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New Day

Developments in AirAsia Crash; Security Tight for Celebrations in NYC; GOP Leader Backs Scalise; Interview with Steve James about "Life Itself"

Aired December 31, 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: Good morning. You are watching NEW DAY. Thanks so much for joining us.

Developments overnight in the crash for AirAsia Flight 8501. Objects spotted on the bottom of the Java Sea could well be the wreckage of the plane. Four more bodies now have been recovered, bringing the total number recovered is at least 10. Two of the bodies of victims have arrived at Surabaya for identification. Somber ceremonies are happening when they arrive. Five more will soon follow.

In the meantime, bad weather is hampering search efforts, forcing them to end early today. More bad weather is on the way, we're told, tomorrow.

Let's head right now to Gary Tuchman, who has been there for those somber ceremonies as the bodies are brought back to Surabaya.

Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michaela, one of the problems, this is monsoon season here in Indonesia, and it's often very bad weather conditions. So the searchers are very concerned about how this search mission is going to go. Right now they have recovered, as you said, 10 bodies, but that still means there are 152 people on the plane they have not recovered yet. And what a leader of the search effort is telling us is that most likely he believes that many, if not most of these people, are still strapped to their seats on the bottom of the Java Sea.

Now, the Java Sea is not very deep. As a matter of fact, the deepest depth is less than much of the Great Lakes in the United States, only about 100 feet. So you could actually have a scuba diver go down there. You don't need special robots to go down there. You can scuba and go down there and see what you have to see.

But because of the conditions - it's been -- I flew in earlier today from another Indonesian island, Bali, to here, and it was very smoggy, very turbulent. You could see the waves boiling. You could see it was a big problem. So it was very clear to me from the air. And because of that, although planes and ships have been out there, the divers haven't been able to go down. They believe, many of the people were talking to, the only way they're going to be able to recover most or all of the bodies is for the divers to go down and do that.

As you said, though, we had a ceremony today for the first two victims. Another ceremony will be held later for the next five victims. A total of 10 found and the work will continue tomorrow on the first day of the new year.

Michaela.

PEREIRA: And a very sober way to start the beginning of a new year there. We know that, obviously, they want to make sure that the weather is cooperating so that they're not putting any more lives in danger.

Gary Tuchman, you've been doing a tremendous job for us, thank you so much

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, it is New Year's Eve and New York City is getting ready to ring in 2015 under extremely tight security. Counter-terror teams, bomb-sniffing dogs and more are all in place to keep a million revelers safe. The NYPD also planning for possible demonstrations. Rosa Flores is live in Times Square with more.

Good morning, Rosa.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.

Take a look around me. Some of those revelers already arriving from all around the world. Now, some of these pins, of course, still empty because it's early right now. But take a look around.

Here's what we know. For the everyday reveler, nothing will change here in New York City, in Times Square. But behind the scenes, the NYPD does tell us that they will have heightened security, they will have more officers out on the streets and they will also be monitoring social media very closely. Why? Because of the increased threats against police officers after two of their own were ambushed and killed.

Now, that has also sparked protests, so the NYPD tell us that they do have a specific detail ready to go at a moment's notice if some of those protests arise. But take a look around, a lot of these stages will, of course, be packed. A lot of people will be around and the focus will be right behind me, the drop of the New Year's Eve ball.

Christine.

ROMANS: A long day ahead for any revelers who are starting to show up now. Thanks so much, Rosa Flores.

Of course you are invited to ring in the new year with CNN. Anderson Cooper will once again do his best to keep his composure in this one on one that only Kathy Griffin can give him when she does her thing. You can watch it all unfold live from Times Square. "New Year's Eve Live" begins at 9:00 Eastern here on CNN. It is unforgettable.

Now let's go over to Poppy.

Hi, Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, guys.

Time now for the five things you need to know for your new day.

Number one, four more victims' bodies have been pulled from the water where Flight 8501 crashed, bringing the number of known victims to 10. The wreckage that may be the planes has been found at the bottom of the Java Sea.

More than 100 people had to be rescued after being trapped in their cars on a snow-covered highway in southern California. All of the drivers are now safe and have been taken to a local shelter.

And U.S. law enforcement officials are denying Sony hack theories suggesting that it was an inside job. This comes after a review from a cyber security firm that expressed doubt that the hack was actually carried out by North Korea.

And House Majority Whip Steve Scalise acknowledged he made a mistake when he gave a speech to a white supremacist group in 2002. The Louisiana congressman is getting support, though, from House Speaker John Boehner.

And severe flu now an epidemic here in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control says the flu is widespread in 36 states. Fifteen children have died from the flu across nine of those states since the fall.

