Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

UK Raises Terror Alert; U.S. Seeking Coalition; Joan Rivers in "Serious" Condition; Girl Kills Instructor in Uzi Accident; Obama: No Strategy Yet on ISIS in Syria; College Football Season Kicks Off

Aired August 30, 2014 - 09:00   ET

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


CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Hope the sun is shining on you wherever you are if you are just getting going and looking out the window. I'm Christi Paul.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. 9:00 here on the East Coast, it is 6:00 out on the West Coast. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.

PAUL: And security is what we are talking about today. It is being increased across the U.S. for people who are traveling. It's labor day weekend. If you happen to (INAUDIBLE).

BLACKWELL: Yes. U.S. officials say that is not because of the growing terror threat posed by ISIS, but the potential dangers from ISIS are why Britons, why they may see more police patrolling the streets across the UK this weekend. The British government has raised its terror threat level to severe. That is the second highest and it means a terror attack is highly likely but not imminent.

PAUL: Right. And now the U.S. air strikes against ISIS fighters in Iraq are believed to have slowed their advance certainly. And now the U.S. administration is looking at whether to expand the air assault into Syria. Top Republicans say the administration moves thus far have been half measures and they are critical of the president's statement that he doesn't have a strategy yet for dealing with ISIS in Syria.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Atika Schubert joins us from London now.

PAUL: And we have Erin McPike is live from the White House. Good morning, ladies and let me start with you real quickly. Why is President Obama - a lot of people might be wondering not following Britain's lead in guarding against the terror attack in raising that alert?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christi, we've heard yesterday from Homeland Security secretary Jay Johnson and they are taking some precautionary measures as far as inbound flight are concerned but in general they are not raising the terror threat level because they do think that there is a bigger direct threat to Great Britain. There are no known direct threats to United States just yet. There are some 500 British citizens who are known to be fighting with ISIS. They are also known Islamic militant cells in Great Britain. Those do not exit in the United States that they know of yet. And there are some 100 American citizens who are fighting in Syria, some of whom with ISIS, not all of them.

Now, on top of that there is, of course, the NATO summit taking place in Wales next week and that poses greater security risks and so that's why there is a higher terror threat level in Great Britain as opposed to the United States. Christi and Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Atika, Britain - the question was asked to Mr. Cameron, is there any specific threat? We know that there isn't one, but help us understand why the elevation and why now especially?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the prime minister made very clear, the heightened threat level does not means an attack is not imminent, but it is as a severe level. The reason for that is specifically ISIS. Not only the fact that they are growing in a region of the world that is right on the door step to Europe and the Mediterranean, but also there have been so many fighters traveling from here to that conflict. Take a listen to what Prime Minister Cameron said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: What we're facing in Iraq now with ISIL is a greater and deeper threat to security than we have known before. In Afghanistan, the Taliban were prepared to play host to Al Qaeda, a terrorist organization. With ISIL, we are facing a terrorist organization, not being hosted in a country, but actually seeking to establish and then violently expand its own terrorist state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUBERT: Now why now is the question? Well this was really driven home by that horrific video of the murder of American journalist James Foley. The man in that video, of course, has a very distinct British accent. Investigators have been working around the clock to identify him and his network.

PAUL: All right. Erin, let me ask you, I know John Kerry said in "The New York Times" today that the U.S. needs a coalition to fight ISIS. What is the U.S. doing to collaborate on that and make that happen?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christi, they are planning to take a little bit of time with this. Of course, President Obama is traveling to the U.K. for that NATO summit. He wants to confer with some world leaders first. Secretary of state John Kerry is going as well as defense secretary Chuck Hagel. They all are going to be lobbying foreign leaders. They are following that. Hagel and Kerry are going to the Middle East to rally world leaders there. After that, in September, we are going to be hosting, the United States will be hosting the U.N. security council and again, they will apply more pressure to world leaders at that meeting. Christi.

