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New Day Saturday
Family, Public To Honor Slain Officer Today; NYPD: All Threats Taken Seriously Investigated; Hackers Take Down Xbox, PlayStation; Fresno Mystery Rescuer Now Revealed; Funerals of Rafael Ramos in New York; Obama's Plan to Close Guantanamo; NFL Player Michael Sam Interview to Oprah; Homeless Man Buys Food for Others
Aired December 27, 2014 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dad, I'll miss you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A tearful message from the son of fallen New York City Police Officer Raphael Ramos.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, tens of thousands will gather to say their final goodbyes including New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and Vice President Joe Biden.
BLACKWELL: Also new developments this morning, two more people arrested in connection with alleged threats made towards New York City police officers after accessing hundreds of online postings and calls to 911. But still this morning, police are on high alert.
MALVEAUX: Good morning, everyone. I'm Suzanne Malveaux in for Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. It's 6:00 here on the east coast. And now just one week after two police officers were ambushed and gunned down in the streets of New York, 25,000 police officers, maybe as many as 30,000 from around the country will say goodbye to one of their own.
MALVEAUX: And later this morning, the funeral for fallen Officer Raphael Ramos will take place at the Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens. Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Bill De Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton are among those expected to speak.
BLACKWELL: Now this was the scene yesterday in Queens as thousands lined the streets to pay respects. Ramos' fellow officers by his side to escort his casket to the church where he once worshipped.
MALVEAUX: Yesterday, Ramos' son and sister reflected on the man they say was doing God's work. They're farewell broadcast on a screen for those who filled the streets to see.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN RAMOS, OFFICER RAFAEL RAMOS' SON: He was my rock. He was a beacon of wisdom. He was my absolute best friend. Dad, I'll miss you very much -- I'll miss you. My dad would have been there for everyone else and to see home people here for him is a testament to how he is as a person. It's been so helpful in this difficult time.
CANDY RAMOS, OFFICER RAFAEL RAMOS' SISTER: We're going to keep this short and sweet just like my brother. I know you always worried about me, you know how I rolled because we were two peas in a pod. We just hoped for the best. You were one of the most beautiful people I know and having you as my brother (inaudible) --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: The funeral for the second officer killed, Wenjian Liu has not yet been scheduled.
MALVEAUX: It is a sad day. Today, we're covering every angle of the story and we'll bring you live reports throughout the morning as we get closer to the funeral.
I'm joined now by former FBI assistant director and CNN law enforcement analyst, Tom Fuentes. Tom, thanks so much. You and I have been discussing this throughout the day, 25,000 maybe 30,000 police officers from around the country are expected to be there this morning attending Ramos' funeral.
You as somebody who used to walk the streets as a police officer, been an officer yourself, what does this mean to you? What does this mean to so many people who were coming out this morning?
TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I think it means an extreme hurt, Suzanne. You know what goes on. You know, how it affects the family, how it affects the colleagues that the person worked with. You know, over the last 42 years, I have been to so many of these.
And this one, you know, really may be as gut-wrenching as any has been because of the circumstances and because of the nature they were deliberately assassinated. And it's just made it so much worse in a time of so much tension and anti-police sentiment in the country.
MALVEAUX: And, Tom, why do you suppose we are going to see those numbers, why do you suppose this has attracted so many people to this moment?
FUENTES: Because I think many people want an opportunity to come out and say wait a minute, you know, we police are human, too. We have, you know, feelings. We're not all brutal.
We're not all roaming the streets looking to find black people to shoot and kill or choke to death or something along those lines. And I think it's an opportunity to show the kind of support and humanity that law enforcement officers do have.
MALVEAUX: Let's talk a little bit about the frustration between the mayor, Mayor De Blasio, and the police force there, the NYPD. And we have seen before a little show of defiance when they turned their backs to the mayor when he was in the hospital.
Do you think that we're going to see any kind of display like that this morning or do you think there's going to be something that's going to be different?
FUENTES: I think what's different is that the Ramos family has asked for the mayor to attend. I think if nothing else, out of respect to that family, the police officers will honor that, show respect to the mayor at least as long as today. But I don't expect there to be, you know, any issue like there was the day of the shooting when the mayor showed up at the hospital.
MALVEAUX: And, Tom, we know that the mayor is also expected not only to just attend the funeral, but to give the eulogy. Do you think that that is the right call? What do you think people will feel as he is delivering those words?
