Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Police Release "Death Note" from Walmart Shooter's Phone; Musk to Begin Restoring Banned Twitter Accounts Next Week, Raising National Security Concerns; New Study: You May Not Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day; Daylight Saving Time Debate Sheds Light on Racial Inequities in Sleep Health; Megadrought Threatens Water Supply of 40 Million People; Adidas to Investigate Misconduct Allegations Against Kanye West. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired November 25, 2022 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Authorities are also revealing new details about the gunman's potential motive. They've released a, quote, "death note" they discovered on the shooter's phone.

Let's bring in CNN's Brian Todd following this story since it happened pretty much.

Brian, what can you tell us about what investigators discovered on his phone?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, this information on the so-called death note coming to us this afternoon from the city of Chesapeake.

The note was found, as you mentioned, on the shooter's phone and basically outlines a series of grievances that he had with some of his colleagues but also with himself.

The note discusses God, the Holy Spirit, and how the author felt that his associates at work were mocking him.

Here is one passage from that note. Quote, "The associates gave me evil twisted grins, mocked me and celebrated my downfall the last day. That's why they suffer the same fate as me," end quote.

And here's another quote from that note. Quote, "I wish I could have saved everyone from myself. My God, forgive me for what I'm going to do," end quote.

This note also discusses how the author wished his parents had paid closer to attention to what he called his social deficits and said that he felt like he was, quote, "led by Satan."

The note says the attack was not planned.

Also CNN reached out to Walmart and asked whether the shooter, Andre Bing, had ever had any disciplinary measures taken against him, whether he was demoted, if any complaints had been made against him or if he ever complained about others.

Walmart responded to all of those questions with this statement:

Quote, "There's nothing that can justify taking innocent lives. Our focus continues to be on the families who are grieving and supporting our associates through this difficult time."

Boris, they're really not answering those questions. And we have to try to get at that, if we can, to figure out the motive.

SANCHEZ: Yes, it is a non-answer and striking considering that other employees were told to be on the lookout for this guy.

TODD: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Brian, we're also learning more about the gun the suspect used. What can you tell us about that?

TODD: Right, Boris. City officials saying the shooter -- and his name, Andre Bing -- used a .9-millimeter handgun and that it was purchased locally on the morning of the attack.

Police previously told us that he had carried several magazine rounds with him as well. And that he was not wearing any body armor or a ballistic vest at the time of the shooting.

SANCHEZ: Brian Todd, thank you so much for your reporting.

TODD: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course, so it's a move that's raising serious national security concerns. New Twitter owner, Elon Musk, says that he is going to begin restoring previously banned accounts next week. That includes users banned for threats and harassment.

Musk announced the decision after conducting an online poll. He tweeted, quote, "The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week." And then, in Latin, "The voice of the people is the voice of God."

Joining us how is CNN intelligence and security analyst, Bob Baer.

Bob, thanks for joining us. We hope you're enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday.

I'm curious to get your reaction to these accounts being reinstated.

ROBERT BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE & SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Boris, I can tell you one thing, Putin will be all over Twitter if there's no regulations on this. Fake accounts, spoofed accounts, the rest of it, this is a great opportunity for him.

And so when he's talking about the popular voice, Musk, he's really talking about Russian intelligence.

The Russians are waiting for something like this. They need a propaganda campaign against the United States and against our support for Ukraine.

And they're going to be all over Twitter. I guarantee this. Supporting the far right, plans, demands to stop arming Ukraine. You just wait.

SANCHEZ: Bob, I'm curious to get your thoughts on the counter argument I've heard to this. Because a lot of folks say that there's not really that many Americans on Twitter.

But, big picture, that kind of misinformation, that kind of influence campaign can have a big effect, right?

BAER: Well, it cascades. If you put up disinformation, which the Russians will put up, it will cascade everywhere, in India, in Europe.

It'll appeal to the European far right. It will appeal to the Chinese. And you'll see this stuff just appearing everywhere.

You just need one piece of disinformation that is sort of half believable and it will go a long way around the world and really truly affect our policy.

SANCHEZ: And it gets more and more challenging to discern what's real and what is, you know, misinformation or disinformation with deepfakes and with the sophistication by which some of these influence campaigns are developed.

How do you discern what's real versus what's fake, even, you know, in light of that sophistication?

BAER: Well, that's why the pre-Musk Twitter had 7,000 people going through these accounts. You can pick them out with algorithms. You can pick them up by looking at them. You can check I.P.s and the rest of it and you simply block them.

And it's not right. And you know, this freedom of speech is just nonsense because you can't go in a movie theater and yell "fire." It's against the law.

[13:35:02]

What Putin will do and the Russians is they're going to use this as a vehicle to save himself and Ukraine. And, you know, whether it's going to work or not, I don't know.

But we're going to see, as soon as these restrictions come off, we'll see the Russians all over it, as I've just said.

