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New Day

Kasich Looks for Home State Win; Todd Palin Seriously Injured; Rapper Seeks Change in Detroit; CNN Takes You Inside Rebel-Held Syria. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired March 15, 2016 - 08:30   ET

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

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[08:31:05] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (voice-over): He may win Ohio. It's right now a tie. According to most of the polls, we're literally tied. He may win in Ohio. I mean, who knows. He's the governor. But he has not done a good job.

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CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump admitting John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, could have the upper hand in this big, big, big contest coming out of Ohio tonight. It would be the first win for the state's governor. Sixty-six winner take all delegates at stake.

Joining us now to make the case for Kasich is Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor.

Governor, it's good to have you with us this morning. Do you believe the governor is going to win? And, if so, what does that mean for his path forward?

LT. GOV. MARY TAYLOR (R), OHIO: Absolutely John Kasich's going to win Ohio. He has a 62 percent favorable rating. The state is back on track. We were down over 350,000 jobs. We're up over 400,000 jobs today. Five billion dollars in tax cuts. We have $2 billion - a $2 billion surplus. The governor's got Ohio back on track. And I think after he wins today, we're going to go deeper into the primary calendar, which we knew from the beginning the campaign has always said will be the strength for John Kasich.

CUOMO: Why? That's the part, because some people, as you know say, even if he wins Ohio, the path forward doesn't look that great. Make the other argument.

TAYLOR: Well, the other argument is, is that the - the experience that John Kasich has, his record of accomplishment here in Ohio, bringing jobs back to our state, balancing our budget from an $8 billion deficit to a $2 billion surplus, $5 billion in tax cuts. It's a message that - it's also a policy position that has proven correct here in Ohio. It's gotten our state back on track. And as we move into the primary calendar, more Americans are going hear about that experience and that track record. And as we know in New Hampshire, in Michigan and, of course, here in Ohio, those that are making their minds up later are leaning towards and voting for John Kasich.

So we're going to come out of Ohio tomorrow morning very strong. John Kasich is going to be strong. He's going to win. And he's not only going to win Ohio, but he's also going to be the Republican nominee to be president.

CUOMO: Your optimism is understandable. Illinois is going to be a very big state to watch it all - not only - as well. Not only is it close to Ohio, but it's very close in terms of the issues and demographics, so we'll be watching that.

In terms of the criticisms against Kasich, getting ratcheted up by Donald Trump, he says he's an absentee governor. He's been in New Hampshire more than he's been in his own state. And, more importantly, Ohio has lost a lot of jobs, auto industry jobs and others, and it's because of the bad trade deals that Kasich is in favor of, the TPP, NAFTA. How do you defend those positions?

TAYLOR: Well, we're up over 400,000 jobs, growing industries across the state of Ohio, diverse. In fact, Ford here in greater Cleveland, Ohio, just brought jobs back from Mexico in the last two years. Governor Kasich has always supported policies, not only here in Ohio, but of course during his time in Washington, that helps grow American jobs. And in Ohio, again, we're up over 400,000 jobs. Wages are growing faster than the national average. Ohioans are stronger because of the decisions that Governor Kasich has made and the policy positions that we've not only pushed through the last six years, but, of course, as you know, Governor Kasich continues to be very strong in Ohio with new policy initiatives just being announced in the last two weeks that will continue to drive our state forward.

CUOMO: What about the absentee thing?

TAYLOR: Governor Kasich is very integrally involved with the decisions here in Ohio. Anybody that knows him knows he's very hands on. And as I've already said, we've introduced a couple new bills here in the last couple weeks that we call our MBR, mid biennial review budgets, because Governor Kasich believes that not only doing budging every two years, as we're required by law here in Ohio, but that we should do it every single year because there is new policy initiatives that we continue to push and John Kasich pushes to drive our state forward.

[08:35:12] We're not taking our foot off the gas here this Ohio, even though we're stronger. And John Kasich continues to push. And he is very hands on and is very much aware of what's going on here in the state of Ohio, even though he may be on the road. He's got a cell phone and can be reached when we need him.

CUOMO: Do you think he's going to get on the ballot in Pennsylvania? We know that a court decision's expected any day. The primary itself is April 26th. As you know, Council for Kasich admitted to having false signatures. That's what spurred this controversy and the lawsuit. Do you think he's going to get on the ballot? And if not, that's a big blow.

TAYLOR: Absolutely John Kasich is going to be on the ballot in Pennsylvania. I don't even know - I know we continue to talk about this because it's laid out there as a controversy. But absolutely John Kasich will be on the ballot in Pennsylvania.

CUOMO: Well, it's laid out there because we haven't heard from the judge yet, right, and that's supposed to come any day and then we'll move forward from there with that understanding.

Governor, very good to have you. Good luck to Governor Kasich in Ohio tonight.

TAYLOR: Thank you very much.

CUOMO: All right, Mic.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, ahead, a CNN exclusive, inside Aleppo, a once thriving Syrian city, reduced to rubble by air strikes. Pictures from the ground where only CNN is willing to go.

