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North Korea Releases U.S. Citizen; Storm Blasts Eastern U.S.; Assange Might be Charged in U.S.; Trump's Canceled Cemetery Trip; Bleacher Report Highlights; Teen Vaping up 80 Percent. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired November 16, 2018 - 06:30   ET

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

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[06:30:52] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, North Korean state media says an American citizen, detained last month, has been released.

So let's get right to CNN's Alexandra Field. She's live in Hong Kong for us with the details.

What do we know, Alexandra?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Alisyn, good morning.

The news coming overnight from North Korean state news, they are identifying their detainee has Bruce Byron Lawrence. They say he's a U.S. citizen who crossed in October from China into North Korea. They say he admitted to the illegal crossing and they say that he claimed that he was an operative of the CIA. They then say that he was deported over the border outside of North Korea. It is not clear where he is now. We have not yet heard from U.S. officials about the kind of conditions under which he might have made that statement or how his detainment or release came about.

At the same time, some more news coming out of North Korea overnight. News from their state news agency that they have conducted a weapons test that was personally supervised by Kim Jong-un. This is the first time we have known about Kim Jong-un supervising a weapons test since North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile about a year ago.

This test, very different from that test. Certainly not rising to that level of provocation at all. But it did garner notice because we've had weeks now of hearing raised rhetoric from North Korea, more tension over an impasse in terms of talks with the United States. Some burgeoning threats from North Korea and frustrations with the United States, like canceling a meeting with Secretary Pompeo.

We're learning a little bit more about the weapons test now from a source that tells CNN that the South Korean government believes that this was a test of long-range artillery. And that's something that they don't consider to be a military provocation. As for U.S. officials, they've made it clear that they plan to

continue to work with North Korea. They believe that North Korea will honor its commitments. Vice President Mike Pence even telling NBC News within the last day that he is working toward accomplishing a second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un and that there won't be a condition going into this summit. That North Korea will have to declare its entire nuclear inventory. That that's something the two sides can work together toward during the second summit.

So that does seem to be a new incentive to get this summit on track.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, they're looking for reasons to keep talking, as opposed to stop talking.

All right, Alexandria Field, thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate it.

The major pre-winter storm that hit the eastern part of the U.S. with ice, snow and rain is now blamed for at least eight deaths. Thousands of people are without power this morning from Indiana to Pennsylvania, and it is already making for a miserable morning commute.

Let's get to meteorologist Chad Myers for a look at the forecast.

Chad.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hopefully not as bad as last night's commute home in some cases here. An overachiever for sure. Even Central Park picked up six inches of snow before it changed to sleet, then to rain and then finally by 9:00 it was somewhere around 41 degrees.

This weather is brought to you by Jared, dare to be devoted. It's about that time to get shopping, isn't it?

Here's the show right now. It's moving on up toward the north into the Poconos, the Allegheny's and the Catskills. Other than that, though, we will see this end by tomorrow. It will be -- temperatures will be very cold. Later on tonight, we're going to get back down to freezing. If you see slush on the roadway, it may be frozen by sunset tonight.

Now, not a lot more in the way of any accumulation. Everything's really going to move on up. Green and White Mountains, sure, they get snow. The Adirondacks and Catskills, yes, still, but this is about done now. Most of the snow is going to head on up towards Atlantic Canada.

Highs today, 39 Detroit. 34 Syracuse, 43 in New York. And that sounds great. Hey, if you're getting on an airplane, that's just perfect. No, because it's very windy. Look at these unexpected delays. New York City, all the airports, over two hours. Not every plane because already almost 500 planes have been canceled this morning. And we're only at, what, 6:30 something. Canceling that many planes, it's going to be a long day at the airport. CAMEROTA: Oh, my gosh, what a mess. And yesterday the gridlock that

that snow created in Manhattan. It took like 45 minutes for me to go eight blocks.

BERMAN: Yes, I didn't even try to go home last night. But as a result, it means my wife has to clear the driveway this morning. So she's out with the snow blower.

CAMEROTA: You seem to be taking a perverse please in this.