SANCHEZ: So if you had an opportunity to offer a piece of advice to Elon Musk or to counsel him or simply to send him a message, what would you say?

BAER: I'd say this Libertarian nonsense is destructive to American national security. And he has got to reinstitute the same restrictions that were on Twitter before he bought it. There's no other choice.

SANCHEZ: He did announce that he plans to roll out a new color-coded verification system next week. Do you think that that effort will help prevent misinformation or mock accounts from putting out falsehoods?

BAER: I hope so. But his record so far isn't very good.

SANCHEZ: Bob Baer, we have to leave the conversation there. Always appreciate the time, sir. Thank you.

BAER: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

Doctors and health experts are always telling us to stay hydrated. But what about that whole eight glasses of water a day rule? A new study shows that eight might actually be too much. We're going to break it down, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:41:15]

SANCHEZ: Chances are there's a bottle of water somewhere within your reach. You may be trying to get in those eight glasses a day. But do you really need that much? There's a new study casting doubt on that rule of thumb.

CNN's senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, is with us.

Elizabeth, how much water do people actually need to drink a day?

DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris, I know we hear that eight glasses a day all the time but there's actually no science to it. It's just kind of an adage that developed over time from who knows where.

And the CDC says there's no specific recommendation for people, you know, how much water that they ought to be getting every day.

So let's take a look at this new study. It was done -- it's an international study, 5,600 people.

So the researchers gave these people water to drink that had isotopes that they could track, the researchers could track how much of the water their body was using.

And the usage ranged from about four to 25 cups a day. That's how much their bodies were using. That's obviously a huge range. And that's why the CDC doesn't give a specific number.

So the amount depended on the person's physical activity, their gender -- men seemed to use up more water than women -- climate, weight, all of those things really factored in.

So if you're wondering, well, what do I do with this? If I don't know how much to drink, what do we do? And I'm going to get graphic here. Many experts say, look at your pee. That's what matters. Look at the color. That's going to tell you a lot. The Cleveland Clinic has a wonderful color chart I want to share with

you. What they say, if your urine is the color of light pale straw, you're in good shape. You're hydrated.

If it's kind of amber or honey, that's an indication that you may be dehydrated. Step up the water a bit.

If it's like syrup colored or the color of brown ale, that is a sign that you're really dehydrated and may actually have liver disease or some other medical problem. Drink some more. If it doesn't change, go see your doctor -- Boris?

SANCHEZ: Avoid that syrup and brown ale.

Elizabeth, I do want to ask you about another health story. It has to do with sleeping disorders, communities of color and Daylight Saving Time. Connect the dots for us.

COHEN: Right. This is wonderful reporting from my friend and colleague, Jacqueline Howard. Daylight Saving Time happened recently. People feel sleep deprived sometimes for a little bit.

When you look at communities of color and you look at white people, everyone has experienced increased rates of sleep deprivation over the past 15 years or so.

That's -- everybody knows that, right? Everybody knows that we're just not getting enough sleep. But communities of color, their sleep deprivation rates have been going up even higher than white people.

And several reasons for this. There are reasons that have to do with where people in communities of color often live, the stress that they live under. All of those things can amount to sleep deprivation.

And sleep deprivation has been linked to high blood pressure or heart disease. Both of those are things where people of color unfortunately have higher rates -- Boris?

SANCHEZ: Really fascinating reporting from Jacqueline Howard.

Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much for breaking that all down for us.

COHEN: Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

The worst megadrought in 1,200 years is plaguing the western United States. The Colorado River has dropped to record lows. And that has dire consequences because some 40 million people depend on that river for their water supply.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov takes us to two Arizona communities that are at the epicenter of this crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This picture-perfect but parched corner of Arizona is the Rio Verde Foothills, an unincorporated expanse of upscale homes and sprawling ranches about an hour's drive from downtown Phoenix.

KAREN NABOTI (ph), ARIZONA RESIDENT: And here is a 5,000-gallon water tank.

[13:45:01]

KAFANOV: Karen Naboti (ph) loved her little slice of paradise until it began to run dry.

(on-camera): What keeps you up at night?

NABOTI (ph): Water, water, water, water.

KAFANOV (voice-over): Neighbors' wells have begun to dry up. Others harvesting rainwater as an extra buffer.

NABOTI (ph): This is the stockpile that's about to go into the house to be used to flush our toilets.

KAFANOV: Many homeowners rely on private water deliveries from nearby Scottsdale, which no longer has enough to spare.

JOHN HORNEWER, OWNER, RIO VERDE FOOTHILLS POTABLE WATER HAULING: So, come January 1st, we're done.

KAFANOV: Last November, Scottsdale informed water hauling companies that, starting in 2023, they could no longer buy Scottsdale water to deliver outside city limits, including the Rio Verde Foothills.

