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CNN This Morning
Dems Panicking After Disappointing Black Voter Turnout in 2022; Harvard Names Claudine Gay as School's First Black President; Airlines Pulling Back On Perks As Travel Demand Surges; FIFA Rebuffs Zelensky's Request To Share Message Of Peace; Anderson Cooper & Andy Cohen Talk Datings Apps On Colbert. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired December 16, 2022 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KAITLAN COLLINS, HOST, "CNN THIS MORNING": Welcome back to "CNN This Morning". Here is what's coming up for you in the show today. Right now, a northeast snow storm is on the move. It's expected to impact millions. The areas that are already getting slammed, we will tell you ahead.
Plus, a student at HBCU arrested in the classroom, will tell you what prompted the escalation that you see here, all it was caught on camera and what the school has just said about it.
Also, airlines pulling back the perks. Why are they switching things up and not trying to reward - not trying as hard to reward passengers?
POPPY HARLOW, HOST, "CNN THIS MORNING": Well, this morning there are concerns among some Democrats about 2024, and this is about the black vote. Here is a snapshot of critical Senate races this year. In Arizona, black voters made up four percent of the electorate, in Pennsylvania, the number was eight percent, 11 percent in Nevada. And, in Georgia, where Democrats hoped to keep building black support, it was 28 percent. And, there is new CNN reporting that reveals Democratic operatives are now pretty worried about what dwindling black voter turnout could mean for the party in the next presidential election. It is prompting questions about how candidates can get more black voters to the polls, especially in swing states and tough districts.
Let's go to our colleague, CNN Senior Reporter, Isaac Dovere. Help us understand this, I was confused, we were talking about it in the break, at what these numbers actually show and why Democratic operatives are pretty worried?
ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, like, what you see here, Poppy, is that there is a trend that is concerning. A lot of Democratic operatives' applied current has not been at the high levels that it was certainly in the days of Barack Obama running for president, and it's continued at that pace and not kept up with where a lot of white turnout is, especially in these elections in 2022 where you saw a lot of white independent suburban voters show up but vote for Democrats, those voters that are always been thought of where, and that helped deliver a lot of races for Democrats, whereas the black vote in a lot of places really was underperforming where Democrats want it to be.
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They look ahead to 2024, and they say, if we can't turn that around, if things look a little different, if the candidates look different, that's going to be a problem.
DON LEMON, HOST, "CNN THIS MORNING": In Georgia, though, where it mattered, right, wasn't there strong black support?
DOVERE: It was stronger than in most other places around the country, and that's a really big part of this, and that's why you see a lot of people saying, let's look to Georgia, what Raphael Warnock did there, and specifically, it's Raphael Warnock in that Senate race that it mattered in. Stacey Abrams was doing well with black voters about par with where Warnock did. She did not have the support of independent and swing voters, suburban voters, in the same way that Warnock did that helped deliver the runoff to him and get him that seat, secured for the next six years.
LEMON: Yes. It wasn't the Democratic Party that was getting black voter turnout. It was people, like black votes, black voters matter, and other--
COLLINS: Fair Fight (ph).
LEMON: --and Fair Fight. Those are the people that were getting the black - both voters to show up. So, the Democratic Party has got some work to do in working with--
COLLINS: Sounds like it.
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LEMON: --organizations.
COLLINS: Everyone should read your reporting, Isaac, on CNN.com. Thank you.
DOVERE: Thank you.
LEMON: This morning, administrators at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina trying to explain why police slapped handcuffs on this student over a dispute with one of her professors. Look.
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LEMON: So, the video went viral. It captures the arrest inside a classroom at the historically black university. Dianne Gallagher live for CNN this morning in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dianne, good morning to you. That shows the arrest. We don't know what happened before, but it's certainly very disturbing. What do we know about this altercation, and how did police get involved in this? DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Don, I do want to be clear about that. There is still a lot that we don't know about this video, but you can understand why it went viral. It is very disturbing. I want to make sure people see this video here. You see that young student crying, she is shouting, things like, to the professor, I hate you. I hate you. You get me taken out in handcuffs because I won't apologize. Because, I won't apologize, you start yelling at me. You try to embarrass me about my paper.
Now, look, according to both the school and a student who shot video there, they say that this all started over an assignment. This was the final exam day, according to that student. That same student tells us at no point where there physical threats, and their classmate and the professor were on different sides of the classroom. They weren't near each other. According to the school, it was actually a different faculty member who called the police.
