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New Day

Sen. Cruz Tweets Russian Propaganda And Calls U.S. Military Too "Woke"; Pittsburgh On The Verge Of Electing Its First Black Mayor; Outrage After "1619 Project" Creator Denied Tenure At UNC. Aired 7:30- 8a ET

Aired May 21, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICS SENIOR WRITER AND ANALYST: Well below five percent now.

And, you know, obviously, this is somewhat dependent on how many people are getting tested. But the fact is there are fewer people getting tested now perhaps than a little bit earlier on.

So this is a very, very, very good sign. It follows the death rates falling, the case rates falling, and the hospitalization falling. They're all pointing in a pretty good direction, John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: There is less of the virus out there, Harry.

ENTEN: Yes.

BERMAN: We are winning.

ENTEN: We -- that is exactly right. We've still got a little bit ways to go but we are beating this piece of garbage.

BERMAN: All right, Harry Enten. Great to see you. Have a terrific day.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BERMAN: Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Harry Enten with the good news and we like it -- the numbers to back it up.

ENTEN: I try.

KEILAR: Thanks, man.

All right, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz seemingly giving kudos to a Russian military recruitment ad overnight. He retweeted a clip that suggests the U.S. military can't compete with Russia because of the army's efforts to expand diversity.

The video that Cruz was criticizing featured an Army corporal with two mothers. And in one of his Tweets, Cruz says, quote, "Perhaps a woke, emasculated military is not the best idea."

CNN's Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon with more. I mean, really, Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Brianna.

Well, it's up to everyone to make their decision but some people might think perhaps Sen. Cruz needs to look at a few of the facts about the U.S. military.

Let's start with the Russians, though. That is a conscription force. Russians are -- have no choice. They join the Russian military. They are often subject to routine regular abuse and hazing in that conscription force.

In the United States, on the other hand -- as Sen. Cruz, of course, well knows -- this is an all-volunteer force. Americans raise their hand and swear their loyalty oath to the Constitution to defend the country. To be willing to die for the United States in battle.

Diversity -- how does that hurt that? How does that make the military less strong? Senator Cruz not clear.

But let's look at that Army video that was trying to be more diverse in its recruiting because you have to get more people to join the military in this country. That is a big concern.

Corporal Emma Malone-Lord was one of the people in the video. She talked about being raised by two mothers. She is now one of the people being, sadly perhaps, highlighted in Sen. Cruz's criticism -- in his overall criticism.

But one of the people that reached out to defend the corporal was four-star Gen. Robert Abrams, the leading U.S. commander in Korea.

I want to read you his tweet in return. And he says, "For what it's worth, I met this corporal a few months ago during a routine unit visit. Exceptionally sharp, professional, technical expert, highly respected by her peers, superiors, and subordinates. Superstar by any measure. Her unit is in full support of her and her family."

Nobody in the U.S. military is tougher than Gen. Bob Abrams, I can tell you that. And he is in support -- very much in support of diversity.

It is a real issue in the U.S. military. You have to recruit from across the country. You have to have a military in this country that represents the people in this nation, not just one sector. Everyone understands, again, when people join the U.S. military, they raise their hand to defend the country, to defend the Constitution, and if you'll permit me to say, to defend the First Amendment and freedom of the press.

KEILAR: Very appropriate for you to say today, Barbara.

You know, I would just add that it's not just though it's nice to have women in the military -- it's not that. It's not just nice. It's not just something the U.S. does to be inclusive, it's necessary.

I mean, most people in the U.S. wouldn't qualify to be in the military, and so women are --

STARR: This is exactly --

KEILAR: -- essential. And some of --

STARR: Yes.

KEILAR: I will just say very quickly that some of the biggest badasses in the military that I have met are women, for sure.

STARR: Absolutely.

BERMAN: And one of the biggest badasses in journalism, Barbara Starr -- First Amendment hero. We're so glad you're on this morning, Barbara. And you promise you're going to keep on doing --

STARR: Thank you for having me.

BERMAN: -- your reporting and we're just going to let you keep on doing it.

STARR: Thank you.

BERMAN: The city of Pittsburgh poised to elect its first-ever Black mayor.

Pennsylvania State Rep. Ed Gainey defeated incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto in the city's Democratic primary this week. Gainey ran a campaign highlighting racial and economic inequality in Pennsylvania's largest city. And with no declared Republican opponent his chances in November are looking pretty good.

Ed Gainey joins me now in his first CNN interview. Representative, congratulations on your primary victory. What does it tell you about your city?

ED GAINEY (D), POISED TO BECOME PITTSBURGH'S FIRST BLACK MAYOR: Good morning, and thank you for having me.