And we are always updating the five things you need to know, so go to newday.com for the latest.

PEREIRA: All right, Poppy, thanks.

HARLOW: Sure.

ROMANS: Wash your hands. Wash your hands.

PEREIRA: Definitely.

ROMANS: All right, GOP Leader John Boehner says he's still backing a congressman who spoke before a white supremacist group, but could that support cost Boehner politically? Our panel weighs in.

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PEREIRA: Good to have you back with us here on NEW DAY.

Republican leadership in damage control mode after Majority Whip Steve Scalise admitted that he did indeed address a white supremacist group back in 2002. Scalise says he now regrets speaking to that group. House Speaker John Boehner, though, standing by him.

We've just got a few days before the GOP-led Congress convenes. Is supporting Scalise really the right move for Boehner? Let's discuss it all with CNN political commentator and Republican strategist Tara Setmayer and CNN political commentator and host of "Huff Post Live," Mr. Marc Lamont Hill.

Happy new year.

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Happy new year.

PEREIRA: Why not have one more political discussion before the year is up.

HILL: Exactly.

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I know.

PEREIRA: Why not, because there is something we should discuss because - and, Tara, I've got to start with you. We know Scalise came out, he issued the statement, we'll pull it up, I'll sort of paraphrase that he wholeheartedly condemns a group whose views that he apparently didn't mean to support. It was a mistake. I regret it. I emphatically oppose the divisive racial and religious views groups like these hold.

Look, he maintains he knew nothing about David Duke, that his connection to the KKK, et cetera, et cetera. He is the number three Republican in Louisiana.

SETMAYER: Well -

PEREIRA: He's got to know the groups he's speaking to, number three, pardon me.

SETMAYER: He's number - well, he's the number three, yes, in the House GOP now. Back then he was a state representative in Louisiana. And, look, I am not going to defend Steve Scalise speaking in front of this group, but it's important to say that - to note that he did not necessarily support this group. At the time he was going around the state, he was pushing for a tax reform bill and he did a favor -

PEREIRA: But being in their company?

SETMAYER: No, no, no, he did a favor for a political friend of his who was a neighbor. So he claims he didn't know. I find that to be somewhat not credible. However, that doesn't mean he was supporting the group. I think he was doing what politicians do, which is kind of a wink and a nod and saying, I need these votes, I don't really -- I'm not going to pay attention to what you guys really believe, I just need these votes.

Now, the problem that he does have, and I think that personally, that's Steve Scalise, should not be in leadership anymore. I think when you make a decision like this and it's a poor -- it was a lapse in judgment or poor judgment, you need to pay a price for it.

PEREIRA: OK.

SETMAYER: And for the Republicans to have someone that has this racial baggage now, whether he - whether it's fair or not, this is not something the Republicans need going into the new Congress. I think it's a distraction. So for Steve Scalise, I worked on Capitol Hill for many years, I was a communications director, and he -

PEREIRA: Good to hear from a Republican here -

SETMAYER: Yes, well, you know, and he's a good guy.

PEREIRA: Yes.

SETMAYER: We never had a problem with him. But, unfortunately, the optics of this --

HILL: Except for just going to those KKK meetings, he's a great guy.

SETMAYER: Well, he - but he wasn't going to KKK meetings. That's not fair. Come on, Marc, let's be fair here.

PEREIRA: No. No.

HILL: No, no, I'm saying it tongue and cheek.

SETMAYER: He condemned it.

HILL: He's obviously - look, I don't know Steve and if I were guessing, I'd say he's probably a great guy.

PEREIRA: Right.

HILL: I don't think he's a white supremacist.

PEREIRA: Right. And we've heard a whole amount of support for him.

SETMAYER: And Cedric Richmond (ph) -- even Cedric Richmond, who is a black member of Congress from Louisiana.

HILL: Yes, but I also don't appeal (ph) to the one black guy in the House to say that somebody's racist or not because -

SETMAYER: He's not the only one.

HILL: No, no, because if he had said he is racist we would say, well, see, a black guy said he's racist. We only appeal to black people when we're saying someone's not racist, not when we say that they are.

SETMAYER: Well, it's important though.

HILL: But -

PEREIRA: But do you see --

HILL: It's only important because it supports - the point that people want. Republicans don't point to black people pointing out racism and say, look, a black person said it. So I don't take the inverse.

But I think the bigger issue for me, the bigger issue for me, is that he would make a decision to go there. I don't believe that he didn't know. So the question becomes, what are you willing to concede in terms of your ideology -

PEREIRA: Fair point.

HILL: For votes, for friends, for social networks.

SETMAYER: No, I agree with that. That's on both sides.

HILL: Yes, I agree, but in this case we're talking about.

