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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Senate "Torture" Report Out Today; Spending Bill Hits Snag; Stocks Down Around the World; Obama Appears on "Colbert Report"; Another Night of Protest; LeBron and Teammates Wear Message

Aired December 09, 2014 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Security alert at U.S. embassies around the world. Bracing for backlash as a new report reveals CIA secrets of interrogation and what many call torture, just how terror suspects were interrogated after 9/11. What we know about that report and the controversy it's creating ahead.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, new protests, demonstrators furious over the police killing of unarmed black suspect Eric Garner. We can't breathe message now on the NBA floor with the NBA's biggest stars that as Eric Garner's children share their thoughts exclusively with CNN.

ROMANS: President Obama takes over "The Colbert Report" defending his decisions on immigration, the economy and Obamacare. I dare you not to laugh.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman. It's 31 minutes past the hour. New this morning, tightened security at U.S. facilities around the world, military and diplomatic sites are bracing for the release of a Senate Intelligence Committee Report.

The 400-page report summary is set to reveal long awaited findings on enhanced interrogation, what some call torture during the Bush administration. Elise Labott has the latest from Washington.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, U.S. diplomatic posts and military bases around the world are on high alert today as the Obama administration braces for the report on the Bush administration's use of torture.

Thousands of Marines on standby after a dire classified assessment warning of a violent backlash and there was a last-ditch effort by Secretary of State John Kerry to persuade the Senate Intelligence Chair Dianne Feinstein to delay the report's release.

But we understand Senator Feinstein is undeterred and that report is expected to be released today. It is expected to accuse the CIA of lying of the use of torture after 9/11 and claim the waterboarding of three terrorists, in particular, including Khalid Sheik Muhammad, failed to produce results. Now the administration fears the report could subject American hostages to the same acts of torture and invite violent anti-American protests at U.S. embassies.

Now the head of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers is calling the report's release a terrible idea saying, in addition to the intelligence assessment, foreign leaders are warning that the release of the report could cause violence and death.

Now lots of countries cooperated with the U.S. in the war on terror at some political risk and they rely on American discretion. So if that report is released, there is a concern it could deter U.S. allies in the global coalition against ISIS because they will be fearing terrorist reprisals -- John, Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Elise Labott, thank you for that, Elise. The White House is admitting that American personnel in the Muslim world are at risk here as the Senate report comes out this morning.

Meanwhile, U.S. allies who maybe named in this report as cooperating with the CIA are thought to be especially concerned about public reaction in their countries.

CNN's Ian Lee is in Cairo for us. Ian, how is the U.S. Embassy preparing for the release of this report?

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as we heard from Elise, the military is on high alert in the Middle East. When I talked to the U.S. Embassy this morning, they say they are not going to comment on their security.

We may remember though back in 2012 when protesters breached the perimeter of the embassy. Since then, extra security has been added. There are walls. There is more police and even the military is close by in case something were to happen.

ROMANS: How can the report damage the U.S. relationship with Egypt?

LEE: Well, when we look at the CIA's relationship with Egypt, we are talking about the rendition program where suspects are taken from round the world to Egypt to be interrogated. There are reports that this has been going on since the Clinton days in the mid '90s.

A long relationship with the U.S. government, the Egyptians would not like the dirty laundry out in the open. They have a secretive intelligence community here. This could likely damage relations.

If any country is named, Egypt is likely to be one of them. But we have not heard anything from the Egyptian government yet. They are like us waiting for this report to come out -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Ian Lee for us in Cairo this morning. Thank you for that, Ian.

Breaking overnight, outgoing defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, arrived in Baghdad. He is there to thank American troops for their work helping to fight ISIS. The secretary of state, John Kerry, will be on Capitol Hill today briefing senators on the threat from ISIS.

He is all but certain to mention a new plan for U.S. allies to send about 1,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq. A bipartisan group of senators are pushing for a vote now on a bill to approve U.S. action there.

BERMAN: Still no deal on a spending bill. Lawmakers hoping to approve a $1.1 trillion package overnight to keep the government operating beyond midnight on Thursday, but talks broke down over several issues.

One of them is a last minute disagreement involving the renewal of a terrorism insurance program. Now congressional leaders say they could pass a short-term extension to give House and Senate leaders a few more days to negotiate if necessary.

ROMANS: All right, let's talk about money, an early start on your money this morning. Tough morning so far for stocks around the world. Asian stocks fell. Shanghai's index down more than 5 percent, that is a big move for one day.

The European shares, U.S. stock futures also lower. What's going on here? Two days ago, we had a strong jobs report in the U.S., but today, the feeling is the Federal Reserve has the breathing space to raise interest rates sooner than expected.

Yesterday, the Dow (inaudible) to 18,000. Energy stocks led the decline. Oil prices fell 4 percent to a five-year low.

BERMAN: The Dow has gone to bed and so must I.

