank you.
WALKER: A metro Detroit man searched the country to find ways to help deal with his trauma. Now he's taking what he learned to create a new kind of gym to help others stay mentally pit.
It's this week's "START SMALL, THINK BIG."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MCCULLAR, CEO, INCEPTION: Everybody has experienced trauma and everybody will experience trauma. The problem is when you're stick in a trauma pattern after it's over with.
Inception is a mental health gym. A mental health gym uses 21st century technology to help everyday people deal with stressors and traumas.
I got out into this business out of necessity because I was dealing with anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, and I actually had a back injury.
I used over 60 different technologies and alternative therapies to help myself.
And when the pandemic came around and everybody had to sit down, the thing that came up and popped up was their awareness of how stressed out they were.
Our business greatly benefitted from that. Our services looked like doing circuit-model training, just like the traditional gym, to help move the body into rest and digest.
We use neuro feedback, which is called brain training, magnetic therapy, red-light therapy. We also use a sensory deprivation, which is floatation therapy.
These types of services would cost you thousands of dollars anywhere else you go, but our 90-minute circuit model is $99.
Education has been one of the biggest pitfalls that we've had in terms of understanding mental health.
But social media has been a great equalizer for us. So people have been very supportive of us around the country. [13:53:40]
You come in and you feel better because mental health is physical health.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:58:36]
WALKER: We are following breaking news of a 5-year-old boy who has been trapped in a well. This is happening in Morocco. And he has been trapped there for four days now.
And he may be finally on to verge of being rescued. The Moroccan rescuers say they have reached a very advanced stage -- these are their words -- in their attempt to reach the boy who has been trapped in the well north of the African country.
The child, only identified as Ryan, is stuck in the well within reaches. He's way down there, more than 100 feet.
But this is positive news. And we'll stay on top of this. Hopefully, they will get him out safely today.
In Chicago, an incredible on-like -- Lake Michigan that could have gone quite badly, an incredible rescue, I should say. Fire crews rescuing a man who walked out onto Lake Michigan Friday, claiming he did not realize he was on the ice.
The Chicago Fire Department tweeted photos showing first responders bringing him ashore on the raft. They say the rescue went smoothly and warned the outcome could have been tragic.
Reminding everyone to avoid ice at all costs. No ice is safe ice.
[13:59:47]
Also, in Colorado, a couple looking after a cabin were rescued after being snowed in for two months. Official say the unidentified pair called the Sierra County Sheriff's Office asking to be rescued.
The couple said a winter storm in December left them stranded and they were running out of food.
The Highway Patrol was able to safely airlift the couple and the small dog from the cabin two miles north of Sacramento.
END
