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NYT: Trump Mocking Disability is "Outrageous"; France's President to Meet Putin for Terror Talks; Heavy Police Presence for Macy's Parade; Thousands of Refugees Entering Greece; New York Deploys Extra Police for Holiday. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired November 26, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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


[10:29:46] ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And as you mentioned, Trump is not backing down, not apologizing. He's instead taken to Twitter to the blast the "New York Times" in a series of tweets. I'll read just two of them. In one he says the numbers at the 'New York Times' are so dismal, especially advertising revenue, that big help will be needed fast. A once great institution -- sad."

In another tweet he says, "The failing 'New York Times' should be focused on good reporting and the paper's financial survival, not with constant hits on Donald Trump."

Now Carol -- we've talked about this over and over again. Trump seems to be like the Teflon Don here. Nothing he says, no matter how controversial or racially charged or disproven by fact-checkers or inappropriate seems to hurt him with his supporters.

I've already gotten a bunch of tweets this morning with people defending him. Saying they didn't see him do anything inappropriate and that we're overstepping in claiming to know that he was purposely mocking this person. So if those tweets are any indication -- you know.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Ok. Just to be clear -- just so it's clear. The pictures we were seeing of the man was Serge. And it appears he has cerebral palsy, is that right?

JONES: I don't know the name of his specific affliction but I know that it causes him to have some sort of contortions of his limbs. But the point is that Trump is familiar with this reporter. He's talked to this reporter going back years when the reporter worked at various other publications.

Trump supporters are saying, "Hey, how can you say he was purposely mocking this guy?" I think it's really -- take a look at the tape and judge for yourselves. But like I said, Carol -- who knows if this is actually going to hurt him?

COSTELLO: Athena Jones, reporting live from Washington. Thank you.

And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you for joining me.

Very soon French President Francois Hollande will hold talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The two leaders will discuss closer coordination against the Islamic state. But Hollande's call for a grand coalition against the terrorist group has been dealt a major blow following the downing of that Russian fighter jet by NATO ally Turkey.

Let's talk more about this with CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr along with CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem. Barbara -- what are we expecting from the discussions between these to men -- Hollande and Putin?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol -- all the indications are that the French president will go to Moscow to have this meeting to, perhaps, shall we say, represent the view of the NATO alliance, his country and the United States and Great Britain. They want Russia to stop attacking the rebels who oppose Bashar al Assad, the Syrian president, and focus instead, truly, on hitting ISIS -- those behind the attacks in France, that organization.

Whether Russia really will shift its strategy is very much an open question because right now the Russians are very focused on that shoot-down and what happened and their anger at Turkey for shooting down their airplane. The Russians beefing up their own military operations in Syria with new air defense systems, escorts for their own fighter jets -- trying to keep their own jets safe.

The U.S. view, the French view, the U.K. view is focus instead on hitting ISIS. That's what they'd would like to see happen. Whether that comes out of the Hollande meeting I think is very much an open question.

COSTELLO: Well, it is interesting that Russia's moving these missile defense systems into Syria in case something like this happens again. It makes you wonder about the safety of American warplanes flying over Syria -- Juliette.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: That's exactly right. ISIS does not have an air force, and so what Russia is doing is clearly provoking other countries at this stage. And it ties into whether the United States is going to advance on a no-fly zone. And the challenge is when you do have a no-fly zone with so many different interests up in the air, this is what happens between Turkey and Russia and it tends to escalate a situation that everyone is at least trying to de-escalate at this stage.

COSTELLO: And Barbara -- Hollande met with President Obama the other day, right? And it's quite apparent they're on pretty much the same page. Turkey is a NATO ally. What could Hollande say to Vladimir Putin to ratchet down the tension?

STARR: Well, I think behind the scenes what we're seeing is these various countries reach out to Russia and make that point. De- escalate the tension between Russia, the NATO alliance, the U.S.-led coalition and focus instead on ISIS.

But to get to Juliette's point, these new missiles that the Russians say they're moving in, these S-400s, they have considerable range from the base in Syria where they will be said to be located. They can strike into Turkey across the border. A lot of concern that Russia is making at least the public moves not to de-escalate the situation and it will get to the point where the U.S. is going to have to decide how freely it can fly its own aircraft in that air space -- Carol.

[10:35:04] COSTELLO: And while all this bickering is going on, Juliette, ISIS remains -- right. Remains -- it has the stronghold of Raqqa in Syria. We don't know how damaged Raqqa is from the air strikes that have been hitting it over the past several months. So how is the bickering between nations affecting the fight against ISIS?

KAYYEM: Well, there are two fights against ISIS. One is the geographic fight that we're seeing played out over Iraq and Syria and to try to minimize or disrupt ISIS' hold on geography. And this is where the Russia, Turkey, U.S., France fight is going on.