FUENTES: I think it's very interesting what has happened, at least in my opinion, with the mayor this week. And that has been that he was so supportive of the protesters, and many people in New York criticized allowing the protesters to shut down streets and bridges and businesses and said that it had gone too far.
And that some of the statements that he made were taken as being negative to the police. And after the murderers last Saturday when he asked that the protesters hold off until after the funerals and then it didn't happen.
And then you see the continuing threats against the police, and he has spoken out about that, that if you become aware of a threat. Contact the police, we can't have that. And I think it's put him in a very strange situation that the protesters didn't honor what he said.
And they went out immediately the first night ever since. And yet, you know, here he's trying to say the right things about the police. So, he's in -- kind of in the middle where he almost has no support on either end at this point.
MALVEAUX: All right. Tom Fuentes, thank you so much for being here this morning. Of course, we'll check in with you back as the service begins. Thank you, Tom.
FUENTES: Thank you, Suzanne.
BLACKWELL: New York police say they have arrested two more people for making threats against officers bringing the total to nine since these two officers were killed one week ago.
The two latest arrests announced Friday included a man accused of walking into a precinct and harassing and threatening officers. Police also arrested another man for making verbal threats to an off- duty officer wearing his uniform.
Let's talk about these arrests with HLN legal analyst, Joey Jackson. Joey, good morning to you.
The description of the first one, I don't want to make light of the event, obviously, but one of the suspects he made a gun gesture with his hand and pointed at an officer and for that he was arrested. What is the threshold for these arrests?
JOEY JACKSON, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Victor. It's good to be with you. It's a sad day, obviously in New York. I think it's a sad day around the country. I understand there's a sentiment around the country. Protesters want to protest that should continue.
We certainly need to have police that are accountable. At the same time, you can't be threatening police officers and certainly taking their lives. When you look at the legal issues here, Victor, the legal issues are broad based.
On the one hand, if you're going to be charged with a misdemeanor, that's aggravated harassment. You have to intend to threaten and that only threat needs to cause annoyance and alarm, very broad based standard for the misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to a year in jail.
Then of course, Victor, that elevates to the extent of a felony, which could be punishable up to seven years in jail if you're making terroristic threats. What are those?
Those are threats where you're using coercion and intimidation for an imminent belief that you have a reasonable expectation to carry out a threat like take someone's life.
So there's a fine line certainly between artistic expression and first amendment rights to freedom and threatening somebody. And Supreme Court right now, you should also know, Victor, is considering a case where in they're looking at a case out of Pennsylvania, someone threatened their life.
The issue becomes is it the intention? We measure the threat by the intent of the person making the threat or the perception of the one receiving it. And so clearly, the Supreme Court will address that issue.
As a threshold matter in the event that you intent to threaten somebody and it causes annoyance and harm. It's criminal. It's shouldn't be done. There is no place for it.
BLACKWELL: Depending how the Supreme Court decides in that case about social media and regarding threats, could we see some of these charges dropped?
JACKSON: We certainly could, Victor, depending upon how that goes. Now, again, whether or not the Supreme Court decides to come down on the issue of, look, I, of course, have a right. We all have a right to artistic expression, to first amendment rights.
But should it be evaluated by what I intended to do, and could you, Victor, ever get in my mind or should it be evaluated as the Supreme Court seemed to tip its hand when it was hearing oral arguments regarding how it's perceived.
Because we can always use the excuse, I didn't intend that. I didn't mean that, but a threat is a threat. We could say it and we could classify it like they classify obscenity.
We may not be able to define it, but we know it when we see it, just like a threat. We know it when we hear it. So clearly based upon threats that were made to the police department previously, Victor, which were carried out most unfortunately, resulting in the funeral, you need to take action against those threats.
There is no place for it. There needs to be protests, peaceful, but we need to be respectful at the same time of the dignity that the police have in doing their job, which is a very difficult one.
BLACKWELL: Absolutely. Joey Jackson, thank you so much. We'll speak with you throughout the morning as we continue to understand the legal issues here.
Of course, we'll have continuing coverage of Officer Rafael Ramos' funeral this morning. Thousands of police officers, as many as 30,000 officers, also many mourners from the community, across the country, expected to line the streets of Queens leading the way to Christ Tabernacle Church where Officer Ramos will be remembered.
MALVEAUX: And still to come, Playstation and Xbox networks are still recovering this morning from a disruption that angered millions of video gamers. We're going to tell you who might be behind those hacks that made the networks go dark for hours.
