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CNN Hero Corinne Cannon; Beverly Johnson Interview; Are We Safer 14 Years After 9/11? Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired September 11, 2015 - 08:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:42] MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Time for the five things for your NEW DAY.

At number one, a brand new poll shows Donald Trump and Ben Carson still climbing in Iowa. Trump leading with 27 percent, Carson following with 21 in the Quinnipiac poll. Scott Walker, who led in the state in July, crashing to just 3 percent. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, leading Bernie Sanders by 10 points and trailing Republican Ben Carson by five in the latest CNN/ORC poll. Vice President Biden admitting to Stephen Colbert he, meanwhile, is still deliberating whether he's going to run.

Desperate rescues are underway amid devastating floods in Japan. So far we know of at least three deaths, many more people are missing. Almost a half million people have been evacuated.

It has been 14 years now since the September 11th attacks. At 8:46 Eastern, minutes from now, a moment of silence will be observed marking the exact time American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

Apologies all around for former tennis star James Blake. New York City's mayor and police commissioner apologizing to Blake after he was roughed up by police in a case of mistaken identity. Blake will be on "AC 360" tonight at 8:00 Eastern.

For more on the five things, be sure to visit newdaycnn.com.

Well, it is something that every baby needs, diapers, yet nearly 30 percent of parents in America can't afford them. So this week's CNN Hero is on a mission to provide a little relief. Meet Corinne Cannon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a single mother, providing for my children is a struggle. Diapers are super expensive.

CORINNE CANNON, CNN HERO: When I had my first child, I was just really amazing how hard it was to care for a newborn. It's emotionally very exhausting. It's physically very exhausting.

When things started to ease up, I wanted to help other moms. I started calling organizations. And I heard over and over again, we need diapers. I was heartbroken because I started thinking about how difficult it would be to be that mom who didn't have the diaper.

We have donated nearly 2 million diapers to families in the D.C. area. We partner with organizations who already helping families.

A lot of our families are really at a breaking point. We're using diapers as a way to have them engage with social services for their other needs. Let them know that there is a network there that's going to help them and support them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Receiving diapers means that there's one less thing I have to worry about. It allows me to put more money towards other things that are beneficial for my children.

CANNON: Knowing that we're able to help moms at a critical point in their life and being able to bring them a little bit of relief is huge. I want them to have everything they need to thrive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[08:37:19] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: She was the first black woman to grace the cover of "Vogue" magazine and became one of the glamorous supermodels of the 1980s. Last year Beverly Johnson returned to the spotlight in a big way when she went public accusing Bill Cosby of drugging and accosting her. Johnson has written a book detailing her remarkable career and life to this point. It's called "The Face that Changed it All." And Beverly Johnson joins us now.

Good morning.

BEVERLY JOHNSON, MODEL/ACTRESS: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: So great to have you in studio with us.

JOHNSON: Yes. It's great to be here.

CAMEROTA: So you included the Bill Cosby episode in your book in which you say that he drugged you and you believe he was going to sexual assault you. Now, other famous people, when they wrote their memoirs, I'm thinking of Janice Dickinson, did not include the episode about Bill Cosby because the lawyers said that they couldn't. Why did you feel that it was OK to write about this?

JOHNSON: Well, actually, I didn't know that about Janice because I started writing this memoir in 2013. And I did do that big reveal, I thought, to my writer. And we did hand the chapter in. And they said, no, we don't want it.

CAMEROTA: Why?

JOHNSON: There's legal liability.

CAMEROTA: OK.

JOHNSON: To the chapter. And it wasn't only until after December and after my "Vanity Fair" story and all of Barbara Bowman and the women who came out so courageously that they said, about that Bill Cosby chapter, we would like to put it in the book. And it was at the 11th hour before the book went to press.

CAMEROTA: Oh, that's so interesting.

Let me read to everyone what you write about revealing the Cosby stuff. You say, "I can honestly say that speaking out was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life and the best thing I could ever have done for myself and the other women who have faced similar circumstances." What do you want to say to Bill Cosby?

JOHNSON: Oh, I - oh, I have nothing to say.

CAMEROTA: Do you think that he will say something to you after reading this?

JOHNSON: I - I really - I can't - I'm not a mind reader. I have no idea.

CAMEROTA: I was interested to hear that you said that you do forgive him.

JOHNSON: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Why?

