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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Gaza Violence Intensifies; Immigration Protests
Aired July 16, 2014 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, Israel promising more destruction in Gaza. Unleashing an intensified attack after Hamas refuses a cease-fire. And the first Israeli casualty in the conflict as well. This morning, more than 100,000 Gaza residents warned to evacuate or else. We're live with the very latest.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Also, crisis at the border. Tens of thousands of children crossing into this country illegally with no place to go, greeted by angry protesters who want them to leave. Is there any chance Congress can agree on something to try to curb this crisis?
BERMAN: Severe storms slamming the northeast. Tornadoes, torrential downpours, extreme flooding. This morning millions more facing the same fate. You need to listen to Indra Petersons about what is coming your way today.
Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. Great to see you, I'm John Berman.
HARLOW: I'm Poppy Harlow. It is 32 minutes past 5:00 a.m. here on the East Coast.
We begin with this. The death toll in Gaza is rising. It now stands at 205. Hamas rejecting calls for a ceasefire, firing more missiles across the border. Israel suffering its first fatality after a week and a half of violence, now stepping up its airstrikes on militant Hamas targets and there is no end in sight to the violence.
Israeli President Shimon Peres insisting Hamas will eventually have to back down. Until then the bombings will continue.
Karl Penhaul is live from eastern Gaza for us this morning where there have been several airstrikes in just the past hour.
And, Karl, when we were speaking at this time yesterday, Israel had accepted the ceasefire agreement and Hamas had said no way, no how. What has materialized instead?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. That ceasefire really never got off the ground. Israel said, yes, we would accept it, Hamas' military wing, Qassam brigades, said no way. They continued to fire rockets and then that started a new response by yesterday afternoon from Israel that resumed its airstrikes.
Now what has been happening overnight is that these neighborhoods that you see behind me, this is the eastern part of the Gaza Strip. Beyond that is the border with Israel. And overnight here is where the Israeli military have been dropping leaflets and making these so- called robocalls. These automated calls to residents here saying clear out, get out for your own safety.
And this morning, we have seen some civilians packing belongings into trunks of cars, moving out. We also saw an entire family on the back of a donkey cart. I said to the man who was driving the donkey. I said to him, you're not afraid? And he said look, we're afraid but we know that practically we're dead men. What should we do?
The Israelis have made good on their threat because throughout the course of the morning we have seen airstrikes going in from F-16 fighter jets on these positions. Only half an hour ago we were talking, since then we have sit and watched at least five Israeli strikes going around this area and also from a position beyond there, well, the Israeli airstrikes haven't managed to silence those Hamas rockets because we saw five from a single launch point, about eight rockets firing up into the air, and raining down towards Israel.
We don't know if there are any casualties from those rocket strikes. And we haven't heard yet whether there are any casualties from these bombing raids either. But I can tell you that ambulance crews have docked all around the edges of this area, just a few blocks away, ready to race in as soon as they get a call -- Poppy.
HARLOW: Karl, many of the residents are being told and warned by Israel to leave don't have anywhere to go. Don't have many places to go. They're being told go towards Gaza City. But they cannot leave in terms of the borders. They cannot cross into towards Israel, for example. Are you sensing in the last 24 hours that there is increased pressure from the residents toward Hamas' political wing or the military wing to come to some sort of resolution or at least to stop the bombing on both sides while they discuss a possible, a possible agreement?
PENHAUL: Well, the first part of that, you hit the nail on the head, there is nowhere for the Gazans to run to. The Gaza Strip just to put it in perspective is about the size of metropolitan Las Vegas. You talk about Gaza City, but Gaza City and eastern Gaza, there really is no division, it all blends into one. So any of the residents that we talked today they're either head to stay with other family members in a different part of the strip or go to some of these U.N., United Nations-run schools where they can have shelter for at least a period of time.
How is that translating to -- the civilian pressure on the political factions? We're not really seeing that. On the ground, yes. Residents, civilians will say that of course they want peace. They've had too many wars -- confrontation with Israel in 2012, a ground and aerial confrontation with Israel in 2008-2009. They say they're absolutely sick of war. But they say that they do want to live more freely, they want more open borders so they can get goods and services into Gaza.
They want more open borders so they can travel possibly into Egypt. They say that they want to live like real people like they do in Sweden and Norway. And those precisely are some of the aims, the political aims that Hamas is pushing for both on the political front and the military front. And so although they may not share the desire for war, they do certainly share the desire for some greater freedom of movement. And so far, we're not seeing the civilians pressuring Hamas to back down from this fight -- Poppy.
HARLOW: Appreciate the reporting for us live in eastern Gaza this morning, thank you, Karl.
BERMAN: Let's turn now to the latest on the immigration crisis unfolding along America's border with Mexico. In several U.S. states protesters are making it very clear that thousands of immigrant children fleeing Central America are not welcome in their towns. This as Congress continues to bicker over a possible solution.