BLACKWELL: And North Korea is fuming at the U.S. over the release of "The Interview." They pointed the finger at one person as the culprit behind it being in theaters.
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MALVEAUX: If you got a PlayStation or an Xbox for Christmas this year, you might be a little disappointed this morning because PlayStation/Xbox networks, they went down for several hours and hackers say that they are behind this.
BLACKWELL: But this morning, we're learning that PlayStation networks are actually coming back online. And Xbox networks, they are mostly up, too. Dan Simon has more.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Obviously, you have a lot of unhappy people who unwrapped their brand-new presents got that new console, a PlayStation or an Xbox, took it to the TV and it wasn't working properly. We should say at the outset that there's no apparent connection between what happened here and what happened with Sony Pictures and "The Interview."
This was launched by a well-known hacking group called "Lizard Squad." And apparently they wanted to draw attention to what they say were security holes at both Microsoft and Sony. To that, we say mission accomplish, but at this point, it appears that the networks are up and running again. At least on the Microsoft side. Sony, there are apparently still some problems. This was not a traditional hack where they infiltrated the servers.
This is what is called a denial of service attack. Kind of like a freeway where somebody does something wrong and you have congestion and the traffic doesn't move properly. (Inaudible) that to a line and that's what you have here.
Again Microsoft seems to be working OK, but still some problems with Sony, and we can safely say that it has not been a great Christmas for that corporation. Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.
MALVEAUX: All right, Dan Simon, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
A lot of other news to tell you about this morning. Here is your "Morning Read."
BLACKWELL: Former President George H.W. Bush will spend at least one more night in the hospital. He was hospitalized Tuesday for shortness of breath. Bush who is 90 years old is said to be in good spirits and is remaining in the hospital as a "precaution." He served as the 41st president and is the father of George W. Bush, a former president as well.
North Korea is fuming over the release of "The Interview" and it's blaming President Obama. Saying he forced Sony to release it. In a new statement, Pyongyang compared Obama to a monkey in the continuing fallout of the satirical movie. It is saying that the film, whick depicts the assassination of North Korean leader's Kim Jong-Un is illegally dishonest and reactionary.
MALVEAUX: Sony's decision to release "The Interview" is paying off, however, banked $1 million at the Box Office on Christmas day. Sony pulled the plug as you remember, on the original release date after hackers threatened to attack the theaters that showed it. Well, then Sony reversed course and released the comedy in theaters and online.
BLACKWELL: Spacex will try to land a rocket on a tiny ship at sea. How challenging is that? Well, Spacex says it's like trying to balance a rubber broomstick on your hand in a middle of a windstorm. That's tough. The takeoff is planned for either January 6th or 7th. So we'll watch that.
MALVEAUX: And in weather, many of you are heading back home after Christmas. We'll see how it goes, Karen Maginnis in the CNN Weather Center. What's it going to be like for people on the road?
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: There are lots of bumps on the road. Let's start with the rainfall along the gulf coast. It could be heavy at times. A couple of inches of rain here with flash flood watches out for a number of areas, from coastal regions of Texas, into Louisiana, also for Mississippi.
But here's the cold front all the way from the Great Lakes to the gulf coast. Behind it, cold air, but that much colder air is really going to materialize by the middle of next week.
We're looking at that rainfall as I mentioned from New York, Houston, New Orleans, towards Jackson, Mississippi so the rainfall spreads all along the advance of that frontal system.
Behind it, we'll see snowfall. We've got reports coming out of Minneapolis, also in Green Bay, a couple inches of snow there. A few more expected. Here's that clipper system that moved through the great lakes. You will see dramatically colder temperatures.
Yesterday, Chicago, we made it to 60 degrees. That's way above normal. Coming in Chicago over the next several days, temperatures is in the 30s, but only in the teens by the end of next week.
What about across the northeast and into New England. Temperatures remain in the 50s. By Monday, we'll see the 40s, but after that, the temperatures drop in the 30s.
But look at Minneapolis, we go from 26 to 12 degrees by Monday, 12 degrees. That's not even close to normal and the deep freeze across the southwest, kind of shockingly cold. Back to you guys.
CAMEROTA: We'll be ready for it, Karen Maginnis, thank you so much.
MALVEAUX: Still to come, who is the man in the blue Dodgers cap? You take a look at this video. You see the man go into a burning house to rescue an elderly man and then he vanishes. Well, the mystery has finally been solved.
