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CNN NEWSROOM

Baltimore Police Report; Republicans Refusing to Support Trump; Battle for Aleppo; Olympians Inspire Cupping Craze. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired August 10, 2016 - 09:30   ET

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


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[09:32:05] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

Next hour, the Department of Justice rips into the Baltimore Police Department. In a blistering report, the DOJ finding the department riddled with racism and excessive force, officers stopping and arresting African-Americans with little or no reason. This investigation sparked by last year's death of Freddie Gray. All six police officers charged with his death either acquitted or no longer facing charges. CNN's Jean Casarez is live in Baltimore with more on this scathing report.

Good morning, Jean.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is. And we've got to remember, this report and investigation is focused in on the Baltimore Police Department, not Freddie Gray. A separate investigation by the Department of Justice is currently taking place in regard to any violations of Freddie Gray. But this report says that the Baltimore Police Department systematically exercised unconstitutional actions toward the people of Baltimore, violating federal law, especially toward the African-American community, saying, quote, "making unconstitutional stops, arrests, searches, discrimination against African-Americans, using excessive force, retaliating against free speech." They also go on to say that when police officers were trained, they were trained with inaccurate law, unconstitutional law, many times, quote, "driven by systemic deficiencies in Baltimore Police Department's policies, training, supervision and accountability, structures that failed to equip officers with the tools they need to protect and police effectively and within the bounds of federal law."

There are many charts and diagrams in this report. You see one right here, pedestrian stops per 1,000 residents 2010-2015. You see how many more African-Americans were stopped rather than the white population. They say there are two Baltimore, the white Baltimore and the African- American Baltimore. And that African-Americans are targeted on stops, searches and arrest. Quote, "ten people stopped, at least ten times or more, of those 410 people, 95 percent were African-American. One African-American man stopped 30 times. He was never criminally charged." And, Carol, that was for loitering or trespassing.

COSTELLO: It's just unbelievable, Jean. Jean, I just want to take a moment, and I want to read a portion of the DOJ's report about a woman who was publicly strip searched following a routine traffic stop for a missing headlight. Here's what the DOJ says the officers did after pulling her over for that broken headlight. Quote, this is from the Department of Justice report, "officers ordered the woman to exit her vehicle, remove her clothes and stand on the sidewalk to be searched. The woman asked the male officer in charge, I really got to take all my clothes off? The male officer replied, yeah, and ordered a female officer to strip search the woman. The female officer then put on purple latex gloves, pulled up the woman's shirt and searched around her bra. Finding no weapons or contraband around the woman's chest, the officer then pulled down her woman's underwear and searched her anal cavity. This search again found no evidence of wrongdoing and the officers released the woman without charges. Indeed, the woman received only a repair order for her headlight. The search occurred in full view of the street. Although the supervising male officer claimed he turned away and did not watch the woman disrobe. After the woman filed a complaint, Baltimore investigators corroborated the woman's story with testimony from several witnesses, and by recovering the female officer's latex gloves from the search location. Officers conducted this highly invasive search despite lacking any indication that the woman had committed a criminal offense, or possessed concealed contraband. The male officer who ordered the search received only a simple reprimand."

[09:35:10] Jean, that's mind-boggling.

CASAREZ: And that's one of so many examples, really trying to cite the unconstitutional actions that were taken by police -- are taken by police on a daily basis they say, as well as the lack of accountability, the lack of supervision and control and effects when you do those types of actions.

Now, at 10:30 this morning, there's going to be a press conference right behind me in the city hall building, the Department of Justice, as well as city officials. But the end result here is that there will be an agreement between the city of Baltimore and the Department of Justice that will be court enforced of changes, remedial instructions that have to be done and overtaken in the next several years because they want to get Baltimore back on the right course. And, really, this 163-page report really concludes, saying that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It will take years and millions of dollars, but they believe Baltimore can become a community that is policed in an effective and constitutional manner in the future, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Jean Casarez, of course, we'll be covering that press conference at 10:30 Eastern Time live right here in the NEWSROOM.

Still to come, prominent Republicans crossing party lines, declaring "I'm with her." Why a lifelong elected Republican has no qualms about voting for Hillary Clinton, next.