[07:35:02]

What it tells me is that the city of Pittsburgh is ready for change. We're ready to make sure that we have disparity -- I mean, diversity across the board. We want to make sure that this is a city that is welcoming to all and that at the end of the day, all cultures are welcome here. Business is open.

We want a diverse city. We know what that means. We want to be what is reflective of America and we want it now.

BERMAN: There's a large focus on policing all over the country and that is the case, certainly, in your city. You have promised that policing will look different in Pittsburgh. How so? GAINEY: Absolutely. We have to stop over-policing our neighborhoods. Pittsburgh's Black community is 23 percent, yet we made up -- we make up 65 percent of the arrests. We have to stop over-policing in the community.

We need to demilitarize our police force (INAUDIBLE). Get back to community-oriented policing. Make sure that our officers are walking the beat and knowing who the families are on those streets. Building relationships that build trust.

And thirdly, we also have to talk about how social workers go out on calls so that they can de-escalate some of the situations. And in all of that, we are -- that's how we save lives.

BERMAN: When you talk about over-policing you know there will be some people out there --

GAINEY: It came out (earpiece).

BERMAN: I'll wait until you put it back in or else you're not going to be able to hear me.

GAINEY: OK, well --

BERMAN: Can you hear me, Representative? All right, the representative's earpiece fell out there so he can't hear me. And I don't want to hold up signs. All right, you can hear me now, which is a good sign.

GAINEY: Yes, sir.

BERMAN: You talk about over-policing. You know --

GAINEY: Yes.

BERMAN: -- when you say those words there are going to be people out there who say well, the future mayor is saying stop policing.

What's the difference?

GAINEY: No, I'm not saying stop policing. I'm saying make it equitable across the board. There's no need to over-police in certain neighborhoods, particularly in neighborhoods of Black and brown people.

We see the results and we know how traumatic that is. We've watched it. We've witnessed it over time. There's enough historical data as well as present data to demonstrate that that's not the way to go. We need to have equitable policing but we do not need to over-police our neighborhoods.

BERMAN: It's interesting because Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in your county yesterday giving a speech. And I know you're focused on yourself and your election and your own future, but national politics is now seeping into every aspect of all our lives. And, Gov. DeSantis was appearing in your swingish county in the

swingish state of Pennsylvania talking about the idea that Republicans can't stand down amidst some of the pressure they're facing around the country of people who are upset about the big lie that many of them keep on espousing.

What does his presence, what does his message mean to you?

GAINEY: It's different than mine. See, he's talking about division and I'm talking about unity.

I'm talking about people coming together and making sure that we are fighting and gaining enough strength to have a unified city and being more just. We have to. We have to grow the city.

We can't -- if you want to build a city you have to make sure that you're providing enough unity so that everybody plays a part and everybody feels that they're welcome. Division -- that's gone. What we need is a city where everybody has an opportunity. We don't have time to divide us, we have to unite us, and that's the difference in the message.

And I think that President Biden was great at doing that. He built bridges across many different specters. So at the end of the day, I think that's what's going on now.

And in my campaign, we want to build bridges. We want to make sure we're reaching out to every community because at the end of the day, that's what matters -- building a community where everybody feels welcome.

BERMAN: Ed Gainey poised to make history in Pittsburgh. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

GAINEY: Hey, I appreciate -- I appreciate you having me. Have a great day.

BERMAN: You, too.

The author of the renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning essay on slavery in America denied a tenured position at her alma mater. We will speak to one of her fellow journalism professors who is outraged by the decision.

KEILAR: And Prince William's harsh words for the BBC. Why he is blaming a 26-year-old interview for his mother's decline and death.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:43:06]

BERMAN: Growing outrage over a decision by the University of North Carolina to not grant tenure to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. Hannah-Jones is best known for her work on the 1619 Project which seeks to place slavery at the center of the American narrative. She was offered a five-year contract as a professor at UNC but in a break from tradition, the university's Board of Trustees failed to approve the Journalism Department's strong recommendation for tenure.

Joining me now is Seth Noar, professor of UNC's -- at UNC's Hussman School of Journalism and Media, and a member of the UNC Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure Committee.

So take us through, Professor, the process of determining tenure and why you believe Nikole Hannah-Jones, as you say, is eminently qualified.

SETH NOAR, PROFESSOR, UNC HUSSMAN SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA, MEMBER, UNC APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTION, AND TENURE COMMITTEE (via Skype): Well, good morning. Thanks for having me.

Well, let me just say we were stunned by this decision. Nikole Hannah- Jones has an outstanding record of 20 years in journalism, a Pulitzer, a Peabody, a MacArthur Award.

