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At This Hour
Migrants Run for Their Lives as Desperation Grows; Dangerous Passage on Aegean Sea for Migrants; Pastor Commits Suicide after Ashley Madison Leak; Trump Suggests CNN Use Ad Money from Debate for Veterans; Group Upset Over Kim Davis Use of Song; Stephen Colbert Debuts as "Late Night" Host. Aired 11:30-12p ET
Aired September 09, 2015 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:30:00] ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And so this key gateway of so many into European Union is going to be almost completely shutdown. These are the train tracks that people are following from Serbia into Hungary, and you can see them over here waiting in the shade, because for many they would have walked from four to nine hours, and they are absolutely exhausted by the time they reach this point, because many of them have also spent anywhere from two to five weeks on the road.
At the end of these tracks, that is where they enter that holding area that you were speaking about, and it is there where over the last few days, we are seeing an increased number of individuals attempting to break out, to push through the police line, because based on what they are telling us, they can't take the conditions there, and they can't deal with the wait anymore, and we saw it yesterday and today, they pushed through police lines, and they managed to keep going in a certain distance, and the police bring them back under control. And depending upon how they are able to negotiate it, the group did manage to negotiate buses to take them to the Austrian border.
And while this is indicative of the desperate measures they are willing to undertake, it is making it much more difficult for the authorities trying to control the situation. A short time ago, there was a police vehicle up and down the dirt road calling out the name of an 8-year-old boy who was lost. His parents and family have not seen him since yesterday about this time.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Arwa is covering it from Hungary.
And, Arwa, thank you so much.
And now, over to Ivan. As John laid out, he is on a boat between Turkey, and Greece, and following that angle, which is just as desperate of a situation for many of these folks seeking asylum.
And, Ivan, what are you seeing there?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, this is the Aegean Sea. It is the channel that thousands and thousands of people a day are used to smuggle themselves from Turkey over here, and the coast of Turkey across this body of water over to the Greek islands like the island of Lesbos saying that they are getting thousands of Greek immigrants was washing up on the coast there everyday, and how are they doing it? By inflatable pontoon dinghies. You can see they are out there p pushed out to sea by smugglers who then one abandoned on board is left to steer themselves toward Greece. In the case that we saw, then the boat then turned in circles, because the passengers didn't know how the steer the vessel. And it is a potentially deadly trip that people are taking. And scores of people have died trying to make the journey. More are on the way.
And we were in a Turkish city Izmir, and there were teems of people there full of people with backpacks, and freshly bought life jackets. They were sitting around to wait for smugglers they had paid $1,300 apiece to the wait for them to get the call to go to the buses to go to the coast to board these barely sea-worthy vessels to get to Greece.
These refugees that I talked to, they are fresh refugees, and not from the two million refugees living in camps that have come from Iraq and Syria in recent years. Because they said they had just flown in from the Turkey with the express purpose to get from Greece to Europe to escape the war in Syria.
And so if the Europeans are feeling worried about the flood of migrants coming across their borders, well, they have to be ready, because thousands more are flying here to board these boats everyday -- Kate and John?
BERMAN: And the civil war and pain rages on. And the forces pushing people out of that country is going to continue and grow worse.
Ivan Watson, Arwa Damon, thank you both so much.
BOLDUAN: And the head of the European Commission said the same, it is only going to be worse as these conflicts and tragedies compound each other.
Great reporting from them.
Coming up for us, getting a celebrities' welcome. Cheering fans waiving signs, and a victory song as she walks out of jail. But not everyone is a fan of Kim Davis. Why the rock band Survivor is furious that the song, "Eye of the Tiger," was used at the rally. We'll talk to one of the writers of that song ahead.
[11:35:00] BERMAN: It has begun. The debut the new "Late Show" with the new host, but was Stephen Colbert as funny as Stephen Colbert?
(LAUGHTER)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: The family of a pastor who committed suicide following the Ashley Madison scandal is speaking out today. Pastor John Gibson was married with two children and he took his life six days after the hackers exposed the names of millions of people who had signed up on the website, and that website for those seeking affairs.
BOLDUAN: Gibson's name was on the list.
And Laurie Segall spoke to his wife and children, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAURIE SEGALL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A pastor, a husband, and father of two, a seminary professor with a sense of humor.
(SINGING)
TREY GIBSON, SON OF JOHN GIBSON: My dad was a great man. He was a great man with struggles. My dad reached a point of such hopelessness and despair that he took his own life.
SEGALL: It was just six after hackers exposed the names of those on Ashley Madison, a website for people seeking affairs. Gibson's name was on the list.
[11:40:06] CHRISTIE GIBSON, WIFE OF JOHN GIBSON: I came home from work and I began to notice that there were clues around the house that things were not what they were supposed to be. I eventually discovered him, and that was a moment that I've -- that life doesn't prepare you for. How do you tell your kids that their dad is gone, and that he took his own life?
CALLIE GIBSON, DAUGHTER OF JOHN GIBSON: I think that the hardest thing for me to deal with was that he honestly doubted the fact that we would love him enough.
