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Egypt Under Military Control; "Deeply Concerned" About Egypt; Statue Of Liberty Reopens

Aired July 4, 2013 - 08:00   ET

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


ZAIN ASHER, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And expect to shell out about $60 for your July 4th picnic. The farm bureau says the cost of hot dogs, chips, potato salad will come to about $57.20 this year for a party of 10.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Sixty bucks? That's in-Zain.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: You got the one-liner zingers today.

ASHER: Good job, Chris.

BOLDUAN: And for that, let's quickly move on to Chad Myers.

Help us, Chad.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: No, don't!

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Look at this! Look at the clouds here across New York. You hope they stay in today. They're not.

All that is muggy. That's just the humidity that's going to turn into this -- heat index in New York City today, 199. Maybe 103 in Boston. It's been a great couple of days for heat in the Northeast because it has been raining in the afternoon.

Today, it doesn't rain, it just gets hot, and it gets so muggy. You have to be careful out there. Lots of water for pets, kids and nobody in cars at all.

Nashville, Tallahassee, two to three inches of rainfall. High temperatures today in the West, Death Valley, 125, Vegas, 114, even to Scottsdale, all the way to 110 -- guys.

BOLDUAN: Chad, thank you so much.

It is the top of the hour which you know means it is time for the top news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are never going to concede to military rule. We are not calling for a military coup.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Breaking this morning: crisis point. Egypt has a new president after a military takeover. The big question -- will there be a civil war?

BOLDUAN: Soggy Fourth. Flooding fears across much of the Southeast but in the rest of the country, it may be a beautiful holiday.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: And there she is, Lady Liberty, opening today for the first time since hurricane Sandy. We're live at the statue's base helping you kick off your Fourth of July with a patriotic bang.

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: What you need to know --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clearly, Trayvon Martin was trying to get away from George Zimmerman.

ANNOUNCER: What you just have to see it.

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shut up!

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to NEW DAY. It is Thursday, July 4th, 8:00 in the East. I'm Kate Bolduan.

CUOMO: I'm Chris Cuomo. Here as always with news anchor Michaela Pereira. Happy Fourth of July to everybody.

Coming up, we're going live to the Statue of Liberty as she makes her valiant return. Remember, our patriotic symbol back open today for the first time since Superstorm Sandy soak Liberty Island shores and so many others. In fact, this is a day to celebrate all the comebacks people are going through, so many people still in a hard way. Remember that this holiday.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely, and we hope you're hungry. The fast food war for your wallet is heating up with fancy new menus and gourmet creations. We even tried one. We'll let you know how Wendy's pretzel bacon cheeseburger holds up.

PEREIRA: They have bacon?

BOLDUAN: Not good.

PEREIRA: The anticipation growing for the royal baby. We're live in London where preps are under way for the royal bundle of joy to arrive any day now. And our Kate gives us a look at her new royal documentary. Very excited to see that.

BOLDUAN: Lot's of Kate in the show. Duchess Kate, this Kate.

All right. Let's get to the big new story of the day, though.

A new interim president is sworn in. The latest step in the military take takeover of Egypt. Egypt's former top judge, Adly Mansour is the military's choice to take over for ousted President Mohamed Morsy.

Morsy and his advisers are now under house arrest.

CUOMO: The takeover has brought celebrations and deadly protest. Now, there's fear of a backlash from supporters of former President Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood.

CNN's live team coverage continues. Reporters in Cairo, the White House and, of course, Christiane Amanpour here in New York.

Let's begin with Reza Sayah in Cairo -- Reza.

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Chris, it's very likely that many Americans are looking at Egypt saying what's going on here? Didn't they just have a revolution? Didn't they just boot out a dictator?

That's true. But in many ways, this is the ongoing fight for Egypt's identity. If you've never been here, what's fascinating about Egypt is its diversity. the moderates and liberals who love their beaches, bikinis and beer. And then you have the Islamists. The Islamists had their president in Mohammed Morsy. The liberals didn't like it. They started a campaign to push them out. And now, mission accomplished and Mohamed Morsy is in custody.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAYAH (voice-over): This morning, after an explosive turn of events, former President Mohamed Morsy is under house arrest. The military ousted him Wednesday night after he refused to meet their deadline to form an interim coalition government and revise the constitution. Droves of military convoys flooded the streets of Egypt's capital, propelling the nation on a road toward change.

General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, chief of Egypt's Armed Forces, announced that Adly Mansour, the head of Egypt's highest court, will replace Morsy as interim president.

