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New Day
GOP Staffer Sparks Controversy; Black Friday Disappoints Retailers; Tech Deals on Cyber Monday
Aired December 01, 2014 - 08:30 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: Five things for you to know for your new day. Here we go.
At number one, President Obama will discuss tension in Ferguson, Missouri, and the relationship between police and minor in a series of White House meetings being held today with cabinet members, civil rights leaders and law enforcement officials.
The family of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy shot and killed by Cleveland Police, insist his death could have been avoided. They claim officers reacted too quickly before they realized he was only carrying a toy gun.
Congress returns for the final two weeks of their session this morning. Big battles are shaping up on two fronts, immigration reform and a possible government shutdown over the budget.
After winning an appeal and being reinstated by the NFL, Ray Rice and his wife Janay are talking publicly about the domestic violence incident that led to his release by the Baltimore Ravens and indefinite suspensions.
A judge has denied bond for the father and stepmother accused of keeping a 13-year-old boy hidden behind a fake wall in their Georgia home. That boy has now been reunited - there it is, the tearful reunion -- with his mother. He had been reported missing four years ago.
We do updated those five things to know, so be sure to visit newdaycnn.com for the latest.
Chris.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: That story was some shocker.
PEREIRA: Oh, my goodness.
CUOMO: Four years and then the kid winds up making a phone call to his mom. They wind up recovering him. We still don't know how why they held her and who they were and how they avoided detection. We'll get into that for you, that's for sure.
Also, did you hear about the congressional staffer who took these shots at the Obama girls about how they were dressed and how they were acting and classless she called it? Well, then she offered up an apology sort of. But the question is, has this just gone too far in politics, and should it cost her her job? We're going to take you through that.
Also, diehard shoppers, you know what today is, Cyber Monday. We're going to break down some of the best deals. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: A Republican congressional staffer under fire this morning for comments she made on Facebook about Sasha and Malia Obama. Elizabeth Lauten, the communications director for Tennessee's Republican Congressman Stephen Fincher, criticized the Obama girls for their appearance at the White House's annual turkey pardoning event. She wrote, among other things, quote, "dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at the bar," and, "try showing a little class." She is now apologizing for those comments after triggering a social media firestorm. Joining us to discuss all of this is cultural critic and writer Michaela Angela Davis.
Great to see you.
MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS, CULTURAL CRITIC/WRITER: Good morning. Good morning.
CAMEROTA: So, what was she thinking?
DAVIS: You know, I don't know. The litany of pathetic ironies are just endless. I mean it was really like, oh my God, did you see what the Obama girls are wearing at the -- it was so adolescent, her response. So the fact that she's a communications director, talking about having class, saying that they're teenage girls and she digs at them on Facebook? Like, it's endless how ironic it is, her position and how she's supposed to be a role model, right? Like she's talking about them being role models and how she literally kind of bullied girls on Facebook. This is what we're all trying to tell our girls not to do, right? Like be -- have some respect for each other, right?
PEREIRA: Just a prime example of all these conversations that we've been having about -
DAVIS: Yes.
PEREIRA: How to, you know, sort of social media etiquette et cetera, et cetera. I mean she just egregiously stepped over their (ph) lines (ph). I thought it was really interesting --
DAVIS: A new low. A new low.
PEREIRA: A new low. It's interesting, because I was sort of trying to reflect on past presidents and past first daughters, et cetera.
DAVIS: Yes.
PEREIRA: And they have their share. But it is a game changer when you add the interweb.
DAVIS: Yes. Yes, and, you know, the Bush girls had their, you know, their drama.
PEREIRA: Right. Chelsea had her drama.
DAVIS: Yes.
CUOMO: That was -- it was all wrong, but context matters.
PEREIRA: It was.
DAVIS: Yes.
CUOMO: These kids are young.
DAVIS: Thirteen.
CUOMO: OK, they may be tall, and I'll tell you it makes me feel old how big -- I remember they were like little kids. Now they're like they're like these big women.
PEREIRA: Yes, they were little girls.
CUOMO: But, OK, the Bush kids, it was wrong. You know, it should have been condemned at the time. I'm sensitive to this. I grew up in politics. I know how hard it is for those kids.