Let's get more now from Ana Cabrera in Denver.
ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Poppy, the crisis on the border is no longer just on the border. There is growing frustration and concern all around the country as hundreds of undocumented immigrants are now being transferred to temporary housing facilities all across different states.
This was the scene just outside of Tucson, Arizona, yesterday, as protesters there prepared for a group of 40 to 60 unaccompanied minors to arrive there. In Maryland someone spray painted "no illegals here" on the side of the building where they believe undocumented immigrants are now staying. And governors of Nebraska, Iowa, along with other local officials have spoken out this week over concerns about health, security, and the financial responsibilities of providing temporary housing sites.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COREY STEWART, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, PRINCE WILLIAM BOARD OF COUNTY, VIRGINIA: Well, I'm concerned, I mean, as are other residents about the -- you know, that these children may be housed here permanently. And of course, there's going to be a drain on our educational system and other county services.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: And as calls for action are growing louder all across the nation, lawmakers are still struggling to come up with a solution. The president has put forth a nearly $4 billion plan to deal with this immigration crisis. Well, Congress says it's coming up with its own plan that it hopes to have finalized in the next couple of weeks -- Poppy, John.
HARLOW: All right. Ana Cabrera there for us in Denver, thank you.
Now time for an EARLY START on your money. European markets opened higher after some positive growth data out of China. In the U.S. right now futures also pointing up after yesterday's pullback. That was sparked by comments from U.S. Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen. Really a knee-jerking selloff on Wall Street yesterday. She warned that prices on social media and bio-tech stocks were, quote, "substantially stretched."
Other big news in tech, someone besides Apple will begin selling iPhones and iPads. Apple and IBM, interesting partnership here, announcing they're going to work together to sell Apple devices preloaded with IBM business software. Another two tech titans will begin selling to devices to business customers this fall with industry specific apps like banking, health care and retail.
Apple CEO Tim Cook called this partnership a radical step. The former rivals hope to merge IBM's corporate expertise with Apple's software. This is a huge push against BlackBerry which is already been struggling to get all the business folks like us on to their devices.
BERMAN: Business folks like us.
(LAUGHTER)
HARLOW: Business (INAUDIBLE).
BERMAN: It is proof we can all get along.
So will she or won't she run in 2016? Only Hillary Clinton knows for sure and maybe now Jon Stewart. The former secretary of state appeared with Stewart on "The Daily Show" Tuesday night to promote her book "Hard Choices" and apparently to tease us all as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I kind of prefer a home office.
JON STEWART, HOST OF THE DAILY SHOW: All right.
CLINTON: That's where I wrote my book. On the third floor of our house. So that worked.
STEWART: Do you have a favorite shape for that home office? Do you like it --
(LAUGHTER)
Do you like that office -- would you like that office -- would you like to have corners or would you like it not to have corners?
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: You know, I think that the world is so complicated, the fewer corners that you --
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: The fewer corners, bumper stickers being printed right now. Mrs. Clinton said speculation about whether she'll run for president
in 2016 has become something of a cottage industry. You think?
HARLOW: I think it helps sell books.
BERMAN: Indeed.
All right, tornadoes tearing through the streets, ripping up trees, damaging homes, leaving trails of destruction. So many communities picking up the pieces as they wake up this morning. But this morning there are even more warnings. Indra Petersons is tracking the very latest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: The rain just pounding a severe storm shaking up millions along the East Coast. We're talking torrential rains with damaging winds and flash floods. They caused significant damage to homes and roadways.
Check this out in Massachusetts. A tree toppled on to a home. That's from the town of Tewkesbury.
HARLOW: This same system also barreled through parts of Maryland leaving behind a trail of destruction there. Downed trees blocking roadways in Bethesda. Crews were on the ground into the night trying to clean up all of that debris.
BERMAN: Trees under assault in New Jersey as well. A powerful winds ripped this tree out of the ground sending it crashing into a home in the town of Voorhees. The family was inside but somehow luckily no one was hurt.
HARLOW: And in Maine, flash flooding left cars stranded on the streets in Madison. Thousands of residents also lost power in the coastal community there of York.
BERMAN: The craziest flood pictures of the day, though.
HARLOW: Yes.
BERMAN: From Idaho. Two inches of rain soaking Rexburg in Madison County. Over a foot of water making the area's main roads just impassable.
Look at that.
HARLOW: It's unreal what's been going on.
Indra Petersons is tracking it all for us.
You were on vacation, you left us, you came back to cover what just seems like these endless storms all across the country.
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It shows that I can't even control it either. I mean, if I wish I could bring in some sunshine but unfortunately we are still talking about these showers.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARLOW: Nice weekend on the northeast?
PETERSONS: Better here, yes.
BERMAN: Slogging through like a foot of water (INAUDIBLE). But it will be sunny.
HARLOW: Glasses work.
BERMAN: Right. Thanks Indra.
HARLOW: Thanks, Indra, appreciate.