While the military coup was met with cheers in Tahrir Square, across the Nile River, supporters of the deposed president chanted down with the military and the square has a million marchers denouncing his ouster.

Messages sending ripples throughout this country that's already seen death and bloodshed since the huge anti-government protests began this past weekend. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SAYAH: Back live here overlooking Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square where there was a massive party. It's very likely they'll be partying again today, Chris.

Not celebrating, of course, Mohamed Morsy, the Muslim Brotherhood leaders, many of them detained. At this point, it's not clear why, Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Reza, thank you very much. Please, stay safe.

President Obama says he is deeply concerned about the situation in Egypt. He is pushing the Egyptian military to restore things as soon as possible.

CNN's Athena Jones is live at the White House.

What's the latest, Athena?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris.

Well, this is the situation the White House is closely watching. Egypt is a key ally of the U.S. in the region. The biggest country in the Arab world and a country the U.S. wants to see stable. As you mentioned, after meeting with his national security team late Wednesday, the president put out a statement saying he was deeply concerned about the military's decision to oust Morsy. Morsy was, of course, a democratically elected president and also the military's decision to suspend the constitution.

I'll read you a little bit more of that statement. He said, "I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of president Morsy and his supporters."

Of course, we now know from former President Morsy's supporters that he is under house arrest. But one thing that's notable in the president's statement, there is that he did not call this a coup. In the instance of a military coup, U.S. law dictates that aid to Egypt -- in this case, $1.5 billion a year -- must be suspended. He didn't say it is a coup but they are going to be looking at the law on this and, of course, continuing to monitor the situation -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Athena Jones at the White House, thank you so much.

Let's bring back in Christiane Amanpour one more time to talk about the way forward and what this means -- CNN's chief international correspondent and, of course, host of CNN International's "AMANPOUR."

So, looking forward, you have interviewed both Mohamed Morsy and Hosni Mubarak, last person to interview Hosni Mubarak. And Morsy coming in said he would be the president of all people. CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. And this is why people are in the streets because they don't believe he was president for all people. So, he said to me there is no such thing as Islamist democracy, but clearly, that's what the people are saying.

So, what you've got here is the toppling of an Islamist president who forced through what many people said was an Islamist constitution. You've got millions of people in the streets who said, no, we don't want that. It is really a battle between secularism and Islamism, but combined with the fact that Morsy didn't deliver.

So, the government's incompetence is what led to this point, as well as a historic anti-Islamism from a significant portion of the Egyptian public.

BOLDUAN: And you've also spoken to a military general who said going forward, it could be some nine to 12 months before we get these elections in place. So what are Egyptians facing in the interim and from this perspective, what is the U.S. looking for in the interim?

AMANPOUR: Well, I think the United States and all partners have to be very, very proactive on the interim government and on their partners in the military and make sure that this does move forward, that it's not another 17 months like we saw after the fall of Mubarak of military rule, because whether or not this is technically military rule, it certainly is organized, orchestrated by the military.

Whether they want to call it a coup or not, the first democratically elected president of Egypt has been toppled, ousted, whatever you want to call it, he is out with no choice of his own.

And so I think you have to be very careful sort of umbrella arrest warrants are being put out for the Muslim Brotherhood, some 300 people. You don't want to see a backlash. They closed down certain television stations. You don't want to see the new regime.

BOLDUAN: That's not a good sign.

AMANPOUR: Not at all. You don't want to see that kind of stuff.

BOLDUAN: And what does this say when you broaden it out and how important Egypt is to the region and to the U.S., what does this say to other fledgling democracies or countries that were trying to say -- to push toward democracy?

AMANPOUR: Well, it does say this is a very difficult process. Emerging democracy, as always, is fragile. What you do have in Egypt is a one-party system. You have the Muslim Brotherhood was the party when the others were Mubarak's party and the military. They formed another bloc.

What you need now are opposition political parties, which you don't have. Those millions of people in the streets are not yet a party. They have to form parties and maybe there will be some sort of counterweight in this interim period to the Muslim Brotherhood and that's what's going to be shown, hopefully, when there are new elections.

But for the U.S., it's so vital. That's why we're paying so much attention to it.

BOLDUAN: Right.

AMANPOUR: Egypt is the building block for the United States and for the whole region in that critical area.

BOLDUAN: And what makes it very complex -- and Fareed made this point and stuck with me -- as we are moving forward and the military is coming in to try to bring some order and move back to democratic elections, the Muslim Brotherhood, they haven't gone home. They're still there and they're angry.

