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CNN NEWSROOM

New Details about Suspected Shooter; Alaska Mayor Mystery; Zuckerberg Pledges to Donate 99 percent of Stock. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired December 2, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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


[10:29:57] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Lorenzo Vidino, director of the George Washington University Program on Extremism. Thank you so much for joining me this morning.

LORENZO VIDINO, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Thank you. My pleasure.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

This year's Black Friday was record-breaking in terms of gun sales. The FBI says Americans bought more firearms on the shopping holiday than any other day in history. More than 185,000 background checks had to be processed the day after Thanksgiving -- 5 percent more than at the same time last year.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, hell on earth: how the ex-wife of the Planned Parenthood shooter describes her time with Mr. Dear. More details on him next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:34:58] COSTELLO: Checking some top stories at 34 minutes past, the ringleader in the Paris attacks offered to pay his cousin about $5,000 in exchange for two suits and two pairs of shoes to be used in future attacks. That's according to sources close to the investigation who say Abdelhamid Abaaoud and his accomplice hopped to blend in. That information is from the man who came forward willing to police offering information about Abaaoud and the trio of the Paris attacks.

American activist Lori Berenson expected to return to the United States today after spending 20 years in a Peruvian jail. Now 46 years old, Berenson was convicted back in 1995 for conspiring with Marxist Leninist terrorists. She was released on parole in 2010 but could not leave Peru until her sentence was complete. Her lawyer says that sentence was completed on Sunday and that she can leave after she signs some paperwork.

To Japan now where over the past two months, at least a dozen wooden boats filled with bodies have arrived on shore. All 22 bodies were decaying, and two were missing heads. Japanese officials are trying to figure out where these ghost ships are coming from and what happened to the people who were on board. Their best guess so far is that the ships are coming from North Korea. New and disturbing details about the suspected gunman accused of

killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic. According to the "New York Times", people who knew Robert Dear describe him as a sometimes violent and deeply contradictory man. Quote, "a man of religious conviction who sinned openly. A man who successfully wooed women, but some of them say also abused them".

Richard Fausset is the reporter who wrote the article about Dear. He joins me now to talk about it. Good morning and thanks for being with me.

RICHARD FAUSSET, REPORTER: Good morning Carol -- thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Just let me ask you first about Dear's relationships with women. One of his ex-wives claims he was a serial philanderer, yet he was religious. Another wife says he wasn't deeply religious. So in your mind, how would you characterize Richard Dear?

FAUSSET: Well, just to clarify, both of these women, what we believe to be his second wife and third wife, said that he was a religious man. The difference is a matter of degree. And it may be somewhat important as this case progresses.

His third wife, a woman named Pamela Ross, tells us that although he was very religious and that he was opposed to abortion, he was not particularly emphatic about these things, that it was nothing that was very extreme.

His second wife, however, painted a very different picture. In the divorce court files from the early 1990s, she paints a picture of a man who was much more fervent in his religious beliefs. We've also come to find out that he was -- he had praised the Army of God, the extreme anti-abortion group, in 2009, referring to them as heroes. And a source of ours who is close to him gave us that information.

The second wife also told us that he bragged that he put glue in the locks of the Planned Parenthood offices in Charleston, South Carolina, where he was living probably sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

COSTELLO: Can you draw any conclusions from what you found out as to why he attacked the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs?

FAUSSET: Well, my understanding is that officials have not come out with an official motive. But from what we're hearing from the second wife, it sounds like he had, in the past, held very extreme anti-abortion views and that, in fact, he had targeted this previous Planned Parenthood clinic. We have not verified yet that the Planned Parenthood clinic in Charleston did get its locks glued. We're working on that still.

COSTELLO: Gotcha. And you know, he was living in this shack, almost, in Colorado Springs. He's been married several times. He lived in Charleston, South Carolina and in other places. Was this like a slow slide into mental illness for him or poverty, or did you find anything out about that?

FAUSSET: His second wife, and keep in mind, this information that we gleaned from the second wife came largely from an acrimonious divorce and from public divorce records. But she, at one point, stated in an affidavit that she thought that he needed some kind of mental health assistance or psychiatric help and that he refused to take it.