BERMAN: I'm laughing because I'm anticipating --

CAMEROTA: The phone call.

BERMAN: I'm anticipating the blowback I'm going to get from this over the next (INAUDIBLE).

[06:35:00] CAMEROTA: I look forward to that phone call.

All right, meanwhile, are federal prosecutors filing charges against WikiLeaks found Julian Assange? What does that mean for the special counsel's Russia investigation? We ask General Michael Hayden, next.

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BERMAN: Has WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange been charged by the U.S. government? An unsealed court filing suggests that federal prosecutors may be ready to indict the WikiLeaks' founder, or maybe they already did. So, how will that affect the Mueller Russia investigation? Is it connected at all?

I want to discuss with CNN national security analyst, former director of the CIA and NSA, General Michael Hayden.

General, thank you so much for being with us.

GENERAL MICHAEL HAYDEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Sure.

BERMAN: I want to read a couple of things you have said about Julian Assange. No love lost between the two of you. A troubled young man, you called him. Morally arrogant to a tremendous degree.

I don't imagine you will shed a tear if he is charged or has been charged?

HAYDEN: No. And, in fact, John, we were always under the assumption that he had. Now that's no special insight on what the bureau was doing. That work is appropriately kept off to one side.

[06:40:04] BERMAN: You were under the impression that he had been charged and kept under seal years ago?

HAYDEN: Yes, because of the -- you know, because of his body of work, if you want to call it that. I mean it begins all the way back with Chelsea Manning and what he had said -- released at that time. And then fast-forward to actually sending an agent of WikiLeaks to

Hong Kong to assist Edward Snowden in the flight from U.S. justice. You then later have the release of cyber hacking tools apparently stolen from the United States government. And I'm not even up to the question of the American election in 2016 yet. I think there's a reason why he stayed in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for so long.

BERMAN: Why do you think it's important he goes to jail?

HAYDEN: I -- look, we -- because what he's done. Mike Pompeo's description of him was absolutely correct and one that we had of him at all times.

BERMAN: A non-state hostile intelligence service often embedded by state actors.

HAYDEN: Exactly right. And that's how we viewed him. And that's how we worked against him.

Now, I know this implicates some First Amendment protections. Is he or is he not a newsman? But when I look at a newsman, I look at someone like you and I expect you to curate information, to actually portray information in a logical sequence. I expect you to put information into context. I mean that's what a newsman does.

This man suborns the theft of government secrets and publishes them wholesale.

BERMAN: In the charging documents over the summer, when Robert Mueller indicted those 12 Russian individuals and entities. He said of WikiLeaks, he said, the conspirators, in this case Russian intelligence, used Guccifer 2.0 to release additional stolen documents through a website maintained by Organization 1. He's talking about WikiLeaks there. He's saying WikiLeaks was used and worked with Russian intelligence.

HAYDEN: Right.

BERMAN: We don't know if that's what Julian Assange is being charged with or has been charged with. But, in that case, he would be involved in some way with Russian intelligence.

HAYDEN: Well, in both cases. All right, so now you've got this body of work and I'm suggesting, boy, this -- this could have -- this could have deep legs, all right, to go way back. It also could be something more recent simply because of the role within the Russian investigation.

But just think now what that means. You have a candidate for the president of the United States calling for the assistance, using the information from, praising an institution that the man he chooses to be his CIA chief calls a hostile intelligence service.

BERMAN: What should I this about that?

HAYDEN: Number one, no sense of consequence in terms of what the candidate was saying. Michael Gerson talks about the president, the candidate, living in the eternal now. He has no appreciation of history. He has no concerns for consequences. There's a classic example of doing something simply because it felt good, was useful at the moment.

Here -- I -- when I get into my darker moments, John, and I talk about the campaign, and even in the administration, here's a phrase I don't think I'm ever going to here, well, that would be useful, but, you know, to do that would be wrong. I don't hear that.

BERMAN: The president, over the weekend, was in France to mark the 100 years since the end of World War I. He did not visit a cemetery on Saturday because there was bad weather. I get the sense that you do not feel as if that was a sufficient reason not to do that visit?

