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Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal; Death Toll Rises in Train Explosion; Eliot Spitzer's Comeback Attempt; Five Indonesian Men Saved from Tigers; Patriots Owner Breaks Silence On Hernandez; Barnes & Noble CEO Resigns

Aired July 9, 2013 - 06:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Kate Bolduan's theme song you're hearing right there.

Welcome back, everybody to NEW DAY, this Tuesday, July 9th. I'm Chris Cuomo.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Kate Bolduan.

Let's get straight to news anchor Michaela Pereira for the top stories happening right now.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning, everyone.

Making news: The NTSB say it is too early to say a pilot error caused Asiana Flight 214 to crash at the San Francisco International Airport. But the agency says the pilot's lack of experience at the controls of the Boeing 777 will be a factor in the investigation. Also says the plane was flying much slower than recommended right before impact.

This new amateur video shows the chaos seconds following the crash, emergency chutes inflate and terrified passengers evacuating.

In an apparent effort to ease growing tensions in Egypt, the country's interim president outlined a timetable for elections. Adly Mansour is calling for an investigation into Monday's massacre, that left 51 people dead. Funeral for many of those killed will be held today.

The clash between Egypt's military and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsy was the deadliest day in Cairo in nearly two years.

A Texas Senate Committee set to vote on tough abortion restrictions, including banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Thousands on both sides of the abortion debate weighed in during public testimony yesterday, some people arguing fetal pain begins at 20 weeks.

In Wisconsin, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of new abortion laws requiring doctors have hospital admitting privileges if they do indeed perform abortions.

Another setback for young Sarah Murnaghan. Less than a month after receiving her second set of replacement lungs, the 10-year-old Philadelphia girl has developed pneumonia. Her mother says after a very rough day, her daughter is now more stable. Last month, a judge issued an order allowing Sarah to be placed on the adult donor list.

And, finally, here we go, this say man's man, a fish tale, talk about the one who didn't get away. This guy's wife said she wanted fish for dinner, so he literally jumped in the lake and catches a rainbow trout with this bare hand.

Now, look, we cannot confirm if he caught the fish or pulled a fast one.

The video has gone viral. Lots of folks online are certainly debating whether this is true or if it's just a really good fake.

Our resident fisherman Chris Cuomo here to respond.

CUOMO: I use a pole.

PEREIRA: As do most fishermen or a net or a combo.

CUOMO: I think it's cool and debate it all you want. Looks cool to me.

PEREIRA: It's still fun video.

BOLDUAN: It's still good stuff. Hope they had a good dinner.

All right. Let's do our political gut check coming straight out of Washington. First up, president might remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year as relations sour with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

CNN's chief national correspondent John King is here with more.

Big announcement -- potentially a big announcement, I guess, we're seriously considering is the way that we're hearing about it. I mean, this matters to so many families here in the U.S. as well as everywhere. But it also sounds like a bit of a negotiating tactic in a strange way, John. What do you think is happening here?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate and Chris, good morning. This is a negotiating tactic in two ways. First and foremost with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The president's relationship with him is deteriorating.

You can talk to senior officials going back into the Bush administration. They would tell you, dealing with Karzai is sometimes like dealing with a child. He's unpredictable. He changes his mind. So, that's part of it.

The president is trying to negotiate Hamid Karzai. There have been recent negotiations whether to negotiate with the Taliban.

But make no mistake about it, there's also a big debate about this within the Pentagon. The generals are debating how many troops to leave behind, what's the composition of the force.

So, the president is also serving notice to the Pentagon here, I'm going to keep the zero option. Now, think about the past decade, look at the map, inconceivable to think there wouldn't be some kind of a U.S. residual force in Afghanistan to look across the border to Pakistan.

But remember, for anyone who thinks it is impossible, it is improbable to have zero. But if you think it's impossible, I give you one example -- Iraq. Everyone thought we'd leave a force there and we didn't.

BOLDUAN: What is the next step then? I mean, is this -- are you just laying down, the president's laying down his marker and he's waiting for Hamid Karzai to respond? It seems like a dangerous game to be playing, we're talking about really a huge foreign policy issue.

