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CNN NEWSROOM

Kentucky Clerk Back to Work; Eleven Candidates in Main GOP Debate; Trooper's Accused Killer Shot, Arrested; Interview with Novak Djokovic; California Wildfires Turn Deadly; Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired September 14, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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


[10:00:00] WIRE: It's his second U.S. Open title and tenth career Grand Slam tournament and awesome indeed, Carol. It was something to witness. This guy's something else.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and he's going to join us around 10:30 Eastern Time, so be sure to stick around.

Coy Wire, thanks so much. I appreciate it.

WIRE: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, two days to a GOP showdown.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I'm a deal maker. I'll make great deals for this country. Ben can't do that.

DR. BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's ridiculous to think that the only thing that I can do is neurosurgery.

COSTELLO: But that's not the only clash we're expecting.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: This is it. The stage where all the magic is going to happen.

COSTELLO: Can't anyone topple Donald Trump?

Also, a state of emergency, as California wildfires rage out of control, overtaking whole towns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm all right. Yes, everything is OK.

COSTELLO: Thousands of people forced to flee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess we're just lucky it's not our home.

COSTELLO: And this is all that's left behind.

Plus, it's back to work for that Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis.

KIM DAVIS, ROWAN COUNTY CLERK: For me, this would be an act of disobedience to my god.

COSTELLO: We're live in Rowan County.

Let's talk. Live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

The embattled Kentucky clerk who was locked up for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses is standing her ground. Early this morning as she returned to work, Kim Davis told the media she will not issue licenses on her first day back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: I have thought and prayed very hard about what to do. The decisions I have made in this case and the decisions I will continue to make in this case are mine and mine alone. I don't want to have this conflict. I don't want to be in the spotlight. And I certainly don't want to be a whipping post. I am no hero. I'm just a person that's been transformed by the grace of God and who wants to work and be with my family. I just want to serve my neighbors quietly without violating my conscience.

And so this morning, I am forced to fashion a remedy that reconciles my conscience with Judge Benning's orders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Davis also said she will not stand in the way of her deputies as long as marriage documents do not include her name, but a major showdown could be brewing. CNN has learned at least one same- sex couples will try to obtain their marriage license while Davis is in the room, in the office, and present.

Joining me now to discuss all of this, legal expert and former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Laura Coates, and on the ground in Morehead, Kentucky, CNN's Martin Savidge.

I'm going to start with you, Martin. Has that couple shown up?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not yet, Carol, but the stage has been set. This is clearly going to be a kind of marriage showdown, if you will. On the outside here you can hear in the background, these are supporters of Kim Davis. They have been singing and they have been praying. And they're here to show her support. But at the same time as you point out the same-sex couple has announced that they're on their way, should arrive any moment.

They're going to have to essentially go through this group to get in through the front doors of the courthouse and then go right up to the desk. And the question is, what happens at that point? It's presumed that one of the deputy clerks, the last one I saw inside was Brian Mason, would be who this couple approaches. And then who knows? Last week Brian Mason was giving out licenses. So has he had a change

of heart or does Kim Davis in somehow influence him? We don't know. We're going to have to watch and wait and see what happens.

But she has already stated. Her name and her authority is not behind these licenses. She is hands off but she's not going to interfere, she says, and that's how she wants the fine line of the judge's order, which said she could not, or she'll go back to jail -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So, Laura, does that -- will that satisfy the judge in this case? Is that OK if Kim Davis just doesn't, you know, have her name anywhere on those marriage licenses?

LAURA COATES, LEGAL EXPERT: It shouldn't satisfy the judge. She remains in contempt. The order actually says she cannot directly or indirectly interfere with the court's order. And by her saying that her office, her name or her authority cannot be on the licenses and she does not authorize these licenses, she is even indirectly interfering with the ability of the licenses to be valid and the ability of people to actually get a license that will stand the test of time.

Her statements on the courthouse steps or the county clerk's office steps said, they're mine and mine alone, all these decisions. But what she fails to realize that the judge has already ordered and already essentially told her, her decisions are not her own. She is a public servant who has to serve the public according to her official duties. It's no longer her and her alone decision to do so.

[10:05:02] And her decision to not authorize these particular licenses is still in violation of the court order and the Supreme Court mandate.

COSTELLO: So, Laura, when this couple walks in to get their marriage license, will they receive a valid license if Kim Davis' name is not on the marriage license?

