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Clinton Announces Support for Iran Deal; Fleeing Syrians Cram Aboard Boat to Greece; Baltimore Mayor to Speak on Settlement with Freddie Gray's Family; Embattled Clerk Gets Out of Jail; Aired 10- 10:30a ET

Aired September 9, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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


[10:00:53] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

We're watching two live events for you. The first in Baltimore. The mayor there, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, expected to take the podium and talk about why the city decided to settle with the Freddie Gray family for $6.4 million. It's a settlement that has enraged the police union.

We're also watching a live event taking place in Washington, D.C. You see Hillary Clinton there. She's been talking about her support for President Obama's Iranian nuclear deal.

And I want to bring in our Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny right now because she came out very strong with her support of that deal.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: She sure did, Carol. I mean, Hillary Clinton pointedly said the far riskier course would be to walk away. Now this is a not-so-subtle nod at her Republican rivals who are campaigning on a pledge to step away from or renegotiate this deal if they're elected president. Of course it was also a word to some of the Democratic skeptics of this deal on Capitol Hill of which there are many.

And it was a hardly a soft glove on Iran. She called it a ruthless and brutal regime, which she made clear she was ready to take on if she's elected president. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My approach will be distrust and verify. We should anticipate that Iran will test the next president. They'll want to see how far they can bend the rules. That won't work if I'm in the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: A reminder, Carol, that these presidential campaigns that we cover every day and watch every day are actually important. They're actually about something regardless of your point of view. So we'll see the other point of view this afternoon on Capitol Hill when Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, even joined by Sarah Palin will be campaigning against this deal. But for now it's clear, there is enough support on Capitol Hill to back the president on this deal.

So, Carol, I would call this day a serious interjection of real cause and effect of this presidential campaign into this campaign that sometimes does not seem quite as serious.

COSTELLO: Right. Well, I wanted to point out the settings now that you've said that because Mr. Trump will be outside, he'll be surrounded by Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz, Glenn Beck, and Mark Levin. Of course he's a conservative radio host who has called President Obama's Iranian deal -- actually he described it as sowing the seeds of World War III. So this will be a very different kind of event that the one Hillary Clinton is holding now.

ZELENY: No doubt about it. I mean, of course there's so much passion and anger against this deal in the Jewish community because of the support for Israel, and, Carol, very important to point out that there are many Democratic skeptics of this as well. Chuck Schumer, who is trying to be the top Democratic leader of the Senate, he does not support this deal. So it's far from a specifically drawn down partisan lines here, but the reality is this is moving forward here.

This is not just the U.S. and Iran alone here. This is the world community. This deal has been negotiated for so long. This is a moving forward here. These speeches are actually almost coming a little bit after the fact here because there is now enough support on Capitol Hill to back the president.

COSTELLO: All right. Jeff Zeleny, many thanks to you.

Now to the growing refugee crisis in Europe. Thousands of fleeing Syrians are taking this route, the trek toward for freedom for many, happening right now in Turkey. Whole families cramming aboard boats trying to make it to Greece.

Ivan Watson and his crew exclusively capturing this desperate attempt to escape. Take a look at all that people on that tiny boat.

Actually Ivan Watson is live with me now. Describe what we are just seeing.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what that is, is one of the managed that these migrants have been using to try to get across the Aegean Sea where we're floating right now, we're cruising right now, to islands like the Greek island of Lesbos over here. That's been a man, unofficial entry point for tens of thousands of migrants and refugees in recent weeks and months.

The UNHCR is reporting that they're getting 1,000 to 3,000 migrants landing on that island and another Greek island called Kos a day. And what they're doing is they're smuggling themselves, overloading these rubber inflated rafts, pontoon boats that then have to travel on choppy seas. You know, we're in a substantial swell here trying to get over to those islands, Carol.

[10:05:15] Here in Turkey, on the Turkish side of the channel here, we have seen a booming smuggling business where in towns and cities, you can see Syrians on every street corner carrying around backpacks. They've got plastic backpacks with life jackets in them that are being sold openly on the streets, and they're just waiting for smugglers to call them. Then they all jump on boats, on buses rather, and they go down to the coast and then wait for smugglers to push them out on these overloaded boats out into the water.

