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CNN NEWSROOM

More Unrest For DNC; Egypt Air Flight 804 Said To Be In Normal Condition At Takeoff; America's Greatest Makers Winners Discuss Product; Obama Apologizes For Death Of Japanese Woman; Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty For Dylan Roof; Incredible Tornadoes Tear Through Midwest; Twitter Announces Change To 140 Character Limit; Deaf Model Wins Dancing With The Stars. Aired 10:30-11:00a

Aired May 25, 2016 - 10:29   ET

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


[10:29:45]

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REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D), FLORIDA; DNC CHAIR: ... that is #SMH -- if we're going to talk about throwing -- that comment about throwing shade. We need to focus on one thing; get through this primary and work to prepare for the general election. (END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And let me also say this, in all due respect for the current Chairperson. If elected President she would not be reappointed to be Chair of the DNC.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Hm. But could Sanders' outrage actually lead to Wasserman's ouster at the DNC? Joining me now to discuss this, Dana Bash, CNN's Political -- Chief Political Correspondent. And Larry Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Good morning to you both.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

BROWN: It seems like just a few weeks ago we were talking about all this discord within the Republican Party, now there's so much focus on the discord within the Democratic Party, Dana. What are you hearing about this and the possibility of a shakeup at the DNC?

BASH: Well first of all I think, big picture, you hit the nail on the head, Pam. That the discord between, and within both parties is very real. And it is emblematic of the discord you're seeing in the electorate about Washington. It's the same kind of situation in both parties. But specifically with Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

What I was told last night was that there are very real conversations going on -- but among Democratic senators -- about whether or not maybe it would be a good idea for Debbie Wasserman Schultz to step down before the convention. For one reason, and one reason only, and that is to try to keep calm. And keep Philadelphia, where the convention will be, free of chaos. And that was after concern about what happened in Nevada and the back and forth that you just played here.

We should underscore a couple things. Number one, senators don't decide whether or not the Democratic Party Chair is there or not. Number two, there is a lot of support for Debbie Wasserman Schultz, as well. The Democratic leader in the House, Nancy Pelosi, put out a strong statement of support. Others have as well. And also it is ultimately going to be up to Hillary Clinton's campaign, what happens at the Democratic National Committee, assuming that she does formally get -- or at least get the number of delegates, going forward.

BROWN: Well this is certainly not the kind of rhetoric I imagine, that the DNC wants out there. Could this help fuel Donald Trump's fire, Dana?

BASH: It could. I think that at this point this seems to be an intra-Democratic issue. Having said that, if Donald Trump is -- he thinks he's onto something, clearly, in that there are disgruntled Democrats. Or at least those who are going to Bernie Sanders rallies, people who don't have any desire to get involved with a Hillary Clinton candidacy. If they seem -- if they feel that they are not being heard by the Democratic Party, perhaps Donald Trump has a better shot at getting them over to him. But it's a very specific segment of the Sanders support. No question about it.

BROWN: I think the latest polls showed something like 20 percent of Sanders supporters said they would ...

BASH: Right, which ...

BROWN: ... support Donald Trump.

BASH: ... you would think would go down as things settle down in the Democratic Party. But again, 2016 ...

BROWN: You never know in this election season ...

BASH: ... all bets are off.

BROWN: ... Exactly. So Larry, you know this isn't the first time Debbie Wasserman Schultz has faced these public rumblings about her job as DNC Chair. A couple years ago a similar issue arose after public fights with the Obama Administration. Do you think that this battle, in particular, could actually push her out?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UVA CENTER FOR POLITICS: Well I think it would be a very politic move by the Clinton organization to find another job for Debbie Wasserman Schultz. You know there are a lot of positions in the campaign. And you know -- the Campaign Coordinator for the House of Representatives, or something. You invent a title. But look, we know two things. Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic nominee. And Hillary Clinton is going to have to get the support of, not just Bernie Sanders, but his rank and file voters and key supporters. And therefore she is going to have to make some concessions.

Here's an easy concession to make. The Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee is a purely political appointment. So I would expect it to happen. I don't know whether it's before the convention, or at the convention, or after the convention. But I suspect strongly there will be a transition at the DNC.

BROWN: All right, and Dana, we're just getting some new reporting in from Manu Raju, saying that, from Claire McCaskill, telling him that everything would work itself out and that Debbie Wasserman Schultz will have to make a choice on whether to step aside. What do you make of that?