And your viewers probably don't know the -- just the rigorous level of review that a tenure candidate goes through where external experts review the candidate's dossier. It's months in the making, going through several committees. And for her outstanding record to go through and get approved at all levels and then for the university to not grant tenure is just stunning to us.

BERMAN: Why do you think it happened?

NOAR: Well, we have not been provided an explanation. We really want transparency and accountability, and we want the university to give her the position that was planned for, which was a tenured appointment in our school.

The -- our faculty unanimously voted to bring her here. Our dean, Susan King, worked very hard to make this happen. I mean, we were all delighted and flattered to have her join our faculty in this tenured position. And again, we are just stunned that the university would not grant this position.

[07:45:08]

BERMAN: The board chair, Richard Stevens, says the board did not flat-out deny Hannah-Jones tenure.

And a university spokesman put out a statement that said, quote, "The details of individual faculty hiring processes are personal protected information. The university is proud to host a Knight Chair at our leading Hussman School of Journalism Media and looks forward to welcoming Hannah-Jones -- Nikole Hannah-Jones to campus."

The fact of the matter is though that didn't the last two people who held this job get tenure? This is a break from normal practices, isn't it?

NOAR: That is exactly right. So, Nikole Hannah-Jones is hired as part of the Knight Chair program and our prior two Knight Chairs have come in and been appointed with tenure. So this is a break from that tradition with no explanation given.

And the -- it's really -- it's chilling to academic freedom. We're both fighting this fight for Nikole Hannah-Jones because she's outstanding and we want her to come to our school in the tenured position. But we're also fighting this fight because this is very chilling to academic freedom to have someone this outstanding go through all levels of review and then have, apparently, the Board of Trustees not approve it.

You know, what message does that send to junior faculty members who are on tenured track who might be studying topics that some would see as controversial? What message does that send to them in terms of whether their tenure would be at risk?

BERMAN: I mean, let's just be clear about this. The elephant in the room is the 1619 Project and how controversial it's become among some conservatives. Is that what happened here? Did the board buckle to pressure?

NOAR: That -- we have not been provided any answers. That's our big concern is that politics here got in the way of doing what's right and bringing this outstanding journalism professor to our school who is a "New York Times" reporter who would be working with our students and would be coming in without the prestige and the protections of tenure.

The whole purpose of tenure is to protect academic freedom and to allow people in academia to do the journalism they want. To study topics they want whether people see that as controversial or not. And it's kind of ironic here that the -- it appears that this was being brought for political reasons, and the whole idea of tenure is to protect that very thing.

BERMAN: Well, Professor -- Dr. Noar, thank you so much for joining us this morning. Appreciate your time, sir.

NOAR: Thanks for having me.

BERMAN: Brianna.

KEILAR: The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world and when offenders are released they face challenges earning a livable wage. In their first year outside, 80 percent earn less than $15,000 a year and almost half of federal offenders were later rearrested.

This week's CNN hero beat those odds and after a decade behind bars, Hector Guadalupe built a successful career as a personal trainer. Now he's helping other ex-inmates reshape their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HECTOR GUADALUPE, STARTED NEW CAREER ON THE OUTSIDE: After surviving prison you come home thinking you're able to start over. You want to be part of society but there's just so many layers of discrimination -- boxes you have to get through just to get an opportunity. Society thinks oh, you should just go get a job and it's not that easy. Once you have a record nothing is set up for them to win.

And up, one -- good. Right back under.

At A Second U Foundation, we give formerly incarcerated men and women national certifications in job placements and boutique gyms and corporate health clubs throughout New York City.

You've got to be thinking outside the box. You can't give someone a mop and say this is your future. Take minimum wage and deal with it.

There you go -- you got it.

When you provide people with livable wages they're able to be productive members of society.

Look at that belly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, almost there.

GUADALUPE: Wow.

And that's why we are a second you. We want to give you your second chance at life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And to learn more about Hector's program and to nominate your own CNN hero, go to cnn.heroes.com

BERMAN: All right.

Now, as if you needed another thing to worry about when it comes to the cicada invasion, why scientists are warning about zombie bugs on sexual steroids committing acts that I think are biologically impossible given their condition and limitations. We'll discuss this in great detail, next.

KEILAR: Oh, we will.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:54:20]

KEILAR: Butt-less, and that is not all they're missing. Sex-crazed salt shakers of death are now roaming the earth thanks to a fungus that is preying on cicadas. That's according to new reports from NPR and "The Washington Post."

Massospora, as the fungus is called -- it causes cicadas butts and their genitals to fall off and it leaves these red-eyed buggers infertile. And yet, somehow still staggeringly horney.

