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Navy Vet Describes Harrowing Rescue Effort At Candle Factory; Nassar Abuse Survivors Reach $380 Million Settlement With USA Gymnastics; Nine Years Ago Today, 20 Children Never Came Home From School. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired December 14, 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]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The governor there is calling it a Christmas miracle inside this candle factory because more were not killed there. We're joined next by a Navy veteran who spent hours pulling people from the wreckage.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And there's a historic settlement for more than 500 victims of sexual abuse by the gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar who, of course, is now disgraced. One of those former gymnasts is joining us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: This morning, search and rescue efforts continue after the deadly tornadoes in the south and Midwest. The hardest-hit state, Kentucky, where at least 74 people are confirmed dead and many more missing. One family there revealed their 2-month-old daughter died from injuries sustained in the storm.

[07:35:02]

President Biden set to travel to Kentucky tomorrow -- our Kaitlan Collins will be there within him -- and visit the town of Mayfield. That's where a candle factory with more than 100 people inside collapsed into a pile of rubble. We now know that eight people confirmed dead in that factory.

Joining me now is one of the first rescuers to arrive on-scene at that factory that night, Adam Slack. Adam, listen, thank you so much for being with us. I appreciate what you've done. I appreciate you waking up for us this morning.

You were at home when the tornado hit, with your wife and kids. Everyone was fine. You get a text message from a buddy that says hey, the candle factory was hit hard. Then what happened?

ADAM SLACK, NAVY VETERAN WHO HELPED RESCUE PEOPLE FROM CANDLE FACTORY: It's highly unfortunate. I got -- a buddy of mine texted me a little bit after 10:00 saying that it had collapsed, and another buddy of mine said that there were people stuck in it. And I immediately changed my clothes, locked up my dogs, and headed about a mile and a half west of the house.

And I arrived and started helping people. We started clearing debris from the road. The access point was 500 yards from where the rescue vehicles were.

And there was a lot of people that showed up. To say that I was one of the first on the scene of hundreds, if not thousands. But as a community, we all came together and started clearing the roads and getting the debris off the roads so that paramedics and fire could get in there to the John Deere and candle factory.

BERMAN: What was the condition like when you first go there? What did it look like?

SLACK: It was horrific. If I talk about it a little bit too long it will bring tears to your eyes. It's a community that's very close.

The wind was still going. Powerlines -- there was a couple of gas leaks. People everywhere. It looked like a mound of ants when you kick it over. Everybody was just trying to help -- trying to get in and get people out safely. Very dark -- eerie. It was -- it was -- it was bad.

BERMAN: Could you hear people from inside the rubble?

SLACK: Vaguely, but like I told the reporter last night, there were a lot of people screaming in distress. We were -- I was lucky to get one lady out and got her back to my vehicle. I gave her some shelter, blankets, and kept her warm until we were able to get her to her father. A local lady from Paducah.

But a lot of it was a blur. It was just -- it was chaos. People obviously lost their lives -- family members touched in this community and just trying to continue to support where we can.

BERMAN: You say you got one woman out. Walk us through what happened there and what her condition was when you first saw her.

SLACK: I think she was in shock for the obvious reasons. I will -- I'm not going to disclose her name. A 48-year-old woman from Paducah. She appeared physically OK.

We had to remove people -- I don't want to say the long way but there were multiple gas leaks, so we had to walk around the John Deere building. The wind and rain obviously was still happening.

The poor woman -- she would not let go of my hand. I asked her multiple times if she was OK physically. She says yes. She said I just want my dad. I said OK, let's get you to the -- to the vehicle. And I got her some water and a blanket. And her phone -- she lost her phone so I gave her a phone to contact her dad.

And I got to know her pretty well waiting in the car with her. She kept telling me to go back and help somebody else. I said well, I want to make sure you're OK first.

And about an hour and a half later her father was able to get to us in the many, many cars and vehicles and rescue that were already there. But I told her father -- I said I think she's OK physically but you need to take her to the hospital and get her checked out because for obvious reasons I think she was in shock.

BERMAN: Adam, look, I know how hard it is to relive that night. I know how awful it must have been to see it like that -- this town that you live in and that you love. But the one thing I know from being there is it's because of people like you that Mayfield is going to recover and rebuild.

You guys didn't wait -- you went there. It was still raining and the wind was still blowing. You got there right away. And Mayfield's not waiting to rebuild here. You're all at it.

And I appreciate everything you've done, and I appreciate what you're doing. Thank you so much for being with us this morning, Adam.

