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Deadly Storms Tear Through Midwest; Manhunt for Memphis Cop Killer Intensifies; White House Announces Deal to Clean Up Power Plants; Senate to Vote on Defunding Planned Parenthood; Joe Biden to Enter Presidential Race?; Search Underway for Potential MH370 Debris. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired August 3, 2015 - 06:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Major storms slamming the Midwest.

[05:58:30] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. Look at that. That is just something else.

MYERS: Large hail, torrential downpours and wind gusts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's crazy right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Obama is outlining his plan for clean power.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time for America and the world to act.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not everyone is happy about it.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Taking executive power he doesn't have.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The data and facts don't support it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A possible shakeup in the 2016 race.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vice President Joe Biden is considering a run.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary Clinton readying a new pitch to voters.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe that when families are strong, America is strong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Later today the Senate votes on a bill that would cut all federal funding to Planned Parenthood.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I support any legislation that will defund Planned Parenthood. GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The selling

of fetal body parts is just deplorable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota and Michaela Pereira.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Monday, August 3, 6 a.m. in the East, and we're all going to begin with breaking news this morning. Take a look at this. This is Iowa. One of a series of tornadoes touching down in several states overnight. The worst of the storms hitting Illinois. Tens of thousands forced to evacuate from the Lollapalooza music fest in Chicago.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: The wind and hail also proving deadly. A tent came crashing down at a festival outside Chicago. The severe weather threat is not over yet. Chad Myers is following all of the developments for us from the CNN Weather Center.

What are we looking at for today, Chad?

MYERS: More hail, tornadoes, possible wind damage. A hundred tornado reports -- 100 hail reports yesterday, six tornado reports. And we finally got some pictures from overnight; and some of those pictures are pretty dramatic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, look at that. That is just something else.

MYERS (voice-over): A white tornado against a black sky. Stark evidence of what's been slamming the Midwest.

Illinois bearing the major brunt of these storms. One man killed, three seriously injured, and more than a dozen hospitalized after large hail and 60 mile-per-hour winds ripped through a festival in Wood Dale, uprooting a commercial-size tent and toppling it onto the crowd.

Chicago's Grant Park, severe weather forced a temporary evacuation of the famous Lollapalooza music festival.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's crazy right now. There's so many people here that just evacuated the whole situation. And it's pretty wild.

MYERS: Tens of thousands of concert-goers spilling into the streets of Chicago to three emergency shelters. The festival resuming performances an hour later.

In Michigan, a tornado touching down north of Detroit. Large hail, torrential downpours and wind gusts exceeding 60 miles per hour, pounding several communities.

Widespread power outages across the state, leaving thousands of residents in the dark.

Dramatic video of this stunning tornado in Nevinville, Iowa, a reminder of nature's destructive power. The residents here got lucky; no one hurt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MYERS: You don't expect tornadoes in the middle of summer. You expect them in the spring. But there's a chance all the way from upstate New York all the way back down to Columbus. Damaging winds, large hail, and an isolated tornado or two.

This is what the future radar looks like. I'm walking right on upstate New York, and the rain continues. Big thunderstorms. Anywhere that you see red, from Pittsburgh to Columbus, even into Wheeling, West Virginia, that's where the potential for severe weather is today.

And it will be hot, still hot. Ninety-one in New York City, 93 in Philadelphia and 95 in Washington, D.C. So enjoy that hot weather. But when the cold front comes, it will feel better. But that cold front could bring the severe weather -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, bud. Keep an eye on it for us. If anything develops during the show, we'll get to you, OK, Chad? Appreciate it.

MYERS: Absolutely.

CUOMO: All right. We also want to tell you this morning there's a massive manhunt underway at this hour in Memphis. The wanted man, a suspect accused of murdering a police officer over the weekend. That officer is Sean Bolton. He's a Marine Corps vet. He served in Iraq. And he was killed in the line of duty on Saturday night while apparently interrupting a drug deal. Police are now offering an award for information leading to the arrest of this suspect. The story has our attention. We want CNN national correspondent Boris Sanchez on it with the latest.

What do we know right now and where are they?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris.

