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NEW DAY

Jobs Report; Colbert Honors Uncle; CNN Hero Helps Holocaust Survivors; 2016 Presidential Contenders to Watch

Aired June 6, 2014 - 08:30   ET

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


MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators are trying to determine what exactly prompted a 26-year-old man to open fire on a Christian college campus in Seattle. Authorities say Aaron Ybarra killed one student and injured three others.

As new details from Hillary Clinton's new book are revealed, also being released, nearly 2,000 previously classified documents from Bill Clinton's presidential library, including papers detailing affirmative action and gays in the military.

Big weekend. California Chrome could make history for the first time in nearly 40 years at the Belmont Stakes. Tomorrow, the horse is raising hopes for a triple crown winner. Can he do it? I don't know. We'll be watching.

We always update the five things to know. So be sure to go to newdaycnn.com for the latest.

And, guys, there's a lot to do. We've got the big hockey game tomorrow night, California Chrome and there's going to be good weather in New York. What are we going to do?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Got big stuff tonight and tomorrow and we've got big stuff right now, Mic. We've got breaking news into CNN. Is the economy really growing? The job number helps tell the truth. Christine Romans, chief, chief business correspondent is here and she just got the number. Give us the truth.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I've got the number, 217,000 jobs created in May. The unemployment rate unchanged at 6.3 percent. So that's a five and a half year low, matching a five and a half year low in the jobless rate. Again, 217,000 jobs created in May. That's a little bit more than the consensus estimate that people thought maybe 200,000.

What it confirms to you, there was a snap back from this slow start to the year. We saw this slow weather problem in the beginning of the year. The under employment rate still too high, still double digits. We're going to be digging in to see the labor force participation rate, still too low. But the good news is --

CUOMO: All right, well, good news first. Good news first. So you're above the expected number. ROMANS: That's right.

CUOMO: You tell me that the magic number was 113,000 jobs.

ROMANS: Yes.

CUOMO: Why did that number matter?

ROMANS: So there's history made here today, and that is, we have finally regained all of the jobs lost in the recession, 8.7 million jobs lost in the recession. Now we have finally regained all of them. But population grew. We had all these five, six years of kids graduating from college. Six years of immigration. There weren't jobs created for all of those.

So that's the asterisk on the good number, that we finally got back all of those jobs lost in the big great recession, but this is still the longest recovery in history. It has taken 51 months to do so. So for those of you who say, hey, it doesn't feel better for me, well, that's why, it's taken a very, very long time.

I can tell you that we're seeing the gains in jobs more broad based than we have seen before. That's encouraging. There are talent wars in some parts of the economy, science, technology, engineering, math, high-skilled machinists, things like that. There are talent wars, Silicon Valley. There's a lot of money at play in Silicon Valley. I'd like to see more construction jobs coming back, some more, you know, I would call them skilled, mid-skill-level jobs. You like to see those coming back as well. But this, it's a turning point many economists are telling us in the economy now that you're getting 200,000 plus jobs created for several months in a row.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And you're seeing it, 217,000 jobs added in the month of May. That's the big headline coming out this morning. Christine -

ROMANS: Yes. And we'll watch the stock market because, you know, the Dow is only 165 points away from 17,000. Your 401(k) has been doing well this year as the jobs market has been healing (ph) too.

BOLDUAN: So you can finally start looking at it again. As Christine was saying for a long time, just don't even look.

Thanks, Christine.

CUOMO: The 401(k) is doing well, but you're making less money, so it's hard to put money into it.

ROMANS: Yes, you are.

BOLDUAN: Right. You're right.

ROMANS: True.

BOLDUAN: Very true. Christine, thanks so much.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

BOLDUAN: A lot of news coming out this morning. Coming up next on NEW DAY, Stephen Colbert as honestly you have never seen him before, talking about his family with CNN's Jake Tapper. And we're going to show you, it's really a touching interview.

CUOMO: And could you one day pay $15 for a cup of coffee? What! I hear you. But, we're going to talk with ozy.com founder Carlos Watson. And he's going to start our new summer series, "What's New and What's Next?" $15 for coffee possible. He'll tell us why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

It's a side of Stephen Colbert you've never seen before. The host of "The Colbert Report," who will soon be taking over David Letterman's seat, is honoring one of his relatives on this 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Colbert's uncle was at Normandy. This is just part of the interview with CNN's Jake Tapper that you, of course, will be able to see more on "The Lead" later today. But Jake is joining us from Washington this morning with a preview.

Jake, it's pretty interesting, you often -- you do not often or I would say ever really see Stephen Colbert out of character. But this is the real Stephen Colbert sitting down with you talking about his mother, who passed recently, and his uncle, who served in World War II.

JAKE TAPPER, ANCHOR, CNN'S "THE LEAD": That's right, First Lieutenant Andrew Edward Tuck III was Stephen Colbert's uncle. His mother's old - his mother's younger brother. And he was a very important part of the Colbert family growing up. It was -- we thought it might be interesting to talk about Normandy and the sacrifices made by the greatest generation by just looking at one soldier and his experience in World War II. He was paratrooper who went into Normandy during the D-Day invasion. Here we are talking about the Colbert family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT: And this is - this is Eddie and the family. It looks like a Hollywood photo --

TAPPER: It really does.

COLBERT: Of, you know - this is - this the -

TAPPER: There's the stern dad.

COLBERT: There's the stern dad.

TAPPER: And the sweet - sweet mom.

COLBERT: Sweet mom. That's Popsy (ph). That's Mimi (ph). That's my mom, Lorna (ph). That's my Aunt Col (ph). And that's the rosy-cheeked Eddie. TAPPER: He looks like - I mean he looks like Wally from "Leave It To

Beaver."

COLBERT: That sweet boy -

TAPPER: Yes.

COLBERT: That sweet boy right there in the middle, there are letters in here that say, dad, thanks for the stiletto you sent me, because what they were doing at night was going into enemy camps and killing German officers in their sleep.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: It's really remarkable, Kate, when you think about what these young men were asked to do in World War II and the affection that Colbert has for his Uncle Eddie is really -- is very moving. And the way he talks about him, it's a side you've never seen.

BOLDUAN: Well, and also, and you get to it in the interview, just how young these - I mean you could even call them boys -- were in going into World War II and what was expected of them and asked of them is truly unbelievable. His uncle died years before Colbert was even born. Did you get into kind of the connection that Colbert feels and why he feels such a strong connection with him?

TAPPER: Yes, Uncle Eddie, he survived so much in World War II, but he did not get out of Europe alive. And his mom, Stephen Colbert's mom, who you referred to, died recently. And Stephen Colbert was very close with his mother. She kept his memory alive, so much so that it was almost as if Uncle Eddie was a living, breathing member of the family. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLBERT: A lot of these letters start when he's 19, and he's dead by 23. And you see his maturation process in the letters. You see the experience. He starts off as someone who's very proud to be serving his country, wants to get the job done. And by the end of it, he is someone who has seen terrible things, but is absolutely steel in his conviction that it was the right thing to have done and wants to keep going because he lives all the way through the war in Europe and then wants to go over to Japan, but unfortunately dies before he gets there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: A lot of people might know the 101st Airborne Division because of "Band of Brothers," Kate. That was Easy Company. Edward Tuck, Eddie Tuck, was in Fox Company, but they were together the entire time. So it is a story that I think a lot of people might find familiar if they watched or read "Band of Brothers."

BOLDUAN: Yes. I think even President Obama mentioned in 101st Airborne in his address earlier this morning at -- in Normandy in that commemoration. Really, a very different side of Stephen Colbert that you were able to kind of speak to, Jake. Fascinating. Thanks so much for bringing that to us.