DAVIS: Sure.
CUOMO: But there was a little contextual thing. You'll do things in your life that's going to get extra scrutiny because your mom or your dad is who they are.
PEREIRA: Sure.
DAVIS: Right.
CUOMO: These kids have done nothing like that.
DAVIS: That's right.
CUOMO: They were just standing there.
DAVIS: And this new age of social medial, we're at a -- there's been no administration with this level of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Vine.
PEREIRA: True.
DAVIS: You can't control in the way that - I think every administration tries to protect their children. But the social media landscape is so different now.
CUOMO: The delivery device is more toxic and it's more accessible. But the -- DAVIS: Absolutely.
PEREIRA: The filters are off too, right? I mean -
CUOMO: Right. But that's - but the poison, the poison is the same.
DAVIS: Yes.
CUOMO: She's in politics. This is about politics to me as much as it's about women.
PEREIRA: Right. Right.
CUOMO: I get where that perspective about mean girls would come in and with daughters, I get it.
DAVIS: Totally.
PEREIRA: Right.
CUOMO: But I think something has to be done here. That's the question is, what do we do about this?
DAVIS: Consider the source. Her - you know, she says that she's interested in pink, green, pearls, cats, Christ. That's what she says on her --
CUOMO: Christ shouldn't have been last. Maybe that would have helped her out in this.
DAVIS: So but like pink and green and pearls and you're in politics and that's what you say is important? So we have to consider the source. And I think she should go to -- just on sheer fact of her like - her process. Like, who would trust someone that would go on Facebook --
CUOMO: You think she's got to go?
DAVIS: Yes. I mean would you trust her to be your communications director?
CAMEROTA: Well, she has apologized. She's apologized. I'll read to you what she says. "After many hours of prayer, talking to my parents and re-reading my words online, I can see more clearly just how hurtful my words were." She went on to say more --
DAVIS: Talking to her parents. This is a grown woman. That's what teenagers would do if they said something like - they spoke about what their friends were wearing, I talked to my parents -
CAMEROTA: But - but -
DAVIS: But - so I feel like she - she had the audacity to go at them directly. On Facebook, she said, "dear Sasha and Malia."
CUOMO: Yes. DAVIS: But she didn't have the dignity to apologize to them directly.
CUOMO: Strong point.
CAMEROTA: Well, here's my question, should Congressman Fincher have to repudiate these comments?
DAVIS: Well, I think that was interesting that no one above her has said, you know what, this is a new low. We don't agree with it.
CUOMO: Yes.
DAVIS: Kids are off limits. Like, all of that. And so I feel like there is this silence among others is also something we should be looking at.
PEREIRA: Well, it's just interesting, I was thinking about this because I know that -- just to go political, which you would not expect from me - but it's just interesting to think that this is happening at a time where the GOP's struggling to sort of re-identify itself and reach out to younger, to women.
DAVIS: Certainly.
PEREIRA: This, to me, seems like, ahhh! They - they --
CUOMO: Or they could use it. They could use this as an opportunity to come out, this is not who we are.
PEREIRA: Well, except - except for the - this is not who we are. Exact. Yes. Very good.
DAVIS: That -- I think this -- a teachable moment.
PEREIRA: A teaching moment in that respect.
DAVIS: Yes. They have missed it. They - and I hope we don't miss it as adults. How are we behaving on social media? How are we talking to each other? How are we modeling -
PEREIRA: Our own behavior is the first example we set here, absolutely right.
DAVIS: For our - yes, for our children. I see adults who say awful things on social media to each other -
PEREIRA: Yes.
DAVIS: And then we say to our girls, you know, don't be mean. Don't talk --
PEREIRA: Don't do what I do.
DAVIS: Exactly. So this is - this is -
CUOMO: The depressing part of their reaction that I've seen so far - CAMEROTA: (INAUDIBLE).
DAVIS: Yes.
CUOMO: And hopefully it changes one thing about the social media is that the iterations, the cycles are so tight and short now -
DAVIS: Sure.