KING: It is a huge foreign policy issue. But, again, this relationship sometimes -- this is what it takes. I was told by a senior official not that long ago it's like dealing with a 3-year-old. Sometimes you need to lay it out there.

So, if Karzai doesn't trust his security forces we snap it back to zero option. Maybe you snap him into thinking I better get back to the negotiating table here. But again, remember all the violence the U.S. deaths. There's a lot of impatience with the United States with this, too, because the big question about -- are you going to leave a force more vulnerable because it's smaller and more Americans keep dying.

So, most of this is negotiating with Karzai. But there's a serious conversation in the states how far to get out and how fast.

BOLDUAN: We got to ask you, I have to ask you about some presidential politics. Potentially, presidential politics, I guess. So, you have Texas Governor Rick Perry making a quote-unquote, "big announcement" yesterday that he's not going to be running for governor, for another term as governor of Texas.

Most interesting about that announcement though is that he played very coy about this future plans. When you look at the 2016 playing field in the Republican Party, even though no one has announced yet, is there an opening run by Rick Perry, do you think?

KING: I would say yes, even if you go back and look at how miserable his performance was in the last campaign. He came in, he was supposed to be the conservative coming from Texas, the new Ronald Reagan. He bombed in the debates and I'm being kind when I say he bombed in the debate. So, people say no way for Rick Perry, right?

I would remind you of this --Ronald Reagan ran more than once, John McCain ran more than once to get the nomination, Mitt Romney ran more than once that run the nomination. There's still a conservative base to the Republican Party that likes Rick Perry. Would he need to do a hell of a lot better if he'd run again? Yes. But should you rule him out completely? No. BOLDUAN: Yes. And in the next 18 months while he's still governor, he sure has a big donor base that he can be reaching out to in the meantime.

KING: No question.

CUOMO: John, how about the come-on Congress? Where are we with that?

They say that education is a priority, they helped the banks, they help homeowners with mortgage rates, student loans pop up, they say they're going to fix it. They'll make it retroactive. Any action yet?

KING: There's some action in the Senate, a potential compromise on the Senate side. Joe Manchin, the conservative Democrat from West Virginia, remember, he was involved in the attempt to get a background checks on guns, compromise not that long ago. The new independent senator from Maine, Angus King, a former governor there, a couple of serious Republicans involved in this conversation as well.

So, on the Senate side, you do see an effort to -- it's closer to the president's plan. You would peg the interest rates on Treasury bonds, graduate loans will be a little bit more higher rates than regular loans. But I'll say this, so we now see movement in the Senate, that's a good thing, but the big question here is the Republican- controlled House when they look at this proposal, does it make them change at all? We don't know the answer to that yet.

So, yes, it's nice to see progress but the House is more important than the Senate.

BOLDUAN: Yes, especially in this one.

John King, great to see you. Thank you.

KING: Thank you.

CUOMO: The Republicans say education matters also. Is this kind of a mystery? What do you think of this one?

BOLDUAN: The Republican House says they've already passed a bill in May.

CUOMO: I know. But I mean, look at the rates. You got to put the rates back, right?

You tell us, what do you think. Get online with us. We're going to take a break and give you sometime to consider this.

When we come back, disgraced former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, you hear the song, Eminem says it right, he's seeking redemption, going to come back, run for public office. How forgiving are voters? We'll talk about it.

BOLDUAN: And we will show you what might just be the scariest, most terrifying prank ever. CUOMO: This is all real.

BOLDUAN: Man, that is mean, mean, mean.

CUOMO: It is real. They are really upset.

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone.

The death toll is rising in that Canadian town partially leveled when a runaway train hauling crude oil exploded this weekend. Look at that video this weekend. Look at that video from this weekend. Thirteen people are now confirmed dead, dozens are still missing.