BLACKWELL: Yes and Secretary Kerry highlights that up in September, the U.S. will have the presidency of that security council. Atika, back to you. You're there in the West End, people appear to just be going about their daily business. SHUBERT: Well, this is the country that made the phrase keep calm and carry on famous. And so things are going on as usual here. There has really been no disruption in normal life. What it means is we're likely to see a lot more police on the streets possibly, especially in a lot of transportation hubs, train stations and airports. But it won't be a noticeable difference. That's importance because the objective here is not let terrorists threats affect daily life. Prime Minister Cameron made that very clear. Security is up, but it's not going to disturb people's every day life.

BLACKWELL: All right. Atika Shubert, Erin McPike, keep us updated. We thank you both.

PAUL: Thank you, ladies.

Let's talk about what's going on in New York now because a lot of people are wondering about Joan Rivers. Of course, she is nicknamed the queen of the barb one liners. She's witty. She's clever when it comes to that. Comedy is her forte. No doubt about it. She says she is at her best when she's making people laugh. But she's been in the hospital since Thursday when she stopped breathing during surgery.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Alexandra Field is right outside Mt. Sinai Hospital. Alexandra, good morning to you. Rivers' daughter, Melissa Rivers, she is keeping fans updated. What are we hearing now about her mother's condition?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She raced here to be by her mother's side coming from Los Angeles to New York, earlier this week and she has been putting out statements to let fans know what is going on. First of all, she tells people that her mother would simply be touched by the outpouring of love that she's receiving really from fans all around the world. That said she is telling people that her mother's condition does remain serious.

She says that Joan Rivers is resting comfortably. Rivers was brought here to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition on Thursday. She had been at a nearby clinic having a procedure performed on her throat when she went into cardiac and respiratory arrest. The Rivers family again, Melissa Rivers and her son, Joan's grandson, both came to the hospital to be with Joan Rivers, to get her through the time. They are asking people to continue to have Joan in their thoughts, to have her in their prayers.

A lot of people have been touched by Joan's comedy through not just the years, through the decades really. She is comedian who is popular with different generations from her start on Johnny Carson to her work on the red carpet to her popular show on the E! network "Fashion Police." She has really got fans of all ages pulling for her.

PAUL: She does. And I know, Alexandra, that she was performing on Wednesday for fain, a day before the surgery. Did fans give any indication as to how she seemed to be that day?

FIELD: Yes, it's just amazing. Wednesday night, here in New York City, she did her standup routine for her fans. They say that there were no signs of her slowing down in any way. She is lively. She was energetic. She joked about her age. She is 81 years old. She joked about her own mortality which is something she frequently references during her act in her comedy, in her routines. But fans to hear that she was in critical condition just the next day were really stunned by it.

This is a woman who again at 81 years old, has been in the business since she was about 24 years old. You could argue that she is at the height of her career. I mean doing a reality show, doing her show on E!, doing the standup, writing books, going on tour. Clearly, not slowing down in any way.

BLACKWELL: All right. Alexandra Field there joining us from Mt. Sinai Hospital where Joan Rivers is recovering or her daughter says resting comfortably although in serious condition. Thank you so much. There are a few clips there from that documentary that was done a few years ago. "Joan Rivers, A Piece of Work." If you had not seen it and you're a fan, it really takes you behind the revelry and the comedy and shows the vulnerability of Joan Rivers.

PAUL: You really learn about Joan Rivers the woman, not just the performer.

BLACKWELL: Indeed, indeed. So you know, we all heard this phrase don't mess with Texas. Well, Vladimir Putin has changed that up a bit and he's saying don't mess with Russia. Why he's warning other countries.

PAUL: Also, a baby stolen out of his dad's arms. Well, the father says he was robbed and his one-month old was taken. This is the baby they are trying to find.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Welcome back inside "The Newsroom." Stories we are keeping a close eye on a defiant Vladimir Putin says don't mess with Russia. This happened at a youth forum. The Russian president says Moscow does not want to get involved in any large scale conflict but he added that Russia is beefing up its armed forces and reminded the world it's a powerful nuclear nation.

