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Ned Price is Interviewed about Airstrikes in Syria; Saban Signs 8-Year Contract Extension; Michio Kaku is Interviewed about New Audio from NASA. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired August 24, 2022 - 08:30   ET

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


[08:30:00]

NED PRICE, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Then an Iran with a nuclear weapon. The JCPOA, the Iran deal, it's about one thing, and one thing only, seeing to it that Iran is once again permanently and verifiably barred from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. If Iran were able to obtain a nuclear weapon, every single challenge we face with the Iranian regime would become more difficult, would become more intractable. If we are able to take what would be that core challenge, the specter of Iranian nuclear weapon off the table, we'll be able to address more effectively everything else that we face from Iran and from its proxies and the groups it supports in the region.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Israel, obviously, is opposed to it. How could you trust Iran in any deal given that they continue to be involved in, by what you said there, you know, strikes against U.S. interests in Syria and other places?

PRICE: Well, again, it's quite simple, we wouldn't trust Iran. This is a deal that is predicated on the most rigorous, the most restrictive and intensive verification and monitoring regime ever negotiated. This would be about IAEA inspectors on the ground, able to look at sites that were of interest. This would be about monitoring cameras, other technology that would see to it that Iran - that Iran was living up to its side of the deal.

If Iran -- if we were to get back into this deal and if Iran were to attempt to violate it, we would know that, and we would be able to respond accordingly.

BERMAN: And we had heard closer today than two weeks ago, is that still the case, to a possible deal?

PRICE: Look, there are still some gaps that remain over the course of the past couple of weeks. We have been able to close some of these gaps, mainly because the Iranians have dropped some of the demands that were in previous drafts of this text. We've said all along that if Iran were prepared to re-enter the JCPOA, and if it were willing to drop the demands that are extremes to the JCPOA, that is to say the Iran -- the demands that Iran previously put forward that have nothing to do with the Iran deal, then we would be prepared, on a mutual basis, to re-enter the Iran deal. We're closer today, but we're still not there. BERMAN: Today marks -- well, today is Ukrainian independence day, 31

years of independence for Ukraine. It also is six months to the day that the Russians launched this invasion of Ukraine.

There had been warnings, security warnings. I know there have been great concerns among the U.S. intelligence community that Russia would use this opportunity for new strikes against civilians in Ukraine. Does that fear continue? What is the status on that?

PRICE: Well, we did declassify information earlier this week that predicate - was a predicate for our concern, that Russia would undertake additional targeting of civilian infrastructure and potentially government buildings throughout Ukraine. We provided that information to our Ukrainian partners. We provided that to our other diplomatic partners on the ground. We provided it to the American citizen community. And we, in turn, provided it to the world.

That concern continues. It is not a concern that was specific to this day. But it is a concern that pertains to the period ahead.

But, John, to the broader point, it's, in many ways, poignant that today we are marking both Ukrainian independence day, and six months of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine. It was 31 years ago today that Ukraine gained its independence. And it was six months ago today that Vladimir Putin attempted to take that independence away.

Putin, we have good reason to believe, thought he could deprive Ukraine of its independence, of its sovereignty, within six days or so of launching this war. Now, six months later, of course, that's not the case. It is not the case because of the bravery and the determination of the Ukrainian people, determination and effectiveness that have in many ways been enabled by the massive amounts of security assistance that the United States and our partners around the world have provided.

Yesterday, I said that we provided $10 billion -- about $10 billion since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Today, President Biden announced our largest tranche of security assistance ever, about $3 billion. That's a total of $13 billion from the United States since this war started. This is assistance that will help Ukraine take on the threat it faces in the moment, at the very moment it's needed.

But today's announcement was about that longer term sustainment. We want to see, and we will see, a Ukraine that is sovereign, that is independent, that is prosperous going forward. But, importantly, a Ukraine that also has the means to defend itself against aggression, future aggression. Whether that's from Russia or from anywhere else.

BERMAN: President Zelenskyy, in his speech marking independence day, said one of his big fears is war fatigue, I think within his own country and the world, that somehow people will get tired of paying such close attention to the conflict, tired of doing what needs to be done, in his mind, to win.

[08:35:10]

How do you define the line here between surviving and winning? Survivability and victory. What's the line, do you think, for Ukraine?

PRICE: Well, for us and for Ukraine as well, what we want to see is quite simple. It is a sovereign, independent, democratic and prosperous Ukraine going forward, again, with the means to defend itself. We are committed to standing by Ukraine, to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to preserve all of that and to give Ukraine what it needs to defend itself going forward.

The fact is that this is a war that in some ways is even bigger than the question of an independent, sovereign democratic Ukraine. If the United States and the rest of the world stands by while a country like Russia attempts to redefine the rules of the international order, the rules that for decades now, at least eight decades, since the end of World War II, have said big countries can't bully small countries, might doesn't make right, borders can't be redrawn by force and every country around the world has the sovereign right to determine its foreign policy, if we let that slide or lapse in this case, we risk undermining that order, those rules around the world, whether that's in Europe or whether that's in the Indo-Pacific, where other countries, including a rather large and economically powerful one, would seek to take advantage of that.

