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CNN This Morning
Today: FAA To Hold Emergency Meeting After 7 Runway Close Calls; One-On-One With Duke Basketball Legend Coach K.; Today: Cohen Returns To Testify Before Manhattan Grand Jury. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired March 15, 2023 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00]
JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: We'll monitor it, obviously, to make sure that there's no threat resulting from this training exercise to our national security interests or those of our allies and partners in the region. But nations train and we do it all the time. We'll watch it as best we can.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: All right, John Kirby joining us from the White House lawn. John, always a pleasure. Thank you.
KIRBY: You bet. Good to be with you.
LEMON: You as well.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, interesting to hear him say they may never recover that drone.
LEMON: They may never recover and --
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
LEMON: -- that they -- he said -- the words were they're doing everything they can. They're taking steps to minimize people from exploiting it, but that's not a 100 percent --
COLLINS: AKA Russia.
LEMON: Yes, yes.
HARLOW: Do you remember all the intelligence they got out of that Iranian drone that they were able to -- that was downed? How when they found all those U.S. components, et cetera. I mean, you can get a lot from these things.
LEMON: And it's interesting. He said because the Russian ambassador and the Russian spokesperson is comparing this. He's saying it's apple to oranges. Just saying flying over the Pacific or the Atlantic would be the equivalent of flying over the Black Sea. Not the same thing.
COLLINS: Also, Russian claims they're not at war in Ukraine, too.
LEMON: Right, exactly. COLLINS: Yes.
HARLOW: So there's that.
COLLINS: Great interview.
All right. Also this morning we are tracking another close call on an airport runway. It's under investigation for this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: United 2003, cancel takeoff clearance!
UNITED 2003 PILOT: Aborting takeoff, aborting takeoff, United 2003.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: It feels like we're seeing these every day. What is happening? The Federal Aviation officials -- they are hoping to figure that out. There's a hearing on Capitol Hill.
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:35:21]
COLLINS: Happening this morning, the FAA is going to hold an emergency safety summit as the agency is now investigating its seventh near-miss of commercial airplanes on the runway. The latest one just happened last week at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
CNN's aviation correspondent Pete Muntean joins us now. Pete, I'm flying into Reagan in just a few hours from now. This is now the seventh incident just this year alone. We're only in March.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kaitlan, this underscores just how serious this problem is. And this safety summit that the FAA is holding today is the first it has had since 2009. That was after a fatal crash. In this latest string of incidents nobody has been killed but the FAA says it's simply not waiting for a catastrophe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MUNTEAN (voice-over): It is a runaway problem on America's runways from Hawaii to the latest incident at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: United 2003, cancel takeoff clearance!
UNITED 2003 PILOT: Aborting takeoff, aborting takeoff, United 2003.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Today, the Federal Aviation Administration is holding an emergency safety summit bringing together Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg, airlines, investigators, and regulators. It follows seven so-called runway incursions involving commercial airlines since the start of this year -- an issue that landed on Capitol Hill last week.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): The numerous recent near-misses by airlines just this year are very troubling.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): It was the latest grilling for FAA acting administrator Billy Nolen who insisted to lawmakers and passengers that flying is safe.
In announcing the summit, Nolen said the FAA "...will examine which mitigations are working and why others appear to not be as effective as they once were."
BILLY NOLEN, ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: The FAA absolutely has a grasp on this situation and it's something that we look at every day.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Also in the meeting, representatives from airline unions. American Airlines Capt. Dennis Tajer says no meeting is necessary to know airlines are stressed to the max, still struggling to bounce back from the pandemic.
CAPTAIN DENNIS TRAJER, ALLIED PILOTS' ASSOCIATION: The dead (PH) is right behind me. It's happening out there. These incidents -- things that we've been talking about well over a year ago are starting to show up on the flight deck and in operations.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): So far, the FAA sees no apparent common cause of these incidents -- a top concern for the National Transportation Safety Board.
JENNIFER HOMENDY, CHAIR, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: Just because we are the safest in the world doesn't mean that we'll continue. It only takes one -- one serious tragedy to change all of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MUNTEAN: The NTSB says it is aware but not yet launching an investigation into this latest incident at Reagan National Airport.
Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg just sent a letter to all participants of today's meeting saying we must identify the key risk factors and common causes of these incidents right now -- Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Yes. I think a lot of people want those answers. Pete Muntean, thank you.