AMANPOUR: Well, they are angry. They have cloaked themselves in the legitimacy of democratic elections.

BOLDUAN: Right.

AMANPOUR: But the truth is they overplayed their hand and what they did is move too far towards a base of Islamists and their own Muslim Brotherhood base. So, yes, people will be dissecting this for a long, long time. People will be -- you know, political scientists, all of us looking at how democracy works, will be really examining this test case.

They did overreach. On the other hand, they were democratically leaked.

BOLDUAN: And so ironic to be talking about this on American Independence Day.

AMANPOUR: It really is. Because obviously Egyptians want freedom, liberty and independence. I tell you something really interesting. Lady Liberty, who you're going to be introducing, has told me that the first place Bartholdi wanted to put the Statue of Liberty was in the Suez Canal in the 1800s. That's Egypt.

So it is a very interesting anecdote for the day.

BOLDUAN: Very interesting to watch throughout the day. Christiane, thank you so much.

AMANPOUR: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thank you, thank you.

CUOMO: They didn't get the statue, but hopefully they do get the freedoms right there, because we need them to be stable.

Now, back here at home: picnics and parades, beaches and barbecues. All great ways we want to spend the Fourth of July. But will Lady Liberty be upstaged by Mother Nature?

BOLDUAN: Don't worry about that. CUOMO: Don't worry about us? I ignore it.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: I got to introduce you. Being rude to the whole family.

BOLDUAN: I love you, Bruce.

CUOMO: There he is, Bruce. Best looking man on the set. Come on. That's OK. It's just TV.

BOLDUAN: Chad Myers, what's going on with the weather?

MYERS: The best dressed floor director in the business, right there. Good job.

I hope I have the liberty to give you a good forecast here because I just want to go with one of your jokes.

Here from Tallahassee back to Pensacola, a lot of rain today. If you're going to have a picnic here, you're going to be in and out of a shelter, I'm afraid, trying to keep the hot dogs and everything else dry.

Although, New York, Boston, all the way down to D.C., Baltimore, the warmest day in a week, at least. This is going to be a hot one today -- 94 Boston, but it's going to feel like 103, 88 in New York City but it's going to feel like 100. Believe it or not, it's going to feel 25 degrees warmer in New York City than in Atlanta today. Salt Lake City, 98, Denver 91, 114 in Las Vegas. And about 111 in Scottsdale, Arizona today.

So, it's going to be hot, wet and hot, depending on where you are in the country. But at least we have a couple of good days worth of forecasts for the weekend. We'll take a good weekend. Have a good Fourth.

BOLDUAN: We'll take a good weekend. Thank you so much. Thanks for spending your Fourth with us.

CUOMO: We're having a lot of fun here, but there is a lot of news as well.

So, let's get to Michaela for the latest.

PEREIRA: All right. Good morning to you both. And let's catch up.

In Arizona, memorial is planned next Tuesday honoring the 19 firefighters killed in the line of duty. Those men all members of the very same elite Hotshot unit. Meanwhile, their fellow firefighters finally getting an upper hand on the Yarnell Hill Fire. It is now at 45 percent contained. Families who are forced to evacuate their homes could be allowed to return home by the weekend, which is very good news.

Texas lawmakers are set to vote again on a bill banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and limiting where they can happen. A statehouse committee just approved the restrictions and it's expected to go to the full house for a vote next week. North Carolina state Senate has also approved a bill restricting where abortions can take place. The state assembly there considers it next week.

A Boston man has been charged with trying to rip off One Fund Boston, the charity established to compensate Boston marathon bombings victims. Twenty-two-year-old Brandon Mattier was arrested after accepting a fake check for more than $2 million on behalf of an aunt who's been dead for years. Mattier pleaded not guilty to the charges of grand larceny and identity theft.

What started out as a school board meeting ended in a profanity-laced shouting match. Now the embarrassing altercation, of course, has gone viral. This all happened in Spring Valley, New York.

A mother and frequent school board critic was speaking about her special needs child when a private lawyer for the board apparently started smirking. That quickly turned into a screaming match that continued outside into the parking lot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're still smirking at me. Please?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, would you please shut up. For Christ's sake.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You really need to get out. You need to get out.

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shut up, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That did it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's it. That's it (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you, you (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: Oh, yes. We had to bleep that.

The board plans to discuss the incident in a meeting next week. Hopefully, calmer heads will prevail at that meeting, and it's about the kids. That's the thing that's always crazy to think that adults can misbehave so badly.