BLACKWELL: Plus, there are new questions in the death of a Georgia teenager found dead inside of a gym mat. We'll tell you why the sheriff's office has started conducting new interviews, dozens of them.
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MALVEAUX: Good morning. A mystery in Fresno, California has finally been solved.
BLACKWELL: A fire broke out at a house and a man in a blue Dodgers cap saved the day and rescued a man. But who was this mystery rescuer? Well, CNN's Kyung Lah reports after searching he's been found.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got to get him out of there.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A raging fire. An elderly man trapped inside and then it explodes out of control.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got to get my dad out of there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Smoke went up through the roof. Everybody came running, I felt helpless. LAH: That's when she happened to be passing by and started rolling on her cell phone. As everyone panicked you see this man in a blue Dodgers cap calmly walking towards flames. Trying to make his way to safety, Robert Wells, 73 years old, attached to an oxygen tank.
ROBERT WELLS, RESCUED FROM BURNING HOME: The flame was really intense and then it kind of went --
LAH: Wells goes into shock. The fire continues to grow when suddenly --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank God!
LAH: He's out, slung over the shoulder of the man in the blue Dodgers cap.
WELLS: He picked me up and the way we went, you know. I was bouncing on his back. The man is like this, one hell of a ride.
LAH: This all happened less than 4 minutes after the first 911 call. As firefighters battled the flames that would destroy two homes, the witnesses on the street, all asked the same question. Who was that man in the blue hat?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Didn't see him anywhere. He just went on his way, disappeared.
LAH (on camera): That was the big city mystery, the man in the Dodger cap.
KOBY JOHNS, FRESNO FIRE DEPARTMENT: I knew over 500,000 people live in Fresno. This guy's picture it all over the news and nobody can find him.
LAH (voice-over): The man in the Dodgers cap. Well, we now know who he is and there's a reason why he vanished. His name is Tom Artiaga and he didn't want to be found. You knew everybody was looking for you?
TOM ARTIAGA, RESCUED MAN FROM BURNING HOME: I didn't want no glory.
LAH: The 49-year-old Artiaga is a delivery man for a company in Fresno. He's a devoted family man, loves his wife, kids and five grandchildren, and he's so uncomfortable talking to us that he can barely look towards the camera as he recalls what he did. ARTIAGA: That's when the explosion went. I just went as a reaction.
I saw the old man in the backyard and a picked him up.
LAH (on camera): Why did you do it?
ARTIAGA: To help him out. Can't leave him burning. Can't leave him hurt.
LAH: No one was hurt in this fire although Robert Wells and his family did lose everything. As far as Tom Artiaga, he said he'd do this all over again for Robert Wells or anyone who might need help. Kyung Lah, CNN, Fresno, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: We love those kinds of stories. We need more of that.
BLACKWELL: There are a lot of people who say right place, right time, but you also need the right person to go in and do that.
MALVEAUX: He was shy about it, too.
This also wonderful man, infectious smile, loving husband, a man committed to his faith and now how friends and family describe the slain, Officer Raphael Ramos. Later today, police from around the country will say goodbye.
BLACKWELL: And the grieving family is searching for answers. Now nearly two years after this young man, Kendrick Johnson, was found in a gym mat in Georgia. The sheriff's office is conducting dozens of new interviews. We'll tell you why.
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UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With 14 grand slam titles to his name, Rafael Nadal has cemented his place among the all-time tennis greats, but the 28-year-old hopes to impact the lives of others with the opening of the Rafael Nadal "Sports Center" on his home island of Mallorca in 2016. The academy will include a school where up and coming tennis players can work on their game and their studies.
RAFAEL NADAL, TENNIS PROFESSIONAL: For me, it's something special because I love kids. I love tennis. I love the sport. So be able to do something like this is a very good way to prepare my field and trying to do the right things.
Trying to win and lose with the right values. I hope to do that with the new generation. I hope we can help the kids and new generations to be better tennis players, but better human persons.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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BLACKWELL: It's 29 minutes after the hour. And you're looking at live pictures here in New York where soon these streets will be lined with more than 25,000 police officers. They're gathering there to pay respects and attend the funeral services for one of their slain comrades, Rafael Ramos.
MALVEAUX: Ramos was one of two police officers ambushed, gunned down, in a police car, just a week ago. Well, today, friends and family, they're expected to say good-bye to Ramos at the church that he attended. The funeral procession is going to begin around Cypress Hills Streets, from there thousands of police will lead the way until his casket arrives at the Christ Tabernacle Church.