CNN's Paula Newton is at the crash site in Canada. Paula, what's the latest?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning, Kate. We expect that investigators and forensic specialists will get closer to the blast zone today but unfortunately, Kate, that only means more bad news for this town.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON (voice-over): Local officials have been blunt about what this kind of inferno would have meant for victims. The fire might be out but the devastation makes clear what happened to people who were in their homes, at work, at a pub on a Friday night. Police had warned the death toll would rise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As we are speaking right now, we have found that eight more victims inside of the room. So that leads us to 13 victims.

NEWTON: And dozens more are still missing. Forensic specialists have asked victim's families for hair samples, clothing, anything to help identify their loved ones.

(on camera): While people here are just starting to come to terms with the devastation. As you can see, this train literally slammed into this small town, and the homes here are always very, very close to the tracks. It's always been that way. Usually, they're travel between five and 10 miles an hour. On that night, this train was going at least between 30 and 40 miles an hour.

(voice-over): Sonya Pepa (ph) heard the train like never before that night. The tracks are a few feet from her home and she says the whole house shook, and then this family got the news.

She says they are mourning her brother-in-law, who they assume was killed in the explosion. She says she never wants to see a train on these tracks again. Police say they aren't ruling anything you the including sabotage. At issue now, both here and in the United States, is transporting crude oil safe?

According to the rail industry, the amount of crude traveling by tanker car has grown exponentially in the last five years and many wonder if safety standards have kept up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: You know, no real answers from officials on either side of the border yesterday about exactly what they had been doing, Chris, not just to make sure that these trains are operated safely on both sides of the border but crucially, Chris, those tankers. This rolling stock, how hold is it, how safe is it? We expect more answers in the coming days -- Chris.

CUOMO: Big questions. Paula Newton thank you very much.

Another provocative question now: is this the year of the political comeback? Eliot Spitzer seems to think so. The former New York Governor is back on the campaign trail, asking for redemption and votes as he starts his bid for city comptroller.

As CNN's Mary Snow reports, there's reason to think he just might get both.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIOT SPITZER (D), FORMER NY GOVERNOR: You got put down there --

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Five years after a sex scandal forced him out of office as New York's governor, Eliot Spitzer hit the streets looking for political support, a crush of cameras outnumbered potential voters.

SPITZER: People have forgiveness in their hearts, whether that forgiveness --

HECKLER: Not everybody forgives.

SNOW: Hecklers brought up Spitzer's admission of using prostitutes that led to his 2008 resignation.

SPITZER: The remorse I feel will always be with me.

SNOW: After stepping down, Spitzer has worked as a TV commentator, including at CNN.

Can Spitzer win a second chance like Mark Sanford did?

REP. MARK SANFORD (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Washington, D.C.!

SNOW: His political career seemed over after having an extramarital affair while governor of South Carolina. He was recently elected to Congress. Anthony Weiner is now leading the polls in New York's mayoral race after resigning from Congress when he was caught sending lewd photos of himself to women.

Spitzer needs nearly 4,000 signatures by Thursday to run for the city's chief budget officer.

This man signed his name.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he can prove himself as a viable candidate and win, he wins. That's democracy.

SNOW: Not everyone agrees.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why don't we just get Marion Berry back and run for this, too? It's a circus.

SNOW: One Democratic strategist who worked on a previous Spitzer campaign says don't count Spitzer out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten minutes in politics is 50 years in anything else and anything can happen all times, any time, forever.

SNOW: But can Spitzer clock enough support in a New York minute to run again?

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Time now for a quick trip of the news making headlines around the world. We're going to begin in Moscow this morning where NSA leaker Edward Snowden could soon be on the move.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It now seems like only a matter of time until Edward Snowden leaves Moscow. The Venezuelans have come out and received an asylum application from the NSA leaker and that they are willing to take him in and now, it's up to Snowden when he actually makes his way to Venezuela.

The big question is how he's going to do that? We believe he'll take a commercial aero flight that leaves Moscow Sheremetyevo and goes to Havana. The big question is, are the U.S. and allies trying to intercept the flight and force it to land and try to take Snowden off the plane?