JOHNSON: Because that's who I am. I try not to harbor anger and bitterness. And, for me, in order to move on, I think one must forgive. And so I have moved on and I forgive him. And - but I do stand with the victims.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about the rest of your memoir -

JOHNSON: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Because you traveled in a fascinating, fast, exciting circle. You talk about your relationships and friendships with Jack Nicholson, Keith Richards, Eddy Murphy, Warren Beatty and you talk about going to Studio 54. Let me read this passage. You say, "it was an anything goes time for some of us. And in my world, there was no better example of the anything and everything goes lifestyle than the famed nightclub Studio 54. I only made one trip to Studio 54 in all of my years in New York. That said, I ended up staying three days once I got there." What happened?

[08:40:22] JOHNSON: Oh, there was - it was - when I was telling this story to my writer, and she just found it very fascinating, but it's true, and I write about it in detail how that could possibly happen. But, you know, it was a wonderful era, wonderful group of artists, designers, musicians and so I ended up staying three days.

CAMEROTA: You also got caught up at that time in all of this sort of hard partying that went along with that. And you, I think, wanted to write about this and reveal that because you've come out the other side of it. JOHNSON: Well, yes. I think you're speaking about drugs.

CAMEROTA: I am.

JOHNSON: And so basically it was that that was the drug of choice for the elite. And for me, it was about, you know, remaining thin. And back then we're speaking of cocaine. It wasn't addictive, remember? And that -

CAMEROTA: Is what you - everyone thought.

JOHNSON: Well, that's what they said.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

JOHNSON: You know, the scientists, it wasn't addictive. It increased your intelligence. It killed your appetite and your eyes were nice and bright and white. So we know better now. And so basically there wasn't very much partying going on, but there was a lot of working and there was a lot of that in the work environment.

CAMEROTA: I understand. And you wanted to share with people how you did come out the other side of it and tackle sobriety and you're - you're so healthy now.

JOHNSON: Well, you know, it's one of the things I have never spoken about because my sobriety is sacred to me. But we lost a lot of people to drugs back then and we still continue to do today. And I felt that I - it was time for me to tell that story.

CAMEROTA: Well, it's a great book. It's an exciting read. It's called "The Face That Changed It All." Beverly Johnson, so great to meet you.

JOHNSON: Thank you so much for having me.

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much for coming in. A pleasure to see you.

JOHNSON: I appreciate it.

CAMEROTA: Let's get over to Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Alisyn, thank you very much.

Today is 9/11. Now, the date comes every year. But for too many the occasion has never left. Part of the promise to never forget has been the war against terror. And we're going to take a look at how that fight as evolved in the 14 years since the attacks.

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[08:45:59] CUOMO: A moment of silence is about to be observed in remembrance of the September 11th attacks. We'll have it from live in New York at Ground Zero and President Obama and the first lady observing the moment on the White House lawn. Let's listen in now as we get close.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (singing) ..home of the brave.

(APPLAUSE)

(BELL RINGING)

(MOMENT OF SILENCE) (BAG PIPES AND DRUMS)

CUOMO: Well, you know what you're seeing on the screen right now. We see it every year, the remembrance, the moment of silence at 8:46 when the first plane struck. You're seeing New York City on one side of your screen, the White House, obviously, on the other. We just had the president and the first lady with their hands over their hearts observing the moment of silence.

CNN will cover the reading of the names of those who were lost. You're seeing the flag that has become a fixture on 9/11 in New York that was damaged, yet still is presented every year at Ground Zero. And to those who were lost and their families and all those who were effected, we remember them not this day, but ever day with a pledge to never forget.

CAMEROTA: And when you just hear the bagpipes. I mean, that makes the hair on your arms stand up. And then also hearing the names read out of everyone lost, even 14 years later, it just -- always makes you catch your throat.

PEREIRA: Powerful thing is for everyone to remember where they were 14 years ago and to remember that moment that we all hugged each other a little closer. We looked each other in the eye and we wished that that sentiment would continue now. But on a day like this, you remember the unity that there was on that day.

CUOMO: A big part of the promise of "never forget" is the War on Terror. Let's bring in Clark Kent Ervin, he served as the first Inspector General of the United States Department of Homeland Security, and is also the author of "Open Target: Where America Is Vulnerable to Attack." And Mr. Tom Fuentes, of course, a friend of the family, CNN law enforcement analyst, former FBI assistant director.

Gentlemen, best wishes to you both on this day. Let's start with you, Clark. When you take a look at where we were 14 years ago and where we are today, what do you see in that? Is it fair to call it an evolution? Is there growth? Is there progress?

[08:50:01] CLARK KENT ERVIN, FMR. INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, there has been progress, Chris, but there's also been evolution. The evolution, I would argue, has been in a negative direction. Al Qaeda, regrettably, is still out there, still with the intent to carry out another 9/11-style attack. There's the al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen, AQAP, which has this fixation on bringing down aircrafts again and coming up with bombs that can evade detection.