CUOMO: Is that it immediately went, well, what about the Bush daughters? Same thing happened to them. Yes, let's say it did. Let's say they were exactly - well, I don't agree with that, but let's say they were. So what. That doesn't make this right.
PEREIRA: No.
CUOMO: And that's another problem with the politics now is that my nasty thing about you only matters if you've never said anything nasty about me.
PEREIRA: Yes.
DAVIS: And the Palin girls are a hot mess.
PEREIRA: Right.
DAVIS: They had that party, dragging people around and pregnancies, but they didn't go this hard. There is something about this administration and the scrutiny --
PEREIRA: Do you think it has to do with race?
DAVIS: Oh, yes. I mean this one in particular just has to do with idiocy, like - but I think, in general, we've never seen scrutiny to this level ever. And everyone - everyone knows that. Everyone has seen the way that they have gone after this family and the amount of disrespect for the office is unprecedented.
CAMEROTA: But your point about the Palin daughters, shouldn't they be off limits also?
DAVIS: Yes. And I think when they do things - and they're not - and they're not first daughters.
CUOMO: They did a reality show.
DAVIS: Come on. And so --
CUOMO: You know what I mean?
CAMEROTA: And so does that make it all -
CUOMO: So like they put themselves out there a little.
DAVIS: They chose that, yes.
CAMEROTA: (INAUDIBLE) that they do a reality show?
CUOMO: No. I still think you've got to - look, focus on the objective. This is politics.
DAVIS: Yes.
CUOMO: You know what I mean? So go at the -- you run for office. You know that it's blood sport. It just is. We wish it weren't, but it is. So you get into it, you're going to take the lumps. But we've always left the kids alone unless they're like, you know, committing a felony or they put themselves out there or they're older -
DAVIS: Right.
PEREIRA: But they've done a good job of trying to shield their girls and making them have as much of a regular life as you could possibly have in that White House.
DAVIS: It's really disgraceful. This is a grown woman on Facebook. Like their -- I just can't get past that. Like, how teenager is she?
CAMEROTA: Michaela, thank you, for your --
DAVIS: You're welcome.
PEREIRA: Oh, wait, I got confused. I love having two Michaela's here.
CAMEROTA: Michaela squared. You love it.
We want to know what you think. You can tweet us @newday, or you can find us all individually. We'd love to hear your thoughts and we will read them and respond. Thanks so much.
DAVIS: Thank you.
CAMEROTA: All right, it looks like Black Friday was a big disappointment for retailers. Did shoppers decide to sleep in, in order to take advantage of today's web sales? What's going on? We'll preview Cyber Monday and tell you about some very big deals.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PEREIRA: For many hopeful retailers, Black Friday turned out to be a bit more like bleak Friday. The National Retail Federation reports a five percent drop in shoppers from last year, spending down 11 percent. Could it be that shoppers were waiting for today, Cyber Monday, to open those wallets for some online bargains? Joining us now with some great Cyber Monday deals, host of "TechBytes" and CNN technology analyst, Brett Larson. Also here to talk about the money aspect of things, CNN global economic analyst, Rana Faroohar. And also, I want to know what she's going to be buying for the holidays.
(LAUGHTER)
PEREIRA: Look, let's be - - Here's a question right off the bat. Do we know, Rana, right now early indications if the protests and Brown Friday had any impact on the sales Friday?
RANA FAROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: I don't think it's a significant impact. I think that the broader retail trend is about the season being stretched out, about the sales starting earlier. The protests were certainly interesting from a cultural perspective, but not a big retail impact.
PEREIRA: Okay. And now I want to go, Brett, if we can philosophically about Cyber Monday.
BRETT LARSON, CNN TECHNOLOGY ANALYST: Yes.
PEREIRA: Because it occurred to me, is it not everyday cyber day? I mean - -
LARSON: Yes.
PEREIRA: It has turned into that now.
LARSON: Right.
PEREIRA: Is Cyber Monday kind of a thing of the past now?
LARSON: It feels like a thing of the past because of what we saw last week. We saw deals that started last Monday. We saw Amazon, and Wal- Mart, and Target, and all the big retailers rolling out all the deals and almost giving you, like, oh and by the way, on Friday it's going to cost this much if you just want to wait. And we also saw - - I always look to my two sisters as examples of what the average test case would be, and both of them did not go out. And they are die hard shoppers.