Back to you, Kate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: All right. Fred, thank you so much. Now, the captain of the ill-fated Costa Concordia cruise ship, remember that name, is on trial in Italy this morning, facing manslaughter charges.

Barbie Nadeau reports from Italy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Captain Francesco Schettino appeared in court here this morning in (INAUDIBLE) to face charges of multiple manslaughter, abandoning ship and causing a maritime disaster for slamming the Costa Concordia cruise liner into rocks off Giglio in January 2012. Thirty-two people were killed in that disaster, including two Americans.

The captain denies charges and instead says he's a hero for saving 4,200 people on the ship and about the abandoning ship charges, his lawyer tells us he was actually pushed off the ship in the chaos.

The trial has been adjourned until July 17th when we expect to see the captain in court again. It was adjourned due to a national lawyer strike here in Italy. Back to you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right, Barbie, thanks so much.

Now, in Indonesia, a group of men finally rescued after being trapped up in trees for five days, trapped up in trees by angry tigers that was below. Katie Kiano (ph) has more from Jakarta

KATIE KIANO (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT: Five Indonesian men were stuck on top of a couple of trees in the middle of the rain forest in Indonesia after Sumatran tigers chased them, mauled, and killed one of their friends. The tigers kept watching from below, but the men managed to call in for help using their mobile phones.

The men were there to collect very expensive and rare resin used to make perfume and incense. Authorities are telling us now that two of the men are still in the hospital being treated, three have gone home, but they're all weak and traumatized.

Now this is a perfect example of the ongoing battle between man versus nature in Indonesia's dwindling rain forest. Back to you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right. Katie (ph), thank you so much. Think about that, five days in a tree.

CUOMO: No good. Some story.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: We're going to take a quick break. When we come back on NEW DAY, take a look at this, got to see it. Gas station, car barrels into it, everybody's on fire, everything's on fire, including this man. How did he get out of this situation? We're going to take you all about what saved his life. BOLDUAN: And quick memo to boyfriends everywhere, don't surprise your girlfriend with a prank so elaborate and so scary that it's enough to make her break up with you. It's a new must-see moment.

CUOMO: As only a man would, I laugh, ha, ha, ha!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: This prank is so bad.

PEREIRA: It's so bad because that guy better sleep with his eyes open from now on.

BOLDUAN: Would you do ever it?

CUOMO: Would I do it? No. I'm afraid of my wife.

(LAUGHTER)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Must see moment of the day, cruel or cool? You decide. Here's James Williams. He's preparing to scare the bejesus out of his sleeping girlfriend. Check it out for yourself, we'll discuss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SCREAMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: Williams apparently spent weeks building a puppet replica of that creepy little girl from the horror flick "The Ring" and then made it appear like something was coming right out the television set and then scares the lights out of her. It was so terrifying, apparently, James had to stop his girlfriend from fleeing the house.

He says now in retrospect he actually kind of feels bad because his mom called him. He spent months building like there was no moment in those months prior --

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: You think it's hilarious.

CUOMO: I do. I do.

PEREIRA: You're like tearing up --

CUOMO: I'll be honest, it's funny but "The Ring" scared me so much that I had dreams about it for days.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: That little girl coming out of that wall, she climbed, never watch it. PEREIRA: No.

PEREIRA: That's the thing. And the middle of the night, those things are so terrifying. They're scary in the daytime.

BOLDUAN: Right.

CUOMO: Just a prank. Just a prank. What do you think? I'm wrong, right? Of course.

PEREIRA: Of course.

CUOMO: Let's take another break. Coming back on NEW DAY, exclusive, three siblings who survived the Asiana airlines crash talk about the most frightening moment of their young lives. A great interview you want to see.>

BOLDUAN: Plus, the best laid plans go awry for a woman accused of plotting to have her husband killed. Yes, she did. The murder-for- hire scheme captured on camera. Another video you have to see to believe.

CUOMO: Now, that's a reason to break up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Patriots owner Robert Kraft speaking for the first time since Aaron Hernandez was busted on murder charges. He says he was fooled by the former tight end as much as anyone. What does that mean? Andy Scholes with the" Bleacher Report" to break it down for us. Good morning, Andy. What do you think of it?

