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NEW DAY

Hugs May Prevent Winter Colds; North Korea Prime Suspect in Sony Hack; New U.S. Relations with Cuba; Star-Studded End to "The Colbert Report"

Aired December 19, 2014 - 08:30   ET

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


MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, "NEW DAY, New You." You know the accepted wisdom, avoid other people in the winter if you want to avoid catching those nasty colds. Well, a new concept for you today, and I love it! Hugs can slow the spread of winter germs. Is this true? If it is the case, you have to believe researchers from Carnegie- Mellon University -- these two over here are already rolling their eyes because I hug up on them all the time. Dr. Seema Yasmin is here, our CNN medical analyst and writer for "The Dallas Morning News," former disease detective, which is the most important role here, for the Centers for Disease Control, because a detective would know about hugs, I think. Help me understand this, that we should hug people if we want to avoid getting sick. It is about building up our resistance by exposing ourself to the virus?

DR. SEEMA YASMIN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Absolutely, Michaela. And the reason you always look so radiantly healthy is because you are a hugger.

PEREIRA: I'm a hugger. I'm going to admit to it.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, she is a hugger.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm pro-hug. I just don't believe the connection between hug and health.

PEREIRA: I think you're a groper.

YASMIN: Well, let me steer you wrong then.

CAMEROTA: That's a little different.

CUOMO: That's unkind but true.

YASMIN: The researchers found two things. One is the actual hug itself. You know, you get that cuddle from somebody, that lifts your spirits. It actually has a physical impact on your health. But the second thing is, if you have folks around you who can actually be there to give you hugs, that also means that you have a good social support system around you, right? You have folks there who you can call when you're feeling down, if you have any kind of problem, and so that's really good for your health as well.

PEREIRA: We've seen -- we've seen this. Remember, we've heard before that doctors have said they want to know when cancer patients, for example, or somebody's who's had a heart attack, what kind of support network they have around them after their recovery because that really does help them get back on their feet and get back to good health, right?

YASMIN: It makes a big difference. We've seen it in people with wounds, people who have had surgery. If you had good friends and family around you, you actually heal quicker. It has a really direct, physical impact on you. So, hugs are good for you. And if you're feeling well, that is. If you have some kind of cold or flu, best to stay away from other people. But if you're healthy, good hugs will keep you healthy.

CAMEROTA: So, shaking hands, bad with people during cold and flu season, but hugging, good.

YASMIN: Yes. You know, if you're shaking hands, you don't touch your hands to your face.

PEREIRA: Right. Yes.

YASMIN: Hugs are actually probably a better idea. Not with strangers, though.

PEREIRA: Right.

YASMIN: Let's not be approaching strangers, no.

PEREIRA: Let's not hug strangers. We have to draw a line here.

YASMIN: Yes, we do.

CUOMO: I'm still not ready to embrace this idea (INAUDIBLE).

CAMEROTA: Oh, wow.

PEREIRA: What is your concern? You're skeptical, I can tell.

CUOMO: Well, you had me there. I felt the bait here was that there's some type of exposure buildup thing which would kind of fly in the face of my parenting experience when my little petri dishes are around -

CAMEROTA: Right.

CUOMO: Seem to bring me south more than they do make me stronger. But is there anything to that, that you're getting little bits of exposure?

YASMIN: Yes, that absolutely could make a difference. Actually, it's good for our immune systems to be exposed to different bugs, as opposed to always being - putting alcohol gel on our hands and being super clean and staying away from people. Good to be close and good to get hugs.

PEREIRA: You know the danger in telling Chris that is then he's going to now lick my face. YASMIN: That might be going a bit too far.

CUOMO: Who says?

PEREIRA: That is - that is -

YASMIN: Let's start with hugs.

PEREIRA: Those baby steps.

CUOMO: Do you have any proof that that would be bad for Mickey's health? It would be bad for mine, because she'd knock my teeth out.