BLACKWELL: Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton are among those expected to speak today.
MALVEAUX: And this was a scene yesterday, this was in Queens as thousands of people line the streets to pay their respects.
BLACKWELL: Ramos' fellow officers by his side there, you see, to escort his casket into the church where he once worshipped.
MALVEAUX: Yesterday, Ramos' son and sister reflected on the man they say was doing god's work. Their farewell was broadcast on a giant screen for those who just filled the streets.
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JUSTIN RAMOS, OFFICER RAFAEL RAMOS' SON: He was my rock. He was a beacon of wisdom. He was my absolute best friend. Dad, I'll miss you very -- I'll miss you. My dad would have been there for everyone else. And to see so many people here for him is a testament to how he is as a person. It's been so helpful in this difficult time.
CINDY RAMOS, OFFICER RAFAEL RAMOS' SISTER: I'm going to keep this short and sweet just like my brother. I know you always worried about me, but you know how I rolled because we were two peas in a pod. Never think, just do. And hope for the best. You were one of the most humble people I know and having you as my brother is the highest honor that could have been bestowed upon me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: The funeral for the second officer killed, Wenjian Liu, that's not yet been scheduled.
MALVEAUX: And our Randi Kaye, she took a look back at the lives of these two officers, just extraordinary people who were gunned down in Brooklyn last week. Each man dreamed of making a difference.
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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were partners on patrol. Officer Wenjian Liu, a seven-year veteran of the NYPD, and Officer Raphael Ramos, who first joined the department in 2012. Both were assigned to the 84th Precinct in downtown Brooklyn.
Officer Ramos worked as a school security officer before joining NYPD. And reportedly loved the Mets. He was married with two children. On Facebook, his 13-year-old son wrote, "He was there for me every day of my life. He was the best father I could ask for. It's horrible that someone gets shot dead just for being a police officer. I will always love you and I will never forget you, rest in peace, dad."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like I said, he was god he was god because the heart he had is uncompared to other people's heart.
KAYE: Ramos' cousin told "The Wall Street Journal" that God was a priority in Ramos' life. The 40-year-old officer in recent years grew more passionate about his church. On his Facebook page a quote reads "If your way isn't working, try god's way. The same page said Officer Ramos had been married since 1993. And once studied at a seminary. Before his death, Ramos was studying to become a chaplain. In fact later that Saturday afternoon the day he was killed he was scheduled to graduate from a chaplain program. The pastor at his church told us Ramos had an infectious smile and loved his wife Maritza and his two boys Justin and Jaden.
LUCY RAMOS, VICTIM'S AUNT: I would like to thank all of those who've shared their sympathy and support for our beloved family member Raphael Ramos who will always be loved and missed by many.
KAYE: Officer Liu, who was 32 had been married just a couple of months. Described by some around the neighborhood as "quiet and in love." His parents are from China. And according to media reports he was their only son. One friend of Liu summed up his passion for police work in "The New York Times." "I know that being a cop is dangerous but I must do it. Officer Liu had said. "If I don't do it and you don't do it, then who's going to do it?"
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Randi Kaye, wow, it's just amazing. And the two individuals who really wanted to minister, wanted to give back to the community, wanted to protect people. And just so full of love.
BLACKWELL: Yeah, in and out of the uniform. We're hearing so much about these two men. And we'll tell you more throughout the morning. Of course, our live team coverage will continue from New York City at the top of the hour. Also this morning, several charities have stepped forward to lend a helping hand to the families of these fallen officers. Bowden College will pay the remaining tuition for Justin Ramos. He's the son of Raphael Ramos, you heard him just a few moments ago speaking at the service yesterday.
MALVEAUX: And JetBlue has offered to pay travel expenses to Liu's family so they can travel from China to the United States. The airline has already paid for almost 700 officers to travel to New York for today's funeral.
BLACKWELL: Meanwhile the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation intends to pay off the home mortgages of the Ramos and Liu families. Estimated to be around $800,000. 25 minutes till the top of the hour. Now, of course, we'll continue that coverage. But let's take a look at some of the other stories we are following this morning. Five things you need to know for your "NEW DAY." Up first, a sheriff's office in Georgia says it's conducted new interviews in the death of Kendrick Johnson. He is the teenager who was found dead nearly two years ago inside a rolled gym mat. These interviews appear to be related to a new video released by the Johnson family's attorney. It challenges the whereabouts of a former classmate of Johnson on the day he died. And Johnson's death was ruled an accident, but his family believes he was murdered.