All right. Let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY."
BERMAN: Mr. Chris Cuomo joins us this morning.
Good morning, sir.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, NEW DAY: Hey, how are you doing, my friends? I believe the headline we're using is, "children in limbo." The latest on the border crisis. Another town is fired up, protesting the transfer of undocumented children.
Now we're going to introduce you to a local sheriff out there in Arizona and what he's saying about why this is wrong, why this is bad, and you'll get to judge for yourself. And as a side note the man behind the CNN film "DOCUMENTED," he's an immigration activist and a journalist, Jose Antonio Vargas, he is the best known, perhaps, undocumented American. He was detained by the Border Patrol when he went down there.
We're going to tell you what happened to him and why it happened.
Plus, we're hearing for the first time about how the mother of the toddler allegedly killed by his father is doing. You know, the hot car case, what's being called the hot car case down in Georgia. Her lawyer put out a statement. And we want you to hear it and you can judge for yourself about what she's going through. There's a lot of suspicion around here. We're going to vet the suspicion.
Is it based on anything that would be usable against her? Or is there something very jaundiced going on here? We'll take you through that as well, my friends.
BERMAN: Look forward to that discussion. Thanks so much, Chris.
HARLOW: Thanks, Chris.
All right. Banned for life from the NBA months ago, but somehow, Donald Sterling is still keeping his hand on the L.A. Clippers. And it could stay that way for a while. The developments next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: A legal setback for a friend of Boston bombing marathon Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The federal judge in Azamat Tazhayakov's obstruction trial will allow jurors to consider statements made by the defendant to the FBI in the days after the bombing. Tazhayakov -- I apologize for the pronunciation -- accused of taking evidence from Tsarnaev's apartment and tossing it in a dumpster. Jurors will hear closing arguments today before starting those deliberations.
BERMAN: A two-year FBI investigation in Utah has led to the arrest of two former attorneys general on corruption charges. Twenty-three charges have been leveled against John Swallow and Mark Shirtlet, including receiving bribes, as is tempering and obstructing justice. Shirtlet and Swallow deny the allegations. They plan to fight these charges. They each face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
HARLOW: And when the NBA season starts in October, Donald Sterling could still be the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. That is according to Adam Silver. Silver says that the league is doing everything in its power to oust Sterling but he concedes there is a chance that the courts could step in and halt the sale of the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer delaying Sterling's removal.
All right, coming up, a direct hit to millions of sweet tooths. Hershey's hiking prices on its chocolate, saying, well, we got to. We'll tell you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning. Futures are pointing higher after yesterday's pullback here in the U.S. Comments made by Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen sparked knee-jerking selling on Wall Street. She warned that prices of social media and bio-tech stocks are substantially stretched. The Nasdaq, home to many of those stocks, lost over 0.5 percent on that news. The S&P 500 also closed down.
Former Ford CEO Alan Mulally heading from Detroit to Silicon Valley. Google has lured Mulally to sit on its Board of Directors. Mulally just stepped down from his role at Ford where he served for eight years as CEO. He has been largely credited with leading the lawmaker through the downturn without filing for bankruptcy like their rivals GM and Chrysler.
Google CEO Larry Page said, quote, "Alan brings a wealth of proven business and technology leadership experience."
Google, though, is not the first tech company to take interest in Mulally. Last year he was really rumored to be in the running to lead Microsoft after Steve Ballmer. That role, though, eventually went to Satya Nadella instead.
Also, chocolate addicts, listen up, Hershey says it will hike the prices of chocolate by about 8 percent. The maker of Reese's and Kit- Kat blamed the rise in cost of cocoa. The problem lies in growing demand for chocolate, coupled with a limited supply because of really bad weather in cocoa producing countries. The good news, you will have four weeks until that price hike so you can do it fast.
BERMAN: The good news is --
HARLOW: That's the good news.
BERMAN: You can flee.
HARLOW: You can flee --
BERMAN: You can flee or you have a month to learn to eat something else or stock up.
HARLOW: But coffee prices are way up, too, because of that horrible drought in Brazil. Starbucks prices are up. I mean commodity prices are up. This is what's happening so go buy your Reese's, John.
BERMAN: So your legal stimulants will cost you more, no matter what, chocolate or coffee.
HARLOW: They will.
BERMAN: Sigh. That's all for us this morning. "NEW DAY" starts right now.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Boiling point. Protests rage across the country. Small towns, entire states, saying no to taking in undocumented immigrants. Now the most famous of the undocumented is detained in Texas. We have the latest.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, 100,000 Palestinians told to evacuate northern Gaza as Israel prepares to strike again. Yesterday's brief one-sided ceasefire, now totally erased. And Israel has its first death of the conflict.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Lashing out. The mother of the toddler allegedly killed by his father in a hot car said to be living in a living nightmare. Her lawyer now says her every move is judged with suspicion. We break down the latest in the case.
CUOMO: Your NEW DAY starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira.