YASMIN: I mean, my dogs love that and I'll totally allow that. Another human, I'm not so sure. I'll stick to hugging humans.

CAMEROTA: I feel we're revealing a lot of secrets, behind-the-scenes secrets, therapy (ph) as well.

PEREIRA: I think -

YASMIN: You are. You are. And we're going to do a group hug during the commercial break, right?

CAMEROTA: Well -

YASMIN: (INAUDIBLE).

CUOMO: Camerota has it in her contract that you can't hug her.

CAMEROTA: You can't hug me. That's in my contract.

YASMIN: Oh, my.

CAMEROTA: But the crew (ph) was also just hugging it out gratuitously. There wasn't even a camera on them and they were all hugging each other.

CUOMO: Do you need motivation for a hug?

YASMIN: I don't ever. No.

CUOMO: OK.

YASMIN: Especially with Michaela.

PEREIRA: They say you need 11 a day.

CAMEROTA: Eleven hugs.

PEREIRA: I don't know who "they" is, but I go with that, 11 hugs a day.

YASMIN: I've never counted, actually, but, you know, I'll take them. I love a hug.

PEREIRA: Seema Yasmin, we love when you come to visit.

YASMIN: Thank you.

PEREIRA: Thanks for going along with our silliness on a Friday.

YASMIN: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: This was great. Thanks.

All right, what is the North Korean regime capable of? Big questions about Pyongyang as the U.S. prepares to point the finger at them for the Sony hacks. We will dive into that.

Plus, the historic changes between the U.S. and Cuba. We will have Michael Smerconish here on all of that.

CUOMO: Come on, bring it in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: North Korea is reportedly the prime suspect in the hack attack on Sony. Today, the Obama administration set to lay the facts on the table. How should the U.S. respond? Plus, let's talk about the new relationship between the U.S. and Cuba. Here for more on all of this is CNN's political commentator and host of "Smerconish," Michael Smerconish.

Hi, Michael.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning, guy. How are you?

CAMEROTA: OK, let's talk about North Korea.

SMERCONISH: Sure.

CAMEROTA: How should the U.S. respond to this?

SMERCONISH: Tit-for-tat. Do the exact same thing. I mean, what are sanctions? Everybody talks about more sanctions, these sanctions. They're not a financial player in the same way that we are. I don't think that there's anything you could do of a reattribute of manner of sanctions, but drop a smart bomb in one of their computer systems.

CUOMO: Why?

CAMEROTA: They don't have a -

CUOMO: What message does that send? Isn't that like, you know, being the problem yourself?

SMERCONISH: A message that -- the message that it sends is, we're not going to stand for it. I mean, what are we going to do, take it lying down? I mean today it's a movie. Tomorrow it's the electrical grid, it's a gas line, it's infrastructure. I think you've got to send a very serious message and words alone are not enough. PEREIRA: I'm sort of a gray person, not a black or white. Is there not

somewhere in between that? Because I think the argument, some will say, is that by using their same medicine on them, it doesn't -- we're better than that.

SMERCONISH: I don't know that we're better than that because we won't be around much longer to endure the next attack. You know, it would be great to live in a world of peace and lack of hostility, but we need to be here to enjoy it. And unless you send the right message, I'm afraid it will happen again.

CAMEROTA: See, I'm a vengeful person, unlike Michaela, so I like the idea of retaliation.

SMERCONISH: Right.

CAMEROTA: But they're not tethered to their computers the way we are. They don't have a Sony Pictures. They don't have the infrastructure, the grid that we do, so it doesn't hurt them as much.

SMERCONISH: They certainly do, though, have some level of computer technology, as is evident by the fact that they've launched this attack against us. If there's another measure out there that we can use, I'm open to it. But I'm not only vengeful, I'm also, I think practical. And what I really want to do is avert the next attack.

CUOMO: Well, I'm more strategical, for lack of a word. So how about if you were to find out who they're using to facilitate these things, because of their lack of critical infrastructure, which will probably point you in the direction of China -

SMERCONISH: Right.