And, of course, that's just part of it. You can see much more of Jake's interview with Stephen Colbert today on "The Lead" that, of course, is every weekday, 4:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

CUOMO: Now to this week's CNN hero. And it is in the honor of 70th anniversary of D-Day. We have Zain Buzby (ph) stumbled upon a forgotten generation still struggling with World War II's effects. Elderly Holocaust survivors living in squalor. So she took it upon herself to become their lifeline.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN BUZBY, CNN HERO: As a child, I ran from the killing squads three times. Our entire little town was burned. My mother and father were killed in the mass graves. I cry at night. Your letters are, for me, like medicine.

These are the last survivors of the Holocaust in eastern Europe. They don't have extended family. Life is so hard in these places. They don't have anything. I saw it with my own eyes. No one was helping them. So I wanted to reach out and help them.

We provide them with direct and continuous financial aid for food, heat, medication and shelter.

OK, stay healthy and write to me.

And we let them know they've not been forgotten. We get stacks and stacks of letters every week, mostly in Russian. They're sent out to translators and then we start answering them immediately and sending money. We're now helping 2,000 people in eight countries. The money is lifesaving, but the connection, equally lifesaving.

I'm going to come back and see you.

We can really write a more hopeful final chapter to the Holocaust, this time one of kindness and compassion and what they finally deserve at the end of their lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: What a beautiful line. Did you hear that about how the money matters but the connection matters just as much. If you'd like to nominate a hero, go to cnnheroes.com.

BOLDUAN: Helping 2,000 people in eight countries now. That's really unbelievable.

Take a break. Coming up next on NEW DAY, how do blind people dream? Details behind a fascinating new study coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: We could talk with Carlos Watson about literally anything. So why don't we? CUOMO: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Michaela, what a novel idea.

PEREIRA: Isn't that an interesting idea. We love when he comes. We're going to kickoff a new series with him this summer. The co- founder and editor of "Ozy", a new online magazine is going to join us here, profile a little bit of what's new and what's next.

Good to have you back with us on the show.

CARLOS WATSON, CO-FOUNDER, "OZY": Really good to be with you.

BOLDUAN: All right. We didn't hurt him enough the first time. He had to come back.

PEREIRA: I know. He survived the abuse.

WATSON: Coming for more.

PEREIRA: Here we go.

Number one -- let's talk about some under the radar potential presidential candidate.

WATSON: Yes, I think there's a good one on both the Republican and Democratic side. So of course, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz are all getting a lot of the energy.

PEREIRA: Sure.

WATSON: But the governor of Michigan, historically Democratic state, Rick Snyder ran as one tough nerd, he's the former CEO of Gateway Computer Company. His first try for office, he wins. Now he's got Michigan, big comeback. They've gone from 14 percent unemployment to 7 percent.

And the biggest story of all and the story that I think if he ever has a chance as president would be what happens with Detroit. There's been historic animosity between the rest of Michigan and Detroit. But this Republican governor has led a bailout of Detroit, putting some $350 million estate money to work. He's had to convince a bunch of Republican legislators. And if something good comes out of this, I don't know.

PEREIRA: Not particularly charismatic, though. Not known for --

BOLDUAN: That's kind of his thing, though. He is under the radar. He's very policy focused. But for many -- if you're really going to get into it, if he wants to do something bigger in the future, that might be a problem because he doesn't throw that red meat to the right that would help him win a primary necessarily in a national election.

WATSON: Fair enough. So pro life, pro gun, flat taxes, 6 percent tax. You're right --

BOLDUAN: Right. He's a conservative but yes --

(CROSSTALK)

WATSON: -- charisma is not his story. So that could end up being an issue. But who knows? The economy could be a big issue. They may want someone who proved some cross-over appeal.

And on the Democratic side: now Hillary obviously is the presumptive favorite by a long margin -- loved the segment with Candy earlier. But if for some reason she didn't run and who knows what happens in this life, governor of Colorado --

PEREIRA: Hickenlooper.