This is my favorite story. Love is patient, love is kind. This man is proof. We caught it. Adrian Gardner (ph) spent a minute and a half on bended knee as his girlfriend, Libbie Tate (ph) completely oblivious (INAUDIBLE) the windows were brand new salon --

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: She's working. Rips off three -- I think three doors where, finally, she sees him and she dropped to her knees. Oh, my. The Australian (ph) reports a trampoline accident almost left Adrian close to life in a wheel chair just a couple of weeks ago. So, this makes this story even more beautiful. They hope to marry next year. He was probably like, could you please hurry up, because I'm on my knees?

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: Are you avoiding me on purpose? She was so focused on what her job was.

BOLDUAN: Congratulations --

CUOMO: Very good.

BOLDUAN: It is a special Fourth of July because, as we've been saying, and I would like to say it again -- the Statue of Liberty is set to reopen this morning after being closed for eight months. It was closed during Superstorm Sandy and it's been a battle to get her back. A battle for a lot of people still struggling to get back and recover after Superstorm Sandy, but today is the day. And CNN's Pamela Brown is on Liberty Island for us. Hi, Pamela.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kate. A gorgeous day out here as you see the sun illuminating the Statue of Liberty. Park officials scrambled to make sure that the island re-opened today, that the patriotic symbol was open to the public on Independence Day. 15,000 people expected to arrive here on the island throughout the day. They'll be the first visitors here in eight months.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN (voice-over): Lady Liberty is once again ready to face the masses, yearning for a closer look at one of America's most iconic figures.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a big thing to see in New York -- one things we were looking most forward to see.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It lit the way for us to have a better life. And it's important that my children be able to see, experience, and understand that.

BROWN: Hurricane Sandy forced Lady Liberty's closing just a day after her 126th anniversary. While the statue itself emerged unscathed, storm surge sucked almost three-quarters of Liberty Island, leaving bricks ripped up, docks destroyed, and debris everywhere. Adding insult to injury, the statue had just re-opened the day before the storm after a year of renovations.

CNN got rare access inside for the re-opening all the way to her crown. The trek up a steep 377-step narrow spiral staircase leads to spectacular views high above New York's harbor. The 305-foot tall statue was a gift from France, symbolizing the friendship between the two countries and their shared love of liberty.

Dedicated in 1886 after ten years of construction, more than 3 1/2 million people worldwide flock here every year. Park officials worked around the clock to make sure the island re-opened just in time for this Independence Day.

DAVID LUCHSINGER, SUPERINTENDENT, STATUE OF LIBERTY: Coming here and seeing visitors from all over the world standing out in front with tears in their eyes or excitement, because she's not only our Statue of Liberty, she's the world's Statue of Liberty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Brown (on-camera): A first round of visitors will arrive here on the ferry in just about half-an-hour from now. Visitors will be able to stay on the island through 4:45 this afternoon. Now, even though the island is reopening, it's still a work in progress, still a lot of construction taking place here.

And Ellis Island nearby is still closed and it will remain close for the foreseeable future. By the way, we're told that tickets to the Statue of Liberty today are all sold out. No surprise there.

BOLDUAN: No surprise. Everyone wanting to get in on the celebration. Pamela, thank you.

Coming up next on NEW DAY, can a new burger or new taco make you rethink your fast food allegiances? Come on, people! The three of us bonded as we needed to bond anymore over a new Wendy's burger and it fared well in the battle for our taste buds, but can it make a dent in the fast-food war? Deep thoughts.

CUOMO: Deep thoughts. We need Jack Andy (ph) here.

So, we go from burgers to hot dogs. Traditional Fourth of July eat- off is on, but, maybe a snag. A 270-foot snag will be on Coney Island. We'll tell you about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everybody. Happy Fourth of July. All right. A disclaimer here. Of course, we want everybody to be healthy. We got to live better lives. Well, let's be honest. Every once in a while, we indulge you like a little of the fast-food. You know, you do. My favorite -- a milkshake. OK? There, I'm out. It's out. All right?

Michaela is here to tell us how, though, fast food companies are at war spending billions to make sure that I can get my shake or you can get that burger from their store, aren't they?

PEREIRA: They are indeed. And it's supposed to be a treat. Isn't that the idea after all? Do you want to eat fresh or do you want to have it your way or maybe you want to think outside the bun? Fast- food restaurants have been coming up with slogans and gimmicks for years as the way to keep us hooked on their subs (ph), burgers, tacos, chalupas and the like.