[10:40:05] So I can't really tell you. Whether or not we're looking at a long downward slide or sort of spikes a variant behavior is something that we -- I really can't say definitively. It could be one or the other.

COSTELLO: All right. It is a fascinating article. It's in the "New York Times" this morning. You can get it online, too, thenewyorktimes.com. Richard Fausset, thank you so much for joining me this morning me.

FAUSSET: Thanks Carol.

COSTELLO: Welcome. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a major mystery in Alaska. What happened to the mayor of Juneau?

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[10:45:06] COSTELLO: Just weeks after taking office, the new mayor of Juneau, Alaska is found dead in his home. Nobody can figure out how he died. His body was found with injuries. Many people wonder if he was assaulted. CNN's Randi Kaye has more for you.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: About 3:30 in the afternoon, the 911 call came in. Mayor Steven Greg Fisk of Juneau, Alaska was dead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At about 3:34, we received a 911 call from a man, and there was someone who appeared to be deceased inside. The officers were on scene in about four minutes.

COSTELLO: mysterious deaths like this one, let alone the mayor, rarely occur in this remote capital city of 32,000. A community tucked away on Alaska' panhandle, often reached by boat and sea plane.

The strange circumstances have many in town speculating about what happened. The detectives here are, for now, stumped. The mayor's son had gone to check on him Monday afternoon after getting word that others in town were having trouble reaching him. After he looked inside the home where his father lived alone, neighbors said the son could be heard shouting. That's when he called 911. Officers rushed to the scene, but the mayor was already dead.

KAYE: Right now there are more questions than answers. Juneau police say they found no sign of forced entry, and they've also concluded that Mayor Fisk did not commit suicide. So what happened? Some are already suggesting that the mayor was assaulted. The police are playing that down. Though the chief did tell the "Juneau Empire Newspaper" that assault is one of the possibilities out there. But that it also could have been a fall or something else.

Meanwhile, Juneau's deputy mayor will take over his duties. She was a longtime friend of Greg Fisk, even taught his son when he was in the sixth grade.

MARY BECKER, JUNEAU DEPUTY MAYOR: My husband and I are devastated. He was a wonderful person and a friend. And from the calls that I've been receiving tonight, I'm not the only one who has felt that he was a wonderful person and a good friend to Juneau.

KAYE: A neighbor told us Fisk was active and in good shape. He hiked and swam often. She said he had a great smile and was a great guy. Greg Fisk was elected mayor just about two months ago. He won with 66 percent of the vote over the incumbent mayor after running a very positive campaign. He was looking forward to diversifying Juneau's economy and improving the housing market and fixing a tight budget. But all of that is on hold as mystery now hangs over this town.

BECKER: It's -- it's just so devastating to have this happen. It's basically unbelievable.

KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, talk about the ultimate birth announcement. Up next, what Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is pledging in honor of his daughter's birth.

But first, here's a look at our CNN heroes.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our heroes don't fly. They soar.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see barriers. I see solutions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Connecting with the communities along the way helps re-establish your faith in humanity.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See the stars come out to celebrate the change makers.

KATHY GRIFFIN, TV HOST: We all love to pay tribute, and this is a way we really can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's people who are living the work that they're doing every day. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be really, really inspiring.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to CNN heroes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please join me in honoring CNN hero.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no time to waste.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The top ten CNN heroes of 2015.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Join Anderson Cooper for "CNN HEROES: AN ALL- STAR TRIBUTE" Sunday night at 8:00.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[10:53:14] COSTELLO: Forget the cigars, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife are celebrating the birth of their daughter by giving away a large part of their fortune. The couple is pledging to donate 99 percent of their Facebook stock to humanitarian projects and charities over the course of their lives. The shares are currently valued at a whopping $45 billion. Zuckerberg says he simply wants to make the world a better place to live for his new baby girl, Max.

Laurie Segall joins me now with more. Wow. What a grand gesture.

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

COSTELLO: I can't even think of an appropriate adjective.

SEGALL: I know. And of course putting it out there on Facebook for the world to see -- very, very Mark Zuckerberg. It's pretty unbelievable. He's also I mean -- he previously donated $1.6 billion to charitable funds, but this is really taking it to a new level.

