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Holder Announces Plan to End Racial Profiling; Rams: No Apology to Police; Obama Vows to Ease 'Simmering Distrust'; Hong Kong Protesters Promise Hunger Strike; FBI Warns Military Members of ISIS Threat

Aired December 02, 2014 - 07:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: While the grand jury proceeding in St. Louis County has concluded, I can report this evening that the Justice Department's investigation into the shooting death of Michael Brown, as well as our investigation into allegations of unconstitutional policing patterns, or practices by the Ferguson Police Department remain ongoing and remain active.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Inside the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the country. At times his words were stifled by the chants of protests.

The attorney general paused to insure their voices could be heard.

HOLDER: What we saw there was a genuine expression of concern and involvement. Let me be clear: I ain't mad at you, all right?

LAVANDERA: Late Monday night, the St. Louis Rams finally addressed the controversy surrounding this public show of solidarity by five of its players, their "hands up, don't shoot" message.

HOLDER: Let me be clear -- I ain't mad at you, all right?

LAVANDERA: Late Monday night, the St. Louis Rams finally addressed the controversy surrounding this public show of solidarity by five of its players, their "hands up, don't shoot" message. A local police association said it implied that Michael Brown was shot while attempting to surrender. The Rams chief operating officer called the angered officers and released a statement saying in part, "We expressed our respect for their concern surrounding yesterday's game. The Rams will continue to build on what have always been strong and valued relationships with local law enforcement and the greater St. Louis community as we come together to help heal our region."

But the Rams spokesman followed up with CNN, making clear they did not apologize. The NFL is also not apologizing. Its spokesman says, "We respect and understand the concerns of all individuals who have expressed views on this tragic situation."

Back in Missouri at the first community meeting of the Ferguson commission, more frustration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should understand that. We understand this. We're getting killed out here.

LAVANDERA: For his part, President Obama promised to follow through.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And part of the reason this time will be different is because the president of the United States is deeply invested in making sure that this time it's different.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up! Don't shoot!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hands up! Don't shoot!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up! Don't shoot!

LAVANDERA: Nationwide, demonstrators simply walked out on Monday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To walk out of school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To walk out of school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To walk out of school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To walk out of work.

LAVANDERA: Encouraged by the movement to flood the streets in protest.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (on camera): And Alisyn, you know, that Ferguson commission, which was created by the governor here in Missouri a few weeks ago met for the first time yesterday here in Ferguson. A lot of people very concerned that it's simply window dressing as they wait for that commission to put together a report studying the underlying social and economic issues here in the city. But that report isn't expected until September of next year -- Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: It will be interesting to hear what, if anything, that commission does come up with. Ed Lavandera, thanks so much.

President Obama committing $263 million to a program that includes money for police body cameras. When asked Monday if justice was done in the decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson, the president did not answer directly. Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta joins us live with the latest. Hi, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Alisyn. Good morning.

As you heard, the president vowed to get results in the aftermath of the unrest in Ferguson. After a series of meetings at the White House, the president unveiled his plans for the next steps forward. We'll put them up onscreen for you.

He wants to tighten controls on police department use of military equipment that was so controversial during the police attempts to control that unrest in Ferguson. A new 21st century policing task force and a proposal for $75 million to purchase those body-worn cameras that you've heard so much about for police officers. Those cameras could go a long way in establishing when officers use appropriate force.

After sitting down with law enforcement officials, civil rights leaders and church leaders from across the country, the president did say he understood why so many Americans, especially young Americans, are calling for changes in police tactics in minority communities.

As for a presidential trip to Ferguson, Missouri -- we've heard a lot about that -- it appears is off, at least in the near future. A White House official said a visit was discussed last week, but instead advisers decided on yesterday's series of meetings for a comprehensive approach, as they're calling it, in dealing with the issue.

And as you heard, Attorney General Eric Holder was in Atlanta talking about these new guidelines that he'll be unveiling to end racial profiling. We'll hear more about that later on this week -- Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Jim, thank you very much.

Let's bring in the incoming whip of the Congressional Black Caucus, Representative Hakeem Jeffries. It's good to see you, Congressman.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), INCOMING WHIP, CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS: I want to show what happened on the floor of Congress, because it's become somewhat of an issue with the St. Louis Rams and protests going around the country.

Here you are.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFRIES: Don't shoot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: You've got your hands up. It was the beginning of the speech that you made. You weren't the only member of Congress to put your hands up. What is the point of that?