BASH: Claire McCaskill is never a senator who minces her words. And she is actually -- was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton this time around. In 2008 she was an early supporter of Barack Obama who put Debbie Wasserman Schultz in place where she is right now at the DNC. I think what that is saying is very much in line with what we were hearing last night. That people who are -- you know that the tension -- people who have been following this know that the tension is between the Sanders camp and the Debbie Wasserman Schultz camp. Because Sanders feels like he wasn't treated fairly starting at the beginning of the process, wanting more debates, so on and so forth.

So the fact that you have Hillary Clinton supporters looking down the road saying, "wait a minute, we have to," as the Professor just said, "bring the Party together." That tells you something. And saying publicly it was up to her, I think, is ...

BROWN: Yes.

BASH: ... is quite telling.

BROWN: Well you know, I want to get your thoughts, Larry. Your reaction of Bernie Sanders coming out so publicly against Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I was reading a comment from Michael Nutter, the former Mayor of Philadelphia. And he basically said he's being a poor sport. And it's like someone inviting you to their house and then that person criticizing everything in the house. What do you make of the fact that he's coming out and being so outspoken?

[10:36:25]

SABATO: Sanders is unhappy about a lot of things. The basic unhappiness stems from the fact that he's not going to be the nominee. But practical politics are involved here and again, the truth is, Hillary Clinton needs the energy and enthusiasm of the Sanders rank and file. I think in the end she'll get it. I don't believe for a minute, not one second, that 20 percent of the Sanders backers will vote for Donald Trump.

So the question is do they sit at home and do nothing? Or do they get active in the campaign and work for Clinton in the Fall, in addition to voting for her? Well that depends a lot on what Hillary Clinton does to make Bernie Sanders and his key people happy. And they could -- Hillary Clinton could make them quite happy by finding a new DNC Chair, and I'll bet she does.

BASH: And ...

BROWN: All right, Dana Bash -- oh go ahead, Dana, a quick word?

BASH: Just real quick, just to add to that. Whether or not the Bernie Sanders people come home, if you will, to Hillary Clinton, also depends on what Bernie Sanders says. Which is why you heard Hillary Clinton say several times, that she, back in 2008, was very aggressive about trying to get her supporters behind Barack Obama. He has a lot of power. I mean yes he is just kind of the leader of a movement, as he says, but he's got a lot of power in his words and actions, as well.

BROWN: Yes, he certainly does. All right, Dana Bash, Larry Sabato, thank you so much for that. And still ahead right here in the Newsroom, the mystery over what happened to Egypt Air flight 804 intensifies. What we now know about the plane's condition before takeoff.

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[10:42:25]

BROWN: New details coming in about missing Egypt Air flight 804. According to state media, there were no signs of technical problems when the plane took off from Paris. In fact, the pilot actually signed off that as far as he knew, the jet was in normal condition. All of this as time runs out to try to find the plane's black boxes before the locator signals fade. Let's get right to CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson. Nick, good morning.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, good morning Pamela. The area that they're searching for the black boxes is an area that we're told by Egyptian air officials, of about the size of Connecticut -- a massive area. But they have one thing working in ...

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[10:44:45]

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[10:48:55]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Congratulations!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Wow, it's hard not to jump for joy when you have just won $1 million. Smart toothbrush team Grush are officially America's greatest makers, according to TBS's reality TV show, "Smash." Their invention taking home the million dollar grand prize last night. And with me now is two-thirds of that team, Anubha Sacheti and Ethan Schur. Thank you both and congratulations to you both. I have to see what this is all about -- what this invention is all about, first off before we go into the questions. I'll let -- I'll give you the honor to show us.

ANUBHA SACHETI, "AMERICA'S GREATEST MAKERS" WINNER: So the brush is a gaming toothbrush. Kids can play video games and actually brush their teeth and kill the bugs while they're doing their brushing. So it's the first time that kids can understand where they're brushing, figure out if they're doing a good job, and then Mom and Dad can check to see do they brush in the mornings? Do they brush at night? How well do they brush? And we can understand tooth by tooth what surface they're missing.

BROWN: Wow, so adults can use this too. You can even check in on your kids, right? When you're traveling.

SACHETI: I can. I can check in Boston right now and see which of my childs brushed their teeth, and which ones did not.

BROWN: And they're enjoying it, like, they like to use this ...

SACHETI: Yes, yes.

BROWN: Wow, so Ethan, you beat out 23 other competitors. Did you even think a toothbrush would make you a million dollars?