The suspect, 29-year-old Tremaine Wilbourn. He is at large, and he is considered armed and dangerous. Investigators tell us that he shot and killed Officer Sean Bolton on Saturday night. Officers believe Bolton was approaching a car that was illegally parked. He shone a light on it, and that's when Wilbourn confronted him, opening fire and killing him. Investigators tell us they believe Officer Bolton interrupted a drug deal. They found a small bag of marijuana and a digital scale inside the car that Wilbourn was in. They tell us that Wilbourn panicked; he acted recklessly and that, ultimately, he ruined lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONEY ARMSTRONG, DIRECTOR, MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: When you look at this individual, you're looking at a coward. He's a coward. He literally destroyed a family. The impact that that's had on this department, this community, this city for less than two grams of marijuana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And as you mentioned, Chris, there is a massive manhunt underway right now and a $10,000 reward being offered for any information that leads to his capture.

One more important thing to note: Wilbourn was actually out on supervised release. He was serving a ten-year sentence for robbery.

CUOMO: And we know that over the weekend, they got somebody. But it was the driver of the car.

SANCHEZ: Right.

CUOMO: It wasn't him. So they're still looking for him.

SANCHEZ: Right.

CUOMO: And they need help. We're going to keep putting the picture out throughout the show. Any leads are appreciated. Boris, keep us up to date.

SANCHEZ: Will do.

PEREIRA: Well, several political showdowns are brewing in Washington this morning. Republicans are threatening to go to court to fight President Obama's new climate change plan, which cracks down on polluting power plants. And the Senate is also set to vote today on a bill to defund Planned Parenthood. Both issues expected to have a big impact on the campaign trail. We've got every angle covered for you, starting with White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski on the president's big announcement today -- Michelle.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Michaela.

Right. So they're calling this the Clean Power Plant. And this is one of those changes the president wants to make now during his fourth quarter of his presidency.

So here's what the administration said it's going to do. Cut carbon emissions from power plants by 32 percent over 2005 levels by the year 2030. And they say that same year, premature deaths due to emissions will be cut by nearly 90 percent over 2005 levels; childhood asthma attacks by around 90,000 cases. They also say that it's going to cut energy costs and increase jobs, because there's going to be more of a focus on clean energy. Although that is exactly the opposite of what critics say it will do.

[06:05:01] But here's the president in a message released on social media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: Power plants are the single biggest source of the harmful

carbon pollution that contributes to climate change. But until now, there have been no federal limits to the amount of that pollution those plants can dump into the air. If you believe, like I do, that we can't condemn our kids and grandkids to a planet that's beyond fixable, then I'm asking you to share this message with your friends and family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: So yes, there is pushback, from Republicans, from climate change doubters and deniers, from of course, the mining industry. And some states are even threatening to go to court over this.

Jeb Bush, over the weekend, called this plan irresponsible, a disaster and a job killer -- Michaela.

CUOMO: All right. I'll take it, Michelle.

It's one of those issues that sets up as about one thing but has very heavy political implications. And here's another one.

Here's the proposition: Planned Parenthood is selling baby parts for profit, and so their federal funding should be pulled. That is the argument that's fueling a Senate vote today on a bill to defund the organization that serves a large percentage of needy women and their medical situations.

Some Republicans are threatening to shut down the government if the nonprofit keeps getting money. This is going to be a political battle. Do they have the 60 votes? That's what the Republicans will need.

CNN senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns has the latest on this showdown.

Joe, obviously, the 60 would make it veto-proof. That requires Democrats involved. Any shot?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: It's going to be pretty hard to reach that, Chris. This is fallout from the controversy over videos released by an anti-abortion group, putting a spotlight on the practice of providing fetal tissue to researchers. The subtext, though, is abortion, amounting to about 3 percent of the services Planned Parenthood offers.

Legally, federal funds can't be used for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in jeopardy.