BERMAN: Obviously you're talking about China there.

Ned Price, we appreciate you being with NEW DAY this morning. Thank you very much.

PRICE: Thanks for having me, John.

BERMAN: Ahead, why Georgia's special prosecutor dismissed charges in the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And The Tide, well, keep rolling. Through 2029 at least. Nick Saban signing a mega million dollar contract extension with Alabama. We'll tell you what it means for the team, for college sports, but also for me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:41:48]

COLLINS: It's time now for the "5 Things to Know for Your New Day."

Democrat Charlie Crist will face Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in November. And in New York, Jerry Nadler defeated Carolyn Maloney in a bitter race between these two powerful incumbent Democrats and chairmen. And CNN does now project that Democrat Pat Ryan is going to win New York's 19th District, a race where abortion rights was the central issue.

BERMAN: A newly revealed letter from the National Archives is raising alarm over classified documents former President Trump kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Some of the more than 700 pages that were retrieved in January, this was back in January, well before the search, made the highest level of classification. COLLINS: A Georgia special prosecutor is dropping murder and assault

charges against two Atlanta police officers involved in the 2020 killing of Rayshard Brooks. Brooks was fatally shot outside a Wendy's restaurant after he fought the officers while they were trying to arrest him for a DUI.

BERMAN: A federal jury finding two men guilty of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. Adam Fox and Barry Croft now face up to life in prison for the conspiracy conviction.

COLLINS: And Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol during an accident in May. He has now been sentenced to five days in jail, but he's going to get credit for two days already served and two days for good conduct.

BERMAN: Those are "5 Things to Know for Your New Day." More on these stories all day on CNN and cnn.com. And don't forget to download the "5 Things" podcast every morning. Go to cnn.com/5things. You can also find it wherever you get your podcasts.

COLLINS: Alabama has just now approved a $93.6 million contract extension, not for me, but for head football coach Nick Saban. Saban's contract, which is extended through 2029, now ranks him as the highest paid public school coach in college football.

Joining us now to talk about this, not just me, again, CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez.

I'm sure you're thrilled to be joining me on this subject, and I hope you're not going to say anything critical.

BERMAN: Yes, right.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, of course, this is a lot of pressure sitting here right next to Kaitlan.

COLLINS: Because I'm watching.

But, really, for people who are not Alabama superfans like myself, what is behind this contract and what do these numbers look like compared to what other coaches are making?

JIMENEZ: Well, OK. So, Nick Saban, arguably -- you know, maybe I should drop the arguably, best coach of all time in college football history. But with this contract, over $90 million, over eight years. So it breaks down to $11.7 million a year. It makes him the highest paid college football coach that we have this year, but also in history, really, at this point.

And, again, maybe no one else who deserves it more. But the interesting part about it is that he jumped ahead of University of Georgia's Kirby Smart.

Now, University of Georgia, I have to bring it up, sorry, they just beat Alabama for the national championship, but bama's gotten -- COLLINS: I was - I was a bystander. I was aware.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Yes. Bama's gotten them back and forth. It's a rivalry. But Kirby Smart was also a coordinator under Saban. So their rivalry comes all the way down even to the contract. And just for comparison, 2015, there were two coaches making $7 million a year and Nick Saban was one of them.

Now, less than ten years later, we've got over 12. So the money has been pumping into college football.

BERMAN: I'm nervous to join this conversation.

[08:45:01]

Just bring people up to speed.

COLLINS: I'm not that scary.

BERMAN: Kaitlan Collins is the number one Alabama superfan on earth, whose screen saver on her phone is Nick Saban.

JIMENEZ: Twitter background also.

BERMAN: Twitter background also.

JIMENEZ: You see, yes, and phone background.

BERMAN: And -

COLLINS: It's embarrassing.

BERMAN: So I am afraid to ask this, but a college football coach, at a state school, technically -- sort of a state employee, making more than $11 million, it does beg the question, can I ask, I mean is it worth it? Should - should these college coaches be making that much?

COLLINS: I'll let Omar answer and then I'm going to answer.

JIMENEZ: I think, well, when you look at the amount of money that's put in, the amount of money these football programs actually bring to these schools, so many people want to go to these schools just to be near Nick Saban, to play for Nick Saban. And even as a student, to go to Alabama games.

But also, again, I think it also shows where the priorities are when, you know, if you're a state employee or you're a state institution, you're going to put all that much money in Nick Saban. Clearly, you've got to believe he's worth it, otherwise you'd put it elsewhere.

COLLINS: And not only do I not think he is overpaid, I think he is underpaid.

JIMENEZ: There it is.

COLLINS: And it's not just the six national championships and the eight SEC championships that contribute to that thinking of mine. Look at the enrollment at Alabama, a school that I, obviously, clearly attended. I don't know if I've made that clear. My little brother just enrolled there as well. It used to be 23,000 students, well, 24,000. It is now 38,000 students. The number of out of state students has also skyrocketed. Obviously, they pay a higher tuition. It brings in so much money for the university that if you are looking at a balance sheet, it makes sense.