COATES: If her name is not on the license, I think you have a better argument that it still would not be valid. But if her actual office and authority is not on the license, that is the key. Because of course, in Kentucky, the state of Kentucky issues driver's licenses without having the county clerk's name. But the legislature in Kentucky has already said that in order to be a license, a marriage license, it has to be issued by at least the county clerk's authority and their office.

So she can't skirt that issue. And frankly, the legislature has refused to change that particular mandate of having the county clerk be in charge of it because they have not had a special session and they don't intend to until January. So she has no authority legally and does not have the backing of the legislature, who is the authority to change and make the accommodation she seeks.

COSTELLO: All right. We'll see what happens when that couple shows up. Carmen and Shannon are their first names. And they're expected to be right where you're standing, Martin Savidge, in just about 25 minutes. So we'll check back.

Thanks so much, Martin Savidge, Laura Coates.

SAVIDGE: We'll be on the lookout for them.

COATES: Thank you.

COSTELLO: All right. Two days and counting until 11 Republican candidates take the main stage at the Reagan Library and it should be quite a show. Expect fireworks.

Jake Tapper, one of the moderators, is crafting questions that will pit one candidate against the other. Trump-Fiorina anyone?

With me now CNN's Athena Jones. She is in California, at the Reagan Presidential Library. And Errol Louis, a CNN political analyst is with me here in New York.

But, Athena, I'll start with you so you can set the stage for us.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Well, the big event is going to be happening in two more days and it's going to be a big event indeed. We're talking about a huge television audience. To give you a sense of perspective, 24 million viewers tuned into the first debate. That is more than twice the combined populations of the first four states to vote in this contest next year. And so it's going to be a huge opportunity for candidates to make an impression on voters.

And this comes as a new national poll out to today from the "Washington Post" and ABC News shows that Donald Trump is still in the lead. And he's posting his biggest numbers yet. Take a look at that poll. We can put up there on the screen. You can see Donald Trump, first place at 33 percent, Ben Carson in second, 13 points behind him. Everyone else is in the single digits. Jeb Bush is there in third place but he's 25 points off the leader.

And one more thing I should note about that poll, Scott Walker has lost the most ground since July. He was in second place at 13 percent. Now he doesn't even make the top several contenders there. He's down to 2 percent. And I should tell you that in what could be something of a preview, what we'll hear in two days from now, the top two candidates went after each other on the Sunday shows. Take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm a deal-maker. I'll make great deals for this country. Ben can't do that. Ben's a doctor and he's not a deal-maker.

CARSON: It's ridiculous to think that the only thing that I can do is neurosurgery. I find it quite humorous when people say he's an idiot -- he only knows neurosurgery. Just the fact that they would say something like that, they don't know what it takes to become a neurosurgeon. That's pretty idiotic itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So a possible preview of the fireworks in store for all of us -- Carol.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Oh, I enjoy that. Thank you, Athena Jones. Athena Jones reporting live.

So, Errol, could this debate make or break a candidate, namely Donald Trump?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Doubtful. I think as far as breaking him because the people who are supporting him are not supporting him because he had a great debate performance. They're supporting him for other reasons. Those reasons have to do with their anger at the establishment, the economic conditions in the country, a sense that foreign policy is drifting, that immigration policy is in shambles. None of that is going to change based on what happens on Wednesday. So he has something to lose but I don't think it's going to be the catastrophic disaster that his opponents keep hoping for.

COSTELLO: So which candidates do you think have to turn in a great performance to break through all the noise?

LOUIS: I think anybody who is in the single digits is really going to have to step it up and really do something to get themselves noticed. And one of the things they're going to have to do is try and steer things away from sort of putdowns and insults and entertainment, where Trump is going to reign supreme and get it more into the realm of policy where certainly some of the governors and, indeed, some of the senators have a track record that they could share with --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Give me your best guess which candidate might be able to do that.

LOUIS: I think Kasich --

COSTELLO: Is it the low energy Jeb Bush or --

(LAUGHTER)

LOUIS: Well, see, there -- there again, if we all focus on low energy as opposed to, what did this guy do during eight years running an important big swing state, the fourth biggest state in the country? You know, and some of that has to do with the moderators. You know, I mean, what Jake Tapper does, what he and the producers set up and whether or not he tries to steer things back to policy, which is less entertaining in a lot of ways than the putdowns and the insults, but if that can -- if that can happen, then we'll have a much, much, much better debate for 20--

[10:10:15] COSTELLO: Well, Jake Tapper says he's going to pit one candidate against the other, not just for fun, but he wants to point out important differences and he wants the candidates to argue their side. So I would imagine Carly Fiorina would be pitted against Donald Trump at some point in there. And would Carly Fiorina just be talking about, you know, the comments Donald Trump made on her face or will she talk about her experience, of which she has no political experience, but neither does Donald Trump?