And what's even crazier is that these refugees that I have talked to in the last day or so, they've only just arrived in Turkey. They've just flown in from Syria to Turkey to escape the war with the expressed goal of moving themselves and their families on to Greece and on into Europe. So the Europeans who are already dealing with this flood of migrants, tens of thousands of people, they've got to get ready because we're seeing thousands more on the way and planning to head in that direction -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. Ivan Watson reporting live on the water in Turkey. Thank you.

And we are seeing growing pressure on the United States. The International Rescue Committee gathering more than 54,000 signatures in a petition for the U.S. government to do more. Here's how the numbers break down. Of the some 4.4 million Syrian refugees, nearly half are residing in Turkey right now. 1.1 million are in Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of others are in neighboring countries.

So what about North America? Well, 10,000 Syrians have resettled in Canada, about 1500 have resettled here in the United States. The Obama administration says it is considering bringing in more noting that the U.S. has provided over $4 billion in humanitarian aid since this crisis began.

Moments ago, Baltimore officials approved a $6.4 million settlement to the family of Freddie Gray. We're going to be hearing from the mayor at any moment now. Now this decision come months after Freddie Gray suffered that fatal spinal injury while in police custody. Under this settlement the city accepts liability in Gray's arrest and in his death but does not acknowledge any wrongdoing by police. In the meantime, a change of venue hearing is scheduled for tomorrow for those six officers charged in the case.

CNN's Miguel Marquez is in Baltimore. He's outside of city hall. Good morning.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. That press conference just about to start, all happening very quickly after Baltimore's Board of Estimates met very briefly to consider a long agenda. One added item was a simple page and a third maybe of $6.4 million settlement to the Freddie Gray family. The city solicitor, George Nelson, saying that this would save the city from basically picking a scab that was created in April from being picked, and picked and picked over again in the years ahead.

The mayor over and again has said in that meeting, and we expect it again at this press conference, has said that the settlement does say nothing about the guilt or innocence of the six officers involved in this. Everybody across the board saying it has no bearing on the criminal case against those six officers, but the police union sees it different. And I think a lot of police officers see it differently, and certainly a lot of people in the city seeing it different.

The police union in a statement yesterday called this thing obscene, saying it was way too early to even consider any sort of settlement, but from the mayor's point of view and the city's police point of view, they said, look, we're facing years of legal action on this case. We are facing probably a federal civil suit which there is no cap for that, so we are looking at tens of millions of dollars.

The deputy solicitor general pointed to two different cases, one that was settled on the federal level for $39 million and another one for some $24 million, saying this case had all the earmarks to hit that if not higher so they believe that they are saving the people money, but it's going to be -- it's going to hard to talk people into that in Baltimore. This settlement has now divided this city even more than it already was -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Miguel Marquez, we'll check back. Thanks so much.

The embattled Kentucky clerk who refuses to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs is taking some personal time before she heads back to work. Kim Davis now free after being released from jail. On Tuesday, her supporters rallied around her at a fiery demonstration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM DAVIS, ROWAN COUNTY CLERK: I just wanted to say to volunteers. You are a strong people. We serve a living God who knows exactly where each and every one of us is at. Just keep on pressing. Don't let down. Because he is here. He's worthy, he's worthy. I love you, guys. Thank you so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You can see Mike Huckabee there, he's the presidential hopeful, of course. He was at Davis's side. He talked with CNN this morning and said Davis will continue to refuse to violate her conscience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What is really outrageous, this isn't just about someone not being violated.

Alisyn, let's not forget. We're talking about a woman who was sent to jail for this. To jail. Without bail. I mean, that is an unprecedented watershed moment in America when a person, a elected official, a Democrat, by the way. I think it's important to note this was not some, you know, Republican right-wing person.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST, NEW DAY: Yes.

HUCKABEE: This is a Democrat elected by the people and sent to jail for her beliefs, and trying to carry out what she believes was the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Joining me now Martin Savidge. He's live in Morehead, Kentucky. He's been following all of this.

Good morning, Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. This is a, you know, quite remarkable thing yesterday, I have to say because even Kim Davis was shocked by the developments. You can see that in her face. Clearly when she get up on that stage. I don't think anybody believed that she was going to be released from jail in the way that she was, with the exception of course, Judge -- Bunning, rather, who knew exactly what was going to happen.