PEREIRA: Yes.

SETMAYER: Yes.

PEREIRA: Yes.

HILL: And so I find that extremely troublesome.

The other thing that Steve has to - Steve Scalise has to worry about is the fact that Republicans -- a lot of Republicans don't like him anyway right now -

PEREIRA: Right.

HILL: Because of him not challenging Obama on federal amnesty, on other executive actions.

PEREIRA: Yes.

HILL: And so people are looking for an excuse to push him out anyway.

PEREIRA: And they might have just gotten their excuse.

HILL: Oh, they got a - they got a great Christmas present.

SETMAYER: Well, this actually reignites the conservative versus establishment argument and some say that, you know, Steve Scalise is a Tea Party guy, but he's a little too cozy with the establishment Republicans. So, yes, there was controversy over that, whether Steve Scalise is actually a good representative of the conservative values and movement on that side of the House. So it may reignite that. There are several layers to this discussion.

PEREIRA: Well, and let me discuss other layer because you talk about the fact that this is a party that is working to be more inclusive and incorporate more minorities.

SETMAYER: Uh-huh.

HILL: Yes.

PEREIRA: You've got three people right here who can talk about that very clearly. I want to know about this support that he seems to be getting in pretty large doses from House Speaker John Boehner. This, to me, is very interesting, considering we're about to head in the new year. What does that mean to you? And do you think that that is a dangerous game for Boehner to be playing?

SETMAYER: I don't know if it's dangerous. I just think that it's ill- advised. I think it's unfortunate that the speaker has decided not to take a position of principle here. You know it's this idea of this everything is just so political. It adds to the skepticism that people have of politicians. And I think that that's unfortunate.

This was an opportunity for us to actually hold ourselves to a higher standard -

HILL: I disagree.

SETMAYER: Because if it was the other way around, Republicans would be carping about this.

PEREIRA: Sure.

SETMAYER: And, but, there's also a double standard in how we, in the media and other places, handle this, too, because if it happened on the other side, way worst things. I mean Robert Byrd, Senator Fulbright and, you know, come on.

HILL: But if you're - but if you're -

PEREIRA: Marc, final thoughts.

HILL: But if you're - but if - but Robert Byrd did it in 1948. He didn't do it in 2014.

SETMAYER: Even still he was (INAUDIBLE). But he was a grand wizard of the KKK, way worse than anything that Steve Scalise ever (INAUDIBLE) do.

HILL: No, look, I'm not defending him, I'm just saying it's a little tough - I mean it happened 70 years ago. Lots of people - lots of people were in the KKK in 1948.

SETMAYER: (INAUDIBLE). There's a double standard in the House. The outrage is a double standard.

PEREIRA: Final point, Marc.

HILL: I think we're all outraged about Robert Byrd being in the KKK. I don't think anyone isn't.

But, for me, I think that Boehner -- if you believe Boehner's position, which is that he thinks this is a one-time thing and a mistake -

PEREIRA: Yes.

HILL: You kind of have to hold your ground here, otherwise he's going to have a long two years of caving on every bit of media pressure he gets.

PEREIRA: All right, let's - SETMAYER: And that's what this is all it is, because if anything else comes out, then Boehner -- this is bad for Boehner.

PEREIRA: Well -

SETMAYER: So I hope for everybody's sake that this is a one-time shot and it goes away fine, but I think that Steve Scalise should have stepped down from leadership.

PEREIRA: Tara, Marc, we'll leave it there for now. We just had one last robust conversation with the two of you politically. End of the year. Happy new year to you both, okay? Be well. Christine?

ROMANS: And tomorrow is 2015, which is just before 2016 so we're going to have lots to talk about. Thanks, guys.

Legendary film critic Roger Ebert's legacy is explored in the new CNN film, "Life Itself." We sit down with the director who gives us an inside look at Ebert's life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: The critically acclaimed CNN film "Life Itself" makes its global TV debut here on CNN this Sunday night. It dives into film critic Roger Ebert's life, his relationships, and his fight against cancer. John Berman sat down with the director, Steve James, starting the discussion about Ebert's inspiring love story with his wife, Chaz.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, it's about a man, this movie, but it's also about, to me at least, a couple of relationships, a couple of amazing relationships. There's this love story with Chaz.

STEVE JAMES, DIRECTOR, "LIFE ITSELF": Yes.

BERMAN: Which is just beautiful.

JAMES: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is the love of my life. She saved me from the fate of living out my life alone, which is where I seem to be heading.