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey. Good morning, guys. Well, it's definitely a bizarre situation. You know, since Aaron Hernandez was arrested almost two weeks ago, Robert Kraft and the Patriots, they've been doing whatever they can to distance themselves from their former tight end. Yesterday, against the advice of his attorneys, Kraft spoke with reporters about Hernandez for the first time saying, "If this stuff is true, then I've been duped and our whole organization has been duped."

Now, Kraft went on to say that the team decided to cut Hernandez the moment he was arrested no matter what the charge was going to be. EA Sports, the popular sports video game company, has also announced that they are removing Hernandez from all future games.

All right, guys. This may be the catch of the year in major league baseball. The ninth inning last night, Joey Votto of the Reds is going to crush this ball to centerfield, but check it out. The Brewers' Carlos Gomez goes up and robbed them of a two-run home run. That would have given the Reds the lead instead. It ends the game. The Brewers win. Check it out again. This was Gomez's fourth homerun robbery of the year, and Votto, he just can't believe it, that he was just robbed of a potential game winning homerun.

All right. We've seen some creative ceremonial first pitches over the years, but this one may be the best ever. This girl's name is Shin Soo-Ji. She's a South Korean gymnast. Her head almost hits the ground when she makes this pitch, guys. Pretty incredible stuff. I don't know where you learn that, probably cross-fit. I don't know. Chris, what do you think?

BOLDUAN: You learn it in gymnastics. I think it's called like an illusion or something, I remember, from my way back when gymnastics days.

CUOMO: I don't think it can be learned. I think it's talent, naturale.

BOLDUAN: Naturale. Andy great to see you. Thank you so much.

You hear the music, you know what it means. It means it's time for the "Rock Block," a quick roundup of the stories you will be talking about today. First up, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Let's take a look in the papers, in "The Seattle Times," a local children's hospital forced to pull ads from buses that read "Let's wipe out cancer, diabetes and autism." Critics pointing out autism is a disability, not a disease.

From "New York Times," reminiscing about the good old days maybe good for you. New research suggesting nostalgia can counteract loneliness, boredom, and anxiety.

And, in "The Global Post," the Washington monument still covered in scaffolding but now bathes (ph) in light. It will be each night until earthquake damage repairs are completed early next year.

BOLDUAN: That's beautiful.

PEREIRA: It's beautiful. I made that face because I saw Poppy Harlow came in and she's a vision in yellow.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Poppy Harlow business news. You've learned the rules. So, let's hear what's good.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: What is good? Let's take a look at the market. Sort of mixed earnings after we heard from Alcoa. After the close, their earnings came out. The major markets, they're all finishing higher across the board. The Dow, S&P 500. The S&P 500 actually less than two percent below an all-time closing high.

Meantime, news out of Barnes & Noble, the CEO is out. William Lynch resigned yesterday after three years at the helm of the ailing book seller. The company's e-Reader, the Nook, the sales fell 34 percent. The company lost 118 million bucks last quarter.

And credit cardholders, you are apparently becoming much more responsible about paying your bills on time. Delinquencies on bank issued cards fell to 2.41 percent in the first quarter. That is the lowest level, folks, we've seen since 1990.

BOLDUAN: All right. We'll take it.

HARLOW: Yes.

BOLDUAN: We'll take it. Poppy, thank you so much.

Finally, let's get straight to Chad Myers in the weather center with what you need to know before you head out the door this morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hot today as you'd expect, but today, that's what you get Tuesday, that's today, 87 degrees in New York City, 84 for tomorrow, and on Thursday, we go all the way to 83. Take a look at this. Take a look at this. 2,114 planes in the sky already. The reason, the scary, because they look so big.

The good news is, in fact, those planes aren't that big, 2,000 planes in the sky already this morning a busy day for travel. Six thousand planes in the sky by this afternoon.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: Chad Myers, great to see you, thank you.

We're at the top of the hour which you know, of course, means it is time for the top news.