Ted Cruz was also there and this is what's rather interesting. Another one running for president. You didn't hear anything about him, and if you've seen that report in "The New York Times" that it appears that maybe one of the aides that was assisting Huckabee might have interfered in some way with the meeting. We don't know because we didn't witness it firsthand, but it just goes to show you the atmospherics that are coming to play.

Clearly what Kim Davis did has struck a chord especially with many conservative Christians, and the fact that she has stood up in their mind, and fought for what they believe is her religious freedom and the religious freedom of others is why you hear Mike Huckabee saying, this is not just going to be talking about what's happening in this county of Kentucky, but actually a movement now going forward.

And in fact that was said at the rally yesterday. It's now will you stand up with Kim, but will you stand up like Kim, suggesting that this kind of objection may be spread across the country in other political offices.

COSTELLO: Scotty, and I'm talking to my director, could you put up that picture of Ted Cruz once again because that's what Martin Savidge was talking about.

Ted Cruz was also in Kentucky. He was also supposed to be at Kim Davis's side but I think you can see that he was detained in some way because you're right, Martin, we saw hide nor hair of Ted Cruz. So -- I don't know. I don't want to question the sincerity of these political candidates, so I won't at the moment. But I don't know. I'm a skeptic and a cynic, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Well, the real question is what's going to happen next. I was, you know, just inside talking to the clerks. There have been now a total of 10 marriage licenses that have been handed out, given out in the absence of Kim Davis. None of them have Kim Davis' name on there, and seven of those have gone to same-sex couples. That is the total as of today. So when you talk to the clerks inside, and they're under a lot of pressure. The media camped outside. There are demonstrators camped outside. One demonstrator went inside and delivered quite a religious diatribe

to them so they realize they're under the gun here, so to speak, and yet they're going about doing the duties that are imposed upon them. So I said, what's going to happen when Miss Davis return. And they said, they don't know, so it's really one of those where everybody is hanging, waiting to see what is going to happen. Will she stick by what she said she will do and that is not issue those licenses and then we're back to this whole contempt issue once again -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, she's supposed to appear again at work on Friday. So we'll see.

Martin Savidge reporting live from Kentucky this morning.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, all you could see was smoke. Those words from a passenger whose plane had just caught on fire.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:16:42] COSTELLO: All right. Let's head back to Baltimore City. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is speaking right now about that $6.4 million settlement with the Freddie Gray family. Let's listen.

MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE, BALTIMORE CITY: Take a few questions, I want to offer a few comment on this morning's vote of the Board of Estimates to approve the final settlement resolving all potential civil liabilities in the tragic death of Mr. Freddie Gray.

Let me begin by emphasizing that the decision to settle the civil claims is completely unrelated to the criminal case the six officers currently face. The city's decision to settle the civil case should not be interpreted as passing any judgment on guilt or innocence of the officers.

This settlement is about making the right fiscal decision for the city of Baltimore. Like every other proposed settlement of the civil claim, we must weigh the potential financial cost of defending the lawsuit in court and the potential exposure to the citizens of Baltimore if we are unsuccessful in court. And for that matter if we are successful in court.

In this case, faced with the prospect of significant legal expenses involved in an extended federal lawsuit as well as the potential liability that could come with unfavorable jury verdict, our city's attorneys came to the conclusion that the $6.4 million settlement is in the best interest of protecting taxpayers.

I ultimately agreed with the recommendation. In looking at the settlement, I acknowledge that it is relatively unusual for the city to choose to settle a civil claim involving alleged police misconduct prior to the resolution of a criminal case, but in the limited number of cases involving unique or extraordinary circumstances, the city has made the decision to settle civil liability prior to the final adjudication of criminal charges.

The purpose of the civil settlement is to bring an important measure of closure to the Gray family, to the community and to the city, and to avoid years and years of protracted civil litigation, and the potential harm to the community and the divisiveness which might result. By reaching a civil settlement now we avoid the continuing anxiety and distraction of more legal procedures going on for years after the six criminal trials are over.

Both for the six officers, but as well as we eliminate that anxiety and distraction for the community. For the city as a whole. To cover the costs of the settlement more than sufficient funds are available entirely from a sure of coverage and cost savings in unrelated litigation. Despite this specific, high-profile civil -- excuse me, despite this high-profile civil settlement, it's important to point out the overall gains that we have made by improving community police relations.