JAMES: To be able to witness that up close was to see the depth of that relationship was astounding, and the love, and the sort of connection that they had. I mean, that was, you know, I can't think of a more inspiring relationship. And for me, as someone who has done a lot of films about race over the years, to kind of see this interracial marriage, too, that was just so remarkable, for what it didn't matter that they were black and white, that's what was so amazing.

BERMAN: It was just love, it was just pure love for a long time, and through an awful lot of different things. The other relationship is the famous relationship with Gene Siskel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Roger Ebert from the "Chicago Sun Times."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And right over here is Gene Siskel from the "Chicago Tribune" and Channel 2 news.

JAMES: Yes, they didn't like each other for a lot of the time, and especially at the beginning. Chaz would tell you that for the first six years or so of that professional relationship they really didn't like each other at all because they were competitors for different newspapers. They came from different backgrounds, but you know, what's interesting is, is as that relationship went on professionally, it became more complicated. And it's not like a Hollywood version, where they went from vitriol to love. It wasn't that pure, wasn't that simple, but they did come to kind of love each other in their own way, even while they were still very competitive.

BERMAN: And even the way that, you know, when Gene Siskel died, I mean, I think you know, I was not aware that Roger Ebert did not know for a long time.

JAMES: You know, it's really interesting, because even in the way in which they both approached fatal illness and death, they did it differently, but both with a tremendous amount of courage, and a perfectly honorable and beautiful way. Gene intensely private, and Roger, because of the way it happened with Gene, making this decision that if this should ever befall him, he wanted not to lead it publicly out of an ego sense, but to share it with the people he cared about and then he ended up sharing it with the people that followed him in a way that was intensely moving and educational.

BERMAN: Do you have any doubts or concerns about showing Roger as he was after all the surgeries? Because at first, as the viewer to me, at first you're like wow, this man has been through a lot and it's jarring to see what happened to him physically. I forgot about it by the end of the movie.

JAMES: That's what I went through as a filmmaker. You know, when I first started meeting with Roger and Chaz and I saw him, not the way he would go out publicly which was always with a black turtleneck, which was very stylish and oftentimes with a beautiful scarf, I didn't realize when I saw that public Roger that what it was masking essentially, which is, you know, he had this hole down here.

So when I saw him, you know, at home with the white bandage, I at first was like oh my God. I'm not sure how people are going to handle this when they see this in the movie, but then Roger smiles, and you see that twinkle in his eye and it's like oh, that's Roger. And you get accustomed to it and I wanted the viewer to go through that same process.

BERMAN: So, the final question, I'm sure you get asked all the time with this is, how would Roger Ebert review this film?

JAMES: Well, I defer to Chaz on this. You know, she says that she thinks he would love the movie, and he would love it not because it's about him. He would love it, she says, because it's the kind of film that he responded to, that, you know, it's entertaining, but it's emotional, and it's honest.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Making a film about a man who was so in love with films.

PEREIRA: Yes.

ROMANS: That's a big challenge.

PEREIRA: Don't miss it, the CNN film "Life Itself" about my friend, I can say that, and my mentor, Roger Ebert, Sunday night at 9:00 p.m.

So, as 2014 comes to a close, we're going to take a look back at some of the biggest stories of the year, the most unforgettable moments for the three of us, when we come back.

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PEREIRA: So there it is, 2014 is coming to a close and brought us so many big, tough, tough stories in the news. As 2015 approaches, many of us are busy making these New Year's resolutions that we'll never follow. We thought we would instead take a moment to reflect on some of the unforgettable moments from 2014. There's been so many stories. I'll start, because I think it is probably obvious to a lot of people I'm biracial, so Ferguson, and Eric Garner, and all of these stories of racial unrest, and identity, and the police, all of this has resonated so profoundly with me because my partner of ten years is African-American, his nephews are African-American teenagers, and I've worked with at-risk youth and there are kids that are stopped and frisked.

HARLOW: Yes, no question, a huge story that will continue I think in the new year. For me it was Ebola, covering Ebola and the fact that it is still raging and we're not talking about it enough. You still have 19,000 people with the disease in West Africa, 8,000 deaths, and when it came to this country we talked about it a lot and then there was controversy over the people who went over to help and then they came home and some of them brought the disease, and I think those are real heroes certainly of 2014.

ROMANS: And the big story that I've covered this year is the economy that is recovering, and I don't want to make light of these two big important stories you're talking about, but this is something that I hope will be helping people, everybody next year. Lower gas prices, jobs coming back, the stock market has helped rich people, it's helped investors. We want that to broaden out so that everyone has a better (INAUDIBLE).

PEREIRA: Here's a better 2015.

HARLOW: Absolutely.

ROMANS: Happy New Year, everyone. Thanks for watching. Time for "NEWSROOM" now with Carol Costello. Carol?.