But, look, there is this additional layer here. This is in HBCU, and look, the chancellor issued a statement saying in part, "In accordance with law enforcement procedures, our officers' first priority is to assess the situation and provide every opportunity for a positive resolution. We understand that the weaponization of police is a prevalent problem in our community. However, that is not what happened in this incident." Again, we're not exactly sure what caused it to escalate to what we see in that video there. This was a real arrest, Don. That student is charged with disorderly conduct.
LEMON: Yes. Let us know when you get more information, but definitely we should dig in to find out what happened. Thank you Dianne. Appreciate it.
GALLAGHER: Yes.
COLLINS: Also this morning, Harvard University making history by naming its first black president. Arts and Sciences Dean, Claudine Gay, has been tapped as the institution's 30th president. She is also only the second woman to hold that position. Gay's field of study is political behavior with a focus on race and politics in the United States.
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CLAUDINE GAY, INCOMING PRESIDENT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: As a woman of color, as a daughter of immigrants, if my presence in this role affirms someone's sense of belonging at Harvard, that is a great honor.
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COLLINS: Claudine Gay steps into her new role, her new job, in July.
Also today, the travel demand is surging right around the holidays. That means less love from the airline sadly, and fewer perks for you. Plus,--
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): Had I known that standing up for truth would cost me my job, friendships, and even my personal security, I would, without hesitation, do it all over again.
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COLLINS: Powerful words from a Republican--
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KINZINGER: I can rest at night, knowing that I fulfilled my oath to the office.
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COLLINS: Powerful words from Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, with a chilling warning to his fellow Republicans, this in his congressional farewell.
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COLLINS: All right. New this morning. We are about to hit another major holiday travel rush. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told us on the show earlier this week that the airline is actually setting new records each month. But, consumer advocates warn that that means some airlines are going to be cutting back on courting consumers. CNN's Pete Muntean is live, where else, at Reagan National Airport. Pete, I'm just telling you that you're going to have to pry my diamond medallion status out of my cold dead hands, if they're trying to take this away.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: The good news here, Kaitlan, is that some airlines are not doing this, but some airlines simply are not trying as hard to court passengers. The equation here is pretty simple. The numbers are up. We're seeing numbers airlines have not seen since before the pandemic, and that means the value of your loyalty is going down.
Stephanie Obogu (ph) is a proud frequent flyer, now frequently frustrated by the airlines.
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STEPHANIE OBOGU: They wanted us to take advantage of travel, and then we finally do, and it's like, oh, wait, wait, wait. Now, it's too much.
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MUNTEAN: Stephanie is just one of Delta Airlines loyalists, fuming over new rules.
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Next year, the company is making it harder to get into its more than 50 Sky Club lounges at airports worldwide, Delta cites customers upset over lines outside and crowded seating inside, telling frequent fliers, we have made the difficult decision to implement new policies that we believe will preserve the experience our guests deserve.
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SCOTT KEYES, FOUNDER, SCOTT'S CHEAP FLIGHTS: I think this is the sort of a trend.
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MUNTEAN: Scott Keyes of Scott's Cheap Flights says airlines are cutting back on perks now that travel numbers are back near pre- pandemic levels. United Airlines is anticipating end of year holiday travel even bigger than this past Thanksgiving. Next year, it will raise the bar on earning frequent flyer status, making it harder to get free upgrades and fees waived.
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KEYES: It's going to be much more difficult to get into lounges, much more difficult to renew elite status, and much more difficult to redeem their frequent flyer miles for a free trip.
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MUNTEAN: A Delta flight from LAX to JFK over spring break would typically cost you 25,000 frequent flyer miles for an economy seat. Now, Scott's Cheap Flights says it will cost more than twice that, 52,000 miles.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think we are at a tipping point.
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MUNTEAN: Consumer advocate say earning miles has never been easier, thanks to airline credit cards. But now, redeeming miles is getting tougher.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You enter these programs in good faith and you invest in them for years and years, and you find that the goalposts are a lot further away than they were when you started.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Airlines there, they're missing the mark here. I hope that they listen to the consumer and they really think about some of the decisions that they're making at the top level.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MUNTEAN: Consumer advocates point out that there are big winners and losers here. The winners are those with high status already, airline credit cards. The losers are those right on the cusp of earning status. One of the latest airlines to change its loyalty program, American Airlines, will make it harder to achieve "Gold Status" starting in March. It'll now be 40,000 points as the benchmark. It was 30,000 points that makes it harder, Kaitlan, to get things like free upgrades and free check bags.