JEFFRIES: Well we wanted to make sure that we gave voice to the fact that there are people all across the country, for whom "hands up, don't shoot" has become a symbol of their resistance to the fact that too many young unarmed African-Americans have been killed by police officers all across the country; by the fact that we have a broken criminal justice system that far too often fails to deliver accountability to police officers who engage in the use of excessive force. And that we still have a racial profiling problem in American that needs to be resolved. And so we wanted to make sure that people all across the country who

have been taking part in this movement understand that we, as members of the Congressional Black Caucus, hear their pain; and we plan on acting upon it here in the United States Capitol.

CUOMO: Just for a little different spin on that, in terms of a point of the criticism that it receives, the Michael Brown case was decided by the grand jury, therefore "put up your hands, don't shoot," is now based on lies. Because that case was decided, the issue should be over. What do you say to that perspective?

JEFFRIES: Well, 16 of 18 witnesses before the grand jury indicated that, in their view, Michael Brown had his hands up at the moment in which he was fatally shot.

The grand jury has made its decision. Many of us disagree with the decision. We believe that at least there was probable cause to charge this officer with involuntary manslaughter.

But "hands up, don't shoot" is really a gesture that symbolizes concern all across America with the way in which law enforcement departments engage communities of color, often in a far too aggressive fashion, often in violation of the Constitution and of individual civil rights.

CUOMO: What do you think about the St. Louis police insisting that they received an apology from the St. Louis Rams for their players putting up the "hands up, don't shoot," when the team says there was no apology? How do you make sense of what's going on there?

JEFFRIES: Well, I support the football players who decided to enter the field and make this gesture of solidarity. I understand why some in law enforcement may disagree with that.

This is ultimately an issue that has to be worked out between the St. Louis Rams and local law enforcement. And I believe that the problem that really should be focused on is how to make sure we improve the relationship between the police and the community.

CUOMO: Are you worried about demonizing police? As you know there are a lot of good men and women who are cops out there, trying to keep communities safer. How do you balance?

JEFFRIES: Well, we want to make sure that there's an effective balance between law enforcement on the one hand, being able to keep our communities safe and a respect for the Constitution and our civil rights. And there can be that appropriate balance.

We embrace law enforcement. We want law enforcement, particularly in communities of color and those that experience higher rates of criminal activity. We just want to make sure that people are policed in a constitutional way, in a way that's fair and equitable, and that when excessive force is used, police officers are held accountable.

CUOMO: You know, we had the head of the International Association of Chiefs of Police on the show today. And he said, you know, "Hey, community policing, that's a good idea. We seem to have gotten away from that a little bit."

How did we ever get to a place where we got away from the idea of police interacting with the communities that they protect?

JEFFRIES: It's a very good question, Chris, and I think that what happened is, as a result of some of the budget cuts that took place over the last several years, police department resources were increasingly strained. And departments moved away from the type of interactive policing that is clearly effective.

The best ally of police departments all across the country is the community. But when there's distrust between the police and the community, you've got tension, as opposed to cooperation; and that's a bad thing.

We can use this moment now to do things that both police departments and communities of color and all Americans should embrace. Community policing is one of those things.

And Congress, we've got to look for ways to incentivize that in a better way; provide the resources necessary to bring the police and communities together.

CUOMO: The president says it will be different this time, because there's a president invested in making it different. But once you get into the D.C. equation, you've got two very different sides of this problem, as well.

You have people who say, "Hey, if you want to look at the Michael Brown case, he was charging the officer. That's what the grand jury said. Fine." "If you want to talk about cops in black communities, well, there's too much crime there, and that's why the cops are there in the first place."

You have these two very different mindsets about this problem. How will that wind up playing out in Washington, D.C., the land of division?

JEFFRIES: Well, one of the reasons why the Congressional Black Caucus took to the floor yesterday, there are some in the House who want to run away from this problem. We believe that Congress needs to run toward this problem. And we've got Americans all across this country, blacks and whites, Democrats and Republicans, who are focused in on the tension that exists right now between the police and the community. Congress can be helpful in this regard.

And I think, Chris, that we've got to go big. You know, 50 years ago this country and this Congress came together to pass ground-breaking civil rights legislation. A year after that, in 1965, we dealt with the Voting Rights Act. I think that we should have the capacity to solve a problem that clearly is impacting the country. People are divided on it. People were divided on the questions that were before this Congress 50 years ago. We found a way to come together then to move this country forward. We've got to do the same this time around.