ROMANS: Crude oil has gone to bed, $63 a barrel right now, down more than 40 percent from the summer. If oil keeps falling, so will gas prices, right now, the national average is $2.66. It's likely to fall below $2.50 in coming weeks.

President Obama taking over "The Colbert Report," talking health care, the economy, and immigration, how did he do it? Did he hold his own against the late night comments? Brian Stelter breaks it all down for us next.

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BERMAN: President Obama appeared on Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" for the first and what will be the last time. It was a spirited exchange. Host Stephen Colbert went after the issues of immigration reform. He called the president emperor. He even asked him why he burned the constitution. The president gave it right back.

Brian Stelter is the host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES." He woke up early to joins us to talk about this. And you know, the president went in, as they say loaded for bear. He went in with his own material. He was pretty funny too. Let's listen to one clip that I like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nation, as you know, I, Stephen Colbert, have never cared for our president. The guy is so arrogant. I'll bet he talks about himself in the third person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: The president got a kick out of that. Obviously going in and impersonating Colbert.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and did a good job at it. Even took a couple shots at Colbert. He says what do you do when something is doing well and it's growing? He said you move it to CBS. So he did have a lot of fun with it.

This stuff used to be controversial, you know, when Obama would go on Leno or Letterman. But now it has become second nature because he does have enough of a comedic wit to hold his own and because the White House has to reach audiences wherever they are.

ROMANS: I can say, there is a difference what I saw last night is different than say when Richard Nixon went on "Laugh In" and said sock it to me. I mean, the president did scripted comedy on a late night talk show, which I actually don't think should be controversial. It is a departure.

STELTER: Yes. It still surprises people. I talked to Dan Pfifer the other, their senior adviser who thinks about these communication decisions. He said every president has a harder time reaching the public. You have to go on these shows. You have to do these sort of things.

ROMANS: It allows him also to diffuse some of the criticism about him or to address it in a funny and a relaxed way. Listen as he takes on Colbert called him an emperor. He challenged him. Do you have too much power? This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: For the first time, you are asking a sensible question. What is true -- what I tried to do is to make sure that the Office of Legal Counsel, which weighs in on what we can and cannot do is fiercely independent. They make decisions. We work well within the lines of that. My preference is to get a lot more done through Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: He has too much power because Congress is not doing its job maybe.

STELTER: Colbert trying to make some news there by pressing the president on that. He also pressed the president on Keystone XL. You will approve that. At one point, the president responded and called him Bill. I think he meant Bill O'Reilly. He didn't necessarily succeed.

BERMAN: It is interesting. Sometimes it looks as if the president has more patience for the comedians even when the comedians are asking questions about real issues. He has more patience with the comedians than he does with reporters.

STELTER: Remember, Jay Carney once said the most substantial interview the president was given in 2012 was on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart.

BERMAN: But that was a kick in the, you know, what to journalists.

STELTER: Among other things it was, and on the same day, he also went on BET for a more serious interview about race relations. So you see him reaching people wherever they are.

ROMANS: The question about Colbert, his next job will be a much different job than this one. He'll have access to these people --

BERMAN: But he's going to be himself -- I don't know how he does it.

ROMANS: It will be interesting.

STELTER: You could even see him last night starting that metamorphosis toward being himself. He wasn't as pompous and quite as in character as he usually is even though he did have some fun with it. I'm sure they are lobbying to get the president on the late show with Stephen Colbert next year.

ROMANS: Any jitters to CBS or how excited are they right now for the arrival of Stephen Colbert?

STELTER: You know, they are going to have a wonderful send off for Letterman, but they think they have pick the guy that can take that franchise on for the next 20 years. They have made a generational choice. You know, Colbert, you watch him last night. I wanted the show to go a little longer. It will at CBS so that's a good thing --

BERMAN: Just like EARLY START every morning.

ROMANS: Speechless.

BERMAN: We are about to get in big trouble so be careful what you say.

STELTER: I don't want to miss the 4:00 a.m. hour.

BERMAN: Brian Stelter, great to have you with us. Appreciate it.

Now the reason we don't go on longer, let's check in on "NEW DAY." Alisyn Camerota joins us now. Good morning, Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": I like that. Coming up today, the Senate releases that highly anticipated report about interrogation tactics used by the CIA after 9/11.

Some lawmakers are sounding alarms saying the report will lead to attacks against Americans. We will talk with a former CIA official as well as a senator on the committee that's releasing that report. And protesters still on the streets over the Eric Garner and Michael Brown grand jury decisions, why are these cases striking a strong cord with so many people.

Rapper Q-Tip joins us for a discussion on race relations. Don't miss that when Chris, Michaela and I join you at the top of the hour. We'll see you guys then.

BERMAN: Looking forward to it. Thanks, Alisyn.

ROMANS: We will have the latest on those protests across the country and the "we can't breathe" message making it to the NBA and the children of Eric Garner speak exclusively to CNN. What they had to say next.

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BERMAN: Happening now, new reaction to the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. In Berkeley, California, a third night of protests did not turn violent which happened over the weekend.