There's then the other ISIS threat which we clearly saw in Paris and elsewhere, whether it's an organized group that's already in Europe or the lone wolf fear that sort of animates all of western Europe, and of course, the United States.

That's a very different counterterrorism tactic. It's not military. It's intelligence, law enforcement, protecting people at a parade, as you were reporting on, and also preparing people.

I mean this is what Obama did yesterday. He essentially said, you know, "see something, say something; everyone needs to be engaged in our own preparedness." And the reason why is, you know, a lone wolf, that is just very difficult to disrupt.

COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Barbara Starr, Juliette Kayyem -- thanks to both of you.

The Eagles of Death Metal band say they want to be the first band to play at the Bataclan Theater when it reopens in Paris. The theater is now the scene of a large memorial where 89 people were killed nearly two weeks ago.

In an interview with Vice the band members shared their thoughts about those horrifying first moments when terrorists burst into the theater.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAWN LONDON, SOUND ENGINEER: I think he thought, I probably got hit because I went down so quickly and everybody else around was injured. There's blood all over. He stayed there. And continued to shoot and shoot and slaughter and just scream at the top of his lungs, "Allahu Akbar". That's when I instantly knew what was going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Guitarist Jesse Hughes says support from their French fans has helped them deal with the tragedy. The band is from California. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

attract millions of spectators to the streets of New York. How the NYPD is keeping people safe.

Look at that float. That's awesome, right? That's America.

I'll be down there in a flash. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:41:50] COSTELLO: And hello from 58th Street in New York City. And Happy Thanksgiving from the Macy's Parade. It is fantastic to see so many people enjoying themselves on a very American holiday. Despite threats from ISIS and what happened in Paris, Americans united and living their lives without fear.

That's not to say people aren't vigilant, because they are. But that's what makes us American. That said, New York City police are out in force. 2,500 officers are lining the parade route, sharp shooters are stationed atop buildings. The police commissioner tells us this is the largest number of officers ever assigned to this event.

A bit of trivia for you this morning: the Macy's Parade was created so immigrants could express their gratitude to America. Macy's back in the day, 89 years ago, hired many immigrants to work there. And this is how they wanted to say thank you.

I'm joined now by Isaac Raphel (ph), are you seven or nine -- Isaac?

ISAAC RAPHEL: I'm nine.

COSTELLO: And you're a Knicks fan. I can't believe that.

RAPHEL: I love the Knicks.

COSTELLO: I love the Pistons. Are you having fun?

RAPHEL: A lot of fun. My favorite one so far was Spongebob.

COSTELLO: Really -- Spongebob?

RAPHEL: I like the really big ones, like -- because I just like the big ones a lot because, like I feel like you can see them. I like the ones that are high because like everyone can see them. And, like, it just looks cool.

COSTELLO: It does look cool, doesn't it? Are you excited for your big turkey dinner?

RAPHEL: Yes, very excited.

COSTELLO: Do you eat the leg?

RAPHEL: I like the breast.

COSTELLO: You like the breast. Do you like the wishbone and pulling it apart?

RAPHEL: Yes.

COSTELLO: That's so awesome. Have you seen a lot of police officers around?

RAPHEL: I think I've just seen -- yesterday I saw some helicopters, like five, on Central Park. I think those were police helicopters because the sirens.

COSTELLO: Do the police officers out here and those police helicopters make you feel safe?

RAPHEL: Very safe. Because I saw five police cars yesterday and, like, I just feel safer.

COSTELLO: We should say, "Go NYPD".

RAPHEL: Go, NYPD.

COSTELLO: Awesome. Thank you so much, Isaac, for talking with me. I appreciate it. I'll let you get back to the parade and your family.

RAPHEL: Ok. Bye.

COSTELLO: Bye.

I liked him even though he's a Knicks fan.

Anyway -- just a few more facts about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Three million people are out here watching the parade. They're from everywhere in the world. They've flown into New York City -- didn't let anything scare them at all. They're having fun.

We do see a large police presence. In fact, I think it's the largest police presence ever at a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But police are taking no chances and so far so good.

Happy Thanksgiving. I'm back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:49:14] COSTELLO: The tough talk continues on whether the United States should admit any Syrian refugees but in Greece it's far too late for any debate. Tens of thousands of refugees from all over the Middle East have already poured into Greece and they continue to arrive on its shores by the hour. The trip is long and incredibly dangerous but still they come.

To talk about this, I want to bring in Steve McAndrew. He is the head of emergency operations for the Red Cross' operations in Greece. He joins us now live from Athens. Welcome, Andrew.

STEVE MCANDREW, INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS: Thank you for having me on the show. COSTELLO: Thank you so much for being here. Tell me about the

refugees coming into Greece from Syria. What are they like?