PAUL: This, of course, coming as a British government source tells CNN up to 5,000 Russian military personnel moved across the border into Ukraine. Now pro-Russian separatists there have been fighting Ukrainian forces. As you know, Russia has repeatedly denied that its troops are inside Ukraine.

BLACKWELL: Back here at home, a St. Louis police officer is out of a job. Allegedly the cop posted some unprofessional, let's call them, comments on Facebook about the people who protested in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown there in Ferguson. His chief called the comments, "very concerning and inappropriate."

PAUL: All right. In Indiana, police are frantically searching for a missing one-month old baby. So whatever you're doing, please do me a favor and look at your screen here. This Delana Wilson She was allegedly abducted from an alley Wednesday. His father Willie Wilson had taken him out apparently when he says a couple in their mid-20s grabbed him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 911. What's the location of your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm on Harding Street. And I have just been robbed and someone took my daughter, I mean my son.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harding in where?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Oliver.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oliver.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I'm laying in the middle of the street.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Meanwhile, the dad has been arrested on possession of marijuana charge, but police say the arrest has no bearing on the case of his missing child.

BLACKWELL: A key part of Texas' new abortion law has been struck down in court. A federal judge ruled it unconstitutional to force a majority of 19 abortion clinics in the state to become surgical centers. The law would have taken effect Monday.

Governor Rick Perry signed it last year and the law is considered one of the most strict in the country. The judge said that closing those clinics would impose a "undue burden on the right of women seeking abortions." Texas officials have vowed to appeal.

A U.S. air strikes against ISIS fighters in Syria. Have they slowed their advance there? The question - I mean, of course, the strikes are in Iraq. But this morning, Secretary of state John Kerry said the United States needs help defeating the terrorist group that he likened to cancer.

PAUL: This of course as Britain hikes its terror threat level to severe. Stay with us because we have different opinions and different strategies on fighting ISIS we're going to talk about in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PAUL: 18 minutes past the hour right now. So glad to have your company. Secretary of State John Kerry called ISIS a cancer and said it will not be allowed to spread. This is from his opinion piece in this morning's "The New York Times."

BLACKWELL: Well, this comes after President Obama says there is no strategy yet against ISIS attacks in Syria. Now the UK is not taking any chances. It raised its terror level to severe.

PAUL: CNN military analyst Col. Peter Monsour is joining us via Skype. Colonel, thank you so much for being with us. You know, former ambassador to Syria and Iraq Ryan Crocker yesterday said and I'm quoting here. He said "I do believe we should launch air strikes. They should be heavy. They should be immediate." Do you agree with that?

CO. PETER MONSOUR, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Ryan Crocker was ambassador to Iraq with General Petraeus. They formed a very effective team during the surge in 2007 and 2008. He knows what it takes to destroy a group like this. Al Qaeda and Iraq was the forerunner to ISIS which we nearly destroyed during that time period.

And so we have seen this kind of group before. It's the face of evil. We cannot allow it to spread. I think eventually we need to destroy it. So I would agree with Ambassador Crocker, I think we need to hit the group, but it needs to be a more holistic tragedy than air strikes.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about that holistic strategy because critics of the president says that yes, air strikes would help, but it would also help to have some ground troops, not U.S. troops, but forces there on the ground to finish off that job. Now we talked about Secretary Kerry's op-ed, but there is also one from Senators McCain and Graham which they say they've asked this president to go after Assad at the time in Syria for years.

Do you think if the U.S. had armed maybe the Free Syrian Army there that this would have stunted the growth of ISIS or would those weapons have ended up in the hands of ISIS anyway as the Iraqi army's weapons have in many cases?

MONSOUR: I think had me intervened with arms and training for the Free Syrian Army early on in the conflict, it would have made a difference. Right now, it's a much more difficult proposition because the two other opposition groups, Al Nusra, which is Al Qaeda and ISIS which is worse than Al Qaeda, had actually gained the upper hand in the insurgent ranks. So it's a really difficult problem but having said that, you know, the president has said we need a regional strategy. We need partners on the ground.