More than 1,000 protesters marched in the streets shutting out subway station and halting traffic on major interstate. California Highway Patrol officers arrested scores of protesters there. Demonstrators also stopped a train. CNN's Dan Simon is on the scene.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, we are at a railroad crossing in Berkeley where protesters have been able to stop an Amtrak passenger train from moving. You see it right there on the tracks behind me.

This has been a massive protest with well over 3,000 people, but from what we have seen. It has been peaceful after those two chaotic nights on the streets of Berkeley.

But we have seen things like this and at one point, the crowd was able to shut down the I-80 Freeway in both directions -- John and Christine.

BERMAN: Thanks, Dan. Protests elsewhere brought traffic to a standstill. In Washington, demonstrators staged a major die-in at major intersection just blocks from the White House. And outside the Brooklyn Nets against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a big crowd of protesters on the streets chanting hands up and don't shoot also black lives matter.

ROMANS: Inside the Barclays Center, LeBron James and several other players wore shirts bearing Eric Garner's last words, "I can't breathe." LeBron telling reporters after the game the gesture was aimed for Eric Garner's family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: It was a message to the family that I'm sorry for their loss. Sorry to his wife and that's what it is about. Everybody else gets caught up in everything else besides who is really feeling it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Four of Eric Garner's children weighed in on the protest speaking exclusively to CNN's Don Lemon overnight. They said the wide spread demonstrations have been comforting to the family in a difficult time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMERALD GARNER, DAUGHTER OF ERIC GARNER: You know, did you see Paris? They were laying down in front of the Eiffel Tower. It is everybody. For celebrities to support the garner family because that was wrong, you know, it was wrong. There is nothing they can do to make it right, but we can fight for justice so it won't happen another time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a new ban on profiling by federal law officers. It expands characteristics from race alone to include gender, religion and sexual orientation among others. The new rules do not apply to local law enforcement and also it exempts some big federal agencies like the TSA and most border patrol.

ROMANS: We are learning more about the six people killed when a twin engine plane crashed damaging homes in a Maryland subdivision. The bodies of 36-year-old Marie Gamil and her two sons, 3-year-old Cole and an infant, Devin, were found in the second floor bathroom of their home. Three people in the plane also killed Monday. Local investigators are trying to figure out what went wrong.

BERMAN: A huge blaze that destroyed an apartment complex under construction that may have been deliberately set. It engulfed an entire block in downtown Los Angeles and shutdown two major freeways. About 250 firefighters were needed to battle the blaze. Dogs trained to sniff out accelerant have been brought in to try to assist the investigators.

ROMANS: Pictures are just something. A nor'easter in the forecast for the northeastern U.S. Pedram Javaheri has an early start on your forecast.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John and Christine, conditions across the northeast today quite a mess. We are talking about 25 million people dealing with wintry weather across the region. Generally going to be heavy snowfall and wet snow across interior New England, but look at the immediate coastline.

Tremendous rainfall, possibility of 1 to 3 inches around New York over the next couple of days. Boston, over 2 inches and then you factor in these winds that we have forecast throughout this afternoon, 3:30 this afternoon, New York and Boston with wind gusts 40 to 50 miles per hour.

Conditions should finally improve come Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. But of course, as you have the winds here and travel delays in New York due to wind and rain. The rainfall across New York City is 1 to 3 inches. The snowfall could cause power outages, 6 to 10 inches across interior New York. Back to you.

ROMANS: Wet and muddy.

BERMAN: It already is.

ROMANS: When was the last time you ate McDonald's? When was the last time?

BERMAN: I had fast food last night.

ROMANS: Americans seem to be losing their appetites for Big Macs and McNuggets. Can the golden arches turn things around next?

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ROMANS: Let's get an early start on your money. A bad day for stocks, Asian stocks hammered. European stocks, the U.S. futures are down as well. What's going on here? A few days we had a strong jobs report.

Today the feeling is that Federal Reserve would raise interest rates sooner than expected. Yesterday the Dow bid ado of the 18,000 and had the biggest one day loss since October.

Another big problem here is energy. Energy stocks led the decline. Oil prices down 4 percent to a five-year low. Crude oil is trading now at about $63 a barrel right now.

The gap between rich and poor is the widest in 30 years. That's hurting the global report. The organization represents developed countries finds the richest 10 percent of the population earns ten times what the bottom 10 percent earns.

So that gap is expected to actually slow the world economy in the coming years and the OECD says the growing inequality shows no signs of slowing down.

To fast food now, when was the last time you ate at McDonald's. Sales in the U.S. locations fell 4.6 percent in November, the steepest decline in 14 years. Millennials like Chipotle and Five Guys. McDonald's is working to simplify its big menu.

It's got a menu of everything from salads to lattes, maybe build your own build your own burger choices to lure these younger customers who want something other than McDonald's. Stock fell 4 percent yesterday.

BERMAN: "NEW DAY" starts right now.