[10:20:03] We've seen reductions in the number of complaints alleging police misconduct and police discourtesy as a well as reduction in the number of lawsuits filed against this city. And on a final note, I again want to extend my most sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Freddie Gray. I've realized that money cannot bring back the loss of your son, your brother, your loved ones. But I hope that the settlement will bring some measure of closure to his family and to his friends.

I open up to questions.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How long do you think for the settlement to be received?

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: I don't know the specific amount of days but the -- the settlement negotiations have been going on for some months.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And with the federal litigation, is that part of the consideration?

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And what triggered the negotiation?

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: The notification that there was intended federal litigation.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do these conversations took place regarding the possible impact this decision might have on tomorrow's Section 3 court change litigation against these officers?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did we consider it, yes, we did.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: To what extent?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We evaluated many parts of --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: All right. We're going to jump away with this. That was the Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, explaining to the citizens of Baltimore why the city decided to settle with the family of Freddie Gray for $6.4 million before six separate criminal trials took place involving the police officers who allegedly caused Freddie Gray's death.

So let's talk about this. With me now again is CNN legal analysts Paul Callan and Laura Coates, she's the former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

So Paul, the mayor said that she wanted to assure everyone that this -- the civil settlement was totally, completely unrelated to this criminal cases. How is that possible?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It's totally inaccurate. And it's not possible because the civil settlement here arises out of the criminal cases in the sense that the police were apprehending Freddie Gray and confining him and presumably allegedly injuring him as he was transported back to the stationhouse, so you can't say it's unrelated and any person looking at this is going to say the city of Baltimore has already conceded that the police did wrong, so I think it's going to affect the criminal trials.

COSTELLO: Yes. And it does seem, Laura, like the city of Baltimore has made up its mind because at the end of that news conference, the mayor sent her condolences to the family of Freddie Gray.

LAURA COATES, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: That's absolutely right. What this sounds like is the same critique that people had of Marilyn Mosby when she said on the steps when she -- before she announced the indictment that I hear your calls for no justice, no peace. And what -- this Baltimore mayor is now doing is essentially pandering again, and saying, listen, we'd like to make sure that we have some peace for the family, and so we're going to -- absolutely abnormal, we're going to offer this settlement prior to a civil lawsuit and prior to the criminal trials of six separate officers.

Paul, Carol, you're exactly right in your thinking. It is impossible for a jury to separate the facts that a man had suffered a severed spine in police custody and the city has decided there is liability for those officers to the tune of $6.9 million. A jury can't reconcile how to be objective on the one hand and also acknowledge out of their own taxpayer funds and pocket they're now being told to pay for that liability. It's a very nuanced argument that's being made but echoes the same critique that would happen for the original indictment.

COSTELLO: And of course, the police union is absolutely furious about this, Paul. They sent out this statement yesterday.

"Just as Baltimore is returning to its pre-riot normalcy, this news threatens to interrupt any progress made toward restoring the relationship between the members of the Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore City government."

CALLAN: Well, it does resonate in a very bad way with police officers on the street. New York, by the way, had similar problems in the past, although I've never seen a case in New York settled the way this one has. But they settle early sometimes, early in the civil process after the criminal cases are over. And police unions were complaining even then, even settling it after the criminal case that the city was selling out police officers and not being supportive.

So here, these officers are going to say, how can we get a fair trial when the mayor has already paid $6.4 million in this case. It's going to be an interesting argument, by the way, when they try to change venue and say you can't get a fair trial in this case. I'll be very interested to see those arguments. Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes, the hearing is going to take place tomorrow so we'll be following that.

CALLAN: Yes.

COSTELLO: Paul Callan, Laura Coates, thank you so much. I appreciate your insight as always.

[10:25:01] Still to come in the NEWSROOM, it looks like Hillary Clinton's campaign is getting a makeover, so when it comes to politics, how much does image matter?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Obviously, running for office is a long cruel slog especially if you're not a gifted performer or unable to be yourself. Campaign aides close to Hillary Clinton are hoping a reboot which the "New York Times" says will allow Clinton to show more humor and heart, will give her bid for the president along with sagging poll numbers a big boost.

Clinton seeming to start that reboot during this ABC interview where she finally apologized for using personal e-mail while she was secretary of state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Even though it was allowed, I should have used two accounts, one for personal, one for work-related e-mails. That was a mistake. I'm sorry about that. I take responsibility and I'm trying to be as transparent as I possibly can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)