CUOMO: and you have to find a way to keep it positive. It's hard to do when these ugly incidents arise and become, you know, all over the media.

You're representative from New York. You've got your own case here. You've got Eric Garner, black man, allegedly killed by police. It's before a grand jury right now. That could become another flash-point. We'll be watching that one. We'll be talking to you about it when that grand jury makes its decision.

Representative, congratulations on being the whip. Good luck with that job.

JEFFRIES: Thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Chris. Thanks so much.

Time to look at your headlines right now.

A call for Hong Kong protesters to retreat in the name of safety. One of the founders of the pro-democracy campaign calling some police officers on the front line out of control. Some demonstrators are now vowing a hunger strike.

So many updates to get from our senior international correspondent Ivan Watson, who's live on the ground in Hong Kong -- Ivan.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Michaela, it's raining here, but no shortage of umbrellas at a pro- democracy movement that has used the umbrella as its main symbol.

Now this sprawling tent city has been here for about two months. But there are divisions within the protest movement. You've got the elders of the movement, of the Occupy Central movement, who have been urging the students, who have made up the bulk of the protesters, to leave, to head home and to use more grassroots methods to try to push their democratic agenda.

Meanwhile, I interviewed one of the firebrands of this movement, an 18-year-old named Joshua Wong, just out of high school, and he has mounted a hunger strike, along with two other teenaged student activists -- about 20 hours now, no solid foods -- in order to try to convince the government, which is headquartered in this building, to please sit down and talk with him and to discuss democratic reforms.

The government shows no signs of wanting to give into these demands, because the longer this has gone on, the more unpopular it has gotten with the people of Hong Kong. Polls show that the majority of those surveyed last month want the protests to be packed up and to go away. It's anybody's guess what people here are going to do. For now, these young people show no signs of leaving any time soon -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right. Ivan Watson with the latest from Hong Kong. Thank you.

Back here at home, the University of Virginia's president addressing accusations of a culture of sex assault on campus, head-on for the first time. President Teresa Sullivan says her school will prioritize investigating sexual misconduct over protecting its reputation, telling students, quote, "We will repair this wrong." Campus security also will be increased following an alleged gang rape at a fraternity that was detailed in a "Rolling Stone" article.

Bill Cosby has resigned from Temple University's board of trustees after a 32-year tenure. This comes amid allegations now from 17 women accusing him of sexual misconduct. Cosby's attorney has repeatedly denied those accusations. In our next hour, we're going to sit down with three of his accusers. They are all meeting for the first time. We will ask what they'd like to see happen from here. That's ahead on NEW DAY.

Really quite a moment, a big thank you from police -- for police, rather, from the 13-year-old Georgia boy who spent four years in his father's home, often hidden behind a wall. Gregory Jean's mother called police last week after getting a phone call from her son. I want you to listen to Gregory tell reporters how he managed to make that call to his mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGORY JEAN JR., RESCUED CHILD: I just went on Play Store, and I downloaded an app called magicJack, and I called my mom. I'm feeling great, thank God, I'm feeling great. I'm ready to go home. So thank you all, guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: Look at that smile.

Meanwhile, Gregory's father and step-mother have been arrested and are charged with false imprisonment and child cruelty.

CUOMO: I still don't get nit. So the kid was taken by his own father, which by the way, is like, well over 90-plus percent of all of these cases.

PEREIRA: Yes.

CUOMO: Then the mother didn't know where the kid was?

PEREIRA: That's what we don't know. There's a lot of circumstances in the story that we're still trying to work out. But I have to tell you, the fact that that, that mother looks like she's never going to let go of that boy again.

CUOMO: Right.

PEREIRA: The way she was holding onto him and that smile on his face is something to behold.

CAMEROTA: Right. I mean, we don't -- he was hidden behind the wall. We don't know if when the police went over to search the house if he was always hidden. There are still a lot of questions.

PEREIRA: We also know that there was physical abuse.

CAMEROTA: So terrible. Thanks for the update.

PEREIRA: No problem.

CAMEROTA: All right.

American soldiers have faced grave threats overseas, of course. Well, now they may face equally dangerous threats at home. There's a new threat from ISIS. And it's prompting an FBI warning to U.S. military personnel. We'll tell about that threat and the potential shift in strategy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: A new warning from new members of the U.S. military. The FBI cautioning that ISIS is calling for attacks against service members, with the terror group also trying to find people in the U.S. to carry out those attacks.

