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New Warning About Airport Worker Screenings in U.S.; Impact Your World: Army Vet Gives Back to Those in Need; How Will Moderators Handle Tonight's GOP Debate? Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired November 10, 2015 - 08:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:32:47] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: So this morning U.S. officials are growing increasingly concerned about security here at domestic airports. Why? Well, speculation that the downing of that Metrojet flight was actually an inside job.

Let's discuss. We have CNN aviation analyst David Soucie, a former FAA accident investigator and inspector.

We do not know what happened with the Metrojet yet. We will have to wait. We do know that it is worthy of assessment here. What is your headline, Mr. Soucie, about how vulnerable we are to an insider attack at our airports?

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: The employee security system, the way that we screen employees, is substandard and has been for quite some time. We need to fix that. that's the problem with this airport - the airports now in the United States. it's been a problem for quite some time since 1985 with Pan Am Flight. With Pan Am Flight 103 we had the same thing, employees smuggling things into and on to the airplanes. They have unfettered access directly to the airplanes.

CUOMO: But here's what I don't get. I'm taking off my shoes, I'm giving you all this information so I can be pre-checked. That system isn't applied to the employees?

SOUCIE: It does not. What happens with the employees is, they're screened with a criminal history records check. That records check is done when they're first hired. It's never repeated after that on a routine basis. There's no reason to redo that according to the regulations we have. But as far as getting onto the airplane, many employees are not subject to any kind of screening whatsoever from the time they walk into the airport till the time they have access to the cockpit.

CUOMO: So what was that guy talking about, one of the officials, saying we're missing some fundamental biographical information about our employees. How? If they go through an initial background check, how would you not have biographical information, who they are, their date of birth, their Social Security number, where they live?

SOUCIE: Well, that sort of thing they should have. That's something that is mandated right now. The criminal history records check. They have to clear that. In order to clear that, they have to be an employee. In fact, if you were an employee before this statute came into play, you had to go back and get your criminal history records check. The fact that they don't have that biologic - or that biometric information about employees is unacceptable. That means that they haven't even followed the rules that there are about doing this.

CUOMO: Cargo is an even bigger challenge, right? How so?

[08:35:02] SOUCIE: Well, absolutely. Cargo has what they call approved carriers, approved service provider for shipping goods on the airlines. So these types of carriers - these type of carriers, I won't name them specifically but I think we can figure it out - they're people that ship a lot of - a lot of equipment, a lot of things all the time. So they are under routine surveillance, meaning that they don't have to be - they don't' have to be screened. Their packages can go directly from the shipper to the airplane and from the airplane to their - to their delivery point.

CUOMO: So how big an issue is it? You know they gave us this number, 900,000 people whose jobs allow them largely unfettered access behind the scenes at the nation's airports. What is the real number that we're talking about that you believe is inadequately screened.

SOUCIE: Well, I think all 900,000 to be honest with because I think they all need to have a better level of screening.

CUOMO: All 900,000?

SOUCIE: I absolutely agree. There's some - some people that should have, and that includes people that carry tools, people that have that, but they have to have a more routine background check. People's lives change. There's things that change in how they are and who they are and what kind of criminal history they have, but that's never updated. We don't know about that. The challenge comes down to one fundamental thing, which it always does.

CUOMO: But I don't get it.

SOUCIE: Well, go ahead.

CUOMO: No, what's your - one fundamental thing. You can't stop before that. What's the one fundamental thing?

SOUCIE: Well the - yes, that's right. Well, one fundamental thing is money. It comes down to who's going to pay for it. Some estimates by the Government Accounting Office say that it could be $8 million per airport just to do this screening on employees. Who's going to play for that? TSA doesn't have the budget. They'll put that down to the airports. The airports have to do it. The airports then say, well, we're going to charge the airlines. The airlines then say we're going to charge the customer. Do you want to pay extra money for this? That's the thing.

CUOMO: Right. But, I mean, come on, it's somewhat of a no-brainer - it's somewhat of a no-brainer that the people who you're hiring to do the checking would be people that you also check. Do you know what I mean?

SOUCIE: Yes.

CUOMO: This report from the Homeland Security Department inspector general, he says that they didn't have proper controls, effective controls, to make sure that the workers don't have disqualifying criminal histories and that they possessed lawful status and authorization to work in the United States. What kind of initial check would you do that wouldn't tell you that?

SOUCIE: And, Chris, this - well, a criminal history check. That means - and here's this problem with the routine and the checklist and the check box. They check the - yes, we did the criminal history records check. Sure we did that. And we found some problems. What do you do with that information? Where's the - what's the litmus test for this is a good person this is a bad person? So finding out what that means in that history check is what is insufficient. They'll say, yes, I did the check and so that person did his job.

But what happens after that? That's the challenge. That's what needs to be investigated. And this report that we have now from the GAO, from the attorney general, needs to be dealt with. You can't just send out a report and say, hey, this is all messed up and then not do something about it, and that's my concern. That report's been out for quite some time now but we haven't heard any kind of a plan. How do you fix it? What are we going to do now?