WATSON: -- former geologist.

PEREIRA: Right.

WATSON: Pub owner. You have to love a guy who own bars -- right.

BOLDUAN: Right. And do we need to bring up the pot? Sorry -- it had to be done.

WATSON: You know, 420 happened in Colorado so there you go.

PEREIRA: All right. Let's move on to a topic that I know is going to get under the man to our -- between the two of us.

CUOMO: Just say the man.

BOLDUAN: No, do not.

PEREIRA: Coffee, we know it's kind of expensive if you go see a barista. But $15-coffee, Carlos Watson? $15 -- coffee.

WATSON: Hey listen, you're talking California -- right.

PEREIRA: Don't blame my state.

WATSON: California is always on the cutting edge. There's a wonderful set of little coffee shops there called Verve. And a couple of young guys started it five, six, seven years ago. What they said is that coffee is special. Special just like the best wines --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: Only because we make it special.

WATSON: Only because coffee makes it --

BOLDUAN: We make it special if we give it such importance, right?

WATSON: They would say, yes, we give it importance. We love it, we enjoy it -- the same way we do with wine.

PEREIRA: True. WATSON: And they would say they travel a couple dozen countries a year. They do special things with the farmers there in terms of how it's grown and how it's ultimately roasted.

PEREIRA: Artisanal.

WATSON: Look at you.

PEREIRA: I'm from California. This number is crazy, Carlos.

(CROSSTALK)

WATSON: $15 -- look --

CUOMO: $15 for a cup of coffee. You better give me lotto numbers.

WATSON: From Ethiopia -- Chris. From Ethiopia -- this is special.

CUOMO: I want to help Ethiopia as much as the next guy, but $15 for a cup of coffee, I'll just send a check. I'll send a check for (inaudible).

WATSON: By the way, a big check.

BOLDUAN: Do you think we're going to drink this much coffee if it's $15 a cup? 1,131 -- the number of cups on average an average coffee drinker consumes each year.

PEREIRA: You've got to win the lottery to drink $15-coffee.

WATSON: Hey, I'll tell you what. They've got some smaller priced cups as well. So for those of you, especially Chris, who's uncomfortable with the big checks -- I'll tell you what another popular, L.A., San Francisco, they're getting calls from everywhere. They opened about another ten stores.

PEREIRA: Sure. Like craft beers.

WATSON: They're doing really well. I'll pay attention. Also they're kind of fun. I have to say they're fun. They're fun young guys. The stores have kind of a different vibe for them. Santa Cruz near the beach --

BOLDUAN: Let's put it this way, as long as not every cup of coffee is $15 --

PEREIRA: No, you want variety -- sure.

WATSON: Not every one. That's good enough.

PEREIRA: Last but not least, a really fascinating study about dreams and people that are blind.

WATSON: That's a terrific study out of Denmark, Copenhagen. They looked at people who were born blind, people who lost their sight after about a year and people who have always been able to see and compared the two. What did we learn? We learned that when people who are blind dream they use other senses, so they smell more, they taste more, they feel more.

PEREIRA: Tasting -- that's interesting.

WATSON: Taste more so that -- we just spoke about coffee, right?

PEREIRA: Their other senses come alive.

WATSON: Correct. All of those other senses come into play, usually about double the amount. And obviously the visual element that many of us think about in dreaming is not quite as present.

(CROSSTALK)

WATSON: Immediately after you wake up, these folks have a log and they were asked a series of questions and so they took that over a month. It was a month-long survey of about 50 people.

Yes -- more nightmares, unfortunately by the blind, fears of falling into potholes, losing your guide dog, those sort of things.

CUOMO: So it's not so much connected to blindness as the practical considerations of being blind that drives the nightmares.