On "CNN PRIMETIME" this week we're going to get a closer look at all of America's aviation problems. You just heard from Pete there. We're going to hear from passengers, flight crew members, and aviation experts. That's tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. eastern. Kate Bolduan is going to host "FLIGHT RISK: TURBULENT TIMES FOR AIR TRAVEL."
HARLOW: Forty-two seasons, five national championships, and more than 1,000 wins. If you don't like Duke basketball don't watch what's next. I sat down with the legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to talk about his journey and what it's like not to be on the sidelines for the first time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, FORMER BASKETBALL COACH, DUKE UNIVERSITY: You want a quick story.
HARLOW: Yes.
KRZYZEWSKI: OK, Jason --
HARLOW: I want all the stories.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:43:07]
HARLOW: There are legends in basketball so famous you know them by one name -- Jordan, Kobe, LeBron. And then there's a legend whose status is so iconic you know him by one letter -- K, as in Coach K. For 42 seasons, Mike Krzyzewski served as the head coach for the Duke Blue Devils. He won 1,129 games at Duke, including five national championships.
So I went down to North Carolina to sit with him to talk about leadership ahead of his first March Madness since retirement and got some coaching wisdom. And also, he told me what is more important than winning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRZYZEWSKI: It's a pretty cool view and --
HARLOW: Yes.
KRZYZEWSKI: -- all the banners and --
HARLOW: That's all your national championships.
KRZYZEWSKI: The five, yes. Then Final Fours and ACC Championships.
HARLOW: You're often described by people in profiles of you as the son of a cleaning woman and an elevator operator, but I don't think that's how you would describe your parents.
KRZYZEWSKI: No. My parents were the basis of who me and my brother became. They taught us the dignity of work.
I even tell my teams, for years, I want you to be as tough as your mother and just think about your mother. Was there ever a day that she didn't show up? Did you ever see her sick? Did you ever see her tired?
I never saw my mom sick or tired. I saw her every day doing everything that she could possibly do to make it nice for me and my brother, Bill. I didn't appreciate it until later in life. And my dad died when I was a senior at West Point. He didn't go by the name Krzyzewski. He went by the name Cross because he was always afraid of losing his job because there was a lot of ethnic discrimination at that time. I didn't realize all the things that my parents --
HARLOW: Gave up?
[07:45:00]
KRZYZEWSKI: -- gave up.
HARLOW: Hid? Your parents didn't even want you guys to learn to speak Polish.
KRZYZEWSKI: Polish -- right.
HARLOW: Why?
KRZYZEWSKI: And I didn't find out this until later. They didn't want us to have an accent because they were afraid -- again, during that time somebody with a vowel at the end of their name made them looked at differently and they were concerned.
HARLOW: They were trying to protect you.
KRZYZEWSKI: They were trying to protect me and my brother.
HARLOW: So much so it wasn't on his tombstone until --
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. He was in World War II as William Cross. And so when he died and we were a low-income family, the government provides a tombstone. It said Cross. And we weren't able to change that until my mom passed and then my brother and I made sure it said Krzyzewski.
You know, I was fortunate to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and one of the parts of the speech and probably the most emotional for me was I said I wish my mom and dad were here tonight -- I'm going to start crying -- to see a Krzyzewski go into the Hall of Fame. It was emotional then; it's emotional now because I recognize just the life they led to make sure me and Bill would be taken care of -- amazing.
HARLOW: How much of what you've done and how you've led and carried on this name so proudly -- it's so famous. I just walked in the Krzyzewski Center.
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. They couldn't find another name for it so they put one that no one could pronounce.
HARLOW: I love this picture.
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. That's -- you can tell she's --
HARLOW: Proud.
KRZYZEWSKI: -- proud.
I've been married 53 years to Mickie and we knew that it was going to be a partnership. I call it two is better than one if two can act as one, and we were able to act as one.
That's my family. Whenever we played in the Olympics we brought everybody.
HARLOW: You did?
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes.
HARLOW: You did a lot of it all together.
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. I have three daughters.
HARLOW: They hold you down here?
KRZYZEWSKI: They have -- whatever humility I did not have they tried to interject in me over and over. So when there used to be family dinners --
HARLOW: Yes.
KRZYZEWSKI: -- and people would eat together, and I'd be sitting at a table with my four girls and we're playing Carolina or we -- or Maryland or whatever, and we just won a big game. They were talking and nothing is said --
HARLOW: About your win.