Joining us to discuss all of this and the new threat is Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby. Good morning, Admiral.

REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

CAMEROTA: OK. So what specifically has prompted this new FBI warning?

KIRBY: Well, this is a warning that actually has built on similar warnings that our combatant commanders, our four-star generals around the world, have issued to their troops, as well, over many, many months. And this is just a recognition that the threat is very real and that we want our service members and their families to be extra careful.

CAMEROTA: But it sounds like there's something specific here. Because this one is specifically against service members, and it's specifically telling them to be careful on social media. So give us more. What's that about?

KIRBY: Let me state at the outset that this is not the result of a single credible threat. This isn't the result of some sort of threat out there that we've picked up on.

It is, however, the result of many months of conclusion by intel analysts that this group, ISIL, poses a real threat, not just to the region, but to our interests, our allies' interests. And of course, that backs up right up on our troops, who are doing the fighting alongside our Iraqi partners in Iraq.

So it does -- it does help us provide a little focus for our troops and their families to make sure that they're a little bit extra careful.

This is a group, ISIL, who's very active and adept at social media. They monitor it very, very closely. And of course, they use it, as well. We've seen that. But they monitor it very, very closely. And we know our troops are also active in social media. And we want them to be. Nobody is telling then they can't get on Twitter or Facebook and that kind of thing. But we just want them to be real careful about the kind of information that they're posting. So that we're not unnecessarily giving ISIL terrorists any more information about our troop movements or our intentions.

CAMEROTA: And the FBI is cautioning against posting some sort of personal information on Twitter or Facebook. What does that look like? What don't you want service members to put on their social media profiles?

KIRBY: Well, things like their address, their phone numbers, their vacation plans. The movement of their units to or fro. When they're coming home from a deployment. Or any -- any -- specifically mentioning any time when perhaps their families will be separated from them, perhaps over the holidays.

So we just want them to be a little extra careful about what they're putting out there. Because you don't know who's going to be looking at it, and you don't know what the intentions are of the people that will be looking at your information.

CAMEROTA: Of course, as you just pointed out, it is holiday season. Many servicemen and -women do travel during that time, and they travel in uniform. Are you advising against that this holiday season?

KIRBY: Well, there's no specific prohibition against traveling in uniform over the holidays. At least not that I'm aware of here at the Pentagon. Now some commanders for -- over in Europe, for instance, General Breedlove has asked that their troops curtail use of uniforms in certain situations. And so there are some prohibitions around the world but not here at home that I'm aware of.

CAMEROTA: Our CNN reporting out of the Pentagon suggests that they may be targeting specific U.S. military members. Do you know of any specific threats against specific servicemen or -women?

KIRBY: I have no information that corroborates specific threats against specific members. But we're constantly watching what this group is doing and what they're saying and trying to figure that out.

CAMEROTA: OK. We also understand that ISIS is looking for people in the United States, perhaps American sympathizers to carry out these attacks. Tell us more?

KIRBY: Well, this has been a threat that we've been long focused on with this group, this threat of foreign fighters. They very much want to recruit westerners into their ranks, people with passports and the freedom to come and go. Not just from the United States but from countries in Europe all the way out to Australia. This is a main concern by western governments, and it's one of the reasons why the international community has come so strongly together against this group while we have a coalition of 60 nations, because we're all worried about this. These people who can move freely, they have passports, they are

trained, get skilled, perhaps get weapons and then come back to their home countries and execute attacks. It's a significant problem, and we're focused on it very closely.

CAMEROTA: But it sounds like ISIS might already have identified some specific people who could carry out these lone-wolf attacks. Is the FBI also monitoring these people?

KIRBY: Well, I wouldn't speak for the FBI here at the Pentagon. I certainly wouldn't get into law enforcement issues here. Again, without going into details and specifics, the foreign fighter threat is something that we've been focused on for a long time and will remain focused on.

CAMEROTA: Very quickly, can you give us a status report on what's happening in Mosul today.

KIRBY: Well, Mosul remains a contested environment, as you know. And actually, all of Iraq, there's still a wide swath of territory in western Iraq where ISIL holds sway. That said, Iraq security forces and Peshmerga forces up in the north, Kurdish forces up in the north are trying to retake territory and regain ground. And they've had some success. It's been mixed. It's been spotty, hasn't been completely steady. But fighting continues.

CAMEROTA: And what about U.S. ground forces to help the Peshmerga in Mosul?

