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Problems Pop Up During Philae Landing; Mexican Protests Erupt in Violence; Tension in Ferguson as Grand Jury Convenes

Aired November 13, 2014 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Good to have you back here on NEW DAY.

Here's a look at your headlines:

Senior U.S. officials are telling CNN that President Obama has ordered a review of strategy for going after ISIS in Syria. They say he asked his national security team to take a second look over concerns the Islamic militants may not be defeated without removing Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

The initial strategy was to tackle ISIS in Iraq first and then take them on in Syria.

New details emerging this morning about the deadly Virgin Galactic crash. Investigators say the pilot who survived the accident was thrown free from the spacecraft, but was able to unbuckle his seat belt before his parachute deployed. He came down to Earth as the spacecraft disintegrated over the Mojave Desert. The wreckage is now being stored for further examination into the accident.

A bit of a show of playful bipartisanship on social media from former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Bush had the perfect response to a tweet from President Clinton praising his new book about Bush 41 and ended with his genius #howareyoustillnotontwitter. Well, not to be outdone, President Bush responded on Instagram asking, why Clinton didn't have an Instagram account, adding #brotherfromanothermother -- which I kind of love.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: This is turning into quite a bromance between these two.

PEREIRA: I like it a lot. It's really nice to see.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Once they're out of the game, once the game was over, you see alliances you would have never expected.

CAMEROTA: They should do it while they're in the game.

CUOMO: It should have spelled "another" though a-n-u-t-h (ph), especially there. I think it goes with it.

PEREIRA: All right. I like it the way it was.

CUOMO: That's my quibble.

All right. On to something else now.

We're getting word this morning that there are some real mechanical issues for the Philae probe, which managed to land on a comet about 20 hours ago, a comet that was going 34,000 miles an hour. So, that's very cool.

But the problem is, the lander seems to be having trouble with the landering part. It was supposed to attach. But it didn't. After the space harpoons and screws did not deploy.

So, the question is -- can the comet stay stable in this low-gravity field?

Let's get right to Frederik Pleitgen. He's live in Germany and he's been forced into being an expert in all things having to do with the lander now.

Fred, give us the answer.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, what does Fred do when he's forced to being an expert? He gets himself a little model to show what's going on.

First of all, Chris, the exciting thing we have this morning is a picture of the landing site. This is the first time that the human eyes are laying eyes onto the surface of a comet with a human spacecraft on it.

And you can see, this goes to your point that the landing site is very rough, very rocky and it makes the landing more remarkable and also the fact that this thing is not attached to the comet, all the more difficult.

What apparently happened, Chris, was as the lander was moving close towards the comet, it landed and bounced off the comet, because the harpoon system that was supposed to deploy didn't deploy. It bounced back up. That bounce up took about two hours because there's almost no gravitational field there. It landed on the comet again, bounced back up for six minutes and now is stable on the comet, they say.

Now, you're absolutely right, it's not attached to the comet at this point in time. However -- I'll put it back up here -- however, the scientists that we've been speaking to here say at this point in time, it's absolutely stable. So they think they don't have any problems, they're getting signals. They say everything is fine at this point, Chris.

CUOMO: It's good to hear, Fred, because we can see there it's not easy. Can you barely keep your little toy on the model comet, let alone the real thing.

PLEITGEN: Exactly, yes, yes.

CUOMO: Imagine how hard that is. Be careful there with those big hands, Fred.

PLEITGEN: Good thing I'm not doing this mission.

CUOMO: It's a good thing. We'll check back in with you. Thanks, pal.

CAMEROTA: Don't denigrate his toy. That was a good model.

Meanwhile, it's time for CNN money. Your money, business correspondent Cristina Alesci is here with news about prepaid debit cards.

Hi, Cristina.

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, you've probably heard the horror stories about these cards. They have high fees, but it's not clear what you're paying for. For example, there's no protection if the card goes missing.

But now, the government is trying to change that, proposing rules to protect users of prepaid cards. But until those rules go into effect, you got to be careful.

First, watch out for the fees, hidden costs for things like activation, usage, reloading and even not using the card. The list goes on. Next, research the policy on the lost or stolen cards before you load up. And finally, and this is the most -- this is the thing that bugs me the most, don't be lured by celebrities. Just because Justin Bieber endorses the card doesn't make it a smart choice.

CAMEROTA: Good advice to live by, right?

ALESCI: Yes, exactly. He isn't the shining example in the end.

CUOMO: Just because Justin Bieber says it --

(LAUGHTER)

ALESCI: There are other more legit celebrities, ones that haven't been arrested, at least.

CAMEROTA: I'll change my investing strategy now. Thank you.

ALESCI: To not follow -- yes, one investing strategy, don't follow Justin Bieber.

CAMEROTA: The Biebs.

CUOMO: So, that's not what the "J" represents in the "WWJD"? I have to rethink a lot of my jewelry.

CAMEROTA: Thanks, Cristina.

CUOMO: All right. We have some shocking new details about the 43 college students that were taken in Mexico. The Mexican attorney general now says he believes they are all dead. And the way they describe how they think these young kids died is heart-breaking. We're going to go live to Mexico for the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Anger is intensifying in Mexico. Protesters taking to the streets, demanding answers about dozens of abducted students. Hundreds of protesters set fire to a local government building. Demonstrators pointing the finger as what they call a corrupt police system for its involvement in the disappearance and possibly the killing of those 43 students.

CNN correspondent and senior Latin American affairs editor, Rafael Romo, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): In the middle of a violent protest in Chilpancingo, Mexico, a mob drags away a police officer, kicking and punching him.

(on camera): There's an argument ensuing right now with some of the protesters saying, "Let's beat up the police officers." Some others saying, "Let's not beat him up. Let's remain as peaceful as we can, because it's going to send the wrong message."

(voice-over): As it turns out, the hostage was not just any police officer, it was Juan Jose Gatica, Guerrero state undersecretary of public safety. The fact that the top official was taken hostage for hours is raising questions on whether protesters have overwhelmed security forces in Guerrero state.

There have been angry demonstrations to protest the disappearance of 43 students in late September, a case Mexican authorities believe they have solved, but parents refuse to believe them.

EDUARDO MEDINA MORA, MEXICAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: The only feeling that we can have is to share this sorrow and pain from the parents of these students that are still missing.

ROMO: The government says the students from a rural teachers college were murdered by a gang, the bodies burnt in a landfill.

(on camera): By the time they got here some students were already dead. The ones who were not dead already were executed.

(voice-over): The mayor of Iguala and his wife, accused of having deep ties to the gang, are in jail, so are more than 70 others.

Officials say the students were on their way to disrupt an event by the mayor and his wife so he ordered their abduction. Neither the mayor nor his wife have commented.

The parents of the missing say they don't trust the government's investigation. And refuse to believe their children are dead, especially since there's no DNA evidence.

Epifanio Alvarez's 19-year-old Jorge is among the missing.

"My heart tells me that my son is alive," Alvarez says, a conviction shared by most of the parents.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA: Such agony for those parents.

Rafael Romo joins us now.

Great reporting from you, Rafael. I want to you take us more about the mayor's wife and the ties that she has with this cartel.

ROMO: Maria Pineda is indeed being alleged as having deep ties with organized crime. Not only that, his family, Michaela, especially his father and brothers, have been tied to the Beltran Leyva drug cartel out of Central Mexico.

Right now, she's being detained in a holding cell. But she may face a number of charges for her alleged role in this.

PEREIRA: So a little faith there, I know from the citizens about justice and about you know, if they're going to get to the bottom of this.

Rafael, thanks for your reporting. Hopefully we can get more information as the days come along.

Chris?

CUOMO: All right, Mick.

We are expecting key grand jury testimony today from the doctor who performed an autopsy on Michael Brown for his family. The question is, what if the grand jury does not indict officer Darren Wilson? Will there be any peace in Ferguson?

We're going to get some perspective, coming up next.

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CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

Breaking news in Ferguson: the pathologist who performed a private always for Michael Brown's family will testify before the grand jury today. Now, this is interesting and it raises a question of why, since the prosecutor has just called his own experts.

Perception is often reality in this situation. So, what does it mean now that police in Ferguson have purchased much more than what, six figures worth of riot gear to prepare for the grand jury's decision, all while promising that First Amendment rights of protesters will be respected? Does that go together?

There's a lot of conflict here. So, let's discuss it with someone who understands the issues very well.

Bryan Stevenson is the author of "Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption". It's a memoir about the start of his legal career, helping the underprivileged. He's also the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative.

It's good to have you on the show, Brian.

This is a tough situation. It is a metaphor. It is not just about Ferguson, we all should know that. Yes?

BRYAN STEVENSON, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE: Yes.

CUOMO: So, when we hear that Dr. Baden is being brought in, Dr. Baden is a famous forensic scientist, OK? Michael Brown's family used him to do the autopsy. The prosecutor does not have to put that autopsy before the grand jury.

Why do you think he's doing it? And is it a good move?

STEVENSON: Well, I do think that the big issue in Ferguson is the big issue everywhere. You have lots of people in our community that simply do not trust law enforcement. They do not trust the people who are empowered to protect them from threats.

And that trust is longstanding, and you cannot understand these issues without understanding the backdrop, the context. And many people of color feel like they are targeted, harassed. They're presumed guilty. They presumed dangerous.

And these incidents when they manifest themselves in the way that they have so tragically, this kind of feed that distrust. And unfortunately, there's been too little in Ferguson to kind of restore trust. And even in the process of this indictment and the legal proceedings, there are doubts.

And so, you see the family responding with that doubt mindset.

CUOMO: Is this a step in the right direction, hearing that their expert is being used at the grand jury? It's unusual.

STEVENSON: It is unusual. But I think it is a step in the right direction. You want to accommodate the victims of this situation. You want to make people feel like their perspectives are being credited and heard. And when you don't do that, you just feed that distrust.

And I think absolutely they should be employing this expert and using every other tool and resource to make --

CUOMO: They've been going a long time. We don't know what he's presenting. There are leaks.

You know, we talk about perception is reality and how people feel about these situations almost metaphorically, because they happen in different places. Leaks are not unusual, situations like this in terms of how we're learning things is not unusual.

The idea of what actually happened here is what is getting lost in this. If this grand jury hears everything and says, you know what, I understand why the officer thought what he thought, because of what happened at the car. And I understand what the officer thought, what he thought, when the shooting actually happened.

And they buy that the kid, Michael Brown had turn and was coming at him. And there is no indictment. Do you think that should be respected by the community?

STEVENSON: Well, they will have no choice but to you know kind of, they won't have the ability to go beyond that legally. But no, I actually think that communities that feel targeted and disrupted by this kind of violence have a legitimate need to want better, to want more. And even if in this particular incident there is no indictment, I think that they should credibly be demanding and will credibly demand different relations between police --

CUOMO: They are different issues. I do not disagree with you and I want to pursue what you're saying. However, one step back -- if there is no indictment and you lose it on the streets of Ferguson, how is that a reaction that is any better than the problem?

STEVENSON: Well, I don't think that you can expect more from the community than you expect from the police officers that serve the community. And if you have a community that feels threatened and targeted and harassed and mistreated by the police, then you're going to get comparable kinds of reactions.

I think unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. We've got four 40 years of police shootings of young, unarmed African-American men and boys that rarely get prosecuted the way they should. So, you can't disconnect from that larger history and so people feel very frustrated by that.

CUOMO: Sure, but it's hard because you can't be blinded by the perception in the moment of reality. If Wilson is clean and, you know, and this is a horrible shooting, you have to take that for what it is.

It feeds into the other things you're saying. We haven't seen the leadership in Ferguson that we could have. Governor Nixon is out there now talking a lot about the response. He has not been out there as much on the streets of Ferguson talking about the problem.

You could very well argue. The word from the local authorities is we're going to wait for the word to come down and then reach out. You could argue, no, no, reach out now, take your beatings in public verbally, but start to build bridges. We're not seeing it. You think that's a problem?

STEVENSON: I think it's a huge problem, and problem, it shouldn't happen a week before the indictment. It should have been happening for the last two or three months.

