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Russian-Linked FaceBook Ads; Remembering Victims of Shooting; Puerto Rico Death Toll Rises; Rapper Fat Joe To Deliver Supplies to Puerto Rico. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired October 4, 2017 - 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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[09:32:36] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: In hours, a major press conference on the Russia investigation. The top senators on the Intel Committee set to update the public on what they are finding out about election meddling. We will bring that to you live as soon as it begins.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, this comes as there is a CNN exclusive report that finds the number of FaceBook ads linked to Russia specifically targeted Michigan and Wisconsin. Now, you might remember, Michigan and Wisconsin, two states that the president won by the tiniest of margins.

CNN's senior congressional correspondent Manu Raju, part of the team that broke this story.

You know, Manu, not just Michigan and Wisconsin, but you're reporting also that these Russian ads used some highly sophisticated methods in targeting key demographic groups.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. And investigators are now trying to understand exactly the extent of the sophisticated efforts. And one of the things that we are learning as part of this is that they used -- these Russian-linked groups used anti-Muslim messages in order to stoke antipathy towards Islam. And one of the things that investigators are looking at is exactly how that these people who were searching online for anti-Muslim items were actually directed towards these FaceBook ads about -- suggesting that, for instance, Hillary Clinton may have been more in line with Islam than Donald Trump. That's something that Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, said that they are looking at as well.

Now, these ads we're learning a good portion of them were focused on Michigan and Wisconsin as part of an effort to presumably -- to help President Trump in his very, very narrow victory. Now, this is one of 3,000 -- some of 3,000 ads that investigators are now poring over. The question is, where do the rest of the ads go. We're still learning all of the details. But we do know that it did stoke a lot of these divisive messages, including ones aimed at promoting and the Second Amendment, polarizing issues that are important the key aspects of the GOP base.

HARLOW: Sure, especially in states that were won by 10,000 or 22,000 votes respectively.

But some of your reporting, also we should note, is that, you know, a number of these ads ran in states that were not swing states at all, not highly contested, and a number of them also ran, you know, in early, early election, you know, mode, 2015, is that right?

RAJU: Yes, that's right. In fact, we're learning that a lot -- it went all over the map. Places -- states that were just not heavily contested at all. And really were aimed at just stoking some antipathy within the American electorate. Not necessarily appearing geared to help one candidate over the other. That's raising a lot of questions about exactly the motivation among these Russian groups, other than just trying to stoke some angst among the American electorate.

[09:35:18] Now, FaceBook did say that a lot of these ads did occur in 2015, as well as 2016. And some of these were in those highly targeted states, those contested states. And they have not said up until this point where they occurred. So now we're learning Michigan and Wisconsin.

And I should point out, guys, we will learn probably more about these FaceBook ads when Senators Mark Warner and Richard Burr, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, do brief the press about the status of their investigation. FaceBook a key part of that. One top Republican on that committee, John Cornyn, guys, told me yesterday it's just the tip of the iceberg.

Guys.

BERMAN: Yes, and the chairman of the committee told us there will be news at this news conference after noon today.

HARLOW: Yes.

BERMAN: Which sometimes, you know, it's a misnomer. A news conference doesn't actually deliver.

HARLOW: Sometimes it happens.

BERMAN: They're promising some kind of development there, Manu. We'll keep our eye on it. Thanks for your reporting.

RAJU: Thanks.

BERMAN: All right, the Las Vegas shooting victims, so many stories. We're going to learn some of them, next.

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[09:40:42] BERMAN: Fifty-eight people were murdered in Las Vegas. This morning, we are learning more of their stories.

I want to show you Denise Burditus. This is a mother, a grandmother, married to her husband for 32 years. His message to her, I miss you, babe. HARLOW: This is Charleston Hartfield, a police officer, a Nevada Army

National Guardsman, a youth football coach known to his players as Coach Chuckie.

CNN's Stephanie Elam joins us with some more of these stories.

You know, you wake up every morning to all of these e-mails of all of these names and these pictures and these stories and it just -- it hurts each and every time. You can't imagine what these families are going through. Tell us about some more of the names we're getting.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's so true, Poppy and John. When you look at the names, when you hear at first the number of people that lost their lives, they're just people. But now we're starting to know who they are, and what they did, how they helped out their communities and what they meant to their families.