The man delivering the water and, more recently, the bad news is John Hornewer.

HORNEWER: There's no question about it, the drought is reality. Rio Verde is the first domino to fall because of the drought that we're in.

KAFANOV (on-camera): Are people taking it seriously enough?

HORNEWER: They're not.

Water is more precious than you realize. And once you go to your faucet and you turn it on and there's no water, then its value becomes real.

KAFANOV (voice-over): Across swaths of urban Arizona, signs of drought aren't immediately obvious. As the taps run dry, developers keep building.

NABOTI (ph): This is a symbol of the massacre of the Maricopa County.

KAFANOV: Maricopa County, which includes the Rio Verde Foothills, is the fastest growing in the nation, adding more residents last year than any other county.

But as cities, boom, the drought pushes Arizona farmers to the brink.

(on-camera): Thanks to Colorado River, Pinal County is or at least was one of the most productive farming regions in the United States. The crops grown here are shipped all over the country.

But as the megadrought continues to worsen and water supplies like this dry up, the farmers here fear their fertile fields could become desert again.

WILL THELANDER, FARMER, TEMPE FARMING COMPANY: Once we hit tier-two shortage, we lost all of our water.

KAFANOV (voice-over): For three generations, Will Fillander's (ph) family has tilled the soil in Pinal County, an hour's drive south of Phoenix.

THELANDER: Oh, we're looking at where I grew corn last year, but we didn't have enough water. So field sits empty. And 50% of my farm is fallow now.

KAFANOV (on-camera): And that's a big economic hit?

THELANDER: Yes.

KAFANOV (voice-over): Neighboring farms have folded up. Others have sold their land to solar companies and developers.

(on-camera): Do you fear that the future of farming in Arizona is under threat?

THELANDER: Yes. No one can produce it like the Colorado River can for food. So, yes, I'm really worried. Fifty years down the road, unless we come up with solutions, farming won't be here.

KAFANOV (voice-over): To survive, Thelander is placing his hope on a new crop.

THELANDER: We're looking at a plant called Whyuii (ph) --

KAFANOV: A drought resistant desert shrub that produces natural rubber for tires while using a fraction of the water.

But he wants politicians to listen up.

THELANDER: People just keep saying, we'll pump some water. What happens in 50 years? But I was the people's kids and grandkids and where's all the food come?

Just kicking the can down the road and hoping for the best is what everyone seems to be doing I don't think is a path for success.

KAFANOV: Back in the Foothills, residents see their plight as a warning to others. NABOTI (ph): America, wake up. For the folks that are sitting there and surrounded by water and have great wells and other states and that kind of thing, don't think you're not going to be affected.

KAFANOV: Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Lucy, thank you.

Adidas is launching an investigation after "Rolling Stone" is reporting that board members ignored inappropriate behavior by the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. We'll tell you what he's accused of next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:52:59]

SANCHEZ: Adidas says it is launching an investigation into allegations of misconduct against Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West.

The announcement follows a letter obtained by "Rolling Stone" from former Yeezy team members to Adidas alleging a toxic culture of verbal abuse, offensive remarks, and sexual harassment by West.

CNN business and politics correspondent, Vanessa Yurkevich, joins us now with the details.

Vanessa, walk us through the specifics of these allegations.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Adidas is investigating Kanye West because of these alleged misconduct allegations.

And this comes from a letter that "Rolling Stone" obtained from former high-level Yeezy employees of the board of Adidas, calling on the board to address, quote, "The toxic and chaotic environment" that Kanye West created.

And in this letter, they detailed some of these alleged misconduct claims. They include bullying, offensive remarks, verbal abuse, especially towards women, and sexual harassment.

Also in this letter, the employees claim that Adidas knew about Kanye West's behavior but did nothing about it and ignored it.

Just yesterday, Adidas came out with a statement on this. And they said, in part:

Quote, "It is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true. However, we take these allegations very seriously, and have taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address these allegations."

And of course, Kanye West and Adidas had been in business together for about 10 years. They had a successful partnership.

But the company decided to end that partnership last month after Kanye West made some anti-Semitic remarks.

But it seems like, in some ways, this relationship is continuing, as they are now looking into these alleged misconduct allegations.

[13:55:00]

SANCHEZ: And, Vanessa, has Kanye responded to the allegations?

YURKEVICH: We have not heard from him publicly. Also, he doesn't have representation on this matter, nor an attorney.

But we did reach out to an associate with Kanye West as well as to Yeezy, the brand. But, Boris, we have not heard back just yet.

SANCHEZ: Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you so much for your reporting.

YURKEVICH: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well, that does it for me. You can join me again tomorrow morning, Saturdays and Sundays, on "CNN THIS MORNING WEEKEND." Thank you so much for joining us.

The news is going to continue after a quick break.

We hope you have a happy and safe Black Friday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)