HAYDEN: Yes, I was actually in France over the weekend and I was visiting cemeteries despite the threatening weather. And I was out in Normandy looking at the World War II battlefields. But being there, in even Normandy, you got the deep appreciation of the meaning of this weekend for the French people and for France's allies. And so even though I'm walking through World War II battlefields and he's not going to World War I battlefields, the impact of this event on me is really, really strong.

I used a phrase last night when I was in here with Don Lemon saying, you know, as a practical matter, if the president had his wits about him, he would have - he would have realized the only legitimate excuse for not going to the battlefield was that he was dying or that someone near him that he loved was in dire straits like they were dying, otherwise there is no excuse for not showing up there, giving the symbolism is his going and really the tragic symbolism of his not going.

BERMAN: And when he got back to the United States, he did not visit Arlington Cemetery on Veteran's Day or the day after, which was the bank holiday.

HAYDEN: No.

BERMAN: Do you feel as if he should?

HAYDEN: Absolutely. And who -- who in his staff isn't willing to go in there and say, Mr. President, I know you're angry, OK, even take blame for it yourself. We made a bad call in Paris last weekend. We need to show the American people that's not the real you.

[06:45:02] An informal visit, Mr. President, we can do it with a motorcade of six folks. We'll take you over to the Tomb of the Unknown. You'll pay your respect. You'll say hi to the folks there. The American people will see that you have been there. We can fix this a lot. And it just boggles my mind that that didn't happen.

BERMAN: So the president, who has also been criticized for not visiting troops overseas --

HAYDEN: Right. BERMAN: He'll say, look, I've increased military spending, I'm surrounded by people he calls "my generals." He'll say that people inside the military love him. That this isn't a slight on the military.

HAYDEN: Yes. No, it absolutely is a slight. And when he calls people "my generals," you can't imagine how much gritting of teeth goes on inside the armed forces being called the generals of a president rather than a senior officer of the American republic.

And with regard to just broad military support for the president, although the numbers might seem high compared to other parts of the population, they are historically low for a president of the United States from the members of the armed forces.

BERMAN: Do they notice things like the lack of an Arlington visit, veterans?

HAYDEN: Oh, they notice -- they notice the lack of the Arlington visit. They notice the trashing of the French on the third anniversary of a horrific terrorism -- terrorist attack in France. They recognize the strategic theater when they see it, you know, security theater, deploying 5,000 to 6,000 folks to the southern border for its political affect. It's a little bit like that Kipling (ph) verse, you bet that Johnny sees.

BERMAN: He did visit -- he did do a military visit yesterday.

HAYDEN: He did. He went to (INAUDIBLE), all right. And I'm sure the Marines were -- that's the Marine Barracks.

BERMAN: Yes.

HAYDEN: And I'm sure the Marines were happy to see him and I'm sure that they showed him what he deserves, loaded respect of the president of the United States. But the purposes were really transparent.

BERMAN: General Michael Hayden, great to have you with us. A busy morning.

HAYDEN: Sure.

BERMAN: I know you're watching this with WikiLeaks very carefully like the rest of us.

Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, John, now to this topic. The FDA moves to restrict sales of flavored e-cigarettes. This in response to an explosion of vaping among high school students. The details, ahead.

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[06:51:06] CAMEROTA: OK, the Green Bay Packers' chances of making the playoffs taking a big hit thanks to the Seattle Seahawks.

BERMAN: This is football, just so you know.

CAMEROTA: OK, thank you.

Is this about the Super Bowl?

Coy Wire has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report" from Nashville, home of this week's Ultimate Tailgate.

BERMAN: Tums Ultimate.

CAMEROTA: What did I say?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, lucky me. Good morning to you.

It will be a must-win for Vanderbilt here to keep (INAUDIBLE) hopes alive. And last night, in the NFL, it was a back and forth battles to keep playoff hopes alive. Let's check the highlights for you.