And you were talking about Denise Salmon Burditus from West Virginia, married for 32 years. She actually passed away in her husband's arms. He said that she was a mother of two and soon to be the grandmother of five.

There's Charleston Hartfield, who was a lot of things to so many people. For one thing, he was a Las Vegas police officer. He was off duty that night just enjoying the concert. But, of course, when the shooting started, he went back into his training and was trying to help people as he could. He was shot and lost his life. We also know that he was a Nevada Army National Guard sergeant first class and also known as Coach Chuckie to the youth football kids that he coached as well.

And then there's Quentin Robins (ph), who coached his little brother's flag football team. He had just gotten back from taking his little brother to a Dodgers game as well. Apparently this is really hard on his younger brother, Quade (ph), knowing that he's lost his big brother. His aunt referred to him as the most kind and loving soul.

And we have also Lisa Patterson, who passed away in the shooting here. Her husband, Bob, with her. She's a mother. And her daughter Amber remembered her. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBER PATTERSON, LOST MOTHER IN LAS VEGAS SHOOTING: Yes, it's really horrible and it's such a ridiculous situation. Not -- this shouldn't have happen to any of those people. And it really breaks my heart that it happened to my mom. She cared for so many people. She was so enthusiastic. She -- she was literally the best mom and she was my best friend. So it's really heartbreaking to hear all of this news.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: You can only imagine, only imagine what this is like for these families dealing with the loss of their loved ones like this. And you mentioned Stacy Echeb (ph). Her husband, a San Francisco police officer, Vinny. He also helping wounded, told her to run, then she lost her life. She was a mother of two. And these are just some of the stories that we are learning about the people who passed away at the concert Sunday night.

John and Poppy.

BERMAN: You know it's so tragic. And so many of the family members, we can her them, Stephanie, with so many questions. And these are questions -- there are never going to be satisfying answers.

ELAM: No. No.

BERMAN: Stephanie Elam in Las Vegas, thanks so much.

HARLOW: Ahead for us, more than half of Puerto Rican residents, American citizens, without water two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck. Ahead with us, rapper Fat Joe joining us live. What he is doing, an extraordinary move to help all of the people of Puerto Rico. He'll be with us live, next.

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[09:48:37] HARLOW: This morning, once again, millions of Puerto Ricans waking up, another time, another day without power or water.

BERMAN: Despite the president's positive take on the recovery efforts there, many folks in Puerto Rico not seeing those efforts for themselves. The death toll now stands at 34. And that is a new number that the governor of Puerto Rico only released after the president was bragging about the low death toll.

CNN's Leyla Santiago for us again in Puerto Rico with the very latest from there.

Leyla.

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, I actually just got off the phone with the governor's office and asked why the difference. Why was the death toll more than double after President Trump left the island? And their response was, well, the Department of Public Health released those numbers at 6:00 p.m. and they believe that it took a while to get to that death toll because they had to do interviews with family to get a proper certification of those deaths. That's their response as to why they waited -- or to why those numbers came out after President Trump left, feeling very good about what he considered a low death toll for those that were impacted by Hurricane Maria.

Now, let's talk about where we are today. Eight percent of power has been restored. So still the majority of this island without the power to run generators, to be able to have light in their homes.

[09:50:00] Now, the good news in services is that water services have -- much of the water services have been restored. We're talking about 48 percent. So we're almost at the halfway mark when it comes to people getting their water back on in this island. So some of the basics. But when it comes to that FEMA aid, yes, we're seeing more of those

supplies making it to distribution centers. But, still, getting reports from people that are out in those areas, outside of San Juan, out kind of in the countryside, still saying, it is hard to get their hands on that aid from FEMA at this hour.

John. Poppy.

HARLOW: All right, Leyla Santiago, thank you for all the reporting. Keep us posted on what you hear, live for us in San Juan. Thank you very much.