COLLINS: Yes. Those 10,000 points make all the difference, Pete, as you know. Thank you so much. All right, just in this morning, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, this is so notable, he asked the World Cup to be able to share a message of peace this weekend at the final. He was rejected. We'll tell you what the reporting is. That's next.
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LEMON: Welcome back, everyone. Little sports news this morning, FIFA rebuffing a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to share a message of world peace at the World Cup final on Sunday. The source telling CNN, Zelenskyy's office is offering to appear in a video to fans in the stadium in Qatar ahead of the kickoff, and was surprised by the negative response. Talks between Ukraine and FIFA are still underway though, according to the source. This year's World Cup has been mired in controversy over alleged human rights abuses in Qatar, and the silencing of players and fans for voicing support for the LGBTQ community.
HARLOW: OK, switching gears, CNN's Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are making the rounds ahead of this year as New Year's Eve bash. They stopped by "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and they talked dating apps.
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STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": New Year is obviously is all about new starts, fresh starts. People take a new approach to love. Andy, are you ready to get back out there?
ANDY COHEN, HOST, "WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE!": I am. I'm back out there. I'm on the apps. I'm on Tinder. I'm on Raya. I am -
COLBERT: What's Raya?
COHEN: Raya is like a members only. It's for dating thing. It's a lot - it seems like a lot of Instagram influencers.
COLBERT: Is there an interview process to get on with that?
COHEN: You have to be referred by someone to get on.
COLBERT: Are you on there? COHEN: No, no, but I would like him to be and I would like him to be on Tinder.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": No. I'm not on an app. I don't--
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COLBERT: --Tinder and Anderson Cooper comes out.
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COLBERT: My favorite thing is to talk about the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Let's sell Andy to the people out there. Best thing about your friend here.
COOPER: I mean, he is the life of the party. He is loyal. He is funny. He is a genuinely good person.
COLBERT: OK, let's be honest. What's the downside?
COOPER: Downside?
COLBERT: Well, you got to be honest.
COOPER: He works constantly.
COLBERT: OK.
COOPER: He produces content around the clock, and it's exhausting to be around.
COLBERT: All right. All right. Andy, let's get - let's get Anderson out there. Let's sell some tickets to Anderson Cooper. What's the best?
COHEN: Silver Fox, you get lost in his big blue eyes, super smart, comes from the Vanderbilt lineage, a lot of baggage there.
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COLBERT: But, on the plus, he is a quick drunk.
COHEN: Quick drunk, sheep day, hey giggler.
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LEMON: That is true. Anderson get a little giggly when he - just wanted two glasses of wine.
HARLOW: It's all it takes.
LEMON: All it takes. Have you ever been on a dating app? Have you been on a dating app?
COLLINS: Of course, I am on a dating app. LEMON: You are.
COLLINS: Yes.
HARLOW: Listen, a lot of guys - I actually take that. Moving on,--
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HARLOW: But, we are going to talk about you because you are--
LEMON: Maybe on a dating app. I am not on a dating app.
HARLOW: No. Tim, he is not on a dating app. But, you are on, New Year's Eve.
LEMON: New Year's Eve. I am back. I am back.
HARLOW: So exciting.
LEMON: Same old spot, right after Anderson and Andy.
HARLOW: Is mom going to make an appearance?
LEMON: Mom is going to make an appearance. There is going to be high jinks, and we will see what happens down in New Orleans.
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HARLOW: They don't drink down there, I heard.
COLLINS: You read your Bible and you go to bed, but--
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LEMON: It will Bible verses with mom. And then, we'll be - no, we're going to have some fun. We'll see coming out.
HARLOW: Can't wait. I'm going to put the kids to bed and try to stay awake.
LEMON: Coming up. So, this major announcement from - is this - this is the craziest story ever, like, is it still five years ago, Kaitlan, or still two years ago, NFTs?
COLLINS: It might be a craziest for today.
LEMON: Yes. OK. This announcement turns out - Donald Trump's announcement turns out to be a digital trading cards up himself, reaction for President Biden and Steve Bannon.
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ELON MUSK, CEO, TWITTER: There is not going to be any distinction in the future between journalists, so-called journalists, and regular people. Everyone is going to be treated the same. You're not special because you're a journalist.
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LEMON: Well, I don't know about that. Good morning, everyone. Friday, it's Friday. It's December 16. And, of course, there is Twitter high jinks (ph), Twitter banning the accounts of high profile journalists, is it a free speech issue or is Elon Musk just on a power trip right now?
COLLINS: Russia with a relentless assault on Ukraine overnight, at least 60 missiles launched.