MALVEAUX: Number two, a court in Ireland has ruled that a woman who was 18 weeks pregnant can be taken off life support. In Ireland the unborn have the same right to life as the mother. The woman was declared clinically dead and her family wanted her to die with dignity. The high court decided there was no medical evidence her child would survive. Lawyers representing the unborn child says they won't appeal.
BLACKWELL: Number three, and this is a strange story. It's out of Massachusetts. The FBI is now investigating who stole a baby Jesus form from a nativity scene and replaced it with a pig's head, a real one. A priest at a church north of Boston called police on Christmas morning reporting that theft. And police are asking the public for help in solving this really odd crime.
MALVEAUX: And number four, McDonald's customers in Japan will soon be free to load up on as many French fries as they want. A labor dispute in the United States had caused a delay in the export of the fries. So McDonald's could only sell small portions to more than 3,000 restaurants in Japan. That all ends January 5th when customers can start loving their fries again.
BLACKWELL: All right. Former "Saved by the Bell" star Justin Diamond, he was arrested Friday after he allegedly stabbed a man at a bar on Christmas. According to police, Diamond said he saw two men holding his girlfriend by the hair and she was bleeding. He said he may have used a pen to stab one of them, but later admitted he had a knife. The wound was not life threatening. Diamond is charged with three misdemeanors, including the use of a dangerous weapon.
MALVEAUX: And seven more prisoners are due to be moved out of Guantanamo Bay in the next few days. We're going to tell you why President Obama thinks that the prison encourages terrorists and why he wants to dismantle it.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wanted to like give it back to people. It's not going to be that much, but --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, anything is appreciated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a hundred bucks here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no way.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: A homeless man is given a hundred dollars to see how he would spend it. He goes into a liquor store. What happens next? We're going to tell you this incredible story up next.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It is something that continues to inspire jihadists and extremists around the world, the fact that these folks are being held. It is contrary to our values. And it is wildly expensive. We're spending millions for each individual there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: President Obama there giving his reasons for why he wants to shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay. And we are learning this morning that he's getting a little closer to his goal. The U.S. hopes to transfer dozens more detainees out of Guantanamo in the next few months. That is including as many as five in the next few days. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more on the details.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, Suzanne, the Obama administration hopes to transfer dozens of detainees from Guantanamo Bay in the next several months. Part of the president's effort to shut down the facility eventually. Look for several detainees to be transferred, indeed, by the end of the year. And then dozens more perhaps in the first half of 2015. The president has long said he wants to shut it down. He believes it's an attraction toward recruiting jihadists because it is so widely disliked in the Islamic world. He says it's way too expensive to run especially if they can get it down to just several dozen detainees remaining there. One of the problems is there are now dozens of detainees from Yemen who are cleared for release. They could be sent back to Yemen. They could be sent to a third country, but here's the problem. You can't send them back to Yemen because al Qaeda is so active in Yemen right now. And no third country yet is willing to take them. So there's a long way to go. But 2015 could be the year the president can make some progress on his vow to shut Gitmo down. Suzanne, Victor.
MALVEAUX: Barbara Starr, thank you so much.
BLACKWELL: We've got CNN military analyst Retired Army Major General Spider Marks joining us now from Washington. I want to pick up on that point that Barbara Starr just made about the Yemenis. We know that 64 of the 132 that are eligible to be transferred - well, 64 are eligible to be transferred, 54 of those are Yemeni. What are the options? You can't send them back to Yemen? No third country is ready to take them. What do you do with those 54?
RET. ARMY MAJOR GENERAL SPIDER MARKS: Well, clearly, the bigger issue is, you've got 132, and you're exactly right, 54 are ready for release in one form or another. Third countries are not going to take them back. However, we could probably work some deals with some nations where that could take place. The alternative is if you're going to shut down Gitmo, and frankly, that is a good idea. I think it's outlived its utility. Not for the reasons that the president talked about. We can talk about that in a second.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
MARKS: But it needs - it needs to go away. And they can go to high detention facilities here in the United States, the challenges we've got, a congress that owns each one of those facilities. Senators and congressmen, they'd say look I want these guys in my district or I do not want these guys in my district. And the issue then becomes how do you effectively get these folks out of Gitmo. It's outlived its utility. And moves them elsewhere. It really is a tough legal issue because these are enemy combatants. These are not criminals, they are not necessarily due all the due process that you and I would be due in a court of law.