KIRBY: Well, the president has been very, very clear that there will be no -- no return of U.S. troops in a combat role on the ground in Iraq. That said, he has authorized another 1,500 advisers that are going to be starting to deploy in the next several weeks to go and help train, advise and assist Iraqi brigades, as well as Kurdish brigades up in the north.

So we're going to continue to try to assist Iraqi security forces as they take the fight to ISIL. But there's no plans at all right now for any troops on the ground, U.S. troops in a combat role.

CAMEROTA: OK. Rear Admiral John Kirby, thanks so much for joining us on NEW DAY. Nice to see you.

KIRBY: Good to see you. Thanks for having me.

CAMEROTA: Let's go over to Chris.

CUOMO: All right. So it seems that Jeb Bush could be making a presidential run. Could, could. He added fuel to the fire last night. If he's in, how ready are Republicans to make him the man? John King will have the details on "Inside Politics." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Good to have you back with us here on NEW DAY. Here are your headlines at this hour. President Obama vowing to reform law enforcement in the United States.

He is calling for tighter controls on the militarization of police departments and he's calling for millions in funding for police officer body cameras.

In the meantime, the St. Louis Rams and St. Louis County Police are at odds over whether the team apologized for actions Sunday when several of their players raised their arms in solidarity with Ferguson protesters.

Breaking overnight, al-Shabaab is now claiming responsibility for killing at least 36 people in a quarry along the Kenya/Somali border. We are hearing that the gunmen separated the workers by religion. They freed Muslims while gunning down Christians, even beheading some of their victims.

Federal regulators are now investigating whether car seat maker Graco delayed reporting a safety defect that led to the largest recall of car seats in U.S. history. More than six million car seats were recalled. The defect involves car seat buckles that can become stuck in the latched position, potentially putting a child's life at risk in an emergency.

Chris, Alisyn, I'm not really sure if you all are about the Do-si-dos or more of a Rah-Rah Raisin type, but here is some news you can use, my friends. Starting later this month you will be able to buy boxes of your favorite Girl Scout cookies online for the first time.

CUOMO: Finally value to the Internet.

PEREIRA: Participating Girl Scout troops can sell the iconic cookies, whether they are Samoas, Tagalongs, what have you...

CAMEROTA: Oh, I do like the Tagalongs.

PEREIRA: ... through personalized websites or a mobile app, with their parents' permission, of course. But isn't that an interesting development?

CUOMO: All right. Let's have it. Which is yours?

PEREIRA: My favorite?

CUOMO: Oh, yes.

PEREIRA: Thin Mint in the freezer.

CAMEROTA: That is good.

PEREIRA: Think about it.

CAMEROTA: You can polish off a whole sleeve.

PEREIRA: Well, I try not to.

CAMEROTA: I can. Because they're so good. But does that mean we won't get any more visits from Girl Scouts?

PEREIRA: I think it's an option. I think they're trying to expand their reach.

CUOMO: I've been calling for this for years, that they should sell the cookies all year-round. I've never understood.

PEREIRA: Well, there is that. Don't you think it just becomes a regular thing instead of it being a treat?

CUOMO: Good. Good, good. I also think that it can only be what is this -- the Samoa is the best cookie. It is everything that people like.

PEREIRA: Oh, I knew there was going to be an absolute.

CUOMO: Subject to allergies, it is also what you like in addition to a Samoa. Can't even have them in the house. Can't even have them in the house.

All right. Let's get to "Inside Politics" on NEW DAY with John King.

John King, politics aside for a second, what's your cookie, my man? What's your cookie?

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": I'm a peanut butter guy, Tagalong.

CAMEROTA: I love it.

PEREIRA: Delish.

CAMEROTA: I love it.

KING: We were going to go "Inside Politics." Instead, we're going to order some cookies, OK? We'll just go order some cookies.

CUOMO: Something everyone can agree on. Politics eating cookies, that's a good start.

KING: Three letters, G-Y-M. After all of those cookies.

Let's go. We got a lot of talk about Inside Politics this morning. Let's go there after they eat their cookies. With me to share their reporting and their insights, Jackie Kucinich, Ed O'Keefe of "The Washington Post".

Let's talk about our brand new CNN/ORC poll today, which has a bit of a surprise when you look at 2016 and the Republican contenders. First, if Mitt Romney runs, here we go, he would be the overwhelming frontrunner, but at just 20 percent. Look at the guy at number two, Dr. Ben Carson, a nonpolitician at number two then Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee.