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Starbucks CEO Supports Clinton; "Tuesday's Children" Formed After 9/11 to Help Youth, Families Impacted by Terrorism; New Technology Lures Fans Back to NFL Stadiums. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 7, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:33:22] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: How about this? One of the most politically outspoken CEOs in this entire country is finally unveiling his choice for president. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz did not publicly take sides in this battle between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton until Poppy Harlow here got it out of him.

(LAUGHTER)

She sat down with Howard Schultz today.

You have interviewed him. You have known him for years and years.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah.

BALDWIN: You've asked him many, many times. Knowing you, you would have. Surprise.

HARLOW: I guess if you just keep asking eventually they have to answer your question. This is by far the most outspoken CEO, period, in America. He's come out on gay rights, on guns, on race, on money and politics.

But up until today, he's refused to endorse either candidate for president. He's even called on business leaders to stop donating to politicians all together because is he so sick of what he's seen play out in Washington.

This morning, we threw a big event, "American Opportunity", "CNN Money" event. Howard Schultz was our keynote speaker. So asked him, all right, you going to put your name behind anyone? Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOWARD SCHULTZ, CEO, STARBUCKS: I think it is obvious that Hillary Clinton needs to be the next president of the United States of America. I think the reason for that is so clear. We have a situation in America today of such divisiveness, of fractured leadership. And on the other side, I think we've seen such vitriolic display of bigotry and hate and divisiveness, and that is not the leadership we need for the future of the country.

In almost every election cycle, going back probably to when I was a young boy when John Kennedy was running for president, the media has framed this election and the elections before it as perhaps the most important election in a generation. I think given the challenges that we are facing domestically and all of the hotspots around the world, the life experience and the professional experience that Hillary Clinton has had I think positions her best to be the next president of the United States and she has my full support.

I've spoken to the campaign and I made it clear that in the coming days this is what I was going to do.

[14:35:28] HARLOW: What did she say to you?

SCHULTZ: That's a private conversation so I think we just leave that for now.

(LAUGHTER)

HARLOW: So every time I interview, Howard, I ask him one question.

10 times I've asked, maybe?

SCHULTZ: Probably more than that.

HARLOW: Should we make it 11?

SCHULTZ: OK?

(LAUGHTER)

HARLOW: Will you ever run for president, Howard?

SCHULTZ: You know, I think as we have discussed this many times, my own life experience has given me unique perspective on the plight of working class American people. And the position and the platform I've had at Starbucks has given me the voice and the opportunity to do many things that I don't think I could have ever done as an elected official.

Having said that, I'm a young man. I have a lot of time in the future of the country and what I might and might not do. I would never say never but this is not the right time.

HARLOW: You have said no previously. This is the first time I've heard you say I am a young man.

(LAUGHTER)

HARLOW: It's true!

SCHULTZ: I've been reminded by friends of mine who heard me say that this morning, that I'm no longer that young.

(LAUGHTER)

We'll have to see how that goes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Poppy Harlow, my sassy friend. Why -- just quickly, why do you think he finally said yes?

HARLOW: I think he's sick of what he's seen. He spends the words constantly. He said -- this is a quote. "People cannot believe what's going on in this country. What we've experienced in the last year is inconsistent with the guiding values and principles of this country."

Up until now, he's said to me, I can affect more change in the corner office of a major company by doing things outside of my core business to help people. Washington is gridlock. You can't get anything done.

Now his words, "I'm still a young man." He has never said that. He's constantly told me, no, I won't run for president. Now, I'm still a young man. Clearly, opening the door. The question is will he, in four years, eight years, we'll see what happens. But right now, important for Hillary Clinton. She's got his backing.

BALDWIN: News made.

Poppy Harlow, thank you.

HARLOW: Thank you.

BALDWIN: We'll watch for the interview this weekend.

Next here. We are so thrilled to be bringing you the series this week, "The Children of 9/11." These are the children of the 9/11 terror attacks. I had the honor and privilege of sitting down with 10 young people, ages 14 to 29, some of whom never even met their own fathers. We talk about today what they remember of their parents, how they grieved, and one story from a young woman who holds on to a crushed fireman's helmet to remember her father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Where is that helmet today?

UNIDENTIFIED DAUGHTER OF 9/11 VICTIM: It's in my mom's bedroom. It's not something you would want to look at. It's very, very difficult to look at. But it is there for my family to have. It was something of his and it was something that was with him during his last moments. But it's just bittersweet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:42:42] BALDWIN: 15 years ago, just about now, the deadliest terror attack on American soil. The 9/11 terrorists took mothers, they took fathers, and they left behind their young children, some of whom were not even born just yet.

I was honored recently to have a long conversation with a group of people who lost a parent that day. How they remember and how they grieve. They are part of a phenomenal organization called "Tuesday's Children" formed after 9/11 to help the youth and families impacted by terrorism.

Here is the second piece of our compelling discussion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: How many of you really have dads?

Like what? Tell me a story.

JESSICA WARING, DAUGHTER OF 9/11 VICTIM: I always describe my dad as like life of the party. He was very chatty. I guess I get that from him. He was like a big kid so he had four daughters. No sons. So obviously he wanted us to play sports and he was very actively involved.

One of my favorite memories is from when I was about 6 or 7 to go sledding. He took us all sledding. I had this great idea that I wanted him to lay on the sled on his stomach and I would sit on his back and we would go down this gigantic hill. In the end, like we were laughing. My dad is like it is really cold. He rolled over and realized the sled was still at the top of the hill. He was going down on his belly the entire time. So that one -- I mean we laughed pretty hard about that.

A lot of my memories, he loved to make everybody laugh. So he could make you laugh, if he could, he would do it. I think that's honestly what kept my family together afterwards because we had so many funny memories and good times.

BALDWIN: As I looking at all of you, I'm sure traits of your dad are obviously running through all of you. Do you do things, say things where your parent or a family friend says, oh, my gosh, that was so your dad?

PATRICK HANNAFORD, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: We have a photo in our basement of my dad when he was very young. He was on the swim team. And it looks freakishly identical to Kevin. So much so. When people come over to visit, people think it is a photo of him.

BALDWIN: How does that make you feel?

KEVIN HANNAFORD, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: Makes me feel good. I've always seen and heard he was a pretty handsome guy.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Who else?

KEVIN PARKS, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: I get those kind of like backhanded compliments and my mom will roll her eyes and go that's such something your father would do. It is like some mannerism or tick I'm like, I don't think that's a compliment, but thanks, at least it is reminding you of him.

[14:45:] BALDWIN: It's been 15 years and getting older and just not having your dad. What are those moments when his absence is so noticeable? Caroline?

CAROLINE TUMULTY (ph), DAUGHTER OF 9/11 VICTIM: I was very, very young when I lost him and I didn't understand what was happening until I was probably a couple years older. But there was never that sense of like closure with it. Almost like a punch in the stomach, like I'm never going to see him again. Like he's never going to come back.

BALDWIN: When was the last punch in the stomach moment for you?

TUMULTY (ph): It actually happened the other day. I was like laying in bed and I actually felt like something like touch me in like a way that he was there and we was saying, like, you're going to be OK and you can like get through what you're doing right now. I'm sorry. And it was just like him putting his hand on my shoulder and saying, like, I'm so proud of you. Thank you.

BALDWIN: You felt him?

TUMULTY (ph): Yeah.

BALDWIN: How many of you feel him, feel his presence?

RODNEY WATTON, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: Well, he was a big fan of the Giants football team, to all the games. I was a big fan of the Giants. My mom, she remembered that she had this Jersey that he would always wear to all the games. She went into the attic and got it and now I have it, which is like -- it is really nice I have something that was his. I like something that he liked, even though I didn't know about it.

BALDWIN: I can't imagine like your darkest, toughest times. But I read about you as a 7-year-old. Do you mind sharing what you told your mom?

