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Fact Checking Putin's Speech; Georgia House Approves Medical Weed; Baby Work Out Goes Viral

Aired March 5, 2014 - 07:30   ET




JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States of America, the Russian federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.


KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to NEW DAY. That's just in. Secretary of State John Kerry addressing world leaders in Paris this morning about the crisis in Ukraine. A Russian representative was not at the meeting, but Kerry is set to meet face to face with Russian's foreign minister later today. Kerry told reporters he fears Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning an escalation of his military operation in Crimea.

Putin of course spoke out with his own views on the crisis Tuesday. He made a lot of big claims so let's try to separate fact from fiction here and do this the only way CNN can with our reporters on the ground.

Anna Coren, we got -- let's start with -- we'll bring them in in just one second. Here is the first claim that Putin made yesterday that a lot of people are paying attention to. The fact that there are masked militants in Kiev. Putin saying at one point, armed and masked militants including neo-Nazis and anti-Semites are roaming the streets of Kiev.

For that let's bring in, Michael Holmes in Kiev. Michael, we've talked about this quite a bit since we heard that coming from Putin's mouth. What are you seeing on the ground? Any evidence of this because Putin is arguing this threat from neo-Nazis and anti-Semites as one of the reasons that Russia's had to move in.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes. Well, you know, undoubtedly, Kate, during the protests, there were some extreme elements, right wingers, ultranationalists. They were very vocal. They were demanding. They are at the forefront of a lot of the clashes. But it's important to put it in context. The vast bulk of those who have been on the streets during the protests and right now are ordinary Ukrainians, citizens who favoured the plan for closer economic ties with the west.

Now, they are the majority of people who've been out. The ones who are opposing the government of Viktor Yanukovych and to now also opposed what Russia is doing in Crimea. Were those numbers there, yes, they were. But not in the numbers that Vladimir Putin would have you believe.

BOLDUAN: And to use it as a basis for Russia to move in, you probably put that in the fiction category, right, Michael?

HOLMES: Yes. Well, those elements were there, but, yes, there's a basis for anything like what happened. Absolutely correct.

BOLDUAN: All right, Michael Holmes in Kiev on the ground for us there. Thank you, Michael. Let's talk about another claim that Vladimir Putin made yesterday. That the local Ukrainian people especially in Crimea, they're the ones that are asking for Russia's help, that they needed help, that they felt threatened. And here's a key part, that who was on the ground, who's moving in, not Russian forces.

That's what Vladimir Putin says. He argues that the armed men controlling Crimea, they're actually local self defense forces. For this fact or fiction, let's bring Anna in Coren who is in Crimea. So Ana, we heard what Vladimir Putin said. We know U.S. and European allies have said this is false. What are you seeing on the ground?

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as far as the Russian troops go, obviously Putin has said they're just local militia. That is false. Our crews can confirm that they are Russian forces. They're flying the flags. They have the license plates on their cars and trucks and some of the young soldiers have actually said that they are Russian troops. Vladimir Putin, he's not telling the truth over that one. As far as the people here in Crimea are concerned, yes, they do want the Russian troops to come and save them.

That's what we've been hearing from the people certainly here in the capitol of Crimea. We're standing outside the government building. This is what the people are saying. That they are scared and they want the Russians to come in. Vladimir Putin had said that his forces are here to defend the Russian speakers here in the Ukraine -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: As we have heard, what some folks in Crimea, very different than Ukrainians feel in other parts of the country. That's one thing that we have definitely seen for sure. Anna Coren in Crimea for us. Thank you so much.

Here's another claim that Vladimir Putin made yesterday, that the basis for all of this -- -- he's blaming the west for what he called anarchy and an armed coup in the Ukraine.

Let's bring in Jim Sciutto in Washington to discuss this one. Jim, we talked about this yesterday, but I think it's also important because Secretary Kerry came out after our discussion and said very clearly that he believes Putin is working very hard to create the pretext to invade further. He's creating his own facts on the grouped to try to rationalize the movements that Russia is making. Do you think there is evidence to exist that this movement started anywhere in the west?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: No. I mean, is the U.S. -- was the U.S. involved, yes. Did they orchestrate this? No. How are they involved? You had U.S. officials trying to help broker an agreement between the protestors and the existing Ukrainian government. Remember that phone call when the top diplomat was caught on the phone speaking to the ambassador in the Ukraine?

It was famous because she used the f-word to describe the E.U. It was believed released by the Russians, put out on YouTube, in fact, and tweeted around by an advisor to Vladimir Putin to show the U.S. sticking its hands in this. You know, getting involved in all of this, but you know, orchestrating it, no.

This was very much a locally sparked and locally organized, you know, revolt against a government there that they saw as corrupt and is grabbing powers and defying the Ukrainian's people desire to grow closer to Europe. You know, they had this agreement the E.U. to improve relations with the E.U.

As Secretary Kerry said, the Russians trying to create a pretext for their action there. Part of that is the west is interfering in Ukrainian affairs. They got rid of another -- another claim is they got rid of the popularly elected leader of the Ukraine, replaced with these protestors who the Russians call -- use the word terrorist to describe the protestors. The U.S. will say they're trying to make peace there. They can't say they orchestrated this or planned it from the beginning.

BOLDUAN: Jim Sciutto, Anna Coren, Michael Holmes, trying to separate fact from fiction in what can be a very confusing situation in any crisis playing out overseas. Thanks you, guys, so much -- Chris.

CUOMO: Hence the need for the fact check. Thank you, Kate. Coming up on NEW DAY, Georgia is close to legalizing medical marijuana. The man behind that documentary and a brand new one aptly titled, "Cannabis Madness. Dr.Sanjay Gupta joins us next.

And you want a six-pack? You want to be like John Berman, maybe you need to follow the advice of a 6-month-old. We have it coming up later in the hour. The 6-month-old is one in the left.


BOLDUAN: Welcome back. Have we reach a tipping point with pot? Georgia's state house approved a bill to legalize medical marijuana after playing a part of CNN's ground breaking documentary "Weed" on the state house floor. The measure now heads to the state senate for consideration. Its passage could signal a shift in attitudes and even the most conservative parts of the country.

Let's discuss. Joining us the man behind the "Weed" documentary, Dr. Sanjay Gupta who's been at the forefront of investigating the real science behind medical marijuana.

CUOMO: You should not have marijuana behind your head. I think it sends the wrong --

BOLDUAN: It just follows you around.

CUOMO: It's just wrong.

BOLDUAN: No, it's just right. But in all seriousness. I want to get your take on what's happening in Georgia. We have seen when it comes to medical marijuana, it's almost like we're moved past medical marijuana. We're talking about recreational marijuana. We have 20- some states who have approved medical marijuana, but southern states are noticeably absent on that list.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: They've been much more conservative on this whole thing and not putting it up for a vote until recently. If you looked at the issue a couple years ago, I don't think most legislators would have thought it had a prayer's chance of passing and then it passed 171 to 4. It's interesting what's happening there. It is a very restrictive law and I want to be clear about this. This is not recreational marijuana. It's purely medicinal.

This is only the oil form, the liquid form of the extract of the plant. So this isn't something that people would smoke or vaporize or anything like that. And it doesn't have the psycho active as much of the psycho active components, the THCs. So this is the therapeutic form of marijuana, but not the stuff that gets you high. That's what they're talking about is this restrictive bill moving forward to provide a medicine potentially out of marijuana.

BOLDUAN: Does that go far enough? Because I know part of your first documentary and I think you take it on again in weed two, you're looking at the really helpful impact it can have on things like seizures and epilepsy.

GUPTA: What's going to be necessary ultimately is there's lots of different options available. Like most medicines, there's not a one size fits all sort of approach here. I think with a lot of these restrictive bills, you don't get the options for people to tinker a little bit if you will with the different strains of the marijuana.

BOLDUAN: Is the science there, Sanjay? Because opponents of this bill that it's not there yet.

GUPTA: Well, it's interesting, in the United States, it is probably not there. I think part of that is because it's still classified as a schedule one substance. It's the most addictive and having no medicine effect. So when you classify it like that and then say, let's find the science. You are trying to find science and an illegal substance that's already pre-ordained to have not any medicinal effect. I found a lot of the science outside of this country. I got fooled by that as well. If you look at the U.S. literature, about 95 percent of the studies look at harm, 5 to 6 percent look at benefit. CUOMO: It's skewed. I guess, the question because is the science no matter where you find it sufficient to offset the risk of introducing marijuana more into the culture?

GUPTA: I think with regard as a medicine, with regard to the therapeutic component of it, I think it is. Look, they've been doing this for a long time in Israel for example. They even allow patients to use this medicine in the hospitals. It's part of their medical culture over there. We have to look outside our own borders and also do the research here, which is starting to happen.