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[09:41:34] COSTELLO: The list of prominent Republicans refusing to stand behind Donald Trump is growing longer by the day. Just this morning, the Clinton campaign launched "Together for America," to recruit Republicans and independents to their side. But many have already declared "I'm with her." Among them, three former cabinet secretaries, six current or former House and Senate members, and a host of GOP donors and business leaders. That list includes former Republican congressman from Connecticut, Chris Shays, who penned an op-ed for cnn.com voicing his support for Hillary Clinton.

Welcome, sir.

So did you ever think you would be sitting here on national television saying, I'm going to vote for a Democratic?

CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R), FORMER CONNECTICUT CONGRESSMAN: And I'm going to vote for Hillary.

COSTELLO: Yes.

SHAYS: No, I didn't. I didn't imagine that. But it's a -- it -- frankly, it's become an easy decision. Trump lost me months ago. And then I decided to look at both conventions. And one was like, you know, hanger, you know, this kind of -- you had this feeling like they were just making her out to be an absolute terrible person. And then you had the Democrats, and Hillary talking about how we need to come together. And then I began to think, you know, I've been pretty tough on her. More tough than she probably deserves. But I remember when I worked with her when she was a senator, she was a pleasure to work with. She was gracious. She was smart. She did her homework. And when she talked at the convention about bringing Americans back together again and reaching out to Republicans, I know she will do that. I know because she knows she can't succeed without it. So my point is, she's going to make government work again, which is something I think some Republicans don't want.

COSTELLO: Well, what would you say to those republicans who cannot support Trump, but also cannot bring themselves to vote for Hillary Clinton? Do you suppose all of them are telling the truth or will they sit on the sidelines? Are they carrying out their responsibility as a U.S. citizen by not voting for anyone?

SHAYS: No, I mean sometimes they can write a name in. They can vote for someone. And make a statement in the process. But I'd encourage them to take a second look at Hillary Clinton. I would. She's smart. I mean she's tough.

What I love is she knows world leaders. She knows the countries. She knows the world leaders. She knows the White House. I mean think of what she knows about how this system works. She knows Congress. And, you know, with all the traveling she's done around the country for so many years since the early '90s, she knows the American people pretty well.

COSTELLO: But here's the thing, some Republicans would be listening to you now and say, oh, he's not really a Republican, he's a moderate, right, you're not conservative, so of course you would --

SHAYS: I'm a moderate Republican, yes. COSTELLO: So of course you would vote for Hillary Clinton, no surprise

there. That's what they would say.

SHAYS: No, no, no. No, there's a surprise. And, first off, most Americans are in the middle of the political spectrum. They're not far left. They're not far right. They're in the middle of the political spectrum. And they want government to work again. And so, you know, I consider myself a center right in terms of my perspective about things.

COSTELLO: What about -- what about her e-mail controversies? What about what the FBI director said about, you know, he said she was careless with her e-mail server?

SHAYS: She was careless. She was careless. And, you know, if I were advising her, I would simply say, I blew, I learned a lesson and it's not going to happen again. That's the best answer. And, you know, I -- my wife and I were talking about how, you know, some people on both sides have to defend something that you can tell they're not comfortable defending.

[09:45:05] When I was in Congress, I had a rule. We called it the community meeting rule. If I couldn't justify comfortably in a community meeting, we didn't do it. And I empowered my staff to shut down whatever we were doing, if they thought we were doing something that shouldn't happen.

And, you know, I can give you one quick example. I said, I wanted to go to the Paris Air Show. And my staffers said, I don't think that's a good idea. I said, well, I'm on my way to Iraq, the public will understand. I'm going to be in Iraq. And so in walks my chief of staff, she shuts the door and she says, hey, boss, so let me get this straight. You're not on the aviation subcommittee, you're not even on the transportation committee. So what are you going to say in a community meeting about why you were at the Paris Air Show. And I said, I'm not going to the Paris Air Show.

COSTELLO: I'm not going, right.

Just a final question, because, you know, you hear this all the time. Whose -- you don't like Mr. Trump, that's clear, right? But whose -- whose responsible for his -- for his --

SHAYS: No, I think he's -- I think -- I think he's dangerous.

COSTELLO: You think he's dangerous.

SHAYS: Oh, absolutely.

COSTELLO: So who do you think is responsible for his candidacy?