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[08:40:22] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Sarah Palin rushing back home to Alaska from the Trump campaign trail to be with her husband, Todd, after a bad snowmobile crash. CNN's Stephanie Elam is live in L.A. with more.

What's his condition, Stephanie?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: well, what we understand is he's in serious condition, but he really beat himself up badly here with this accident from what we understand, Alisyn. Taking a look at this accident that happened Sunday night. He's been in intensive care. We know that he's had surgery.

This snowmobile accident left him with broken and fractured ribs, a broken shoulder blade, broken clavicle, knee and leg injuries and a collapsed lung as well. We know that because his wife Sarah Palin posted it to FaceBook the number of injuries that he had sustained.

And keep in mind that he actually races these snowmobiles up there. According to one organization, that's a racing organization in Alaska, he's a four time champion. So he knows his way around these snowmobiles.

But Sarah Palin posting what the extent of his injuries were and then also saying in a statement, quote, "knowing Todd, once he's cognizant, he'll probably ask docs to duct tape him up and he'll call it good. He's tough," end quote.

Of course, this all brought Sarah Palin off of the campaign trail for Donald Trump. She was in Florida. She still managed to stop by one of the campaign events there in Tampa and then made her way back to Alaska. She was supposed to continue to go on to another stop and then make her way to Ohio, but, obviously, going back to be with her family there.

And, Michaela, as I send it back to you, one thing you may have read, that there was a snow machine accident. Well, for those of us who live in the contiguous United States, we call them "snowmobiles." So that clears that up for people who may have been confused by what they heard.

PEREIRA: Don't let me drop some Canadian knowledge of what we call them in Canada on you.

ELAM: I was waiting.

PEREIRA: I will do that on Twitter. How about that?

ELAM: Yes. On Twitter.

PEREIRA: All right, Steph, thank you so much. They're made of tough stuff up there.

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

It is the final Super Tuesday. All eyes on winner take all Republican contests in Ohio and Florida, where Marco Rubio and John Kasich desperately need wins that their home states.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders looking to score another upset win, outspending Hillary Clinton in TV ads in much of the Midwest and rustbelt. Stay with CNN all day for coverage and results.

Russian war planes are pulling out of Syria. President Vladimir Russian - Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing that he's withdrawing his troops from the war-torn country because their objectives have been achieved.

For the first time, an NFL official is acknowledging a link between repetitive head trauma in football and the brain disease known as CTE. That admission from the league's senior VP for health and safety.

Mother Theresa will be made a saint on September 4th. The Vatican announcing her canonization date this morning. It falls on the eve of her death, which was September 5, 1997.

You can always get more on the five things by visiting newdaycnn.com.

Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Mic.

Rapper Big Sean was born and raised in Detroit, so now he's giving other kids a chance to get in the same school where he made his name and practice their music. It's part of today's "Impact Your World." Take a look.

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SEAN ANDERSON, RECORDING ARTIST: Detroit is a city where you can come together and have some of the greatest times, and at the same time it's a dangerous city. CUOMO (voice-over): For rapper Big Sean, his Grammy nominated track

"One Man Can Change the World" is more than just verses, it's a mantra.

ANDERSON: I do carry the responsibility to sing, you know, no matter what. They made me who I am.

CUOMO: The rapper has started his own foundation to help Detroit's young people.

ANDERSON: It's just so easy to get caught in the wrong things when you're young. Being a mentor, I see the importance of showing people their inner potential.

CUOMO: Sean hopes to cultivate Detroit's talent in a new recording studio he built at his old high school.

ANDERSON: What's funny is, I used to get in trouble for selling my CDs in the hallway. And you can just imagine what it feels like to be back.

CUOMO: For students, opportunity means everything.

FREDRICK BOUTTEN, STUDENT: for someone like Big Sean to come and invest in us, partially it was unexpected, but it's such a great asset.

BRYANT MCGHEE, BAND DIRECTOR: You've got this young generation of millennial and, you know, and traditional education. They weren't really being addressed. And so this studio kind of really bridges that gap.

ANDERSON: I got to give back. That's my responsibility.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[08:48:56] PEREIRA: Russian war planes are beginning to pull out of Syria this morning hours after President Vladimir Putin announced that he is withdrawing his troops. He says Russian forces have achieved their goal. This as the civil war in Syria approaches a sober five year mark.

CNN's senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward recently went into the rebel-held Syria where virtually no Western journalists have gone for more than a year and she joins us now with her exclusive report.

I am in awe of you that you would choose to do this and do -- and you it boldly and bravely, eyes wide open, it's incredible the access you got.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much. I think it gives you a sense, though, this tiny moment of bravery we might have had for six days on the ground is the everyday life for so many people in Syria. And we actually managed to visit the city of Aleppo, which has been bombed for four years now by the air force of Bashar al Assad and for the last five months the intensity of those airstrikes has really increased as the Russians became involved militarily. And there is now only one road that the rebels can use to move in and out of that city. They call it the road of death. Take a look.