In Iraq, those are pretty clear. It's the Iraqi army and the Kurdish (INAUDIBLE) and we can arm, train and equip them. In Syria, it becomes more difficult. So you have to find the moderate opposition, the Free Syrian Army, what's left of it. You need to ramp it up. But I think you also need to reignite the tribal rebellion, the Sunni tribal rebellion, that did so much to destroy Al Qaeda in Iraq back in 2007 and in 2008.

Those tribes span the Syrian and Iraqi border. It is a longer-term proposition. It wouldn't be quick but I think that is the most effective way to go about completely rooting out ISIS on both sides of this nonexistent international border.

PAUL: Yes, Colonel, how do you do that? How do you sever the Sunnis, many of whom are fighting with ISIS. How do you sever them in both Iraq and Syria from ISIS so you can accomplish that?

PAUL: Well, in Iraq, it starts with a new government. A government that's more inclusive that all sects and ethnicities can support that perhaps gives more federalism and more autonomy to the Sunni regions of the country. In Syria, it is a bit tougher. But these are groups that do not like Bashar Al Assad who does not share their political leanings and their faith. They certainly don't like each other. I think it's possible once we can help the Iraqis come to an agreement on the political way ahead that we could also span the border and bring the Sunni tribes on the other side of the border into that concord.

BLACKWELL: So we know all parties here, the U.K., the U.S. say that this is going to take a coalition. But I wonder what type of coalition this is going to be. Is this going to be where the U.S. is pulling people along? Secretary Hagel says that Albania, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Italy, Britain, they've all agreed to assist or is this going to be more of a Libya model? They took down Gadhafi where the U.S. is pushing people in the area to take the lead? Jordan, Turkey for instance to take the lead there? Which one do you think it will be?

MONSOUR: Well, I think this has to be a U.S. lead. We're the ones that invaded Iraq in 2003. People are going to look - countries are going to look to us for leadership. On the other hand, this is not going to be like 2003 where we were begging countries to come into the coalition to give it legitimacy. This is going to be an instance where European nations, Australia and other nations that see ISIS as a worldwide threat are really going to step up to the plate and they are asking for U.S. leadership, but I think they are going to contribute whether it's special forces, humanitarian items, air power.

I believe that we can really with determined leadership cobble together a broad and deep coalition to confront ISIS.

PAUL: All right. Colonel Peter Monsour, we are so grateful for your time today. Thank you, sir.

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Colonel.

MONSOUR: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: So let's talk about this nine-year-old who is - I mean, it's trauma. She is going to need some time to recover. If you have not heard the story, she lost control of an Uzi at a gun range. She is a fourth grader. She killed her gun instructor. It was a freak accident. It was all caught by cell phone video.

PAUL: And so many people have so many questions about this. Many are asking if the gun range or the girl's family face any criminal charges in all of this. We are going to get some answers to all of this in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Put your feet up and get comfy. It's half past the hour on a Saturday morning. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. A good way to start. Here are five stories we're watching this morning. PAUL: Number one, we now know the identity of the pilot killed in the fighter jet crash in Virginia, Lt. Col. Morris "Moose" Fonteneau Jr. have more than 17 years of experience flying the F-15. He has also been deployed several times to the Middle East and won several medals. Military officials say before losing contact, he reported an in-flight emergency.

BLACKWELL: Up next, 20 miners have been rescued after a mine collapsed in Nicaragua but there are still five miners trapped underground. Rescue workers have been racing to dig them out since the mine caved in on Thursday. It's a silver and gold mine. It is in the country's northern mountains.

PAUL: Number three, two volcanoes erupting now. More than 8,000 miles apart though. They are interfering with the international flights. In Papua New Guinea, Mt. Tavurnu is spewing ash as high as 60,000 feet. Flights around Australia had to be diverted in fact.

And in Iceland, an aviation warning has been downgraded after a volcano there rumbled back to life. Scientists say more eruptions are certainly possible here.

BLACKWELL: Number four, Ebola has not spread to a fifth African country. An infected university student crossed over the border from Guinea into Senegal. He's in quarantine in Senegal now. The U.S. National Institute of Health says the first human trial of an Ebola vaccine is set to begin next week. Officials are rushing to test it as this epidemic continues to spread in West Africa.