LOUIS: Well --

COSTELLO: They're both business people.

LOUIS: I'm sure she's got something in her back pocket or in her purse or wherever she puts it as far as insults she can throw back at Donald Trump. If she's smart, though, she will resist that temptation. And if she gets an opportunity, there are a lot of other people that she could argue with, not like just Donald Trump over, you know, sort of nothing at all. But with somebody like, you know, Scott Walker today is calling for the elimination of the National Labor Relations Board.

That's a big, big deal. She's somebody who has had thousands and thousands of employees. She's got a view about labor relations --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Yes, but they're not going to be on the same stage.

LOUIS: See, that's the difficulty of all of this. Even if they're not standing next to each other, hurling insults at each other, a debate of ideas, which is hopefully what we all want, is something that is long overdue in this debate.

COSTELLO: You're so naive., Errol.

(LAUGHTER)

LOUIS: I'll be watching.

COSTELLO: I'll be watching, too, Errol Louis, thank you so much.

Just a short time ago, a manhunt ends and a suspect is in custody, charged with the overnight killing of a Kentucky state trooper. The trooper just eight months out of the academy was gunned down at the end of a high-speed chase.

Jean Casarez is here to tell us about that. Hi, Jean.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. CNN has just been able to confirm that the suspect is now in custody. He was shot but he is alive. And we do not know where those shots came from or who was fired upon this suspect, but he is in custody.

Now the trooper involved in this, this was a fatal attack, Kentucky state trooper, 31-year-old Cameron Ponder, was effectuating a traffic stop last night about 10:20, this is in Kentucky, Interstate 24. And he pulled a car over, he went up to the car. We don't know how long he was there at this point, but according to the facts as we know them now, the suspect vehicle pulled away and absolutely just left him standing in the street.

He got back in his squad car and that's when the pursuit began. We understand about nine miles. At that point, according to officials, the suspect began to shoot through the windshield of the police cruiser, multiple shots hitting Officer Ponder. He was taken to the hospital. In about one hour he was pronounced dead. The suspect fled the scene, leaving the car there. There was a manhunt all through the night, but just as we have just told you, the suspect is now in custody, in police custody. Shot but alive.

And, Carol, this is a death penalty state. This was a trooper. And if it is shown that he, in fact, beyond a reasonable doubt, shot and killed this Kentucky state trooper, very serious ramifications -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Jean Casarez reporting, thanks so much.

A town turns to ashes. The fast-moving wildfires devastate parts of California. The incredibly sad pictures next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:17:44] COSTELLO: Novak Djokovic is making it routine to win titles. The 28-year-old Serbian tennis star capped one of the best seasons in Grand Slam history this weekend by beating rival Roger Federer to win the U.S. Open. The match was tense at times. Both players struggled at times, but Djokovic was the last man standing at the end of the night. The win marks his third Grand Slam title of the year.

U.S. Open men's champ, Novak Djokovic joins us now.

Good morning. And thank you so much for being with me. I appreciate it.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC, U.S. OPEN WINNER: Good morning. Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: So does it feel just as good today as it did the other day, when -- you know when you're holding the trophy?

DJOKOVIC: Well, the feeling more or less is the same. I mean, I felt a huge relief when I won the last point. And, obviously, very satisfied and proud of the achievement of winning the U.S. Open for the second time. You know, Grand Slams are the biggest events we have in tennis. Those are the tournaments you always dream of winning when you're starting to play tennis as a kid.

You have the posters of the trophies on your walls, and to actually be able to make it, it's quite special. Even though it's the second time, it does feel like unique first time. I'm trying to cherish every moment of it and enjoy it.

COSTELLO: Roger Federer, he came with, what? He came with a new service return. He was all set to beat you, but you seemed to be his nemesis. Why? (LAUGHTER)

DJOKOVIC: Well, I think we split 21 wins apiece. We played 42 times. I've lost some big matches against him. I've won some big matches against him so, I mean, it's a great rivalry. Because of Roger and rivalries with Rafa and Andy, I've managed to become a better player and the player that I am today. So I owe it to them in a way and they contributed to my success today a lot, so, you know, I'm enjoying to play Roger.

I think it was an ultimate challenge for me to go out on the court yesterday, compete against Roger. I was informed that hasn't dropped a set, you know, the entire tournament. He was playing some aggressive tennis. He was always making me play an extra shot, pushing me up against the wall. But fortunately, I managed to find some big serves and just stay calm and electric really atmosphere that is very characteristic for U.S. Open and triumph.