But the new thing now is we've got ISIS, which is a horse of a different color. They have huge amounts of territory from which they can plot and train and plan. They've got huge amounts of money. They've got great military prowess because the core is Saddam's old army. They are savagely brutal with the crucifixions and the beheadings. But most importantly, they've got this mastery of social media that allows them to recruit and to train remotely and anonymously and all over the world instantaneously.

And finally, unlike al Qaeda, they're focused on anywhere, any time, any kind of attacks, with guns, with knives, with bombs, with cars, whatever you've got, attack however many people you can. And so there's this vulnerability and anxiety now 14 years later that, to some degree, is much more - to a considerable degree - is much more concerning than the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

CUOMO: Quick follow on that idea, Clark, that -- do you believe that we are vulnerable to an attack of that scale and dimension as what happened 14 years ago?

ERVIN: Well, it's harder to carry out a catastrophic attack now, Chris, than it was before. That's the good news. But it's not impossible. And if only to prove their relevance and their continued potency -- and there's a lot of rivalry now among terror groups to be the biggest and baddest. I am very concerned about the possibility of another catastrophic attack. It is not out of the question.

CUOMO: It would be better, of course, if they were doing this to each other in their battle for dominance.

Let me ask you something, Tom. In light of this "Daily Beast" reporting about intelligence on ISIS, what is your take on the organization and from your friends who are still in the game fighting against them? Are they out just to claim land over there and change culture over there? Or do they want to really get a presence in the United States and try to do damage here?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, Chris, for now they absolutely want to do damage, not just here but all around the Western world. They're sending out 40,000 messages per day. My colleagues at the FBI are talking about the fact that it's very difficult to know who's receiving them and being radicalized to take action by those tweets and other social media postings.

They also know that once those postings happen, and something that we didn't have to face on 9/11, is that when a connection is made, they can immediately switch to the dark apps, the dark internet, and communicate on completely encrypted apps that, so far, our NSA and FBI and other technicians have not been able to crack. And there's a number of them. And that's the other problem is that once they start to go operational that somebody does, they can't be tracked.

CUOMO: The desperation after 9/11 is that you want to be able to tell people from positions of authority that we are safer because of what happened that day because we've learned and adapted. But Tom, you're saying the reality really is the threat is just different today than it was then, it's not about more or less.

FUENTES: Well, it's different for -- Yes, that part of it is much different. But as Clark said, you know, al Qaeda still wants to do a catastrophic attack if they can pull one off. You know, we've closed off many of the avenues, tightened up airline security for one thing and also just international financing, international communications.

So besides the dark apps, to be able to coordinate such a large scale attack and with Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the masterminds of 9/11, they micromanaged every part of that, selected every member of the hijack teams. And once bin Laden was holed up Abadabad, you know, trying to deal with his organization by courier, we pretty much won that part of the battle.

Problem now is, if they can't do a large attack, they might get their hands at some point on a nuclear weapon or something really horrible.

CUOMO: Clark, final words to people on this day?

ERVIN: Well, the final word is, Chris, vigilance. As you said earlier, we can't forget and our national security professionals, the odds are against us. So the American people and our national security professionals have got to be vigilant every single day. The threat is increasing, I would argue, all these many years later.

CUOMO: Clark, Tom, thank you to both of you for your service to the country, on this day especially. Appreciate you being with us.

FUENTES: Thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: Everybody knows what 9/11 is about and we want to shine a light on some all-American "Good Stuff" to balance out what we're all going to deal with this morning and beyond.

[08:54:43] Stick with us.

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CUOMO: All right. This is "The Good Stuff" that brings it all home. Brian Dilbarian is a 29-year-old retired army sergeant. He is a triple amputee. He lost both legs and his left arm while fighting for our country in Afghanistan. As you can imagine, Brian has to rely on help around the house.

Well, Tunnel to Towers has a program called Building for America's Greatest and with help from Home Depot volunteers working through pouring rain, by the way, to finish and the New York Jets contributions - one thing that team can do right -- they were able to give Brian not just a new home, a smart home where he can control everything in his house with an iPad.

PEREIRA: That's so cool.

CUOMO: So, beautiful story of a man doing for his country and finally the country doing for him.

PEREIRA: That's what it's about.

CAMEROTA: That's so wonderful. And they raise money every year - they have that race - Run, I should say. PEREIRA: Look at that smile on his face.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CUOMO: We need to do more on everything that surrounds the issues of 9/11, but certainly taking care of our men and women when they fight and then come back home.

PEREIRA: We'll hold our friends a little closer and our loved ones a little closer on this day. That's the one thing we can do, and as you said, never forget.

But now we turn to "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello. Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Never forget. Thanks so much. Have a great weekend. "NEWSROOM" starts now.