CUOMO: That's exactly right. That's what the accountability comes, especially in an industry that tends to be reactive. They've got plenty of cause for reaction now because people are outraged about this.

David Soucie, thank you for helping us understand the system. Appreciate it.

So, what do you think? What do we do? How do you make it happen? Tweet us using #newdaycnn or post your comment on facebook.com/newday.

Mic.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, well, the GOP candidates are ready to face off in tonight's debate. We're going to take a closer look at what we can expect.

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[08:42:27] PEREIRA: All right, here we go with the five things to know for your new day.

At number one, the president and chancellor out at a University of Missouri. They're stepping down amid a student-led revolt over racial tensions on campus. The football team who refused to play until the president resigned, they're set to resume practice today.

Ben Carson, Donald Trump head-lighting (ph) tonight's Republican debate in Milwaukee. Dr. Carson facing intense media scrutiny over stories about his past. Fox Business Network is promising a, quote, "real debate" about real economic issues.

Security officials here in the U.S. are taking a closer look into the vetting process of airport employees following the crash of Metrojet Flight 9268. Insider attacks a main concern following speculation an airport worker smuggled a bomb into that doomed airplane.

Police in Texas are questioning a man in connection with the shooting of a state judge last week. Officials say that person of interest was arrested on an unrelated fugitive warrant.

A federal appeals court voting 2-1 against President Obama's plan to give nearly five million immigrants work permits and protection from deportation, upholding a challenge filed by 26 states.

And, remember, you can always get more on the five things by visiting newdaycnn.com.

She lost a daughter, her home and had to tough it out on the streets. Now one Army veteran is making sure that no one has to endure the heartbreak that she did. It's today's "Impact Your World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BURRELL, VOLUNTEER, ACTION MINISTRIES: This is what we do right here. This is what we do.

PEREIRA (voice-over): Pamela Burrell know what it's like to go hungry. The 52-year-old Army veteran has made it her mission to help make sure no one else does.

BURRELL: It's just like an ultimate high. Like an unconditional high.

PEREIRA: Today she is helping prepare meals for families, drawing on her experience as a cook in the Army. That's when Burrell's life took a terrible turn. A friend looking at her two daughters while she was served overseas killed her four-year-old.

BURRELL: My daughter had been hit with a fist and then she was thrown down the stairs. I have memories and I'm reliving my struggle and it hurts sometimes.

PEREIRA: The single mom fell into a deep depression. She lost her job and even tried to take ore hen life.

BURRELL: I was a project mom. So going into the military was supposed to make things better for my family and myself.

PEREIRA: Burrell and her other daughter lived on the streets for years until they found a charity dedicated to ending homelessness. She got an apartment and treatment for PTSD. But she still thought about her friends on the streets.

[08:45:02] VIRGINIA SPENCER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ACTION MINISTRIES: She's always bringing someone else with another tough story who's on the street that she met in the park and bringing them to us and saying, hey, can you help them? PEREIRA: Burrell's dream is to own her own restaurant, buy a home and

continue to help veterans.

BURRELL: To me it is just the right thing to do. It is the way I was raised.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERICAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Big debate tonight. Fox Business Network promising to hold a substantive debate focusing on the economy. How different will it be?

Let's bring in CNN senior media correspondent, host of "RELIABLE SOURCES", Brian Stelter and CNN senior media reporter and -- for media and politics, Mr. Dylan Byers. Good to have you both here.

Well you got a Cavuto and a Bartiromo. Those are Italian names, that's always a good start, as we like to say. What do you expect tonight, Mr. Stelter? It is Fox. Does that mean anything? It is also a Business Network. That gives them a comparative advantage.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: I spoke with Mrs. Bartiromo. She does have that beautiful Italian accent. She talked about how she's not going to put up with any nonsense from these candidates. If there are more cries of media bias, I have a feeling that she and Cavuto will shut it down pretty quickly.

[08:49:51] This is Fox. Which means the candidates might not complain as much about the questions. Fox is a favorite network of conservatives. Fox Business is a smaller sibling channel. This is the biggest day in their history, as "Adweek" put it yesterday. A big chance to show off the channel. So any mistakes, any screw ups are going to look bad for the channel.

But I have a feeling, Chris, that from Roger Ailes on down to Bartiromo and Cavuto and everybody else, they know exactly what they are doing. They are not going to let it get out of control the way the cNBC debate did.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: OK, so Dylan, do they bring up any of the discrepancies in Ben Carson's childhood stories or do they not touch it?

DYLAN BYERS, CNN SENIOR REPORTER, MEDIA & POLITICS: Yeah, I believe they will. In fact, I think Bartiromo suggested as much to Brian just yesterday. But the way they do it matters. They have to do it in a very nuanced way because, of course, this entire Fox Business debate is happening in the context of the cNBC debate of the sort of protests against the media, the pushback against the media that we saw from the candidates and from critics after the debate. So every question that the moderators are asking tonight has to be done in a very careful, substantive, nuanced way. So how they address the issues about Ben Carson's history is going to be interesting to see.