SHAYS: Well, you know what, people who voted for him, frankly, and a lot of good -- I had staff, not many, who voted for him. I had -- I have a family member.

COSTELLO: Some people blame the Republican Party. SHAYS: Well, some people simply want the status quo. I -- some blame

the press because John Kasich was my man and you guys ignored him and he was the only -- because he didn't say the outrageous. He just -- he never criticized anyone. He wasn't news like that. so with a little dig at you guys, I blame you too.

COSTELLO: Thanks, sir, for stopping by.

SHAYS: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Congressman Shays.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the frontlines of Syria's civil war. We get exclusive access inside the battle for Aleppo, next.

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[09:51:20] COSTELLO: On the front lines of what some call one of the most decisive battles of Syria's civil war, the U.N. says the city of Aleppo is right now suffering a horrific humanitarian tragedy. CNN now gaining exclusive up close access to the battle. More now from CNN's Frederik Pleitgen.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Salvo after salvo, they fire at an enemy only yards away. A massive assault eventually breaking the Syrian regime siege of eastern Aleppo, deemed all but impossible only a few days ago.

"Put your hand from here," a fighter instructs a comrade.

CNN has exclusively obtained this footage from the front line. In a rare, unified moment, rebels from both moderate and Islamic groups attacked Syrian army positions, pushing both from inside the besieged part of the city and from rebel-held territory to the west, they overwhelmed the regime's offenses. Opposition activists say up to 7,000 fighters were involved. The lead group formerly under al Qaeda's command. They released this drone video showing the extent and the intensity of the battle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The importance of this battle is we broke the siege. They had us in their siege and now we have them under siege and have cut off their supply line, thank God.

PLEITGEN: Rather than a ragtag band of rebels, this appears to be a disciplined fighting force resting and regrouping near the front line and then chanting, "our Prophet Muhammad, our commander forever," as they march into battle.

Video from inside eastern Aleppo showed civilians cheering the end of the siege. Residents tell CNN many see the hardline Islamist groups as heroes, braving pro-government forces and Russian air power to come to the aid of 300,000 trapped people. But the U.N. warns, with still no guarantee of humanitarian access, both regime and rebel-held Aleppo may suffer from even more severe shortages than in the past. After their unlikely victory, breaking the Aleppo siege, these rebels

now say they will take back all of the city. But the Syrian regime and its allies are hitting back hard. Both sides desperate to win Syria's largest city, but threatening to crush it in the process.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

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[09:58:10] COSTELLO: Olympic athletes making headlines and not just for their medals and record times. What about those strange circles on their bodies? Jeanne Moos explains.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Do you feel like you've suddenly started to see spots? No wonder after Olympic athletes showed up sporting them, we in the media went cupping crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not suitable for children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is why.

MOOS: Now, our cupping runneth over with demonstrations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, Mike, hold on. Now you're doing two?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ah!

MOOS: Cupping, using suction cup-like action to increase blood flow --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does not hurt. It pinches a little bit.

MOOS: May be an ancient art, but back in 1694 when this medical illustration was done, they didn't have TV live shots. At least KVVY reporter Mike Doria (ph) didn't cup his bottom on TV.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 7:00 in the morning. Why wouldn't why -- somebody want to see my half naked body filled with what looks like pepperoni slices.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pep -- yes.

MOOS: Network talent is exposing caves, offering forearms, though NBC's Matt Lauer tried to prevent the circular mark that's left behind by removing his cup.

MATT LAUER, NBC: Take it off. Take it off. MOOS: After less than 30 seconds.

Looks like I got attacked by some horny octopus tweeted one dotted man.

Celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Lenah Dunham (ph) were into cupping long before the latest Olympic craze.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks like it hurts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It hurts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does it hurt, Sara?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's -- well, if you like hickeys, it's a little bit like that sensation.

MOOS: And that set off Charlie Rose, pinching his co-host like a school boy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going back to high school now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See if this feels good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MOOS: While we fixated on Michael Phelps's dots, his fixed stare seemingly aimed at a rival went viral, like father, like son. Cartoonist Ed Hull (ph) applied the cupping frenzy to the presidential race. "We're using cupping to increase blood flow to his brain." well, it ain't working.

[10:00:07] Even while being cupped, you can have a brain freeze.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Posture problems. He even said cocktail waitresses, great for them. They're on their back all day or on their