CUOMO: And start really dropping, you know, dropping some more heavy situations on China in terms of what they have to do to -

SMERCONISH: Like I'm describing, a computer situation?

CUOMO: Well, I'm not saying smart bomb China.

SMERCONISH: Right.

CUOMO: I'm saying that, go to them and say, if you are helping them, it better stop right now. And we know you're helping them and here's why and stuff. Wouldn't that do the most damaging?

SMERCONISH: It's the whole secret probation. You know, I don't think it works. I think we've already probably said that to the Chinese about the North Koreans and this is what it's gotten us.

CAMEROTA: You don't think a stern talking to, like Chris Cuomo just recommended, a finger wag, is going to work?

CUOMO: I meant take away their ability to do it.

SMERCONISH: I don't think Dean Wormer's (ph) approach is going to work this time.

CAMEROTA: All right, let's move on to Cuba. We want to talk about this normalizing of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. You have an interesting perspective. You had a seven-hour meal with Fidel Castro.

SMERCONISH: I was there with Arlen Specter, Senator Arlen Spector, Pennsylvania's longest serving U.S. senator. And interestingly, when he wrote a book, he, the architect of the single bullet, he would say, conclusion. You know, Arlen Specter's the guy who said that Kennedy died at Oswald's bullet and that was it. But a lot of people think that Castro played a role in the assassination of JFK.

So, Specter went to Cuba and interviewed Castro to write his book. And I quipped to him when I interviewed him once, if you ever go back, put me in the luggage. And one day he called and said, I am going back, you can join me. And so we were, for nearly seven hours, in Castro's presence.

I went there believing that the embargo should end and I came home emboldened in the view that the embargo should end because I thought getting rid of the embargo is the best way to get rid of Castro. So I'm hoping now that's what it will do for both Raul and Fidel.

PEREIRA: And isn't time going to - I mean not to be so blunt, but isn't time going to get rid of the Castro brothers. They are in the end stages of their lives.

SMERCONISH: Michaela, one of the surprises, we sat at this long table and there were Americans on one side and there were Cubans on the other. And I had this vision of communism as being an old man's game with an image of the Soviet Union in my head. There were a lot of young guys on that side of the table.

CUOMO: They have family also, the Castros.

SMERCONISH: Right. And so there -- what occurred to me is, hey, there are a lot of individuals. I used to think the same way that you just offered, when they die, it will be over. There are people there to take their place who believe in that ideology.

PEREIRA: The ideology still exists.

SMERCONISH: Yes. You know, my wife has the best idea. She says, we should drop a bunch of Game Boys all over the island and give them a taste of what we've got going on here.

CUOMO: Right.

SMERCONISH: And that's what I think.

CUOMO: It's really not even communism, to be honest. I mean you understand the regime well from afar and being there. This is just an autocracy that they have at the top of the food chain there. And the risk is, if you remove the embargo, anything you give that place, you only give to them. That's the concern and it doesn't get to the people who need it. SMERCONISH: Well, I think that it's got to be done in a way then. And

take a look at "The Times" - "The Times" said that Caterpillar wants to go in, Marriott wants to go in. By the way, I think Mitt Romney's still on the board. There's an interesting question.

CUOMO: They want to go in, but where's your legal infrastructure, where's your financial infrastructure to secure capital?

PEREIRA: Right.

CAMEROTA: Right.

SMERCONISH: And how do you make sure that it does truly trickle down? I think that's the key issue.

CAMEROTA: But what was this dinner like? What was Castro like? What did he pontificate (INAUDIBLE) --

PEREIRA: It's so curious.

SMERCONISH: He was - he was - he was not - well, interesting, a huge spread, right? I looked over at his plate, a salad. The guy was very lean. Said that he --

CUOMO: How long ago was this?