KRZYZEWSKI: Or about the game. My wife did a great thing, Poppy. When all my girls were growing up we never had anything basketball in the house. The players would come over but there weren't trophies, pictures.
HARLOW: There was no shrine to Coach K in your house.
KRZYZEWSKI: There is -- there is no shrine, and there shouldn't be, you know?
HARLOW: Well, there are in some people's houses.
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. Now because it's just me and Mickie and our dog coach --
HARLOW: There is a shrine?
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. Well, I'm in a basement office. Well, the lower level --
HARLOW: Yes.
KRZYZEWSKI: -- and I can put anything I want in there. So whenever I need my ego boosted I go down there and start looking and say man, you were really good. No, I don't do that. HARLOW: Do you ever come stand here alone?
KRZYZEWSKI: I do. Usually, not a lot but later at night when all the lights are out and there might be just a little bit on the national championship banners or whatever. You walk in and you feel like you're in a field of dreams.
HARLOW: This is your field of dreams.
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. Well, you feel like I better get out of here because the basketball gods are going to play pickup here in a little bit.
HARLOW: There are stars -- there are star players, but we've seen in college basketball, in the NBA that when you just put a bunch of stars together it often doesn't work.
KRZYZEWSKI: You've heard that expression leave your egos at the door? I hate that expression.
HARLOW: You do?
KRZYZEWSKI: I hate it.
HARLOW: Bring your ego?
KRZYZEWSKI: Bring everything you've got. Bring who you are. Why wouldn't you bring -- why would you leave something you are --
HARLOW: To make room for others?
KRZYZEWSKI: No, no. We should make the room bigger. You're not confined by the room and when you bring all the egos in and put them under one umbrella that's what we did for you -- and it said USA on it. And then you develop common ground.
Quick -- you want a quick story.
HARLOW: Yes.
KRZYZEWSKI: OK, Jason --
HARLOW: I want all the stories.
KRZYZEWSKI: Jason Kidd -- the first practice, our captain Hall of Famer leading a fast break drill. Dwyane Wade is in one lane, LeBron's in another, and the ball is going everywhere. So I bring them together. Like, I know we can't play like this. And before I say anything J. Kidd says "Coach, I'll tone it down."
And immediately, Kobe, LeBron, Dwyane said no, no, no. We've never played with you -- with a talent like you. We'll adapt to you.
HARLOW: Really?
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. It was one of the great moments in my coaching career where I saw talent say come on, talent, give me more. [07:50:05]
HARLOW: Yes.
KRZYZEWSKI: It's like the piano player telling the sax player come on, go -- I can play the piano better. You know, the singer. And all of a sudden if you can get everyone playing with all their talent why wouldn't you want talent to maximize?
HARLOW: Yes, yes.
KRZYZEWSKI: And it doesn't mean you have to give up talent to maximize it. And if all that works together, wow.
HARLOW: How many presidents have you met?
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes --
HARLOW: All of them --
KRZYZEWSKI: -- all of them.
HARLOW: -- in your lifetime?
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes.
HARLOW: Wow.
KRZYZEWSKI: The -- who were -- when we won --
HARLOW: Yes.
KRZYZEWSKI: And 41, President Bush, became a close friend.
HARLOW: That's you and Kobe.
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. This is U.S. Thanks for all the golden moments.
This is a great book for me because each player gave their quote.
HARLOW: So can we read what LeBron said about you?
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes.
HARLOW: "He allows us to play the game of basketball and just go out there and have fun. But at the same time, he wants us to be perfect. We should expect perfection and that is what he is about. We like that. We like that kind of challenge."
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes.
HARLOW: Read the last line Kobe said about you.
KRZYZEWSKI: "Coach K. is one of the best coaches of all time, period. No question about it." HARLOW: One of the things that I've learned about you is how hard you are on yourself and that there have been moments when you'll actually -- you've looked in the mirror over your career and cursed yourself out.
KRZYZEWSKI: We're all better for held accountable and how you hold players accountable along the years change but you still have to hold them accountable.
HARLOW: You've been tough on them -- very.
KRZYZEWSKI: Yes. Well, you hold them accountable. And sometimes there's nobody that holds the leader accountable. It's on you. It's I did it. You know, I need to change. And it was always not about winning and losing for me. It was about being worthy of winning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was great, Poppy, and you did --
HARLOW: He's great.
LEMON: And he's great but you did a fantastic job. I can tell --
HARLOW: Oh, thank you.