But, the fast-food wars are now amping up as companies are coming up with brand new recipes to get consumers saying "I'm loving it."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA (voice-over): Put up your dukes or your forks. It's time for the latest match up of the fast-food wars. Americans spent more than $100 billion last year to eat fast-food. And now, the companies dishing it out are competing to get a bigger bite out of your wallet.

JOHN GORDON, PACIFIC MANAGEMENT CONSULTING GROUP: It really is a war. It's a war because the United States is literally filled to the brim with restaurants. There are a number of both privately held and publicly traded companies that are all competing essentially for the same customer.

PEREIRA: It's new menu items that are driving traffic which is why restaurants are adding them fast and furiously.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire-grilled.

PEREIRA: Burger King is beefing up its summer menu with a BK rib sandwich. McDonald's is offering three new quarter pounders, the deluxe, Habanero ranch, and bacon and cheese. These traditional fast feeders are facing several pressures right now. Competing with more sophisticated palates, thanks to the Food Network and health conscience consumers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The goal is to show I've got a great product. I've got something new for you. I've got something tasty for you. I've got something for you in a pleasant environment.

PEREIRA: For this reason, you see quick service chains introducing both value priced and more innovative culinary items. It's called a barbell strategy. Think Taco Bells Dorito's Locos Taco line lower costs? But also offering more gourmet fare, a cantina bell menu by a celebrity chef. And now, Wendy's is looking to top everyone with its pretzel bacon cheeseburger. We decided to take a bite.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: So here it is, the latest contender in the fast food wars. The Wendy's pretzel bacon cheeseburger in all its glory.

BOLDUAN: The good folks at Wendy's sent them over for us. So, I think we must give them a try.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: I feel like we need a drum roll, please.

PEREIRA: There's bacon, it can't be bad.

BOLDUAN: Ooh, it's warm.

PEREIRA: That's outstanding.

BOLDUAN: There is nothing wrong with this.

PEREIRA: This is a problem.

BOLDUAN: This is a problem.

PEREIRA: Favorite problem, I'll tell you what.

BOLDUAN: Wendy's, we love you and hate you in equal parts, because now, I'm going to eat this.

CUOMO: The bun makes a difference.

BOLDUAN: The bun makes a big difference.

CUOMO: I like the pretzel bread. I like the thickness consistency of it, because you know, people are so anti-bread these days. Really good.

PEREIRA: And there's nothing wrong. You can add bacon on anything. And I could put a little more of the sauce on it. That nacho cheese sauce --

BOLDUAN: Mine's drippy, just the way I like it. You know what, here's my question -- is this too many good things at one time?

CUOMO: Never. That's what life's about.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: We'll be right back.

CUOMO: This is food division. We'll be right back. We don't make the food here. we just eat it.

BOLDUAN: Coming up next on NEW DAY, the Fourth of July. Hot dog eat- off is on and it's a sign of Coney Island back in business after superstorm Sandy, but, parts of the amusement park will be off-limits today. We're (ph) going to be keeping their burgers and we'll explain why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everybody. It is Thursday, July 4th. Happy Independence Day. Happy Birthday, America. I'm Kate Bolduan joined here by news anchor, Michaela Pereira. Chris will be right back. He went outside to start firing up the grill for us.

PEREIRA: We should be afraid, Kate.

BOLDUAN: I am afraid. I'm always afraid when Chris is manning the grill. I'll tell you that much. But, we're going to do it anyway, because we love him.

All right. We are going to go live to Coney Island shortly. The historic park is bouncing back from superstorm Sandy ready for today's famous hot dog eating contest. But, there could be a very tall and dangerous snag standing in the way. But before we get to all that, let's first get to some of the other top headlines making news right now with Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right. Good morning, Kate. Good morning to you at home. Egypt under military control with a new interim president now in place. The country's former top judge has been sworn in to replace ousted president, Mohamed Morsy. Former President Morsy and his senior -- senior advisors, rather, we're told, under house arrest.

There are now concerns of a violent backlash from supporters of Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood. Let's go live to Cairo now where Karl Penhaul is standing by -- Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michaela, we're overlooking Tahrir Square. And last night, this was really the scene of jubilant celebrations after the military ousted President Morsy. By some accounts, up to a million people packed into this square celebrating the event with fireworks. And this morning even, we saw military jets overflying the square and setting off smoke plumes, the colors of the Egyptian flags, to try and convince the people that a military, really, is on the people's side.