SMERCONISH: This was 2002. And, interestingly, it was four months removed from September 11. And I think the most interesting substantive exchange came when I said, I'm going home next week to write for "The Philadelphia Daily News." Please condemn the terror attack against the United States so that I can tell readers this is what Fidel Castro said. And he condemned the terror attacks. He also made the point that Cuba had been the first nation to reach out to the United States and offer relief in terms of blood, nursing, let the planes land on the island. He said that that was never acknowledged by the United States. But he wouldn't condemn bin Laden by name.

CUOMO: Why?

SMERCONISH: And I said, why? And he said to me, well, how do I know that he's really the actor? By then, bin Laden had taken credit for it in video, you know? I said, Mr. President, you know, he took credit for it on videotape. And he said, well, I'm not of the mind-set to be trusting video.

By the way, because I referred to him as Mr. President in my questions, when I came home and wrote up what had taken place, people sent me hate mail for literally years, mostly postmarked from, you know, Miami area in Florida, how dare you call him Mr. President? What was I supposed to say, you know, Mr. Dictator, can I ask you another question? It would have been my only question.

CUOMO: Yes, you would say it once.

SMERCONISH: Exactly. Yes.

PEREIRA: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).

What was your sense of him? I'm just curious.

SMERCONISH: Bright and - this is not to say that I'm supportive.

PEREIRA: No.

SMERCONISH: I never was. I want him out, you know.

PEREIRA: Just as a human.

SMERCONISH: But a smart guy and very intuitive about American politics. We had a conversation about the Florida electorate. He well understood that to run for office in the United States, nationwide, you needed to appeal to that base in Florida, that carry Florida, to hopefully win the White House. And he understood that that really was the impediment to the embargo.

I think he loves the embargo. The embargo gives him a boogeyman. It gives him something to blame every problem in Cuba on, you know, the Americans and their foreign policy. But it's a whacky place. If you saw "Godfather II" with - you know, this is when Fredo (ph) betrays Michael Corleone, and Michael knows it and Hyman Roth (ph), that whole scene, the cars, just like that, wild.

PEREIRA: Wow.

CUOMO: Just frozen in time because it hasn't been allowed to grow.

SMERCONISH: Yes. They have to have -- Chris, they have to have the best mechanics on the planet earth because they are still driving 1950s American automobiles.

CUOMO: (INAUDIBLE).

CAMEROTA: Remarkable, really.

SMERCONISH: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Michael Smerconish, thanks so much.

SMERCONISH: OK, guys, happy holidays.

CAMEROTA: And great to see you.

PEREIRA: You too.

CAMEROTA: Be sure to watch "SMERCONISH" Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

CUOMO: Also, President Obama is expected to address the Sony hack, Cuba and more topics today at his end of the year news conference. You'll be able to see it right here, of course, on CNN, 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

CAMEROTA: And get more answers from the president Sunday in his sit- down interview with Candy Crowley. That's on "State of the Union" at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Check it out.

CUOMO: The lights are now dark on "The Colbert Report." You know, restrain yourself. I know it's tough. The faux Republican comedian taping his last show, but, boy, what a sendoff as he's getting ready to take over for David Letterman next year. We're going to weigh in on this final episode. Look, Big Bird was there. Christiane Amanpour was there. When have you ever seen those two in the same room?

PEREIRA: Big Bird and Christiane Amanpour.

CUOMO: Many suggest that they are the same. We're going to take on what will it mean - what will this mean? She's not the same as Cookie Monster, evidently.

CAMEROTA: Though they're dressed similarly.

CUOMO: How will he do at night? Let's talk about it when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, TELEVISION HOST: The truth in this is, all those incredible things people say I did, running for president, saving the Olympics, Colbert's super pack, treadmill in space, the rally to restore sanity and/or fear, and/or Cat Stevens' career, none of that, none of that was really me. You, the nation, did all of that. I just got paid for it.

(LAUGHTER)

COLBERT: Thanks. Thanks, that was really cool of you guys.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

PEREIRA: Stephen Colbert signing off from Comedy Central last night, featuring a star-studded sendoff, Christiane Amanpour right in the center. Also, our commander-in-chief who tweeted, "After nine years, the best source of "truthiness" is coming to an end. Congratulations @StephenAtHome." Here to weigh in on Colbert's last show, his next show, other late night shows, and all the shuffling that's going on, Brian Stelter, CNN senior media correspondent, host of "RELIABLE SOURCES." So interesting to watch that big sendoff. A lot of fun.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Sure was.

PEREIRA: But it certainly got me thinking about this notion, we're about to see a transformation, or are we? This Stephen Colbert character that he so carefully created, this is not the guy that is going to be hosting late night.

STELTER: No, no, Stephen Colbert the character died last night. Even though there was a joke about him being immortal, so, I don't know, maybe once in a while we'll see him come back. But no, the "Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will be the actual Colbert, you know, the father of three, the guy that teaches Sunday school. So, we're all about to find out who the real Colbert is.

I do think, though, he did something new with the format of late night television, you know, he created a character, he embodied that form, he satirized cable news blowhards, and I think he will continue to innovate, but in different ways on the "Late Show." In fact, like David Letterman innovated decades ago.

CAMEROTA: Is it possible his new show won't be as entertaining as that because that character is gone?

STELTER: I am a little nervous for him. I mean, I think he's going to be a star for decades to come on CBS. I think CBS is making a generational bet here that Colbert is the right guy and I know so many people agree with that, but I am a little nervous for him. I mean, he does have nine months, on the other hand, to prepare. You know, he's not going to premiere until the fall, August or September, so he has a lot of time to figure out who the real Stephen Colbert is.

PEREIRA: I'm so fascinated by that.

CUOMO: Well, the challenge is - What's the obvious challenge? It's going from a very niche audience to a very broad audience.

STELTER: The broadest.

CUOMO: You know, the genius of, let's say, a Jimmy Fallon is he has like - -

PEREIRA: Wide appeal.

CUOMO: - - 50 different arrows in the quiver, right? His ability to act, and the singing, and his mimicry, I mean, he has so many different ways to appeal to the regular person.

STELTER: Right, that's right, he does. And I think Colbert does, but we don't know for sure, we haven't seen it yet. You know what he has, though? He has all those stars. Last night, Keith Olbermann was there.

CUOMO: It was like an Oprah birthday party.

STELTER: Keith Olbermann said it was the 100, you know, people you meet in TV heaven, you know. He was able to get everybody there.

PEREIRA: It's amazing.

STELTER: And he's going to have that pull now at CBS even more I think.

PEREIRA: Let's move around the dial a little bit to Craig Ferguson. I did not realize it, and shame on me, he was leaving after ten years. Why is he going?

STELTER: And tonight is his last night.

PEREIRA: Why? I love him. STELTER: He's a domino that fell after Letterman decided to retire.

Letterman and Ferguson have been connected, the same company produces both shows. I think CBS probably gave him a slight push out the door because they're going to totally redo both 11:30 and 12:30 next year.

(CROSSTALK)

STELTER: So James Corden, James Corden, a guy that some of us know, but a lot of us don't. He's coming over from Britain to do the show. You know, he's been a Broadway star, he's been in some television shows as well, but he's not nearly as well-known to the American public as Colbert is.

CUOMO: Why him?

STELTER: I think CBS is taking a risk here, taking a - - like I said with Colbert, taking a generational bet that they've got somebody that they believe can do this for decades to come. It's a little bit like Craig Ferguson. Ferguson wasn't a big name the way Letterman was, so it's one of those decisions. You can make a 12:30, maybe take a risk and give it time to develop.

PEREIRA: Leno - -

STELTER: He's going to be on, by the way, in March of next year.

PEREIRA: So, Leno, talk about what he's got going on. He has something that's been in the pipeline and online that is now going to be moving to a TV show.