LEMON: -- that he likes you and pulling it out of you. So can I just -- we talked about this. Leave your egos at the door.
HARLOW: He doesn't like that.
LEMON: It isn't -- and I don't believe that either. I think -- and when people always say you have a big ego -- Poppy has a big ego -- it's like great. Poppy has earned the right to have it.
HARLOW: Really? I --
LEMON: I mean, I'm just saying that --
HARLOW: I never thought that way and he changed --
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: -- my way of thinking.
LEMON: I'm just saying in general, people --
HARLOW: Yes.
LEMON: -- will say that. And people have tried to dim the brightness of the strongest player so that it fits everyone else, and that is the wrong thing to do. You encourage everyone --
HARLOW: Everyone.
LEMON: -- to -- the strongest player to lift everyone up. That has always been my motto. And so it's great to have that reinforcement.
Leave your egos at the door -- the wrong thing. I thought it was fantastic. And we'll get --
COLLINS: Can I say --
LEMON: -- to the dog thing in a second but it looks like Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Well, that wasn't even -- that wasn't even where I was going to go. But I was going to say -- I mean, this is no secret about me. I often think that some of the wisest people in our current society --
LEMON: Yes.
COLLINS: -- are often coaches.
LEMON: Yes.
COLLINS: Because they're not just coming up with play calls and depth charts --
HARLOW: Yes.
COLLINS: -- they're coaching and shaping young men and women into what they are.
I mean, obviously, I think Nick Saban is a big part of this but hearing him talk about the mentality of that and maximizing talent and making people be their best --
HARLOW: Yes.
COLLINS: -- and bring everything you've got.
HARLOW: Yes.
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: You've taught me that on this show about coaches and I've had a friendship with Coach K. for a few years. And I don't know a lot about basketball -- you guys know that -- but I wanted to talk to him because of the way he leads. And he made me think differently about how I operate. That's how significant hearing from him was --
COLLINS: Because it applies to you even, not just a basketball player.
HARLOW: -- it applies to me, it applies to all of us.
LEMON: All of us. It is -- that is a leader.
HARLOW: The best.
LEMON: That is a leader --
HARLOW: The best. LEMON: -- when a leader can bring a team together and bring out the strongest attributes and know --
HARLOW: Yes.
LEMON: -- when people are playing out of position and when they're in position.
But I didn't think that's where you were going but I -- you and I both perked up when he -- when we heard his dog was named Coach. I'm like that's a great name and you said you want to name your dog Coach.
COLLINS: I literally texted my dad that. I said when I -- when I get a dog eventually -- probably in like 50 years -- I'm going to name it Coach.
HARLOW: Just leave --
LEMON: I'll -- and I'll name mine Put Me In.
HARLOW: I'll just leave it at --
LEMON: And it'll be Put Me In, Coach.
HARLOW: I will just leave it at this.
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: What he has done for the Krzyzewski name, his parents would be very, very proud.
COLLINS: Yes.
LEMON: More news to cover now. Major financial news as a matter of fact this morning. Stock futures plummeting, down more than 500 points right now. New fears being injected into the global banking system as a deal around Credit Suisse falls through. We're going to break it all down next.
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:58:36]
LEMON: So, Donald Trump's former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen expects to go back before a Manhattan grand jury today and finish answering questions about hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Cohen testified for about three hours Monday he handled the payments to the adult film actress before the 2016 election.
The D.A. is investigating Trump's alleged role in those payments. Prosecutors are signaling that a criminal indictment for Trump could be near.
CNN's Kara Scannell joins us now with what we are expecting to hear today. So, good morning. What would a -- what are we expecting today?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, guys.
So, today, Michael Cohen will be back before the grand jury. As you said, he was there on Monday for three hours. And just remember, he was such a central player in these hush money payments so he will be explaining to the grand jury his communications with the former president.
You know, remember, he pleaded guilty to a federal case in which he said that Trump had -- he made these payments in coordination with and at the direction of Donald Trump. So he can put the jury in the room and lay out what his version of the case is and what he knows about this.
So, certainly, a significant witness. And what seems to be given the parade of witnesses that have been in, one of the last that will be going before the grand jury.
LEMON: All right, and we'll be paying -- we'll be watching, Kara. We'll be covering it. Thank you very much. We appreciate it, Kara Scannell.
CNN THIS MORNING continues right now.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
HARLOW: We are glad you're with us this morning.
We are following breaking news on Wall Street.
[08:00:00]