PEREIRA: Yes.
LARSON: Neither of them went to the stores on Friday. They went online.
PEREIRA: It's not just about us being lazy and want to stay in our pajamas on the day after Thanksgiving, but it is about being a savvy shopper.
FAROOHAR: Right.
PEREIRA: And it seems to me that if you have any sense as a retailer, you always have, not just the brick and mortar, but you have that online component that is driving sales.
FAROOHAR: Absolutely, and, you know, as of last year, you really saw a change in people just doing their shopping online. The season would last several months. You know, if you look at what Black Friday contributed last year to the growth in sales, it was only about 1 percent of the 3 percent up tick from the previous year.
PEREIRA: Yes.
FAROOHAR: So it's really not a big component in the jump up in retail sales. They're still being expected. You know, this is the best economic environment really since the financial crisis. You know, consumer sentiment is high.
PEREIRA: Sure.
FAROOHAR: Unemployment is down. Growth is high. So, I have no reason to think that sales by the time we see Christmas aren't going to be better than they were last year.
PEREIRA: All right. So, we have that aspect, but now we need to know, what do we look for today? Because there are deals to be had.
LARSON: There still are deals. Look, the retailers are going to take advantage of the media talking about any way to shop.
PEREIRA: Sure.
LARSON: So, of course during Cyber Monday we're going to see more deals.
PEREIRA: So what does the savvy shopper look for today and smartly find a deal on?
LARSON: We still have good prices on TVs. I saw a high definition TV under $400. I mean, this is a great time to buy a television. Now, this one here, this is a 4K TV, so that's the ultrahigh definition.
PEREIRA: Explain that to people, that's like - -
LARSON: It's four times the resolution of current high definition television. So, something like this going $500 down, this is what TV you're going to buy. It's going to stick around for four or five years before it's going to be outdated.
PEREIRA: But you said the flip side of that is there's not a lot of ask for that.
LARSON: Not a lot of content.
PEREIRA: Not a lot of content.
LARSON: Yes, not a lot of content. And I also saw this morning, Dell, on their website, one day only has a - - One day only, oh my God, I have to buy it right now.
PEREIRA: It always gets me.
LARSON: I almost bought it this morning. The have a 4K desktop display for like $500. I mean, at that price, you can't go wrong.
PEREIRA: And there's some other things that you were looking - - You said that you found some Android tablets.
LARSON: Right.
PEREIRA: Tablets seem to be kind of - - - LARSON: 'Tis the season for tablets.
PEREIRA: Right.
LARSON: The nice thing about tablets is they're all updated towards the end of summer. So, they hit back to school, they hit the holidays.
PEREIRA: You have up to date stuff.
LARSON: You have up to date stuff, and you have up to date stuff for at least another eight or nine months.
PEREIRA: I see a deal on a smart watch.
LARSON: Yes, that's true. Google has their smart watch on sale for $100 off.
PEREIRA: I think the key is here is you have to be sort of a smart shopper. Because - -
LARSON: Right.
PEREIRA: Don't be the type that just says, oh there's a sale on if you don't know what the actual price is. You have to be a savvy, smart shopper.
FAROOHAR: And I think that that's what online shopping has done, you know It has just made it so much easier to comparison shop all year long. You know, forget about just looking for sales. Why would you go out on Thursday and stand in line? I was actually in SoHo and I did stand in one line.
PEREIRA: You stood in line?
FAROOHAR And someone laughed at me.
(LAUGHTER)
LARSON: Were you the only person in line? I don't think it's a line if you're the only person
PEREIRA: Don't you know that you just put a bunch of stuff in your cart and don't press buy? What's wrong with you?
(LAUGHTER)
PEREIRA: Oh, wait, that's just me. That's just me.
LARSON: But if you do that, the price might go down. I had stuff in my Amazon cart this morning, and when I went on Amazon, it said the prices on stuff in my cart went down.
PEREIRA: It was interesting also to see, I just Googled Cyber Monday, and it was interesting to see there's a lot of places that are sort of clearinghouses of where you can find the best deals. LARSON: Right.