SLACK: I appreciate your time. And if I could real quick, if there's anybody out there, please continue to help this town -- not only Mayfield but all of these surrounding areas in multiple states and multiple counties. Mayfield was hit hard but there's a lot of people out there that still need help and anything that anybody can use to bring to support, let us know -- let me know however we can direct you in any way possible. But I do thank you for your time.

[07:40:09]

BERMAN: It's such an important message Adam because this isn't going to be better today or tomorrow. It's going to take weeks, months, if not years.

Adam Slack, thank you --

SLACK: No, sir.

BERMAN: -- very much.

SLACK: Yes, sir. Thank you.

COLLINS: Hundreds of gymnasts who were sexually abused by Larry Nassar have agreed to a $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Nassar is the former team doctor who sexually abused girls for decades. USA Gymnastics has also agreed to ensure that at least one Nassar survivor will serve as a member of the committee that is dedicated to athletes' wellness.

Joining me now is former U.S. Olympic gymnast who helped negotiate the settlement, Tasha Schwikert, as well as her attorney, Michelle Simpson Tuegel, who represents more than two dozen Nassar survivors.

Tasha, I want to start with you because yesterday, USA Gymnastics put out this statement saying that they are, quote, "deeply sorry for the trauma and pain that the survivors endured as a result of his organization's actions and inactions."

First, I just want to ask how do you feel about this settlement? TASHA SCHWIKERT, FORMER U.S. OLYMPIC GYMNAST (via Webex by Cisco): You know, this $380 (sic) settlement marks the end of a five-year legal battle and it is a full resolution of all the civil-related claims. This settlement will compensate more than 500 gymnasts -- the majority of them that were abused by Larry Nassar and who endured horrific abuse for years.

You know, so while I'm glad that we've settled the case and we can move on to the next chapter of our lives, there's still a lot of work to do to make sure the non-monetary requests are implemented appropriately.

COLLINS: Yes, and I know no money -- amount of money can really make up for what happened, but does the settlement help in a -- to a degree, put an end to this five-year battle that's been going on?

SCHWIKERT: Absolutely. You know, I think that with a resolution, as survivors we feel heard and we feel acknowledged. And so many survivors deal with severe mental illness, and substance abuse, and trauma. And so, that settlement will help pay for mental health services and related needs for survivors going forward in their life.

COLLINS: And we know that's so important.

And Michelle, you represent Tasha and dozens of other victims and survivors from Larry Nassar's abuse. But a few -- Tasha and a few others did play a pretty pivotal role in these negotiations. So, just how important is it from your perspective that the victims themselves -- the survivors themselves are involved in the negotiations?

MICHELLE SIMPSON TUEGEL, SURVIVORS' LAWYER, THE SIMPSON TUEGEL LAW FIRM (via Webex by Cisco): It's key to it. I mean, these women -- and brave women like Tasha and the other Olympians and national team members, and gymnasts from Michigan -- these women brought to life what they lived through for the defendants, for the court, and for the nation.

And I mean, really, the legacy of what they have done here has changed how our nation treats and views sexual abuse survivors, especially children. And having the survivors be at the center of that is so key to people really understanding what they've been through.

COLLINS: And Tasha, to go back to this as a bigger picture, I know in 2017 when you bravely first told your story, you said that Steve Penny, who was then the president of USA Gymnastics at the time, asked you to put out a positive statement about the organization. Of course, we now know he later left with a huge severance package. He was someone who was accused of waiting weeks to notify the FBI about these allegations and his case is still pending.

But how important is it to you that the people who enabled Larry Nassar continue to face harsher consequences?

SCHWIKERT: Very important. I think behind the organization were people and people that I knew very well and all of us Olympians knew very well. And the thing -- the horrible influence and the toxic environment that those people created was just awful and devastated hundreds of survivors. So, I'm just glad that Steve and others who were part of this horrific situation continue to be held accountable.

COLLINS: And I think one big lesson out of this is that young women need to be listened to.

Michelle Simpson Tuegel and Tasha Schwikert, thank you both for joining us this morning.

SCHWIKERT: Thank you.

SIMPSON TUEGEL: Thank you.

COLLINS: As millions of Americans get ready to hit the roads and go to the skies, we have brand-new data indicating that holiday travel is about to roar back with a vengeance.

BERMAN: And nine years ago today, an unspeakable tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. What has changed, or maybe it's appropriate to ask what hasn't changed since?