STELTER: Yes, there's been all of these changes in late night. You know, Leno, he stepped down a number of months ago from NBC. Well, now he's going to be on CNBC. He's doing a show about one of his passions in life, his car collection.

CUOMO: Yes. He's has one of the biggest there is, you know. And motorcycles is another (INAUDIBLE).

STELTER: He walked away from the "Tonight Show" but couldn't walk away altogether. This is, by the way, the last week for Bill Carter at "The New York Times." Bill Carter, my former colleague, is the late night guru. He's written books about this and he's working on another one, because this is just an interesting moment, you know, with Colbert, Kimmel, Fallon and, like you said, Leno coming back to CNBC.

PEREIRA: What's missing in the line-up?

STELTER: What an interesting moment.

PEREIRA: What's missing in that line-up?

STELTER: Well, you tell me.

PEREIRA: A woman.

STELTER: You're right about that, you're right about that. PEREIRA: And people see that.

STELTER: Chelsea Handler stepped down from E!. She's going over to Netflix, she's going to try to reinvent what late night TV can be on demand, but I'm not sure what form that's actually going to take. And, by the way, whether she's on Netflix or not, there's a paucity in that area. How can it be that in 2014 there still aren't late night shows featuring women?

PEREIRA: I know.

STELTER: Larry Wilmore, who's going to replace Colbert, will be one of the few minorities in late night, so there's a step in the right direction there at Comedy Central, but it is still staggering.

CUOMO: And Arsenio is back.

CAMEROTA: Is that right?

STELTER: Didn't he come back for a little bit?

STELTER: People never really go away, right? They always stick around somehow.

CAMEROTA: They're just recycled.

STELTER: Yes, I guess so.

PEREIRA: Brian, thank you.

CAMEROTA: All right, Brian. Thanks so much.

CUOMO: All right, you're not going to believe what our friend and colleague Mike Rowe is doing for his charity this time. It is the Good Stuff for sure and it's come up. I thought that was me there for a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: You know that song?

PEREIRA: Yes.

CUOMO: You're about to hear it in a little bit of a different way, and that's why it's the Good Stuff. In today's edition, our colleague Mike Rowe, you know him, love him.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CUOMO: But did you know that he's not just an avid singer, he was an opera singer. Around this time of year ---

PEREIRA: What?

CUOMO: Yes, he likes to turn his voice mail around Christmastime into the song from "The Grinch," the theme song. (BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CUOMO (voice-over): Well, one of his Facebook friends recently challenged Senor Rowe to do it again, only this time she would pay him up to $1,000 for his Mike Rowe Works charity. The catch, he had to sing "The Grinch" theme in a bath robe as a duet with his dog, Freddy. Well, Somebody's got to do it, right? And Mike rose to the occasion.

MIKE ROWE, SINGING THE GRINCH SONG FOR CHARITY: Your heart's an empty hole. Your brain is full of unwashed socks there's garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch. I wouldn't touch you with a 39 1/2 foot pole

CAMEROTA (voice-over): Oh my gosh.

PEREIRA (voice-over): That's a voice.

CAMEROTA (voice-over): He sounds great.

PEREIRA: In a bath robe with the dog.

CUOMO: Freddy did not howl along though, but Mike's charity still gets the $1,000 and the Mike Rowe Works foundation is great.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CUOMO (on camera): It helps people by awarding scholarships to people who show skill and interest in the trades.

PEREIRA (on camera): Well done, Mike Rowe. We love you.

CAMEROTA (on camera): It's so authentic, it sounds wonderful.

CUOMO: Let's get you to the "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello. And let's end it here, come on. Bring it in.

CAMEROTA: Hug it out.

CUOMO: Hug it out.

CUOMO: That's it. Resist the flu, Carol, with a hug. We're hugging you digitally.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you. I feel all warm and fuzzy. I'm going to cry. Have a great day.

CUOMO: Camerota is oddly tense. Loosen up.

COSTELLO: NEWSROOM starts now.