MCANDREW: Well, they're just normal people like everyone else. And they're the most vulnerable. The poorest, the elderly, there's women, there's children. They're just regular people.

[10:50:03] Some of them are wealthy. Some have shops, Mercedes- Benz in Damascus -- I was talking to a guy. And others are just trying to get out. They're just kind of normal people like anyone else on the planet, from what I see.

COSTELLO: How are they assimilating into Greece?

MCANDREW: Well, Greece is not their final destination. They're trying to pass through Greece. No one I've talked to has really wanted to come to Greece and stay here. So Greece is really a transit point.

And it's very challenging because they're arriving on all these different islands. They arrive every hour on boats. Some days we get 7,000 in and they want to get through and out of Greece as fast as possible to work -- really to go -- most of them want to go to Europe. They have family and friends there. They're looking for a better life where they have previous contacts.

COSTELLO: Do many of them want to come to the United States?

MCANDREW: I have not talked to any who want to come to the United States, to be honest. Now, the 7,000 people a day, I'm sure there's a few. But most of them are looking to get to Western Europe from the ones that I've been working with and the ones we come across.

Some of them really don't even know where they are at the moment. They think they're in Europe. They've come across war-conflict zones they get on a boat and the boat sinks and they wash up on the shore. And, you know, they're holding babies and holding onto each other. And they really are disoriented, I would say.

So whey just really want to be safe -- that's what they want. They just want a safe, happy life.

COSTELLO: You know, a lot of Americans are concerned about Syrian refugees coming into the United States. Should they be worried?

MCANDREW: I think I got cut off.

COSTELLO: Oh did you -- can you still hear me, Andrew? Andrew can you hear me? Andrew, can you hear me? He's gone but it was a great conversation.

I'm so glad we were able to have at least part of it. Steven McAndrew, thank you so much for joining me.

The Obama administration wants Americans to enjoy the holiday without fear, saying there's no specific or credible terror threat facing the United States. At the same time people are reminded to stay vigilant as they travel and shop during this busy season.

CNN business correspondent Alison Kosik explains what that means for New Yorkers.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Carol, if you see something, say something is a phrase we know very well here in New York City. It really started being used after the 9/11 attacks. You can especially hear the reminder while you're on the subways or the commuter rails here in New York. It reminds the public if you see something that doesn't seem right, notify law enforcement right away.

Now it's part of a public awareness campaign by the Department of Homeland Security and West Field Corporation. That's actually one of the world's biggest shopping center operators. So, as the holiday shopping season begins, the two are actually teaming up to make this, "see something, say something" campaign more visible at West Field shopping malls.

And authorities are hoping that as we're out there shopping and searching for holiday gifts that we're also aware of our surroundings. Many shopping malls already have increased security measures for Black Friday in ways we may see and in other ways that are more hidden.

But with the National Retail Federation predicting 136 million people are going to get out there and shop during the long holiday weekend, authorities are also hoping that every one of us can look out for each other in the spirit of the holidays and for safety -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Alison Kosik reporting -- thank you.

The snowstorm that hit the Sierras earlier this week will create a big dose of freezing rain across the central U.S. later today. From Texas to Oklahoma, into northern Iowa -- a dangerous icing event is expected tonight. Heavy rain also extends into the northeastern United States.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are not able to step outside to fire up their turkey fryer, but they'll still celebrate Thanksgiving in space today. The astronauts will eat smoked turkey, candied yams and cornbread stuffing. It's just not prepared exactly the same way as we prepare it here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And Pope Francis celebrated a historic outdoor mass in Nairobi, Kenya today -- his first ever in Africa and the largest event in the African country. More than 300,000 were in attendance. The Pope's six-day trip highlights the dramatic growth of the number of Catholics in Africa of 238 percent since 1980 -- that's according to a recent survey. All right. Let's head back outside to the streets of New York

City because, of course, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is taking place. Three million people have flooded into the city. They came from all over the world.

[10:54:56] That said -- there's a very heavy police presence. You can see it there. There are 200 New York City police officers just lining the parade route, making sure everybody stays safe and stay in the place where they're supposed to be.

They also have dogs out there who can sniff out bombs, of course. They have sharp shooters on tops of buildings. But you know, I was out there today and talking to a lot of people. Nobody seems to be afraid or anything. They do appreciate the police presence however. And so far, so good, they're having a lot of fun.

If you're here out in New York City and you're close to the parade, come out and enjoy it.

Thank you so much for joining me today. And happy, happy Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for watching me.

"AT THIS HOUR" is up next after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. We begin this hour with breaking news.

Moments from now, we may learn if Russia will join the coalition forces in the war against ISIS. Russian President --