I want to share with you a video that they posted last night because it was very intimate moment. They actually shot this a few weeks before. When you can see Mark Zuckerberg is so excited for Priscilla to have this baby. And they talk about why they want to do this. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRISCILLA CHAN, WIFE OF MARK ZUCKERBERG: Mark is really looking forward to meeting her.

MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK CEO: Well, I mean, it's been 37 weeks. So I think it's time for her to come out. Having this child has made us think about all of the things that should be improved in the world for her whole generation. The only way that we reach our full human potential is if we're able to unlock the gifts of every person around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEAGALL: Now, Carol, in order to actually cause some change, they've created what they're calling the Chan-Zuckerberg initiative. This isn't a nonprofit. If not all this money isn't going to specifically go to charity. A lot of it could, but they're also -- they have the ability to invest or lobby for legislation. And also pick what they want to donate to over time.

[10:55:06] So it will be interesting to see what they actually decide to choose. I know that Mark Zuckerberg has been very interested in education. And he's also grown a lot as a philanthropist as he's gone to this role and built this huge company.

But I will say this. Even if he keeps 1 percent of his shares, Mark Zuckerberg is still going to be worth $450 million. He's still a very, very rich man. I have a feeling Max will grow up very comfortable, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes. I'm glad about that. I also understand he's going to take, what, two months of paternity leave?

SEGALL: Yes. I thought this was actually pretty unique. I mean Facebook has always kind of been at the forefront of offering these work/life balance perks to maintain talent and kind of put a message out there. They offer four months for parental leave. He's saying he's going to actually take two months. So for a CEO at this level, also this young to really say ok, not only are we offering this, but I'm going to take it is really sending a message out. I think others might follow suit. You're already looking at Netflix and Microsoft who are offering more parental leave. I think Silicon Valley companies have kind of -- and this probably in an effort to made talent and really promote their companies and keep people there have been offering things like this. I think it's a pretty big deal that he's actually going to take this. He's actually going to do it.

COSTELLO: Well, I think it is because I read some poll not long ago that said the majority of Americans don't think fathers should take paternity leave which was interesting to me. So at least he's setting an example that, you know, it's a good thing to do this not only for yourself but especially for your child.

SEGALL: You know, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla, his wife, Dr. Chan, I mean they are in this very unique position where everybody watches what they do. He's created this social network with billions of people on it. And if they put something out there, people follow.

I think what was so interesting about this pregnancy, too, I mean he spoke openly. They wrote openly about some of their struggles with Priscilla having multiple miscarriages. I think that they are in this opportunity, and a lot of people really opened up after they put this out there. They're in an opportunity to really kind of start a conversation and do it on the social network that they created.

COSTELLO: Awesome. Lori Seagal, many thanks.

Just when you finally got Gangnam style out of your head, the Korean pop star Psy is back, this time showing off what he says he got from his daddy. People seem to like it.

His new music video already has close to 10 million views, including Jeanne Moos.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He came riding that invisible horse on to the world stage three years ago.

Now, the question is, can he lasso the success of "Gangnam Style" with "Daddy"? He's back, playing the part of baby and kid, daddy and grandpa

all at once.

And while media may say, "We're so sorry you had to see this horrifying brilliant video full of coordinated flailing", what matters is whether young people flail along with it.

He introduced himself back in 2012.

PSY: I'm Psy from Korea. How are you?

MOOS: Ended up being impersonated and playing himself on "SNL". Psy taught the horsey dance to everyone from Britney Spears and Ellen, to the gang on the "Today" show.

Lassoing for dear life, Psy even handed the reins to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: You are so cool.

MOOS: And then there's the psychology of Psy, who told reporters what a struggle it's been, how much pressure he's been under to come up with a song that's equal to his first mega hit.

Practically mission impossible, even for daddy. "Daddy," by the way, is part homage to the Will.i.am song.

"Daddy" is racking up millions of views.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going to lie. I enjoyed it.

MOOS: The favorite lyric, "You be my curry, I'll be your rice."

Psy is hoping it's a dish the whole family will like.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: You be my curry, I'll be your rice. That is such a beautiful sentiment, isn't it?

All right. Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan starts now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: Controversy sure doesn't hurt Donald Trump, so says the polls. But it sure is hurting his closest rival, it appears, in a brand new race for number two.

Did the White house ignore warnings about ISIS because it did not fit their reelection narrative?