So, these enemy combatants, these detainees if we're going to close Gitmo, which is the goal of the president, I got it, they need to go someplace. And that is the hard discussion that needs to take place in our Congress. Certainly, the president has an ally in Senator John McCain, which is a very strong and very compelling story that he has after having spent almost five years of his life in a box in Vietnam. So, this is a very tough one that the president has to take on, but it's more than rhetoric, it has to get done.
BLACKWELL: One of the reasons the president said that Gitmo should be shut down is because you're spending millions of dollars per detainee. How much of the fiscal element should be involved in this conversation about national security and Gitmo specifically?
MARKS: Victor, that's a great point. I think this is all silliness, it isn't the amount of money. The president doesn't care about the amount of money. It's a political issue to him. It's something - he put the flag down, he said we need to close this place. And he's been at it for six years. Has been making no progress of getting it closed. It's one of the first executive orders he put in place when he became president. So, this is hanging over his head, and he wants to get this done before he leaves office. And frankly, it should be done, but the issue is more political than it is anything else. It's not the cost. It's not the recruitment. We could do absolutely nothing in radical Islam, these barbarist folks that have hijacked these incredibly wonderful religion, would kill us and want us gone irrespective of what we do.
It doesn't matter what we do. It doesn't enhance recruitment, the fact that we have Gitmo. We have a political issue, we've got to get rid of it.
BLACKWELL: I also wonder, how secure can the American people be in knowing and how certain is the U.S. government that these people who are being released to third countries or back to their home countries are indeed not rejoining the ranks and leaderships of some of these groups?
MARKS: We can be convinced that they will rejoin the ranks. These are recidivists. This is what they do. They have no other vocation. They have no other calling. Their desire in life is to eliminate folks like you and me. So, they're going to join the ranks, irrespective of where they go. But look, we're talking about 132.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
MARKS: This is a religion of over a billion. It's a wonderful religion. It's radicalized a percentage of it. A very, very small percentage of it. And this is 132 that will then be - continue to add to their increased radicalism. It's not a big number, but it's a very tough issue that we have to address.
BLACKWELL: The president said in his first two days in office back in 2009 that Gitmo would be closed within a year's time. Very quickly, do you expect he'll be able to close it by the end of his second term?
MARKS: Yeah, I'm optimistic that he will primarily because he has the support of an incredible senator by name of John McCain whose voice must be heard. But at the end of the day, each one of those has constituents back home and they are going to have to convince them, look, we've got this - we've got this prisoner - we've got this confinement facility in our district and we're going to put these incredibly bad people inside. And we haven't worked through all the legal ramifications of having get - from where we are today. Very tough issue, but I think he can get it done.
BLACKWELL: Tough indeed. Major General Spider Marks, thank you so much.
MARKS: Thank you, Victor. And Merry Christmas to you.
BLACKWELL: To you too. Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: A scare at the CDC in Atlanta. A worker might have been exposed to the Ebola virus. We are going to find out how that happened. And you - also, looking at live pictures. This is from New York. This is where we're expecting more than 25,000 police officers to gather to say good-bye to one of their own. I want you to stay with us this morning throughout the morning for live coverage of the funeral of the slain officer Raphael Ramos.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: About nine minutes until the top of the hour now. In his first television interview since being cut from the Dallas Cowboys, Michael Sam told Oprah that he's not the only gay players in the league. Sam would be first openly gay player draft in the NFL, (INAUDIBLE) says a few players even reached out to him and applauded his courage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH: Have other gay players in the NFL called you or contacted you?
MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED BY NFL: Very few reached out to me.
OPRAH: Very few meaning, one, two, three, five?
SAM: Very few.
OPRAH: OK.
SAM: -- reached out to me. And --
(LAUGHTER) SAM: And pretty much just so many gratitude and how they are thankful that I have the courage to, you know, to - they wish that they had the courage to come out.
OPRAH: Gay men in the NFL.
SAM: Gay men in the NFL.
OPRAH: -- reached out to you and called you.
SAM: Reached out to me. Yes. And just showed their respect and showed - and my courage. It was very - it was very good.
OPRAH: And you're using the plural "Men." not "Man."
SAM: Men.
OPRAH: Men.
SAM: There's a lot of us out there.
OPRAH: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
SAM: I'm not the only one.
OPRAH: Yes.
SAM: I'm just the only one who is open.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: He's now a free agent and he hopes to get another chance to play in the NFL.
MALVEAUX: And a potentially deadly mistake at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. A technician might have been exposed to Ebola in the lab where researchers are studying the virus.
Our Joe Johns explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a potentially deadly mistake at the U.S. institution that handles some of the world's most dangerous biological materials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a small amount of material possibly containing live Ebola virus was mistakenly transferred from one of the facilities' most secure labs to a lab not equipped to handle the virus. So far, the technician has no symptoms of the illness. No quarantine. But the lab tech will be watched for the standard 21 days as a precaution. It's the kind of mistake CDC director Tom Frieden said he was determined to avoid repeating earlier this year.
TOM FRIEDEN, CDC DIRECTOR: What we're seeing is a pattern that we missed. And the pattern is an insufficient culture of safety.
JOHNS: At that time, Frieden was on the hot seat, addressing laboratory lapses handling anthrax bacteria and avian flu. CDC put tough new controls in place.
FRIEDEN: These were unacceptable events. They should never have happened.
JOHNS: In line with the new procedures, following the latest incident, the lab was closed pending review and decontaminated. The material was destroyed. An investigation was launched. The incident was reported to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and others up and down the chain of command. As for the possibility of anyone else coming into contact with the material, CDC says, a handful of others who entered the lab, have been contracted, they will be assessed for possible exposure, but only the one technician is being monitored. The CDC doesn't believe anyone outside the lab could have been exposed.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: As the World Health Organization has released new figures on the toll Ebola has taken in three West African countries. There have been almost 19,700 cases in Liberia Sierra Leone and Guinea since the outbreak began. And more than 7600 people in those countries have died from Ebola.
BLACKWELL: Still to come, you want to see this one. A homeless man is given $100 and then secretly recorded. He walks into this liquor store. However there is a surprising twist. You have to see this one, it's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: $100 placed into - the hands of the homeless man. And then camera's secretly recording how he would spend that money.
MALVEAUX: Yeah. And it's a great story. Alison Kosik, she has got the astonishing results.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When YouTube star Josh Paler Lin famous for making prank videos like "Sex with Your Girlfriend" and "Mafia Murder," came up with the idea to give a homeless man $100. It wasn't charity. He wanted to track how the homeless mane would spend the cash.
JOSH PALER LIN: Hey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, how are you doing?
JOSH PALER LIN: Good how are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm all right.
PALER LIN: I'm josh, nice to meet you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, I'm just trying to make - to get something to eat.
PALER LIN: This is what I like. Giving back to people. It's not going to be that much, but --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, anything is appreciated.
PALER LIN: Oh good. This is a hundred bucks here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no way.
PALER LIN: Yes, keep it, it's your money now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I?
PALER LIN: Yeah, yeah, of course.
KOSIK: With a promise to spend the 100 well, Lin waited secretly filming. The man's first stop after getting the money, a liquor store.
PALER LIN: Yeah, just keep filming. Where did he go?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going across the street. Let's go.
KOSIK: Loaded down with two full bags from the liquor store, the man makes his way to a park. Followed all along by Lin and his camera. Inside the bags, no liquor, no booze. Just food.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Giving them food.
PALER LIN: I'm going to talk to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want some chicken --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Hey. What are you doing here?
PALER LIN: I was following you the entire time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh yeah?
PALER LIN: I'll tell you, give you the money, there is a cam - my camera is right there. Did you see the camera?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yeah.
PALER LIN: Did you even know it? Like --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
PALER LIN: I feel like I owe you an apology, because I - you went to a liquor store, right, earlier?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You thought I was going to get all smacked up drunk, huh?
PALER LIN: I thought you were going to actually - I thought you were going to buy alcohol or something.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, but there's things money can't buy. I get a happiness out of what I'm doing.
KOSIK: A man with nothing to give caught giving all that he has. And Lin, the famous YouTube prankster left speechless.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good seeing you, guys.
(LAUGHTER)
KOSIK: A video made with the idea of exposing the homeless, left simply exposing a man who defied stereotypes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: That was great. He loved that.
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Give folks an opportunity, they will surprise you. Hey, a fundraising page has been set up to start helping the man get back onto his feet. $90,000 thus far has been donated.