SEGALL: In the suicide note, he wrote about being on Ashley Madison.
(on camera): Do you mind sharing a little bit of what he put in the note?
CHRISTIE GIBSON: He talked about the depression, and he talked about having his name on there, and he said that he was very, very sorry. He poured his life into other people, but somehow he could not extend that into himself.
SEGALL (voice-over): And facing the harsh reality of loss, there is also forgiveness, Christie says.
CHRISTIE GIBSON: It wasn't so bad that we wouldn't have forgiven it. And so many people have said that to us. But for John, he carried with him such shame and he couldn't see that.
SEGALL: When the hack left 32 million potential adulterers exposed, Christie has a message for those grappling with infidelity.
CHRISTIE GIBSON: Don't underestimate the power of love. Nothing is worth the loss of a husband and friend and father. It just didn't merit it at all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: And Laurie is with us right now. And they are so eloquent, and strong and speaking about the pain, which is still very fresh, and this just happened.
SEGALL: Yes, yes.
BOLDUAN: And what more did they say, because they said that he mentioned Ashley Madison, and what more did they say about it?
SEGALL: Well, they spoke, and she was very compose and what she said is that you don't see me at 4:00 in the morning, and I was OK in speaking about it, but it is so difficult for her, and she spoke about the infidelity, and she said that this infidelity breaks a family, and it hurts in a way that you can't understand, but nothing is worth losing the life of a father and husband and she wishes that he had known that there is another type of forgiveness.
BOLDUAN: Wow, the strength and ability to forgive is so important.
BERMAN: And the repercussions of this story is amazing.
BOLDUAN: Amazing.
BERMAN: Thank you, Laurie Segall.
SEGALL: Thank you.
BOLDUAN: Thanks, Laurie.
BERMAN: And now, one week from tonight, CNN hosts the second Republican debate. And Donald Trump has written my boss, the president of this network, with a special request. Details next.
BOLDUAN: Also ahead, it is a song is 30 years young. And today, it's making very big news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please help me to welcome to the stage Kim Davis.
(APPLAUSE)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: The unmistakable chorus of "Eye of the Tiger" by the band Survivor for the Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis, right there. She was introduced at a rally with that song. And the band is not happy about that walk-up song. We will speak to one of the men who wrote that song, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:46:57] BOLDUAN: One week from tonight, the second Republican debate right here on CNN. Donald Trump is also making it more interesting, it appears, by sending a letter of proposal to CNN. He says that the network will make big money from advertisers from the debate, because of the appearance, and this is what he wants CNN to do. In the letter, he says, "I believe all profits from the broadcast should go to various veterans groups, and a list of which I will send to you in a near future."
BERMAN: And the list was sent to CNN's president, Jeff Zucker.
I can't be more happy to bring in our CNN media correspondent, Brian Seltzer, host of "Reliable Sources."
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: The news about ourselves this morning.
(LAUGHTER)
BERMAN: Yes, indeed.
STELTER: This is something not entirely unexpected. A couple of weeks ago, Trump started hinting about this. Trump said, maybe I should do that, and be paid for it, and maybe a "Time" magazine interview, and I should be paid. And Trump does not specify the amount of money, but he said that amount of the profit should go to these veterans groups. And he cited the FOX debate as a reason for this. And this is part of what he said, "As you are aware for the first debate, FOX unexpected, but not to those who know, had one of the largest audiences in the history of cable television, 24 million people-plus, and word is that your audience will be bigger. Time will tell how big the audience will be for CNN's debate. It's next week, next Wednesday. Trump's letter going to stoke more anticipation, because there is going to be curiosity of what CNN is going to do.
But we should point out, this is unprecedented, and there is no precedent of a financial transaction on behalf of a candidate like this. And again, there is no precedent for Donald Trump. There is not precedent for a suggestion like this. We never heard a suggestion like this. And it is putting a very interesting situation in play for CNN. And Trump is not saying how much money he wants, and we will see how much more he says about weighing in.
BERMAN: Interesting.
BOLDUAN: Interesting. He is going to be on CNN tomorrow, and that is going to be one of the questions he is asked.
STELTER: That's absolutely right.
And by the way, we should mention, CNN spends a lot of money to put on one of the debates, and also makes money from advertising. We don't know how much money it will be. There's a lot of debates to come. And so this is a strange precedent, but we have never heard of it before.
BERMAN: Thank you, Brian.
BOLDUAN: Thanks, Brian. Good to see you.
And new for us, "Too many times if happens too fast. You trade your passion for your glory."
BERMAN: "Don't loose your grip on the dreams of the past. You must fight just to keep them alive." It is the "Eye of the Tiger," by the band "Survivor," but not the song the band wanted to hear when Kim Davis was released from jail yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:50:00] BERMAN: That did not sit well with Survivor's Frankie Sullivan. He took to Facebook to vent his feelings. He writes, "No, we did not grant Kim Davis any rights to use my tune 'Eye of the Tiger.' I would not grant her the right to use Charmin."
LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: Let's get more on this from fellow Survivor band member, Jim Peterik. He's joining us on the phone from Chicago.
Jim, thank you for jumping on the line.
You are not so happy they used your song in her walkout. What did you think when you first heard it?
JIM PETERIK, SURVIVOR BAND MEMBER (voice-over): Hey, John and Kate. Good to hear you guys.
Well, you know, I was gobsmacked because, normally, the way it goes is our publisher, for my half of the song, Warner Chapel, they'll call you and say, "Jim, this sports team or that sports team wants to come on the field," and we'll go, "Fantastic." We were not asked about this at all. And the first time we saw it was on national TV.
And, you know, this really isn't a song that was meant to be a political statement, you know? It's probably the number one motivational song ever written right now at least. But we're talking about personal achievement. We're talking about one man's struggle or one woman's struggle to be the best that they do. This is sporting events. This is not about taking political sides. So we are very, very surprised about it.
BERMAN: Are you opposed to her stance on same-sex marriage? You know she won't issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
PETERIK: Well, that's a personal statement. And I like to keep my views personal. I'm a songwriter. I'm a musician. All I know is this was never authorized for this purpose. In a way it's like, well, it's great that the song is out there motivating people but this was not -- this is about two boxers in a ring. This is about a personal fight. It wasn't about politics, so no matter what I think of -- if nothing else, they should have asked permission for this. This is not right at all.
BOLDUAN: Mike Huckabee's campaign put on this rally. They handled the staging, they handled the sound systems. You can assume they probably picked the song as well. The fact Huckabee had chosen, and not Kim Davis, does not change anything for you?
PETERIK: No. It doesn't. It's the same thing. It's all politics. This is not about politics. This has been a theme for Special Olympics and like I said this goes totally -- the whole political thing goes against the grain of the song. It's not whether you're for gay rights or not gay rights, it's not about that.
BERMAN: Jim Peterik, thank you for being with us. An honor to talk to you, sir.
PETERIK: Nice to talk to you and thanks for having me on.
BOLDUAN: Thanks so much.
BERMAN: It's a good song.
BOLDUAN: It's a great song. I like that we could play a little bit of it throughout the show today.
BERMAN: Next, Stephen Colbert, he now is the host of the "Late Night" show on broadcast television. After his first day, we'll review how he did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:57:03] STEPHEN COLBERT, NEW HOST, LATE NIGHT: We've been working so hard, so very hard, to get the show ready for you. And I have to say, as long as I have nine months to make one hour of TV, I can do this forever.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Last night, more than five million people -- nearly as much as watch AT THIS HOUR -- they watched Stephen Colbert debut on the "Late Show." BOLDUAN: Let's talk about the big first night with an expert on all
things Stephen Colbert, Sophia McClennen, author of "Colbert's America: Satire and Democracy." She's also a professor at Penn State University.
Sophia, thanks so much for joining us.
What did you think of the big night when we met the real Stephen Colbert?
SOPHIA MCCLENNEN, PROFESSOR, PENN STATE UNIVERSITY & AUTHOR: I think it was exactly what we expected it to be -- silly, entertaining, a little political and a little maybe awkward at times.
BERMAN: Awkward at times. My question, when you look into this, give than he won't be his character from "The Colbert Report" is what's going to be different about him than other 40 or 50-something white guys that host late night TV shows at the same time? Yes, I understand he has Joe Biden, Stephen Breyer. You don't usually see a Supreme Court justice. But other than that, will it be different than the other product?
MCCLENNEN: I think absolutely. There's been signs that Colbert wants it to be different. I think the lineup of guests is significant. The fact he had Clooney on when he wasn't pushing a project is also a sign. I think the kind of political satire he'll do will be different from anything else we're seeing.
BOLDUAN: One thing I found interesting when you're talking about other networks, the fact that he was in his opening monologue he had Jimmy Fallon kind of beamed in on his show. That's completely different than the late night wars of resent memory.
MCCLENNEN: Absolutely. And I think it's in good fun. I think it helps build both shows. They see that, in fact, bypassing on to each other, they hype each other's work and it's for the good. And a lot of that is because people don't watch these shows in their TV slots. They watch them the next day on the Internet or via clips so they don't to necessarily compete over the exact same time.
BERMAN: Although we all missed the bile from the Leno/Letterman feud. That was all entertaining.
BOLDUAN: It was for us.
BERMAN: What do Colbert fans of Comedy Central will think of the new show?
MCCLENNEN: That's a great question. I was watching the Twitter feed and I can tell you some of the really die-hard Colbert fans were definitely disappointed. They found the entertaining silliness of it to be hard on them when they were used to a really polished political satire show. The thing is, you have to go back and look at what Colbert looked like on his first "Colbert Report." Because that was also maybe a little stiff, maybe not so great. So I think we're seeing the beginning of what's to come and this was a fabulous first show.
BOLDUAN: Sophia, thanks so much. Great to meet you.