The Seahawks rallying from being down 14-3 at one point to find a way to win. Russell Wilson, Ed Dickson, giving them the lead with five minutes to go. Aaron Rodgers tore the Seahawks apart, over 330 yards in this one, two touchdowns, but it was after this incomplete pass it was fourth and two on their own 33. Coach Mike McCarthy decide to punt with about four minutes to go. They never get the ball back. Rodger's face says it all. He was sacked five times by the Seahawks in this one. Seahawks win 27-24.

Now, in the NBA, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant back on the court for the first time since their little dust-up on Monday. Draymond saying that despite the incident, the Warriors still going to win a title this season. Well, last night against the Rockets, they were far from championship form. Draymond Green playing 24 minutes, scoring exactly zero points. The Rockets romping the warriors in this one, a one in seven to 86 win. And afterwards Steve Kerr said his Warriors are banged up physically and spiritually.

John, this morning, my spirits are lifted. I'm here at Nashville Underground. So it's hot chicken and honky tonk for me for breakfast. Toughest gig in the network this morning.

CAMEROTA: Yum.

BERMAN: I like that.

CAMEROTA: Me too.

BERMAN: Hot chicken and honky tonk.

Thank you very much, Coy Wire. Appreciate it.

A major crackdown by the FDA targeting menthol cigarettes and flavored vapes. Just how bad has this problem become with teenagers. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:57:17] CAMEROTA: Listen up, parents. We don't have to tell you that teen vaping has become an epidemic in the U.S. Well, now the government is cracking down on e-cigarettes and some tobacco products.

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here with the details.

Tell us about vaping.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, vaping is something that is still a relatively new phenomenon, the e-cigarettes that, you know, people have heard about these. People did not -- you know, you're basically heating up a liquid and you're not burning something in this case. People didn't know how it was going to affect kids. Would kids start taking this or not? And they were following these trends for a period of time.

Last year what they saw was something that got everyone's attention, and that is that usage of e-cigarettes went up 80 percent among high schoolers, went up nearly 50 percent among middle schoolers. That's the big concern. The commissioner of the FDA has said for some time now he's -- while these things may be affective at helping people stop smoking real cigarettes, if the balance is that young people are going to start, it's not a balance he's going to tolerate.

We talked to him about this specifically, Commissioner Gottlieb.

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SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FDA COMMISSIONER: We know that some proportion of kids who initiate on nicotine through an e-cigarettes are going to migrate onto combustible cigarettes. And so all the dramatic gains that we've made in recent years, getting smoking rates down among kids, there's a threat that that's going to be reversed if we don't do something about this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: And let me just tell you one other thing that I found quite striking. Ninety percent of lifelong smokers start before the age of 18, 95 percent start before the age of 21. The point is, it's a really vulnerable period. If people start at that point, the likelihood they're going to continue is much higher.

BERMAN: He just made an explicit connection --

GUPTA: Yes.

BERMAN: Between vaping and smoking.

GUPTA: Yes.

BERMAN: He -- what does the science say about this?

GUPTA: Well, it's relatively new still. I mean we are talking about something that's a relatively new phenomenon. They've been following these trends. But what he's saying is that now there's enough evidence to suggest that if you start with e-cigarettes, that at some point a certain proportion, a proportion that, you know, they're still figuring out the number, but it's high enough to be concerned, will then transition to combustible cigarettes. Are e-cigarettes safer than combustible cigarettes? I think they would say yes. It's not tobacco. You're not burning it. You maybe not have the same exposures.

There are safety concerns, but the big concern, what has prompted these new -- this new crackdown, if you will, this proposed crackdown, is that, John, that concern that you'll transition from one to the other.

CAMEROTA: So what does this crackdown look like?

GUPTA: If you -- we'll show you the list of things they want to do, but it's all sort of focused on this idea of, they want to get younger people to not use this as much. So they're going to restrict sales specifically of the flavored -- the flavors. There's all these flavors that they think are specifically targeting kids. You're not going to be able to buy these at convenience stores, gas stations. You've got to walk into an age-restricted place now to buy this, like a vaping store, for example. Ban menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars. But basically that bottom one as well, they don't want kids to have this marketed to them. They want to cut this down.

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