AUSTIN VUKOSA, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: Yeah. I was 7 years old at the tile. This was a couple -- few months after. After sort of I finally like processed everything a little bit. It was kind of a bad place, sort of. Didn't really get the consequence of dying and not coming back. Things like that. But sort of. Kind of was telling my mom I wanted to be in the same place my dad was, you know, just to be with him. Obviously looking back looks kind of frightening.

BALDWIN: You having thoughts as a 7-year-old that you wanted to end your life.

VUKOSA: Yes.

BALDWIN: Juliet, tell me about your dad's helmet.

UNIDENTIFIED DAUGHTER OF 9/11 VICTIM: My dad's unit were the single most loss on 9/11. They lost pretty much everyone. Guys that worked in the firehouse that weren't working that day, they were the only ones left so there was a lot of disorganization in the firehouse. Nobody knew what to do. All of the firehouses kind of all over the city were in shambles. There were just missing lists with hundreds and hundreds of people on the missing lists. We actually still have the copy of the first missing list that was sent out just for my dad's firehouse, which none of them ever found.

It was around the time of February, I believe, that my mother and some of the other widows from the same firehouse, they went to a psychic and the psychic told them things that no one would have ever known. She specifically told my mother that she saw my dad's badge number as clear as day. And my mom said that's impossible. They never found him. They never found anything. So she called up the same retired firemen that had called her the day of 9/11, because he was a very good friend of my dad's. And he contacted someone, I believe, from one of the medical examiner's offices who was leading searches. And they found my dad's helmet and if you've ever held a fireman's helmet, they are heavy. They are heavy, they are solid metal, parts of them, solid glass. And the helmet is crushed to about this big, the entire thing. It is unrecognizable. But the badge number, which is made out of a sticker, is perfectly intact. For me, that's kind of my only sort of closure that was definite that he was gone.

BALDWIN: Where is that helmet today?

UNIDENTIFIED DAUGHTER OF 9/11 VICTIM: It's in my mom's bedroom. It's not something you would want to look at. It's very, very difficult to look at. But it is there for my family to have. It was something of his and it was something that was with him during his last moments. But it's just bittersweet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:50:12] BALDWIN: Just imagine. Just so grateful to these young people and their mothers for letting me have them for an hour and a half recently.

You'll hear more from them and their stories and what it is like today and their thoughts on the election and everything tomorrow.

Also just a brief programming note for you. The documentary, "9/11: 15 Years Later," airs this Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern.

To volunteer or donate toward an organization that donates to 9/11 victims, go to CNN.com/impact.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:55:17] BALDWIN: Happy NFL kickoff eve. While many of you will be watching the games on TV. New technology is luring fans back to the stadium.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VANESSA YURKEVICH, ANN DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It

costs $481, on average, for a family of four to go to an NFL game. It is a lot less expensive to watch a game at home, even though the experience is tough to beat. Technology offers easy access to instant replays and you can switch between big games. Stadiums are taking notice. Last season, attendance slipped.

(on camera): Is the game just not enough anymore?

SETH RABINOWITZ, SENIOR V.P. OF MARKETING, NEW YORK JETS: I think the game still is enough but modern audiences want to be as immersed in the game and have as much access to the game, as much information about the game as they possibly can.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): MetLife is one of dozens of stadiums and arenas investing in technology, everything from Bluetooth to mobile apps to virtual realty, in order to help fans better connect and get them back in the seats.

RABINOWITZ: Now we have tremendous Wi-Fi in the stadium. You can use our app to stay connected to all of the scores and stats and everything from that game. You can now have your tickets on the app.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Ideally, once you get those people in the stadium, you do want them to spend money to be here.

RABINOWITZ: If more people have a chance to purchase something all the better. Of course, we find certain groups of people aren't trying types of products that we want to promote. Now we can target just those people and develop that.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): And according to a Northwest University study, almost half of season ticket holders would pay even more for a better in-person experience.

RABINOWITZ: We have a very stable business model. We know how to generate revenue. The great thing in the sports business is if we serve the fans right, we will make a great return on our investment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)