One researcher wrote that the fungus, quote, "...takes over their brains and encourages them to ignore the fact that half their bodies are missing. That's when their sex drives rev up and they desperately try to mate. Since their genitals are gone, their attempts at sex only serve to spread the fungus."

[07:55:01]

Joining us now to talk about this is Dr. Gene Kritsky, who is the author of "Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition," and also the dean of the School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences at Mount St. Joseph University.

OK, Dr. Kritsky, cicadas are kind of gross enough as they are. They're everywhere right now. I mean, they are just all over my house and my backyard. And now, this -- this fungus.

GENE KRITSKY, BIOLOGY PROFESSOR AND CICADA EXPERT, DEAN, BEHAVIORAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES, MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY (via Cisco Webex): Yes. Well, you're lucky to have so many cicadas. I wish I had that in my backyard right now.

But the fungus is a -- is an amazing process. It was first -- the butt falling off was first observed by Benjamin Banneker back in the 1800s, so that's been -- but they didn't know it was a fungus. This thing really drives them into a super sex drive because it's a sexually transmitted fungal disease.

BERMAN: But, Professor, that's what gets me and maybe it's because I'm perpetually 14 years old. But their genitals are falling off, yet their sex drive is increased. Is there not something biologically cruel about this?

KRITSKY: Well, you have to look at it from the fungus' perspective.

BERMAN: Always.

KRITSKY: For the fungus, it's always -- that's what they're trying to do. The purpose of all life is to reproduce. And even though that's what the cicadas want to do, the fungus has essentially trumped that and caused the males to mate with -- attempt to mate with females and that spreads the fungus.

What's really wild is that when a male cicada starts calling, the fungal-infected male will flick his wings pretending to be the female, luring the amorous male in and spraying the fungus to him.

KEILAR: So yesterday, I'm out in front of my house and I hear my husband talk to me through the doorbell. And he says what are you doing? And I said I'm looking for the fungus because there's cicadas all over our front stoop. I saw none of them.

But I did read that actually, it's -- well, a small fraction of cicadas that are infected here. I mean, there are so many cicadas that you're actually talking about -- what would it be -- billions of cicadas who are impacted.

KRITSKY: Well, you're looking at -- you know, there are billions of cicadas. In your front yard, you probably have a few thousand, which would mean you might have oh, maybe tens into the maybe few hundred of these because there's only about five to 10 percent of the population that's going to be infected with this.

And it's pretty obvious to see. Yes, their butt falls off and it's this big white, chalky mass that you see when you look at the end of the abdomen. But they still fly around. They can still -- they're still active. It's -- as I say, it's great for the fungus, not for the cicadas.

BERMAN: Because of the fungus there are millions of junkless cicadas right now.

KEILAR: (Laughing).

BERMAN: Again, what -- is there a larger -- I mean, is there -- is there a larger impact on the rest of the population or nature in general beyond just these unfortunate insects?

KRITSKY: Well, one of the great cicada workers, Monte Lloyd, suspected that when broods get really, really large that might cause a significant increase in the incidence of the fungus in populations. But that's still being studied.

But it doesn't affect humans. It won't cause -- our butts won't fall off. It's not going to be an issue for us at all. But for some of the cicadas it's -- it gets them in the end.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: That's right -- I was OK --

KEILAR: Oh my God.

BERMAN: I was OK until then.

KEILAR: I wasn't ready for that, Dr. Gene. Oh my goodness. Well, this is -- look, it is a pleasure having you on.

We have been talking about these bugs all week. I'm mildly obsessed with them. And this must be quite the year for you, Dr. Gene Kritsky, the cicada expert. Can't wait to talk to you again in 17 years.

And New Day continues --

KRITSKY: I'll only be 84. I'll only be 84. I'll be here.

BERMAN: I have to say --

KEILAR: All right, we'll have you.

BERMAN: -- I'm going to steal one of your phrases. I'm going to steal it and many other aspects of life. You have to look at it from the fungus' perspective.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: Thank you, Doctor.

KRITSKY: Thank you.

KEILAR: NEW DAY continues right now.

BERMAN: All right, I'm John Berman, still alongside Brianna Keilar.

On this new day, new details coming to light two years after the death of a Black man at the hands of police in Louisiana. What investigators said at the time, telling a different story than what really happened.

President Trump warning of consequences for Republicans who voted to investigate the January sixth insurrection. Will that influence how senators vote?

KEILAR: And Prince William blaming his mother's emotional decline and eventual death on a decades' old BBC interview. The damning report just now coming to light.

And concerts are making a post-COVID comeback. Hip-hop star Nelly will join us live to talk about getting back on stage, finally, in front of fans.

BERMAN: Good morning to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. It is Friday, May 21st.

And we're learning new details this morning about the case.