Now, supporters of this measure are fighting an uphill battle, because the White House has already said the president will veto any such bill. Still, conservative Republican senators using the moment to argue that hundreds of millions of dollars Planned Parenthood gets from the government ought to be handed over to community health centers, even an undercurrent, as you said, suggesting the issue is so important, government spending bill ought to be held up. But presidential candidate Rand Paul isn't so sure about that last part. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: I support any legislation that will defund Planned Parenthood. But I don't think you start out with your objective to shut down government. I mean, if President Obama wants to shut down government, because he doesn't get funds for Planned Parenthood, that would be President Obama's determination to shut down government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now some studies suggest defunding Planned Parenthood is counterproductive if the point is to decrease abortions, because Planned Parenthood does so much contraceptive distribution. The concern is decreasing contraception will only increase the number of unwanted pregnancies -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right, John. Thank you for that.

So how are all these showdowns going to affect the race for the White House? This morning, Hillary Clinton launching her campaign's first TV ads, keeping the focus on her family, and not her credentials.

But now, an old friend could be a new concern for Clinton's campaign. Is Vice President Joe Biden getting ready to mount a challenge?

CNN senior White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny live in Washington with more on this. All right. What about Joe?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Michaela.

I mean, Vice President Joe Biden is still not ruling out jumping into the 2016 presidential campaign. Some of his close friends and advisers are urging him to do it. And that alone is touching off a wave of speculation and intrigue.

Now, his supporters argue that he would be a stronger Democratic nominee than Hillary Clinton. They worry her favorability ratings have already taken a hit, largely over that use of the private e-mail server when she was secretary of state.

Now, she is launching her first campaign ads of the campaign this week. They're largely biographical. They're intended to soften her image and remind voters of her life story, including how she went to work for President Obama after he defeated her back in 2008. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The senator who made sure the heroes and families of 9/11 got the care they needed. The secretary of state who joined the cabinet of the man who defeated her, because when your president calls, you serve. And now a new title, grandma.

CLINTON: I believe that when families are strong, America is strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: Now these ads were filmed two months ago, aids tell me, so they're not in direct response to the flurry of speculation about Joe Biden. But one of the reasons he is giving this a careful look is the conversation he had with his son Beau before he died of brain cancer back in May. He urged his father to run for president.

This morning, we're learning a political adviser to his late son has joined the "draft Biden" movement to see if there's enough support out there, if the vice president decides to jump into the race -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Jeff. One of the things they're playing with right now is how much money. The super PAC said it wanted 5, 6 million. They only have 100,000. Is that enough?

[06:10:02] Let's turn to what the political implications are with what's going on with Joe Biden and some other really big issues for you.

Errol Louis, CNN political commentator and political anchor at New York One, of course. And Lynn Sweet, Washington bureau chief for "The Chicago Sun-Times." Thank you to both of you.

We have to talk about Biden. We have poll numbers to get through. However, let's go to the state of play, though, with the big initiatives on the table. This Clean Power Plant era sets up as about the environment, but really, it's about much more.

Now here are your punch points on the screen. This is what the plan would do. But there's other things. It sets red states against blue states, because the red states are the ones producing this energy. They'll get hit harder. The blue states don't have as much. It's dividing red and blue, left and right even more. What is the play politically, Errol?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, in particular, you can't possibly imagine that the Republican Senate, which is led by a majority leader who's from a coal state, Mitch McConnell, is going to simply kind of lay down and say, "OK, what a great idea." They're going to fight for their local interests, as they are supposed to do. It will, in fact, become a partisan party issue. And it becomes for, for Obama, a legacy issue as he walks out of the door.

It also becomes an opportunity for Democrats to say, "Look, this is a replay of Ronald Reagan taking the solar panels off of the White House that Jimmy Carter had there. Maybe they want to try and become the environmental party, and frankly, that bodes well from the point of view of national politics. It's a -- it's a fruitful area. Young people like the environment and some of these issues and now some of the swing states. You know, I mean, red state, blue state, but look at a place like Ohio.

CUOMO: Michigan and Ohio will loom in this as somewhat tangentially related and big power states.

Lynn Sweet, this winds up becoming not so much about the policy but the implications of it on the politics. As Errol just pointed out, young people, the millennials, women voters, white college graduates, all pointed to as people who might favor a policy like this, that might play to a national election for the White House but have negative implications on congressional races. Explain.

LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES": Well, we already have seen this in votes dealing with Environmental Protection Agency funding, Chris. So this is really a fight that has been played out already in various precincts on Capitol Hill.

So even though you have these different demographic groups that you talk about that favor it, it could work in some -- in some -- in some way in the Democratic primary if somebody was opposed to these policies. No one will be, whether or not Biden gets in.

So within the Republican presidential campaign within Republican campaigns for House and Senate, there -- my guess is there's going to be a tendency to saying whatever President Obama is for on the climate, they're against.

CUOMO: Lynn Sweet, let's pivot. Planned Parenthood, same kind of thing. Sets up as a policy consideration; really about the politics behind it. The idea that Planned Parenthood sells baby parts for profit, is there anything new in that for you that deserves investigation?

SWEET: Well, it is, because it's new to a lot of people who weren't aware that this was something that was going on. I think the Planned Parenthood is in a pickle. They responded very heavily; a big push to explain what's been going on. I think Planned Parenthood does have explaining to do in this case; doesn't help their case with people on Capitol Hill who have been trying for years to defund them.

CUOMO: Errol Louis, I come to you and I say, you're Planned Parenthood. You're selling baby parts for profits. That's disgusting. I'm defunding you. Will that be enough to get you to 60 votes, because it's got to be veto-proof?

LOUIS: Well, if that's the four corners of the issue, then sure. They can get very close to that. The reality, though, is if you look through -- I read through the whole transcript. You know? I mean, if you take the group's own version of what happened here, it's a much more nuanced discussion. I mean, it's -- you know...

CUOMO: People don't like the word "nuanced" and baby parts for sale.

LOUIS: Well, you know, I mean, also for sale. It's fetal tissue research. You know, I mean, it's certainly a squeamish issue. You know, I think everybody who's pro-choice should really sort of look at this with open eyes and say, "Look, this is what we're arguing for." And what you're arguing for is that, having made this very important private decision, you know, the mothers involved or the women involved have to make a decision about what happens now. And it's -- again, it's very tough to read; it's very hard look at. But this is what goes on. If you want the research into Alzheimer's, into Parkinson's, into a host of different diseases, this is what is done.

CUOMO: And the big discussion we'll have today with one of the women in Congress who are fighting to defund Planned Parenthood is what that would mean for women, especially needy women, financially, and where they'd get their health care. We'll discuss that with them on the show later today. You'll get to judge for yourself.

Joe Biden, Errol Louis, is he going to get in the race, yes or no? Put up the poll numbers, first of all, make -- put Errol in a pinch. Put up the numbers between Biden and Hillary and just show how they size up? What do you think? Does he get in? Can he win if he does?

LOUIS: Look, I think he can get in. But I think it's really less about Clinton versus Biden at this point, because it's so -- so early. But it's more about what Clinton isn't doing. I mean, she is losing against Republicans, against the top three Republicans, in Iowa, in Virginia, in Colorado. These are swing states that the Obama administration, you know, really sort of took as important places where the map was being redrawn in favor of Democrats. If Hillary Clinton can't do that, she invites a challenge from Joe Biden or somebody else.

[06:15:27] CUOMO: And -- appeal from the GOP, Lynn, at this point. That Donald Trump is at the head of the standings, that tells you one thing. They don't have the strongest team in the world right now. She's struggling. Joe Biden, does he get in? If he does, can he do it?

SWEET: Well, I think it just is too soon to tell. You have to give Hillary Clinton a little more time to play out. She clearly has such a lack of Democratic leaders that he would have to get. These are people, basically, where there's not a big ideological difference between him and Hillary Clinton. They both have to talk about their time in the Obama administration, you know, for and against. It is a hard -- he's in a hard position now, because he has to, first of all, explain what he would do different, perhaps, than she would to rationalize at this relatively late date why he would get in.

But, if he -- you see this all the time. People when they make these decisions sometimes just do what's right for them without necessarily saying what's right for their rival. That's why I think it's realistic that he might get in. Her stumbles don't help. But I don't think Hillary Clinton has done anything that is irreversible, but there are problems out there with these Benghazi e-mails. You have to see how this unfolds.