WATSON: Very well said, especially for people who believe that dreams are often your way of practicing how you'll deal with threats -- right. And so you're playing that out.

PEREIRA: Carlos Watson --

BOLDUAN: The study of dream is --

CUOMO: That's why I dream about you coming after me with knives.

BOLDUAN: With knives -- I don't need a knife to take you out. It's just my paper.

CUOMO: That's true.

PEREIRA: Carlos Watson, we love this. It's going to be a great series to participate in with you and have you here and talk about these things. And for you at home, if you want to read more about these stories that we just sort of dipped into, go to newdaycnn.com. You can read them for yourself and find out your own thoughts on some of these. Tasting your dream.

BOLDUAN: Ozy.com.

WATSON: I'll come back to New York next week.

BOLDUAN: You're now going to be called Ozy.

WATSON: Call me Ozy -- I'll deal with it. Ozy Watson. I like it.

CUOMO: It's good to have you here. WATSON: You're a good guy.

CUOMO: It's good to have someone here. To help support --

WATSON: A little balance.

Remember I'm the brother of three sisters. So I'm prepared to be helpful.

CUOMO: That's right. Thanks.

BOLDUAN: He's helping me and Michaela.

CUOMO: Here is a tease. If you owned a precious piece of history, would you keep it for yourself? Would you put it under glass somewhere, never let anyone see it, hide it away? Like Gollum with my precious.

Well, not these guys. The extraordinary gift they're giving our World War II veterans ahead in "The Good Stuff".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: All right. So we're following the events for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day that are going on, on Normandy Beach right now. This is a portion called Sword Beach. This is the main first landing area for British troops in that massive invasion that spread out 50 miles -- 160,000 men, 200,000 in support, 13,000 aircraft, 5,000 ships.

And remember how dangerous Eisenhower decided to take the beach despite bad weather which had sunk a lot of the amphibious vehicles that were supposed to give cover of the beach. The tide had a full moon. That meant that so much beach was exposed, it made it even harder for the men to have to rush up against German posts.

So obviously important to commemorate. We are waiting for the world leaders to show up and take their positions and then we will dip back in throughout the morning to show you the moment of significance.

BOLDUAN: President Francois Hollande, he's going to speaking. They're going to be really kind of act scenes. It's a huge international ceremony that will be taking place to commemorate rating the longest day. We'll be tracking that throughout the morning for everyone.

CUOMO: Right. So it's a very important day. And also we're going to end our day with a little good stuff for you. Are you ready? And we're going to tie the two together -- OK.

It's a D-Day edition. The American plane that helped end the war and the men who are keeping it alive for those who flew it. The plane we're talking about the P 51 Mustang. You've heard it. It met and conquered every plane the Axis had to offer. It was the first Allied plane to penetrate Germany and the first to fly over Berlin. Many say turned the tide of the war. Very few survive today. A New York doctor and his business partner were lucky enough to be able to buy one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE MURPHY: It's part of what makes us Americans. You know, I never thought at that time I'd ever even have a chance of being able to afford or fly a Mustang.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: The truth is many would realize the value of this, restore it and just wind up making money off it. They meticulously restored it. Named it the "Never Miss" and now they never miss an opportunity to honor the men who flew it by taking veterans, as many as they can find for free rides.

PEREIRA: That's so great.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you own a piece of history, you know, we're just caretakers of this airplane. And to be a caretaker of it is to share it with the people that we're honoring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: That's cool.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had one recently that I (inaudible) and I mean it really hits home. He said --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: Powerful.

CUOMO: Right.

BOLDUAN: It's really powerful. Especially when there are fewer and fewer veterans that we can honor still today.

CUOMO: I mean you know, you're married to a veteran and you know how much it is for people to remember them this way especially the greatest generation. So a beautiful gesture. Thanks for being the good stuff, my fellows.

All right. A lot of news this morning so let's get you to Carol Costello in the "NEWSROOM". TGIF -- Carol.