PAUL: Number five, is ISIS planning to go after the Pope? Italian newspapers report security has been ramped up in Rome following an alleged threat by the militants against Pope Francis. The Vatican is downplaying the threat, though, saying there is, quote, "nothing serious" to this, and adds it does not have any particular concern itself.

So, this family is grieving over, you know, their brother, their father, their son, who he was -- after he was shot by a 9-year-old girl who killed him in a freak accident.

BLACKWELL: Yes, he was a gun instructor. The cell phone video shows the moments before this fourth grader lost control of the .9 millimeter submachine gun at a gun range in Arizona.

This happened in Mohave County and the sheriff there calls the full video ghastly. We're not going to show all of it here.

PAUL: Charlie Vacca's ex-wife says her heart goes out to the girl. Here is one of his daughters, in fact, told NBC's "Today" show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY VACCA, DAUGHTER OF GUN INSTRUCTOR: He was a good person but we know they are as well. We just want to make sure that they understand that we know it was a tragic accident and that it's something that we're all going to have to live with. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Joining us now for more is Mel Robbins, CNN commentator, and legal analyst, and Danny Cevallos, a CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney.

Mel, I got to start with you. I read your opinion piece on CNN.com. This is something in which you are very passionate and you don't think these kids should absolutely not have a submachine gun, but shouldn't be firing these guns at all?

MEL ROBBINS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Oh, Victor, you are absolutely right. It is actually legal for a kid -- a kid of any age to handle a machine gun on fully automatic that can pound out 600 bullets a minute.

Now, listen, Victor and Christi and Danny, I like guns. I personally like shooting a 12 gauge. We introduced our own fourth grader this summer to the joys of target shooting with a .22-caliber rifle.

And so, to me, this story wasn't a freak accident. The adults that were around that let this happen from the parents that let a kid on fourth grade on vacation handle a gun that belongs in the hands of a soldier in a combat situation, letting their kid do something like this. And then the instructor, letting a novice shooter of that size and age handle a weapon like this. It's absolutely absurd.

And here's the other thing, guys. The range is open for business. If you got an 8-year-old and are you on vacation, you can stop by and fire an Uzi because they haven't changed anything.

PAUL: Danny, what do you say to that? I mean, you got a guy that's dead. You got a 9-year-old that is traumatized and most likely going to have to be dealing with a lot of emotional probably guilt and fear and shame. Not that it's warranted by any means. It was an accident.

But if we put ourselves in those positions, we would feel those same emotions. For a 9-year-old, it's just got to be amplified. Should the gun range be able to offer this to 8-year-olds as she says?

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it's an interesting question because as it stands now, we have the child access prevention laws. They vary from state to state.

Arizona doesn't have any presently. I believe we're going to see some soon in that state. The bottom line is there are different laws and different states that apply to whether or not children can have access to guns and whether or not parents are liable when those children gain access to guns. But in almost all instances, the law itself speaks to negligently letting a child access a gun without supervision.

You could make the argument that in the case like this, this is as supervised as someone could possibly be. This is the safest instance that a child could possess and use a gun. So, in that case, the question then becomes, is there an age under which no child, irrespective of supervision, should ever have access to a gun and should we punish it both civilly and criminally? That's an experiment that should be left to the states. Federal law doesn't directly address the issue, even though there are many federal laws dealing with gun sales and gun locks.

BLACKWELL: You know, we've been hearing that from you, Danny, it would be laughable if this hadn't ended with the death and trauma of the 9-year-old. But to say, you know, this gun range, the safest place your 9-year-old can shoot an Uzi, it seems extreme to put that gun in your 9-year-old's hands.

Let me ask you, Mel, do you expect that there will be some consequence legally for this gun range, criminally or civilly?

ROBBINS: Well, it's a great question, you guys. And Danny got me thinking because what every single expert has said is that the instructor was not following the proper procedures. He was standing to the left of the gal instead of behind her. He wasn't holding the weapon with her and that weapon always has a significant muzzle rise, particularly for somebody her size and somebody that nervous handling it.