CUOMO: Right.

STEVENSON: People in that community feel like every day they're being targeted. Everybody they're being harassed. They have to fear the police and the violent offenders in their community.

CUOMO: The cops work against them, not for them.

STEVENSON: Absolutely. That they see them as the community sees -- the cops see these community members as enemies.

CUOMO: That's the perception. And when they hear that the Brown family didn't have the normal liaison with the prosecutor's office, you know how it usually works, right? They treat you, even if a cop is involved, like OK, you were the one who was shot, let's deal with your family and make sure it's OK. That's not happening here.

STEVENSON: Well, that's again just one more symptom of a larger problem. And the truth of it is, is that you're not going to be able to deal with that problem using standard operating procedures, which are basically, hope for the best, use extra control. Try to get through.

You're going to have to change the way you relate to people who feel I think justifiably outraged by their treatment, not just in this particular instant. But day in, day out, week in, week out.

And it's an experience that frankly I think is shared by many people of color in this country.

CUOMO: All right. Now, and that's why you wrote the book "Just Mercy". We're going to have to find time to talk more about this book.

But Ferguson is a great demonstration of why Bryan wrote the book in the first place. It's not about, it has nothing to do with Ferguson, talking about right or wrong or what happened, but the issues that are presented in here, he tells them through the story of one man and his problems with the justice system. But it's done as metaphor for how money plays in the justice system, and what the realities are and not just the perception. It is very strong on that level.

"Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption". It's written by Bryn Stevenson, it's worth a read on this issue. Thank you very much.

STEVENSON: You're very welcome.

CUOMO: And for good or bad reason, we're going to be bringing you in again, because there's going to be a need to keep the dialogue going.

STEVENSON: Absolutely.

CUOMO: All right. Now, we've been saying, perception is often reality with what's going on in Ferguson. So, we're trying to make sure that we reconcile what's said with what we can show.

For example, on Wednesday's show, Missouri State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal was making a lot of points. One of them was she referred to pictures of Apache helicopters and drones that are in Missouri, implying they would be deployed for the situation in Ferguson.

So, know this -- the Missouri Department of Public Safety heard that and said -- that is not correct. Assets like that are not there for that purpose. And will not be used in Ferguson. OK?

So that's both sides of the situation -- the perception and the reality. This is just one story we're following for you this morning. There's a lot of news, let's get to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no formal or strategy or review of our Syria.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a cauldron of disaster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to have to be smart about what we do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They would want to see Bashar al Assad gone. Certainly, we do have a common goal there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're excited about having a great new bunch here. We're here to make the place function again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the middle of a violent protest, the top official was taken hostage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a big political crisis for Mexico. We're are all outraged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm seeing two heads dangling over their scaffolding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They weren't panicking, but they had no options.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: A lot of news to tell you about. Good morning and welcome back to NEW DAY. I'm Alisyn Camerota, alongside Chris Cuomo.

Is President Obama rethinking the strategy to fight ISIS in Syria? Sources tell CNN that the president has asked for a review and is concerned that ISIS can't be taken out without first eliminating Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

CUOMO: It's worth providing some context. We're getting mixed messages from the White House. One top official saying any review is part of a larger ongoing assessment. We have to suss this out a little bit.

Let's bring in Jim Acosta. He's in Myanmar. That's where the president is taking part in the Southeast Asian summit.

Jim, read the tea leaves for us. What's really going on here?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Chris, what is going on here is the president as you said is in Myanmar for a summit of ASEAN leaders, who are gathered here to talk about regional economic and security priority that are important to this part of the world.

But you know, on the sidelines of that, administration officials are being pressed about the president's Syrian strategy when it comes to dealing with ISIS in both Iraq and Syria. We heard from the deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, who came in to talk to reporters earlier today. And he said that there is no formal review that is taking place of the ISIS strategy in Syria. That the president from time to time in his national security team, they do go over exactly what they're doing with respect to dealing with ISIS, and they're saying at this point, they do feel like there is a fundamental weakness with that strategy and that the United States does not have a reliable vetted, trained partner in the Syrian opposition.