[07:45:02]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: On this morning nine years ago, 20 children -- first-graders -- woke up for another day at school. They got dressed, they put on their backpacks. One child told her mother how excited she was to sell Girl Scout cookies. Another planned to make gingerbread houses that afternoon. Another just loved the color pink.

COLLINS: They were six and seven years old. Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Olivia Engle, Josephine Gay, Dylan Hockley, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, Ana Marquez-Greene.

BERMAN: James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison Wyatt.

[07:50:07]

COLLINS: These children, along with several of their heroic teachers, were killed inside their classrooms and their hallways of school -- 154 rounds in less than five minutes.

What has changed since Sandy Hook? Unfortunately, not much when it comes to school shootings and not nearly enough. Since every parent's worst nightmare that day in America, there have been 231 school shootings, not counting colleges.

BERMAN: Since 2014, two years after Sandy Hook, there have been 3,368 mass shootings in the United States. And according to the group created by parents who lost their children nine years ago today, each day, eight children die from gun violence in this nation; another 32 are shot. Those children at Sandy Hook would have been 15 and 16 years old today, learning how to drive, how to love, how to live. May their memories be a blessing always.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:55:15]

BERMAN: Just in, brand-new data from AAA projecting holiday travel is coming back. The agency estimates more than 109 million Americans will be on the move over the long Christmas and New Years' week -- a number approaching pre-pandemic levels.

CNN's Pete Muntean, the mayor of Reagan National Airport, joins us live this morning from his happy place. Pete, give us a sense of what we're expecting.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, if you missed the long lines, if you missed the packed planes, if you missed the traffic, then you are really going to love traveling for this holiday.

You know, what's so interesting here is that AAA compiled all of this data before the Omicron variant hit and it is still not coming off of these numbers. This is the latest projection just out today from AAA that 109 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more between next Thursday and January second; about 100 million of those by car. What's so interesting here is that these numbers really not all that different from where we were back in 2019 before the pandemic -- only about an eight percent difference.

Now, airlines say they have started to see a wavering in ticket bookings because of the Omicron variant. But AAA says that people have just learned to live with this pandemic and that is shown in this forecast.

BERMAN: All right. Pete Muntean for us at Reagan. I appreciate you being with us. Obviously, people make plans. They're hard to change. So, hopefully, everyone travels safely. Thank you, sir.

NEW DAY continues right now.

Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. It is Tuesday, December 14th. I'm John Berman. Brianna is off. Chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins here with me this morning.

COLLINS: Love to be in-studio and not on the lawn at the White House always.

BERMAN: You're going to Kentucky tomorrow with the president.

COLLINS: I will be in Kentucky tomorrow. So, from New York to Kentucky, of course, covering that visit where the president is going to go and see this damage firsthand.

BERMAN: It is a very important story. There's other major news overnight as well. These newly-revealed text messages that I think reframe the January sixth investigation. Text messages to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows from Donald Trump Jr., Fox entertainers, from Trump administration officials -- even from lawmakers that all privately, and for a time unsuccessfully, beg to do something to stop the violence as the attack unfolded at the Capitol.

Now, there's a lot in here that reveals that people said things that day that they later recanted or they try to cover up -- people at Fox. And while that is salacious, there are some important legal implications here. What could be a roadmap to exactly what the White House knew, what the White House did, what the White House didn't do. What some in the White House may have coordinated before, during, and after the attack.

It certainly shows this acute keen awareness that the Capitol was under siege.

COLLINS: Republican congresswoman and vice-chair of the January 6 Committee, Liz Cheney, read the messages aloud last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): Multiple Fox News hosts knew the president needed to act immediately. They texted Mr. Meadows and he has turned over those texts.

Quote, "Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy," Laura Ingraham wrote.

"Please, get him on T.V. Destroying everything you have accomplished," Brian Kilmeade texted.

Quote, "Can he make a statement? As people to leave the Capitol," Sean Hannity urged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Those messages were from Fox News hosts. But even the former president's own son was pleading with his chief of staff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: As the violence continued, one of the president's sons texted Mr. Meadows. Quote, "He's got to condemn this shit ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough," Donald Trump Jr. texted.

Meadows responded. Quote, "I'm pushing it hard. I agree." Still, President Trump did not immediately act.

Donald Trump Jr. texted again and again, urging action by the president. Quote, "We need an Oval Office address. He has to lead now. It has gone too far and gotten out of hand."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Congressman Adam Schiff also read a message sent by a seemingly disappointed unnamed lawmaker after the Capitol was attacked.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Here's the last message I want to highlight -- again, from a lawmaker in the aftermath of January sixth.