ETHAN SCHUR, "AMERICA'S GREATEST MAKERS" WINNER: Oh we're still excited. And it's been a long time coming, you know? We're all parents and we understand that daily battle in the bathroom trying to get your kids to brush their teeth.

BROWN: So, I want to elaborate on that, Ethan -- about this idea. Whose brilliant idea was this? How did it come to fruition? Walk us through that process.

SCHUR: Well in Team Grush, our partner, Doctor Wong, when his son was five years-old, he hated to brush his teeth. So much so that he had a lot of dental problems. He had to have quite a few of his baby teeth restored. And you can understand, this is something expensive, but as a parent, it's also a nightmare. And we thought there has to be a better way.

BROWN: Now what about flossing? Is that going to be the next one? Because ...

SACHETI: So yes, we came up with a flossing attachment. It was in the 9th hour and we pulled it together. And I think that the judges really understood how difficult the process is to get a flossing attachment to attach onto the brush. And understand which tooth you brushed, and understand the pressure sensitivity of going through that tooth.

BROWN: Wow. So tell us -- what was it like being on this show? Which judge was the most intimidating, Anubha?

SACHETI: I think coming in, Carol definitely asked us some very difficult questions, Carol Roth. And then B.K. was super intimidating in the beginning, but oh my gosh, what a nice person he is. And we learned so much from each episode.

BROWN: Amazing. And so the big question now, Ethan, what's next for you guys, for Team Grush?

SCHUR: Well we'll celebrate today, and tomorrow it's back into maker mode. And that means we're going to use this money to go into mass production to make the tooling for Grush. New and exciting Grush games, and we may come out with an adult version.

BROWN: I think it's a great idea. I mean I would use it, I think.

SACHETI: Thank you, yes.

BROWN: I say that now. What is your message, Anubha, for other inventors, or aspiring inventors who are watching right now?

SACHETI: I think that we learned so much by having a comprehensive team. We worked well together. But really getting and (our doing our 101), start programming early. That's what I want for my daughter. I want them to learn how to do this stuff, because this is the future.

BROWN: It is, it's a certain yes.

SACHETI: Very much the future.

BROWN: All right, Anubha, Ethan, thank you both for coming on and congratulations! Have fun with that million dollars. Don't work too hard. Coming up next on this Wednesday, Bernie Sanders wants Debbie Wasserman Schultz out as Head of the Democratic National Committee. Is she too toxic as a senate Democratic aide? Jeff, Sanders' campaign manager weighs in, next hour.

SACHETI: Thank you.

[10:57:15]

BROWN: Welcome back. Checking our top stories on this Wednesday morning. President Obama apologizes for the killing of Japanese -- of a Japanese woman allegedly by a former U.S. Marine.

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to emphasize that the United States is appalled by any violent crime that may have occurred or been carried out by any U.S. personnel or U.S. contractors. We consider it inexcusable, and we are committed to doing everything that we can to prevent any crimes from taking place, of this sort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The President says the U.S. will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation. And Mister Obama is in Japan for the G-7 Summit. His trip comes after a busy few days in Vietnam. Meantime, federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Dylan Roof, the man accused of killing nine parishioners last year at an annual AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, says the nature of the crime compelled her to make the decision. Prosecutors had urged Lynch to OK capital charges, saying that Roof has shown a lack of remorse for the murders.

And look at this -- devastating tornadoes ripping through the Midwest. Incredible video out of Ford County, Kansas where at least two people were critically injured. Damage from storms included overturned vehicles and ripped up asphalts. There were even reports of baseball- sized hail. Residents not out of the woods just yet. More storms are expected today.

Well Twitter, it seems, is about to bend its own rules. Over the next few months it will ease it's 140 character limit on tweets. Photos and videos, or tags with users handles won't count. Twitter hopes the new rules will satisfy purists while also attracting new users who want longer messages and more interactive content.

And "Dancing With The Stars" has crowned a new champion. And spoiler alert, if you don't want to know who it is, now is the time to waltz away. OK, ready to rhumba? Watch this.

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ALAN DEDICOAT, ANNOUNCER, "DANCING WITH THE STARS": The winners and new champions of Dancing With The Stars are Nyle and Peta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Congratulations to her. Deaf model Nyle DiMarco beating UFC fighter Paige VanZant to win the mirror ball trophy. DiMarco previously won "America's Next Top Model," and now he's America's favorite celebrity dancer.

Well thank you so much for being here with us on this Wednesday. I'm Pamela Brown in for Carol Costello. AT THIS HOUR with Berman and Bolduan starts right now. Have a great rest of the day.