PEREIRA: And you said you've even found some apps that kind of can help you. Run through those again because I think there are people that might have missed them last time
LARSON: "Shop Advisor" I think is great because you can tag things that you like, and then as the prices change they alert you, which I like that. "Retail Me" not as great to find coupons and stuff when you're out shopping around. And then, of course, Amazon has become sort of the go to for how much cheaper can I get it? And in a lot of instances, it is going to be cheaper, but sometimes you're going to have to pay for shipping which kind of off sets that.
PEREIRA: I want to hear what you're doing at home. Let us know if you're shopping today what you're looking for, if you're having some success, any deals you might have found let your girl know.
Rana and Brett, thank you so much.
LARSON: Thank you.
PEREIRA: I appreciate it. Cyber Monday, here we are. Chris?
CUOMO: You have so much stuff, we couldn't even fit it in your apartment when we were moving you in.
PEREIRA: Hey, hey, don't judge me.
CUOMO: What ever happened to those candelabras? I thought I was getting one of those. The six foot candelabras?
PEREIRA: I was going to put them in your office. You need a candelabra that is sizeable. What's wrong with you?
CUOMO: It was good stuff, just saying there was plenty of it, that's all.
All right, so, remember the story about the homeless man who wanted a family for Thanksgiving? Well, he got his wish and then some. Great meal, but so much more. We have a great update for you on the Good Stuff.
CAMEROTA: I'll get the tissues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CUOMO: Alright, it's time for the Good Stuff, update style. Remember the homeless man --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: No, it's good, it's good. All he wanted was a family just to share the day with. He wanted nothing else, and then it went viral.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP) NEAL SHYTLES, HAD NO FAMILY FOR THANKSGIVING: I am lonely, like, 365 days a year, but Christmas and Thanksgiving are like two of the worst days. It would mean the world to me if somebody took me out, just for that one day, you know? A couple of hours, you know?
CUOMO (voice-over): Someone to take me in just a couple hours. I mean, how hard must that have been for him to ask? Well, here's the good news, his call was answered and in a big way. No surprise, it was a military family. They know what it's like to be lonely on the holidays, and they know what it's like to serve. And they did in a big way, and everybody just loved each other. Listen.
CORY MCLEMORE, SPENT THANKSGIVING WITH NEAL SHYTLES: Honestly, I almost felt like I knew him, you know, reached out to shake his hand and he pulled me in for a hug.
SHYTLES: I love it, me and Cory connected as soon as I met him.
CUOMO: And it wasn't only Neal Shytles who benefited. His story brought attention to his shelter. They got a ton of donations, and then Cory McLemore, he's the other guy you saw there, the military guy, he raised $400 among his co workers and him.
PEREIRA (voice-over): How about that?
CUOMO: For Neal himself. But the point is, it was never about the money,
I hope people learn that the homeless are not what sometimes you picture a homeless to be.
PEREIRA: That's the thing. You and I have had so many discussions about this, you know, we see so many homeless people on the streets of all of our cities.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
PEREIRA (on camera): It takes on extra urgency this time of year when the weather changes and the temperature drops. They're just people, they're people who have their share of troubles.
CAMEROTA: Yes, and it's so inspirational to see strangers reaching out to strangers.
PEREIRA: I love it.
CAMEROTA: And taking them in, and taking the risk, and obviously it pays dividends to you, too when you do something like that.
PEREIRA: And renewed his hope in humanity, too.
CUOMO (on camera): Yes.
PEREIRA: And ours.
CUOMO: Right? And that's the point. Now, as a reminder, media is guilty of this very often. There's a lot of bad out there, but that doesn't mean there isn't good out there. There are good people doing good things, and that was a great example.
PEREIRA: That's the Good Stuff.
CUOMO: Hence, the Good Stuff, sponsored.
PEREIRA: that was my imitation of you.
CUOMO: Really?
CAMEROTA: It was excellent.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: I wish I sounded like that. I wish I had that hair. A lot of news this morning, let's get you to the "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: That Michaela, she's so talented.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Talk amongst yourselves. Have a great day. NEWSROOM starts now.