Ahead for us, rapper Fat Joe, many relatives in Puerto Rico, what he's doing to help? Flying a big plane with a lot of stuff on it down to help. He'll join us live, next.

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[09:55:06] HARLOW: All right, welcome back.

With us now is rapper Fat Joe. You know his name, you know his music, but you may not know what he's doing for the people of Puerto Rico, including all the relatives he has down there. He is sending a big plane, along with the help of Jay-z, with a ton of supplies to help the folks of Puerto Rico this week.

Thank you for being with us.

FAT JOE: Hey, thank you for having me.

HARLOW: So you -- look, you posted on Instagram not long ago, if we don't take care of our own, no one will. What do you mean? And what did that have to do with driving this action?

FAT JOE, RAPPER: That -- what I mean is -- we feel -- we feel stranded. You know, U.S. citizens and Puerto Rico has paid their part, you know. I have two little cousins that's in the Army right now willing to give their life for this country. And the fact that it took so long to get any help out there, that's what I mean. So we have to mobilize and power ourselves to collect canned foods and waters and women's hygiene and toothpastes and to give back to our own community. And that we did.

So we set out a goal, you know, with Jay-z and "Tidal" to fill up one plane with 200,000 pounds. And actually we filled up five planes and we got to fill up another five more. So we're at 2 million pounds that the city of New York has collected.

Governor Cuomo has been a blessing, an angel. Ruben Diaz Jr. has been a blessing. We collected from the Bronx. We collected tons of stuff in the Bronx that half is going to Mexico, half is going to Puerto Rico. You know, and as I continue to explain that to you, I have to send my prayers to our brothers and sisters in Vegas, because what happens was something I've never seen in my life. And I've been praying all night for them.

BERMAN: The whole country is behind them in Las Vegas. And the whole country is behind the people in Puerto Rico, as well.

Mr. Joe, if I can call you that --

FAT JOE: Yes.

BERMAN: The president has said, look, he's getting a bad rap for the federal response. FEMA has been on the ground there. Thousands of personnel are there, and the idea that the federal response isn't strong is fake news. You just said the people in Puerto Rico have been stranded. How do you, you know, how do you jive those two points?

FAT JOE: I have aunts and uncles in Puerto Rico I still haven't talked to. I don't know whether they're dead or they're alive. There's no communication. There's no power. You know, when you have been people waiting on lines for six, seven hours to get three bottles of water and a little something to feed a family, that's why we have to motivate ourselves.

My mentor, J.R. Rilen (ph), tells me that the most powerful force in the universe is people power, stronger than any nation, stronger than any government, stronger than any ideology. So that's why we form together, everybody formed together and got 2 million pounds of food --

HARLOW: So --

FAT JOE: As well as, right now we're trying to get these planes. So we've got tidal.com/puertorico. If you can donate $1, $5, $10, Muslims, Jews, gay, lesbian, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, our people need you. Puerto Rico needs you to please donate to tidal.com/puertorico.

HARLOW: So then, Joe, what about the president? I mean, he compared this to what he called a real catastrophe yesterday in Hurricane Katrina --

FAT JOE: Well you know --

HARLOW: Talked about the death toll. Do you have a message for him?

FAT JOE: Well, you know, 16 very quickly turned into 34. And what I do have to say is that I love the mayor of Puerto Rico, though I don't know her personally. And I sent a message to her. Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting. This is for the mayor of Puerto Rico. And we won't stop fighting. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

BERMAN: Fat Joe, thanks so much for being with us. Thank you so much for your efforts in Puerto Rico. All these planes going down with so many supplies.

HARLOW: Ten planes! Ten planes full of supplies.

BERMAN: And as you say, you know, people have to step up in these moments, and you certainly are.

Thanks so much.

HARLOW: Thank you.

FAT JOE: Thank you.

HARLOW: Good morning, everyone. Top of the hour. I'm Poppy Harlow.

BERMAN: And I'm John Berman.

[10:00:08]

New this morning, the girlfriend of the Las Vegas killer is back on U.S. soil and is once again a person of interest. Marilou Danley, met by the FBI as she arrived back from the Philippines in Los Angeles. She will also be questioned by Las Vegas Police.