And maybe it's not what everyone likes or everyone thinks is, you know, the most intellectual thing to pursue for a university, but it does draw students and it does boost morale and it makes it a really exciting campus to join. I had a great time there. And he has -- he is underpaid in the sense of the return on investment that they get for what he brings to the school.

And he is also a coach who is very invested in the players' development. It is not just their four years there. It is overall that means so much to him.

BERMAN: I say this has gone well, Omar, what do you -

JIMENEZ: Yes, she was scribbling numbers over there.

BERMAN: Yes.

JIMENEZ: I didn't know what she was scribbling. And then she was like, here's the enrollment from --

COLLINS: I brought some data.

JIMENEZ: Yes.

BERMAN: I'd say this has gone really well.

Omar, thank you so much for daring to come and talk about this.

COLLINS: Thank you, Omar. We'll bring you back during football season.

JIMENEZ: Survived (ph).

COLLINS: All right, NASA has been now sharing audio of what they are told -- what we are told a black hole sounds like. But what are you actually hearing? We're going to bring on our next guest to explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:51:13]

BERMAN: Have you ever wondered what a black hole sounds like? Well, NASA has you covered.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, so, joining us now to make sense of what we just heard is --

COLLINS: Sounds like my stomach grumbling.

BERMAN: Right. Seriously. Is professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, Michio Kaku. He is also the author of "The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything."

Professor, what did we actually just hear there?

MICHIO KAKU, PROFESSOR OF THEORETICAL PHYSICS, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK: Well, some people say, now wait a minute, wait a minute, a black hole is an object so dense that even light itself cannot escape. So, how can sound escape when even light itself cannot escape?

What you're actually listening to is vibrations. Vibrations created by the black hole, rippling through the gas cloud. These vibrations are then picked up on planet earth, massaged by a computer, amplified by 57 octaves, boosting it so that we can hear it with the ear.

So, you're not going to be able to go outside and go like this and hear a black hole from outer space.

COLLINS: But what does it - what does it mean to scientists? To those of us who aren't just listening to the clip of it, what is the significant of it?

KAKU: Well, it means that black holes are no longer science fiction. That we can actually see these things in outer space, measure them. If you want to, quote, see a black hole tonight, go outside, look in the direction of Sagittarius, that's the center of the galaxy. In Sagittarius there is a black hole, weighs 2 million to 4 million times the mass of our sun, and we, on the earth, are actually moving around that black hole. And you can see it tonight in the constellation of Sagittarius.

So, this is not just science fiction anymore. We can actually see these things, we can actually, quote, hear these things, if you boost the signal, of course.

BERMAN: Right. Don't try to listen tonight. You're not going to hear it exactly. It doesn't work quite like that.

KAKU: Right.

BERMAN: I want to show you all a picture now, on the subject of cool and amazing and new technology. This is a picture of Jupiter from NASA's new James Webb Telescope. Scientists are saying, quote, they didn't expect it to be this good.

What's exciting about what we're looking at right there?

KAKU: Looking at an image with light gathering capability from the -- ten times greater than the Hubble. And you can actually see rings. Rings around Jupiter. Look very carefully. And you can actually see not one but several rings going around Jupiter, which are totally, of course, invisible from the planet earth.

Plus, look at the north pole and the south pole. You can actually see the aurora, the aurora with electromagnetic radiation barreling down the north pole and the south pole of Jupiter. These are details which Hubble cannot see. Because Hubble has a blind spot. We forget that. The Hubble Telescope can see ultraviolet, can see optical frequencies, but infrared frequencies, not so good. While the Webb Space Telescope specializes in the infrared frequencies. And so, therefore, this is a map of Jupiter that we've never seen before.

COLLINS: And what else do you expect from the James Webb Telescope? Is there anything that you're in particular looking for?

KAKU: Well, so far we've found 5,000 planets going around other stars, but we don't have detailed photographs of them. We just see the shadow of them.

COLLINS: Yes.

KAKU: Now we're talking about actually photographing planets going around other stars in the universe. This is incredible. Think about that.

BERMAN: (INAUDIBLE).

KAKU: Plus, we're going back to creation itself. The Webb is a time machine. We're talking about pictures of the earliest galaxies and stars formed almost 200 million years after the big bang itself. So, we're talking about going back to creation, back to when the universe was a baby.

[08:55:03]

BERMAN: Professor, always great to see you. Thanks for getting us so excited about what we're seeing and sort of hearing.

COLLINS: Thank you.

All right, we do have an update on the little leaguer who fractured his skull during a Little League World Series. He is making some improvement. And we have some very good news for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: All right, it's time this morning for "The Good Stuff."

Little league baseball world series player Easton Oliverson making some impressive strides in his recovery. Remember, the 12-year-old had fractured his skull when he fell from a bunkbed during one of the tournaments earlier this month when he was in a dorm.

[09:00:01]

Today he is doing so well that he has had his feeding tube removed and his family says he was able to walk the entire loop of his unit without stopping. Easton's family says he is proving himself to be the fighter that they always knew he was.

BERMAN: That is wonderful to see. Hope he gets home soon. COLLINS: I know.

BERMAN: So, a possible shift in momentum ahead of the midterms?

CNN's coverage continues now.