BERMAN: We see what's happening in Colorado and Washington State with recreational use. Are these two movements moving in conjunction or can the medical marijuana movement happen independently?

GUPTA: It's a great question, John. I've learned a bit about that over the past year because this is a provocative controversial issue. What I have found is that people will use whatever toe hold they can use to sort of advance their own agenda. Our focus was always on the medical parts of marijuana and this idea that there is a drug out there, a medication, which can work for people when nothing else has. It's very important.

This is compassionate care. In so many cases, people are being denied that compassionate care. There are people that say look, it's going to open up the doors to legalization. It's going to condone it because Gupta and others are coming out and saying it's a good medicine. How bad can it be? But we've been very specific on what we are talking about can't control of the people's agendas, but I think it's a fair point.

BOLDUAN: Sanjay, thanks so much. There's a lot more to discuss about this topic always.

GUPTA: There's a whole documentary about it.

BOLDUAN: Well, on that note, you can catch more of Sanjay's ground breaking reporting on medical marijuana as "Weed Two, Cannabis Madness" premiers Tuesday, March 11, 10 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

CUOMO: You did a great job for us. The cookies, I don't know why you wanted them, but there you go. Madness. It's a great title and great work.

GUPTA: Thank you.

CUOMO: Coming up on NEW DAY, move over Richard Simmons, take a sit, Jane Fonda, a new workout is sweeping the internet and you don't want to miss it. The cutest way to build those biceps and look like John Berman.


CUOMO: Look at this. How great is it? Doesn't need a story to go along with it. Look at the little one. She's looking at him, figuring out what she's doing. This is being -- it's obviously become incredibly viral. It's being sold as a new fitness craze. It's a baby work out. You strengthen your core while tugging at your heart strings when the story is CNN's Jeanne Moos.


JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So long Richard Simmons. Fond as we are of the Jane Fonda workout. It's time to inhale this. Even if Lily Ann the instructor --


MOOS: She is only 6, going on 7 months. This Tennessee baby's workout has over half a million reps on YouTube.

MICHAEL STANSBURY, LILLY ANN'S FATHER: She does it all the time. She's up then down and making those sweet noises and we just love it.

MOOS: Michael Stansbury and his wife have four kids, but their youngest who is burning up the internet with her exercise routine. Call them push ups, flanks or yoga cobras or whatever you call them, Lilly Ann does eight of them.

STANSBURY: Nice job. Yes. The swim.

MOOS: Staring into the iPad that's recording them. So dad can mimic his daughter.

(on camera): Already fans are raving about the results they've gotten from the Lilly Ann workout.

(voice-over): I lost ten pounds just watching this.

STANSBURY: I cannot verify that.

MOOS: If nothing else this baby inspired work out will strengthen your awww muscles.

STANSBURY: To the left. To the right. This way. I love you.

MOOS: Followed by a touch and then a tickle.

(on camera): Can we see her biceps? Does she have biceps?

STANSBURY: She has biceps.

MOOS (voice-over): With muscles like those at almost 7 months, next thing you know she will be weight lifting. The Lilly Ann's workout is over in a minute-and-a-half.

(on camera): Coming soon the Lily Ann work out two.

STANSBURY: This time it will be tougher.

MOOS (voice-over): Just think a work out instructor before she's even learned -- she's doing the locomotion with daddy. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.


BOLDUAN: That's just too cute.

BERMAN: My concern like with all exercise fads that sooner or later, we'll find out the Lilly Ann workout was actually bad for you so I'm concerned about liability involved here.

CUOMO: You see that love daddy has for his little girl.

BOLDUAN: I feel like Lilly Ann is going what are you doing?

CUOMO: You know what I respect about the kid, she works to failure. That's when her body quits. I respect that as a workout ethic.

BOLDUAN: Did you see those biceps?

CUOMO: She was pretty jacked.

BOLDUAN: Could it be a little chubby roll or bicep? It doesn't matter.

CUOMO: Doesn't matter. On me it matters. On her not so much.

BOLDUAN: Coming up next on NEW DAY, the latest developments from the crisis in Ukraine. We're following them for you. Secretary of State John Kerry fearful Vladimir Putin plans to expand the incursion in Crimea. Now there's a plan that could give Putin a way out.

CUOMO: A setback in court for a New Jersey teen who is suing her own parents. She's demanding they pay her high school tuition and provide child support even though they claim she moved out because she didn't want to follow their rules. What did the judge say? Stay tuned.