So, I suppose you could see some kind of lawsuit brought against the gun range by the family, based on negligence for the emotional distress caused to that 9-year-old. Then, I think it's a pretty strong claim, if, in fact, the instructor wasn't using the standard and proper technique and he was negligent in how he was handling this and in throwing the selector to fully automatic mode after she had just fired it three times.

One more thing, there is no way in heck Arizona's changing their laws. This is the state where at the age of 21, you don't even need a permit to carry a gun conceal. So, they're not changing anything and this is private property.

But there could be a civil suit. It's a great question, you guys.

PAUL: That's a good point you make, too, Mel. OK. Well, Mel Robbins and Danny Cevallos, we so appreciate the two of you this morning. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Thank you both.

So, the president surprised a lot of people. Some people were not surprised when he said the U.S. does not have a plan yet to deal with ISIS in Syria.

PAUL: So, the question is, is President Obama leading from behind, some people are asking, or is he just not playing all of his cards right now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: President Obama says right now, the U.S. does not have a specific strategy for dealing with ISIS in Syria. He says he's got to consult with Congress and with top defense and security officials. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want to put the cart before the horse. We don't have a strategy yet. I think what I have seen in some of the news reports suggests that folks are getting a little further ahead of where we're at currently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Now, the president is coming under blistering criticism from top Republicans from what they say is a rudderless approach to the ISIS threat. Even before the president spoke Thursday, Republican Senator Rand Paul wrote an op-ed for "The Wall Street Journal", and here's part of it. "Our Middle Eastern policy is unhinged, flailing about what to see, who to act against next, with little thought to the consequences. This is not a foreign policy."

Our senior political analyst David Gergen joins us now.

David, is this first -- thank you for being with us this morning.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Is this an admission of a true deficit or is this -- you didn't build that moment, essentially?

GERGEN: Well, I think the president deserves some credit for being honest, you know? And he doesn't have a strategy. But that's the problem. It's not what he said. It's the fact that ISIS has been building up now for four years. It is becoming an increasing threat to the region and eventually to Europe and to the United States. And we don't seem to have a firm handle on what we're going to do to deal with it. Indeed, there is confusion or uncertainty within the administration about our ultimate goal is.

The president in recent days has talked about rolling back ISIS and containing ISIS.

John Kerry, secretary of state, talked about destroying ISIS. That's a much bigger proposition, to destroy. There are conflicts over how much of a threat. The attorney general says in some ways this is the biggest threat he has seen since he's been attorney general. This is Eric Holder, a very close friend of the president.

And the president seemed to -- last night, almost a little dismissive, saying, well, social media tends to exaggerate these things.

So, I think it naturally left many Americans and many of our friends overseas in a state of uncertainty about leadership, about firmness and particularly about what we are trying to accomplish.

BLACKWELL: Yes, we remember that Senator McCain said that ISIS should not be stopped. It must be defeated. And he and Senator Graham repeated as much in their op-ed in "The New York Times".

Let me ask you about what the president is waiting for. He says that there is no strategy yet because he is waiting for the plans from the Defense Department. We heard this week that they said if you know the U.S. military, we're ready.

What's the discrepancy there and why are we seeing that play in front of cameras?

GERGEN: I don't -- I think unless you give -- my experience being in the White House, the first thing that has to happen is the White House has to tell the military, here is the plan we're interested in. Here is what we want to accomplish. You come up with a way to do it. A strategy -- help us devise a strategy and we'll do that.

So, it seems to me there is somehow -- I don't understand why they are not fitting together better on this question. But, Victor, there's a larger issue here and John Kerry pointed out in "The New York Times" op-ed piece today that what's important for the United States is to organize a coalition. There is truth to that.

You know, James Baker did that if you recall going back to President Reagan and then President Bush and evicting the Iraqis out of Kuwait. We put together an international coalition. So, we're going to have John Kerry going to Europe with the president next week and going on to the Arab world.

And as Kerry pointed out in the op-ed, the United States will be -- have the president in the U.N. Security Council in September and the president's intention there is to work with nations to try to put together a broad coalition that will include not only military, but economic and humanitarian and diplomatic and other forms of -- other tools in the tool box as they say.

You know, time is ticking here. ISIS is continuing to behead people, execute people, rampaging around, growing and attracting a new jihadist from around the world, including Americans. And these people as we have seen in the U.K. here in the last 24 hours are beginning to pose a threat to other nations. I mean, the U.K. didn't put on a severe threat yesterday just out of probability. They did it because they must have clear signals that there are jihadists who want to come back and blow people up.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

GERGEN: And that's what if we don't deal with this soon, we're going to have a growing number of people that want to come to the United States and do the same thing. We're going to have severe threats. That's why it's important to move.

BLACKWELL: And that's what we are hearing from many members of Congress is that if the president comes with a plan, that he will likely get overwhelming support to do something because something has to be done.

David Gergen, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

GERGEN: Victor, thank you.

BLACKWELL: Certainly. So, change of topic here. You know, we all know junk food is bad for

you. But did you know it could do more than just make you fat. We'll tell you what else.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: You know junk food isn't good for you. But it tastes good. What do you do? There's a new study that says eating foods with fat sodium and sugar may reduce, though, your interest in eating healthy foods. You think?

BLACKWELL: Yes, the study published in "Frontiers in Psychology" involved rats, not humans. Those dirty rats.

But it suggested to scientists that eating a diet rich in processed and fatty foods may do more harm than just adding pounds.

PAUL: Mentally it makes you say, I don't want those carrots, I want that soda.

BLACKWELL: Yes, soda has never really been one of my favorites.

PAUL: Well -- have you done the ice bucket challenge yet?

BLACKWELL: No, I haven't. I just donated.

PAUL: He donated, though.

Well, listen, the ice bucket challenge has raised $94 million for ALS research in less than a month, thanks to this huge social media campaign. However, the ALS association apparently has been getting pressure about how it's using its money.

BLACKWELL: Organizers responded this week and said finding a cure is not about spending quickly, adding they're still figuring out how the money will be allocated.

So, let's go over to Jennifer Gray.

We got to find out, have you done this ice bucket challenge?

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm with you too, Victor. I haven't poured the ice over my head. Because --

PAUL: Come on. Am I the only one?

(CROSSTALK)

GRAY: Everyone hit me up when I was right in the middle of -- about to leave for work, so I just --

PAUL: Right, right.

BLACKWELL: Yes, I just said no.

PAUL: Right, I donated money too. BLACKWELL: I just said no.

PAUL: You don't even have hair to mess up for heaven's sake.

GRAY: Exactly.

BLACKWELL: The organization doesn't get anything from me dumping the bucket, ice water over my head. They want my hundred bucks.

GRAY: I'm with you, Victor. I'm with you.

PAUL: Right.

GRAY: I am.

PAUL: Today might be a good day for it if it's really hot.

GRAY: Yes, a lot of areas will be very, very hot, you know? But one area that has been very hot and will like the welcome relief will be southern California. The only problem will be, we will have the rip currents to deal with. A lot of surfers have been heading out because of incredible swells from what was left from Marie has been impacting the southern coast. But now, basically, just a small craft advisory, a couple of rip currents are left over, so be careful if you are planning on hitting the beaches in southern California.

San Diego, your temperature does drop. You'll be in the upper 70s by Monday, hunting to beach, 81 by Monday. Then, Malibu, 79 by Monday.

So, a nice Labor Day forecast for you. Of course, still awfully dry. If you could get some of this rain that the Gulf Coast is getting, it would be very nice. It's not going to happen, of course, five to six inches of rain across portions of southern Louisiana and southeast Texas. The rain will continue for the next couple of days -- Christi, and Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. No needs for ice buckets that day.

GRAY: No.

BLACKWELL: Thank you so much, Jennifer.

GRAY: All right.

PAUL: Although, you know what, 90 degrees is just too hot for football, football is back. We need some football weather.

BLACKWELL: Two of the top programs in the country are battling in the kickoff class. I was about to go to my oh -- but I'm not going to do it. We'll take you live to the fan zone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Hey, it's the first weekend of college football. Christi --

PAUL: Read it -- just read it.

BLACKWELL: See, Troy set me up. He wrote this and he wants me to read it.

My alma mater, Howard University, the real and only HU, is working toward a winning season. I'm not going to talk about what happened in the first game.

PAUL: They've already lost their first game is what it comes down to.

BLACKWELL: OK, thanks. Just throw me on out there. Thanks.

PAUL: I'm sorry. I -- my Toledo, alma mater, Rockets, they play this evening. So I have nothing to say yet.

BLACKWELL: All right.

PAUL: Obviously, a lot of games on the docket.

And HLN's sports anchor Brian McFayden is joining us now from Tailgate Town, just outside CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

BRIAN MCFAYDEN, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hey.

PAUL: It could be worse, because, you know, Brian works during the week, and he's working in the weekend.

BLACKWELL: That's true. That's true.

PAUL: Hey, Brian.

MCFAYDEN: Hey. Hey, Christi. Hey, what's going on guys? I'm just super excited. I'm hanging out with my new best friends.

These are West Virginia fans. And, oh, yes, this is my absolute new best friend right here. West Virginia Mountaineer. He's for real, the real deal. Grew the beard and everything for this whole role, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know it.

MCFAYDEN: Yes, you know it. I'm going to be we're talking these guys in just a bit. I've got some huge games. The president needs to declare this a national holiday, the start of college football, am I right guys?

Absolutely. A couple of big games, top 25 matchups on the radar. National champions Florida State, take on Oklahoma State tonight in Tallahassee. Heisman Trophy winning quarterback James Winston is back, along with most of their offensive line. We're also keeping an eye on the 12th ranked Georgia Bulldogs who take on the 16th ranked Clemson Tigers. Bulldogs are going to try to bounce back from heartbreaking laws from last year's season opener. And then Georgia's Heisman trophy candidate Todd Gurley could be a difference maker in that one too. And the big 10 meets the SEC, the Badgers of Wisconsin battle it out

with the LSU Tigers. This game is going to be a huge test for two new quarterbacks. LSU's Anthony Jennings of Wisconsin's Tanner McEvoy.

Victor and Christi, I'm going to be hanging out here all day long with these fans. Alabama, the site of the Alabama/West Virginia Mountaineers. Do you have a chant?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go!

CROWD: Mountaineers!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go!

CROWD: Mountaineers!

MCFAYDEN: Victor, Christi, go big red.

BLACKWELL: Boo.

(LAUGHTER)

MCFAYDEN: We didn't talk about my Huskers.

BLACKWELL: I'm impressed by the beard there. I am impressed by the beard. Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

MCFAYDEN: I'm going to try to grow one before the end of the day.

PAUL: Before the -- OK, that I want to see, Brian. That, I want to see. I started my career in West Virginia cheering on the Mountaineers.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

Brian Mcfayden, thank you very much. I was there in Hagerstown, right next door, worked in Martinsburg for a little while.

PAUL: West Virginia, I mean, that's just part of the country where we will start out. It was good town home people there. Good luck to 'em.

And thank you for starting your morning with us.

BLACKWELL: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now.

PAUL: Oh, we hope that Saturday morning has been good to you so far. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell, 10:00 here on the East Coast, 7:00 out West. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And this morning, some top Republicans -- they have a message for President Obama. PAUL: In today's "New York Times", Senators John McCain and Lindsey

Graham say the ISIS threat is growing and they accuse the Obama administration of, quote, "dithering" and say ISIS has to be confronted militarily.

BLACKWELL: President Obama plans to send his top diplomat to the Middle East following next week's NATO summit to drum up support for an international coalition against ISIS. Now, also in today's "New York Times," that top diplomat, Secretary of State John Kerry, he calls ISIS a cancer which must be stamped out.