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[08:50:05] WARD (voice-over): You can tell when you are getting closer to Aleppo. The streets are pockmarked with the aftermath of fresh airstrikes. Burns of earth flank the road to protect the way from enemy fire. It's a dangerous journey to a city few dare to visit.

WARD (on camera): We now have to drive extremely quickly along this portion of the road because on one side you have the regime and on the other side you have Kurdish fighters who are now fighting against rebel forces and there are snipers all around here, but this is the only road now to get into Aleppo.

WARD (voice-over): As you arrive in the city the scale of the destruction is breathtaking. Stretching on and on, entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.

Aleppo was once Syria's largest city, a bustling economic hub. Now an apocalyptic landscape.

(SIRENS)

Russian war planes have bombed these area relentlessly, allowing government ground forces to encircle the rebel-held eastern part of the city.

Still we found pockets of life among the devastation. A fruit market huddled in the shadow of a bombed out building, a line of people waiting patiently to collect water. Now a precious resource here.

WARD (on camera): This is basically what is left of rebel-held Aleppo after months and months of thousands of Russian bombs raining down on here. The streets are largely deserted, the buildings have been destroyed, and the people who once lived here have been pushed out. And the very few residents who are still here who we've spoken to have told us that they don't expect the situation to get any better. In fact, they are convinced it will only get worse.

WARD (voice-over): 70-year-old Souad has lived in this city for forty years. Her grandson, Farouq, is a fighter with the Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham. In all, nine members of her family have been killed in the fighting, including two of her three sons.

SOUAD, ALEPPO RESIDENT (through translator): They all died on the front line. We raise our heads high for them. God willing they are in paradise.

WARD (on camera): What would it take for you to leave Aleppo? FAROUQ, AHRAR AL-SHAM FIGHTER (through translator): It is true there

is shelling and Russian planes and Iranian militias and every day there is a massacre. But it is enough for us to express our religion and our faith as free people without anyone stopping us. It is enough for us to fight as Mujahideen and defend our honor and our women.

SOUAD (through translator): Should we leave our country and go to another country? No. This is our country and we will remain in this until we die.

WARD (voice-over): The people clinging on to life here feel that the world has abandoned them, leaving them only with God. Their existence becomes more precarious with every passing day. But surrender is unthinkable.

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PEREIRA: "This is our country." That woman, so fierce, so bold in what she's saying, yet she has witnessed millions of others flee for safety and refuge outside of Syria. What does she make of that?

WARD: Well, it's really interesting because you would think that anyone living under these type of bombardment would want to leave the country. But no one who had the means or the money would actually voluntarily stay and live under that type of relentless bombardment. But actually talking to people like Souad, this is a voluntary decision for them. They want to stay. They want to keep pushing in this battle. And their view of people who leave the country, while they understand, okay, it makes sense, you need to leave the country, you want to continue your education, you want to live in safety, you want to bring up your children in a safe environment.

PEREIRA: Give them some sort of future, right.

WARD: Exactly. At the same time they are also saying, you know what, you are forfeiting your right to have a say in the future of this country because you left. When the going got tough you left.

PEREIRA: Wow. That's very interesting. What do they make of this news? Russian President Vladimir Putin saying, pulling out our troops, our job is done, we've achieved our goal. How are they reacting?

WARD: I think people are gobsmacked and they don't know whether to be sort of dancing in the streets or whether to actually believe what they are hearing. I mean, you heard me in that stand up there, I was saying the people we talked to were convinced things were going to get worse. Now suddenly the Russians are saying we're pulling out, we're going to stop bombing. I would say that they are very optimistic and hopeful, but they're still also extremely skeptical.

PEREIRA: Waiting for the other shoe to drop almost.

WARD: Exactly.

[08:54:58] PEREIRA: Yeah. You can't let hope die. They've seen so much devastation around them, I can imagine that's a difficult thing to do. Thank you for this. You'll be back with us this week with some more pieces for us.

WARD: Thank you.

PEREIRA: All right. We've got some "Good Stuff" for you coming your way. Stay with us.

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CUOMO: Today's "Good Stuff" is about three-year-old Ellie Walton (ph). Now Ellie up against it. She was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at just four months old. And although she's a very upbeat little girl, she's unable to see the world the way her parents wish she could.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "The world has so much to offer you. You both should be able to travel and see different countries."

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CUOMO: So because Ellie can't travel, Ellie's parents had a great idea. They can't take her to see the world, right? So instead they asked people to bring the world to her. The request went out and guess what? 500 postcards came back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLIE WALTON, DIAGNOSED WITH BRAIN TUMOR AT FOUR MONTHS OLD: (Inaudible) my postcard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "So now you can start collecting countries. And you are a very brave little girl."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: And she loves them. She loves the cards to see and to learn and to feel that she's getting the attention and the love. So "The Good Stuff" applies not only to Ellie's parents, who are heroes, but to you for making this three-year-old girl see the world that her parents never thought she would.

PEREIRA: That's so beautiful.

CAMEROTA: That's beautiful.

PEREIRA: Really lovely. Thank you for that.

CAMEROTA: Thank you for that. Time now for "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello.