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Former Lawyer for President Trump Michael Cohen Gets Years in Prison; Britain Is Arguing about Brexit Deal with European Union; Britain`s Leader Wins Confidence Vote; Deadliest Drug In America; Boots on Dogs To Stop Frostbite
Aired December 13, 2018 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN 10. Your source for objective explanations of world news. My name is Carl Azuz and this is our second to
last show of the season. After tomorrow, we`ll be off the air until January 3rd. We`re starting with news that a former lawyer for U.S.
President Donald Trump has been sentenced to three years in Federal prison. Last month, Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. There`s an
ongoing investigation involving Russia and the 2016 U.S. Presidential election and Cohen admitted he misled Congress about a proposal to build a
Trump property in Russia.
Cohen originally said that discussions about that ended in January of 2016 when they had actually continued through the spring. But that wasn`t the
only crime that Cohen committed. In August, he pleaded guilty to eight Federal charges in a separate investigation. Those included five counts of
tax fraud, one count of lying to a bank and two counts of breaking campaign finance rules. Those last two counts might have involved President Trump
because Cohen says Trump directed him to break those rules.
The President says no crime was committed because campaign finance funds weren`t used the way prosecutors say they were. The judge who sentenced
Cohen says his crimes were quote "a veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct." Cohen said he took full responsibility for his actions and he
criticized the President. The lawyer said quote "time and time again, I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds." Earlier this month,
President Trump said Cohen lied to get a reduced prison term and should serve a full and complete sentence. Meanwhile, the Special Counsel
investigation continues into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom, unease over the Brexit from the European Union hangs in the air.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK GLASS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Long, long shadows on Westminster Bridge, with the them the biding sense of weariness and fracture. The last few
weeks of British politics have been both divisive and interminable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We remained concerned that time is ticking. Some of my constituents would like the Brexit to be over and - - and thrown (ph)
away.
GLASS: The cartoonists have been predictably merciless to Teresa May on her marks going her way, everyone else in the opposite direction, both
cartoons from a conservative newspaper.
TERESA MAY: As I have made clear my focus is on the vote that will take place in the - - (inaudible) December here in this House.
GLASS: And five days later - -
MAY: This argument has gone on long enough. It is corrosive to our politics and life depends on compromise.
GLASS: And the further six days later, facing the prospect of a resounding defeat she postponed the vote.
MAY: Does this House want to deliver Brexit?
GLASS: Those (inaudible). Nothing else Teresa May`s been admired for her tenacity and resilience.
(SHOUTING)
GLASS: A week as they say is a long time in politics even at Christmas. So the lady is for turning explained the daily telegraph. The fact is
Britain still seems profoundly split over Brexit so toxically other two main political parties and tempers are fraying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Prime Minister is trying to buy herself one last chance to save this deal. If she doesn`t take on board the fundamental
changes required, then she must make way for those who can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Still even now don`t even know when she wants to bring this vote back or even what she wants to deal to be. Does she not
realize how chaotic and ridiculous this makes our country look?
GLASS: Guardian cartoonist is persistently pinioned Teresa May to Moby Dick in the water and that the cliff edge like good old John Ball are all
now wondering what`s going to happen next. (inaudible) mistake of historic ritual certainly vented his frustration by briefly grabbing the ceremonial
mace and was asked to leave the House. Of course as everyone is aware, this is only the beginning of the Brexit process.
The trade deal with Europe has yet to be negotiated. Outside Parliament the flags have been out both British and European. Protestors for and
against Brexit have been in camp for days. Some political commentators proceed Britain in limbo teaching on the edge of oppressiveness
constitutional crisis prospect. Nick Glass, CNN, Westminster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARL AZUZ: But for Prime Minister Teresa May, there was some good news that broke last night. She won a confidence vote from her own political
party. Here`s what that means, Prime Minister May can continue in her job as Britain`s leader. The vote tally was 200 to 117 with a majority of
conservative party members indicating they do have confidence in Prime Minister May. Before the vote, she said she would not run for re-election
in 2022. And as a result of the vote she`ll get at least another 12 months before her party could even hold another confidence vote but she still has
a difficult job ahead of her.
Britain`s parliament has to approve any final deal on Brexit. There`s a lot of opposition in parliament to the Brexit Deal that the May
administration negotiated with the European Union and the EU says it`s not going to renegotiate that deal. So the British leader`s still caught
between a rock and a hard place. But while one of her rivals called on Prime Minister May to resign, she says she`s going to get on with the job
of delivering Brexit and building a better future for her country.
10 Second Trivia. Which U.S. President first declared the war on drugs calling drug abuse "public enemy number one"? Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford,
Jimmy Carter or Ronald Reagan. It was in 1971 that President Richard Nixon increased government funding to control drugs in America.
More than four decades later, drug abuse is still a problem in America but the type of drug that`s most abused has changed. A new report from the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control says it`s fentanyl, a man made pain killer the CDC looked at drug overdose deaths between the years 2011 and 2016. At
the beginning of that period, fentanyl was involved in about 4 percent of all drug related deaths. Five years later, it was involved in almost 29
percent of overdose deaths, that`s more than heroin, cocaine and methamnetamine.
Fentanyl is an incredibly potent painkiller and there are medical uses for it. People with severe pain or those who`ve just had surgery are sometimes
prescribed fentanyl but it`s also made and sold illegally. It`s sometimes combined with other drugs and that makes fentanyl even more deadly. Drug
overdoses are one major reason why the U.S. government says American`s life expectancy has declined for three years in a row. The last time that
happened, World War I and the Spanish flu were claiming lives. Fentanyl is classified as an opioid like heroin, hydrocodone, morphine, or methadone.
What makes these drugs so addictive and so dangerous?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every eight minutes someone in America dies from a drug overdose. Now most of the time it`s from an opioid like heroin, or
fentanyl but also opioids like oxycodone or hydrocodone. The ones prescribed by doctors. Take too much of any of these opioids and it can be
deadly. That`s because they all work the same way. They can dull pain and boost dopamine giving some people a high but it`s easy to get hooked on
them. Why? Well for one, your body can build up a tolerance. The more you use, the larger dose you may need to get the same relief.
Secondly, you can become dependent on them. In fact, your body releases natural opioids when you hurt yourself. But if you habitually use opioids,
your body stops producing it`s own and relies on the drugs instead. If you try to stop then, the body goes through withdraw. In fact, more American`s
now die from opioids than from guns.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARL AZUZ: The American Kennel Club recommends that you put boots on your dog if you live somewhere that gets a lot of winter snow and ice. South
Dakota gets a lot of snow and ice so the Rapid City Police Department strapped some boots on Jerry (ph) the police dog for him to get used to.
Except he doesn`t really seem to be getting used to them.
An officer eventually starts playing with Jerry (ph) presumably to distract him and get him comfortable in his new boots. There`s no doubt they seem
to give him "paws" but they`re not "injerryious". They`re just like another layer of "meditarsals" to keep his feet "inclawlated" and ensure
his bark is worse than his "frostbite". I`m Carl Azuz for CNN.
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