[10:20:21] COSTELLO: Yes, I wanted to ask you about the atmosphere because, sadly, the crowd seemed to be on Roger Federer's side. It was making, you know, very loud applause for him and not so much for you. So how do you take -- how did you take that?

DJOKOVIC: Well, look, you know, I didn't frustrate myself too much about it because I was expecting this to play out the way it played out. I mean, I don't criticize the crowd. In contrary, I absolutely understand that why, you know, the majority of the crowd was on his side. The fact that, you know, he has won 17 Grand Slams and he's one probably arguably the best tennis player in the history of the game. Carries himself very well on and off the court. He's a great champion.

You know, he represents the sport in the best possible way, so he's been there for so many years. And, of course, he deserves to have the crowd support. I was ready for that mentally. I was ready to have the -- you know, the very loud and great atmosphere. And I was trying to feed off the energy that was coming our way. I think it was a fantastic match. It was one of the most amazing walk-ins that I ever had on the court, you know. I saw basically 20,000 people being on their feet, applauding, welcoming us to one of the best Grand Slam finals that I was a part of.

COSTELLO: You're very humble because you're a pretty great tennis players yourself, one of the best, and maybe the best.

Novak Djokovic, thank you so much. You're the 2015 men's U.S. Open winner. Really great talking with you. Thank you.

DJOKOVIC: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM -- you're welcome.

California, it's devastating there. California on fire. Fast-moving wildfires destroy hundreds of homes. The incredibly sad pictures coming your way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:26:26] COSTELLO: Two massive wildfires in California have now turned deadly, fueled by winds and four years of drought, the two blazes just 100 miles east and west of Sacramento exploded in size over the weekend. Giving thousands of people little time to flee their homes. Authorities say at least one person died in the flames.

Just look at these images of the fire's aftermath. Charred cars, towns absolutely destroyed, homes and businesses, hundreds of them turned to ash. More than 5,000 firefighters are on the lines right now, trying to save others from the same fate. Combined, the two fires have more than 115,000 acres up in flames.

CNN's Dan Simon live on the scene with more for you. Good morning, Dan.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Such a heartbreaking situation. We are in Middletown, California, and it looks like it's a foggy day, but everything you're seeing, everything up in the air, this is all smoke. You can see the fire still smoldering in this neighborhood. There's probably four or five homes just in this area that were destroyed. We're told that about half of Middletown went up in flames.

It's just an unbelievable situation to look at all this. I'm seeing lots of burned out cars. I see a bathtub here. I see some appliances. We know that many thousands of people have been evacuated. Some of them have gone to the Napa County fairgrounds. It looks like a tent city over there, people just wondering what is happening with their homes. We talked to one woman who expressed the anxiety that she's feeling. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA CARCHOLA, FEARS HOUSE BURNED DOWN: When I saw the flames in the back of the hill, I figured it was far away and we had nothing to worry about. Within 15 minutes, we were evacuating our home. I don't think there is anything left. There was a propane company right across the street from us, Amerigas. Not sure if they had anything in those tanks, but I'm sure that if they blew, our house is gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: Well, this Valley Fire has now consumed 61,000 acres, just 5 percent contained at this point. Firefighters really have a job on their hands. You got 1500 firefighters working the lines, but, Carol, there's really only so much they can do because this is what a four- year drought in California looks like. There is just so much fuel for this fire to consume, but hopefully fire crews will begin making some headway today -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I hope so. Dan Simon reporting live. Thanks so much.

And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. The clock is rapidly ticking down to the CNN Republican debate that happens on Wednesday night. Final preparations in full swing. Here's some time-lapsed video for you. This is the stage under

construction at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. To the left Reagan's Air Force One will provide a dramatic backdrop for the 11 candidates who will participate in the primetime debate.

Well, millions of Americans will be tuning in for Wednesday's debate. The majestic Reagan Library itself is no stranger to attention. More than 350,000 people visit each year to view not only Air Force One, but an exact replica of the Oval Office during the Reagan years, right down to the late president's favorite jelly beans. That's his grave you see there. Ronald Reagan's grave is buried to the west so he can always look out at the Pacific Ocean.

Of course Jake Tapper is moderating the debate. And he toured some of the historic artifacts on display, including a relic from the Cold War.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: This is real?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A real piece of the Berlin wall, came down in 1991. Ronald Reagan was here in '94 when we received the piece.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Remember Wednesday, Wednesday night's debate and it can be seen only here at CNN. It starts at 6:00 --

(END)