CUOMO: Well, one thing you guys haven't mentioned, as well- reasoned as the analysis has been at this point, is money. Hillary has sucked up a lot of the money that was out there in lefty pockets to fuel this race. But the big thing on the table, why you could do it -- Lynn just touched on it at the end -- Benghazi e-mails goes to trust. The trust numbers are low. There's one place that Biden's going to spike, it's trust coming into this. Will it be enough?

LOUIS: That's right. He clearly exceeds her with those numbers.

Also, look, money is a basically limitless resource in the age of the post-Citizens United decision. I mean, you've got, you know, all you need is one billionaire to come in and say, "Joe Biden is my guy. I'm going to spend whatever it takes."

CUOMO: Then they can just fund a super PAC, and whether or not they're actually coordinated, they can get it done.

Last word, Lynn?

SWEET: The last word here is that she's well ahead in the money chase, but Biden doesn't have to get name recognition. Neither does Hillary Clinton. This isn't about, I bet in this assessment, whether or not he could raise the money. But it's just if he needs to make a third try, third historic try for himself for president.

CUOMO: Strong point. Thank you, Lynn Sweet.

Errol Louis, as always, appreciate you setting up the issues on the table.

Mick, as you know, we're all in favor of the big field here. We wanted as many people on the GOP. We invite them all on. Same thing on the Democrat side. More voices the better.

PEREIRA: Yes. Want to talk to them all. All right, Chris, thank you.

To our other big story. An intense search is under way for more debris around Reunion Island where that piece of debris, the piece of the plane wing washed ashore just last week.

Malaysian officials now confirming it does, indeed, belong to a Boeing 777. It still has not been linked, though, to missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. This as another potential piece of debris, found over the weekend, well, it appears to be a letdown.

CNN correspondent Erin McLaughlin is live on Reunion Island with the latest for us -- Erin.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela.

Well, the search is on, not just here on Reunion Island, but other islands, as well, on nearby Mauritius, as well as Seychelles Island, which is over 1,200 miles away, the Coast Guard there combing for clues.

Now this morning, Malaysia's transportation minister tweeted out, saying that this area is consistent with drift pattern analysis that has been conducted by experts. And they're appealing to authorities for help.

Over the weekend, here on Reunion Island, some volunteers combing the beaches, looking for potential plane components, potential debris. Just in San Andre, which is not far from here, where the flaperon was found, some 10 to 12 objects brought forward to city officials. Those objects have, so far, been discounted. After all, this is a tiny island, and it's a vast ocean, plenty of room for false alarms -- Chris.

CUOMO: But any way you look at it, they're somewhere now that many thought they wouldn't be, in terms of finding an indication what happened. Erin, thank you for staying on it for us.

Breaking overnight, we also have this story. More than a dozen people, including a police officer in uniform injured after a car left the road and hit pedestrians on a sidewalk in Jersey City, obviously, in New Jersey. Most of the victims were reported to be in stable condition. That's the good news. Authorities believe one car was speeding when it slammed into a second car and forced that one onto the sidewalk. Police detained the driver at the scene.

PEREIRA: Baltimore experiencing its deadliest month in four decades: 45 homicides in July alone, 191 reported for the entire year so far. Now the Baltimore Police Department announcing that ten federal agents will be embedded with their homicide unit for the next two month in response to the unprecedented rash of violence. Agents from the FBI, the DEA and U.S. Marshals will participate.

[06:20:12] CUOMO: Now this is a tricky situation. First of all, we've got to get back down there. This story demands the attention. It's not that, sometimes you'll point these out: well, those numbers were there; you're just paying attention now. These are new numbers.

PEREIRA: These are new.

CUOMO: They're higher than they've been. There are two big theories. One is when all the looting and on and all that, there was a new supply of subscription drugs that has started all of this trouble among the existing criminal elements there.

The other one is, is that there's been a confluence of unrest here that's matching no jobs and no trust in government, and it's bleeding over.

PEREIRA: Well, if you pair that with other statistics we're seeing in Chicago, for example, it is a concern. Those numbers are on the rise. We'll discuss it ahead.

CUOMO: All right. So it is confirmed. So this much we can say. The wreckage found on Reunion Island last week is from a Boeing 777. The question is, is it from Flight 370? We have the latest on the investigation and why that question isn't as easy to answer as we all hoped it would be.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:25:00] PEREIRA: Malaysian officials confirm that a wing part

found on a remote island in the Indian Ocean last week is, indeed, from a Boeing 777. There is only one 777 missing in the world, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. So why aren't investigators confirming that debris is from that doomed jet?

We want to turn to Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. His agency has been leading the search for MH370.

We've spoken to you several times. Nice to finally see you and meet face-to-face, Mr. Dolan. So let's talk about this piece of evidence that the Malaysians are saying is, indeed, from a 777. We know there's only one missing, unaccounted for in the world right now. Why not just come out and say that it is, indeed, MH370? Or is that just a formality?

MARTIN DOLAN, CHIEF COMMISSIONER, AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SAFETY BUREAU: I wouldn't call it a formality. The preference would be to get a direct, physical link between this flaperon and MH370. At the moment, all we have are serial numbers, which -- or part numbers rather than serial numbers. And so we can only confirm, beyond any doubt, that it is a flaperon associated with the 777.

We agree there's no evidence of any other aircraft having lost its flaperon. But the preference of this day is to give the absolute certainty to the families now, those -- is to find a direct, physical link. If we can't do that, then obviously, we'll have to find a way of eliminating all other possibilities. So that's where we stand at the moment.

PEREIRA: And you make a good point. The families deserve that, right? They deserve 100 percent certainty. That's a really good point to be made. But I just was curious, because we saw how quickly that piece of debris, there's a piece of metal that was found Sunday, and that was so quickly ruled out not to be part of MH370. Such a direct contrast.

DOLAN: In fact -- in fact, it's easier to rule something out than to confirm that it's in. And it was quite easy to determine, after some visual inspection, that it wasn't anything to do with an aircraft and was, in fact, part of a domestic ladder.

PEREIRA: OK. Well, there you go. I'm curious how this discovery of the flaperon on the Reunion Islands has affected or changed the area that is being searched. Is it now redoubling efforts? Is it expanding efforts? Has it moved efforts west?

DOLAN: We haven't seen anything as a result of this find, even if it were confirmed absolutely to be from MH370, that would lead us to change the search area.

As you know, that's being developed through very careful analysis, through satellite data, aircraft performance information, and so on. We've been for a long time working with specialists on modelling how floating items drift in the Indian Ocean. And it's quite possible that an aircraft component such as this could have drifted from our search area to arrive at La Reunion.

PEREIRA: So it really wasn't a surprise to you, that debris could have been found there?

DOLAN: Not a surprise. Although our modeling shows that La Reunion is toward the margins of the lighting area that the flight debris would have gone. But nevertheless, it was entirely consistent with our modeling.

PEREIRA: But because it was toward the margin, does it make you want to recalibrate at all?

DOLAN: No. We place great reliance, because we think it has greater precision, on the analysis of the satellite data than on drift modeling, which is an imprecise science; has to take account of not just ocean currents but also of what the wind may do at any given time and then what swells and waves will do. And what the modeling shows is that, from any area, wreckage will disperse over a very wide area. And some of it will go as far west as La Reunion.

PEREIRA: Are you just as confident today as you were some, I don't know, 500 days ago, there, Mr. Dolan? Are you just as confident that we will get answers for those families of MH370?

DOLAN: I'm, if anything, slightly more confident than I was all that time ago, because we have squeezed every last piece of information out of the satellite analysis and other work. And we have seen through what they're doing out there in our search zone, that the crews and the equipment and the vessels we've got out there are doing an excellent job. It's very likely the aircraft is in our search area. And if it's there, we will find it.

PEREIRA: Martin Dolan, thanks for joining us on NEW DAY today -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Thank you very much, Mick.

DOLAN: Thank you.

CUOMO: The search continues, to be sure.

So we now know a second American is wanted for illegally hunting lions in Africa, as officials in Zimbabwe turn up the pressure to extradite that Minnesota dentist who killed the beloved lion, Cecil. The latest on the investigation, ahead.

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