CAMEROTA: So Brian, what does that sound like? What are those questions then?

STELTER: I think it is about tone. It's about a respectful tone, even though the questions can be as sharp as they possibly can be. I think both of you frankly, Alisyn and Chris, are experts in that and getting the tone right while challenging these candidates. Now, it is only two hours. We've got eight candidates on the stage, two hours. They have longer opportunities to rebuttal and to respond to people. So we'll see how many questions actually are able to get raised --

CUOMO: But you also have to remember -

STELTER: These candidates might chew up a lot of time in their responses.

CUOMO: Brian, you know, we've been talking about the moderators, I would suggest, way too much. I mean, I think that they have to be present and do their job. But they should not be the focus. What the focus is is going to be what's coming at them, what the tone of the candidates is. Let's play Donald Trump as a taste of exactly what is working right now in this GOP primary and then let's talk about how they handle this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People are getting away with murder. I never saw anything like this. You can say anything about anybody and their poll numbers go up. No matter what you do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Listen to what he just said, Dylan. I don't know what's going on. You can say anything about anybody, meaning he attacks people, and their polls still go up. You have to remember the mindset of what's being confronted with these moderators. Is if they start going at each other that way, not about policy, not about economics, what is a moderator to do? You have to let them just go at it, right?

BYERS: Well yes, certainly there is only so much a moderator can do. It is really funny to hear Donald Trump say that because of course he was the one who made this campaign, this sort of unprecedented campaign where you can say anything and get away with it. He really sort of created that this time around. So it is interesting to see him sort of commenting on it as the spectator.

But you're absolutely right. Look, there is only so much the moderators can do. The most they can hope for is to sort of control the debate, ask substantive questions so they don't get a ton of pushback from the candidates themselves and then really, look, it is a debate. It is not a forum. You have to let them go at it a little bit.

CUOMO: I also hope people listen for what they don't hear. They are going to be asked questions. Look -- we know Cavuto and Bartiromo, they are at the top of the game, they know business very well. They have been doing it for years. They are going to say, so what are you going to do about taxes? Listen for what you hear about what I'll do with taxes versus how the current situation stinks and how nobody else on the stage can do it as well as they can.

CAMEROTA: Yeah, if you hear them laying out specifics. But Brian, that leads me to my next question and that is, it's logical for Fox Business Network to say we're just going to stick to policy. We're only going to talk about the substance. But, of course, voters also want to hear about someone's past and they like testing somebody's temperament and that makes sort of for the fireworks of the night and that's always interesting. So can the moderators really just stick to sort of the caster oil of policy?

STELTER: I think if they do the reviews will be rather poor because people will say it was a dull debate. I think you are absolutely right that people do enjoy the fireworks. The enjoy the personality and the personal conversations about these candidates. We might all say we want substance, but the reality is some of these candidates don't even want to talk about substance. Some of these candidates, like Donald Trump, would rather talk about personality, would rather take personal shots at each other. Some of these candidates don't even have detailed economic policies published yet. So we'll see how much detail they actually want to share.

But I think the difference between a good debate and a great debate would be if we learn new things about the differences between the candidates. Yes, there are some differences between these candidates' views of the economy. Not huge differences, but there are some. If we can actually see those differences on stag, if we can actually have them expressed, that will make for a successful debate tonight.

CUOMO: Dylan, I think maybe the middle space will be that you'll hear a Cavuto or a Bartiromo, who are more than smart enough to do this, cherry pick policy positions and say, well, what would you do differently? And you've said this in the past, how would that work? Then you wind up getting to the same place, right, where a competitive advantage and who's better than whom.

BYERS: Yeah, I think that's right. And there is always the risk here that it goes too far into the weeds. Too far into policy. And look, like Brian said, there is a reason that 24 or 25 million people are tuning into some of these debates and it is not to hear a policy discussion. People do want those fireworks. So how you have a substantive debate, don't draw the criticism that cNBC drew, while at the same time creating, you know, entertaining television, that is going to be the challenge for them tonight.

[08:55:22] CUOMO: I'll bet my lunch money -

STELTER: The reality is, there is a civil war going on in the GOP. And these debates are our opportunity to see those battles being fought.

CAMEROTA: Yep. Dylan, Brian, thank you. We'll be watching.

CUOMO: I'll bet my lunch money they get better reviews than cNBC did.

STELTER: Thanks.

CAMEROTA: Wow. OK. I'm going to have to pay you that much money.

CUOMO: And I spend $7,000 on lunch. "Good stuff" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: "Good Stuff." Let's focus on vets when we can for Veterans Day. The divorce rate among Iraq and Afghanistan vets, more than 40 percent higher than the average. Factoring in those suffering from PTS, the number goes higher.

So where is the good stuff? Here. A group of dedicated therapists in New York City offering couples therapy for vets, unlimited sessions completely free. The New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy claims 90 percent of couples can have significant improvement with help.

PEREIRA: Are you kidding? Wow.

CUOMO: Website is on your screen.

CAMEROTA: There you go.

PEREIRA: That is amazing. All right. It's time for "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello.