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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Hillary's First National 2016 Interview; San Francisco Pier Slaying: Suspect's Gun Belonged to Federal Agent; Subway Spokesman's House Raided by FBI; Greece Shows Up With No Written Proposal; Chinese Stocks Plunge; U.S. Women's Soccer Team Celebrates in L.A. Aired 5- 5:30a ET

Aired July 08, 2015 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: "Star Wars" comes out before Christmas! If John Berman were here, he'd be jumping with joy.

Other big winners in the stock market this year, Netflix, biggest winner in the S&P, shares almost doubled this year, and also soaring EA Games, Amazon, Hasbro and Starbucks.

EARLY START continues right now.

(MUSIC)

ROMANS: Stunning new information in a San Francisco murder, igniting an immigration debate. An undocumented repeat felon accused of murdering a young woman. Where investigators say his gun came from, that's ahead.

Subway suspending its spokesman Jared Fogle. His house raided inside a child pornography investigation.

A CNN exclusive: Hillary Clinton giving her first national interview since entering the race for president. Why she says voters should trust her. That's ahead.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, July 8th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East. John Berman has the morning off.

New this morning: Hillary Clinton sitting down for her first interview for the 2016 campaign with CNN. The former secretary of state pushing away suggestions that voters have trouble trusting her. Instead, Clinton blamed onslaught of unfounded right wing attacks for raising questions in people's minds. She emphasized that she trusts the American people to, quote, "sort it all out."

Senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar is with Clinton in Iowa and she has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton has been dogged recently by a couple of controversies. One, her e- mail practices while she was secretary of state. She used a personal address only. She picked the e-mails that she turned over to the State Department. And then she wiped her personal server of those e- mails.

Also, the Clinton Foundation, corporate and foreign donations to her family's charity. I asked her about this fallout and if she is at all to blame for it.

I'm wondering if you can address the vulnerability that we have seen you dealing with recently. We see in our recent poll that nearly 6 in 10 Americans say they don't believe that you're honest and trustworthy. Do you understand why they feel that way?

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think when you are subjected to the kind of constant barrage of attacks that are largely fomented by and coming from the right and --

KEILAR: But do you bear any responsibility for it?

CLINTON: Well, you know, I can only tell you that I was elected twice in New York against the same kind of onslaught. I was confirmed and served as secretary of state. And I think it's understandable that when questions are raised, people maybe are thinking about them and wondering about them. But I have every confidence that during the course of this campaign, people are going to know who will fight for them, who will be there when they need them, and that's the kind of person I am, and that's what I will do, not only in a campaign, but as president.

KEILAR: And that seems to be her campaign messaging on this, that voters can trust her to fight for them. It's a turn of phrase that is very important to note as her campaign tries to deal with this narrative that she isn't honest and trustworthy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Brianna Keilar for us in Iowa city this morning.

Hillary Clinton speaking out on immigration in that CNN interview and criticizing San Francisco's treatment of undocumented immigrants. She blamed San Francisco's sanctuary city law and local officials frankly for failing to hand over an immigrant who was in the country illegally, a repeat felon for handing that person over to federal authorities before the man allegedly shot a woman to death at a public pier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: The city made a mistake. The city made a mistake not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported. So I have absolutely no support for a city that ignores the strong evidence that should be acted on.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: Breaking overnight: new information in a San Francisco shooting. A source with knowledge of the investigation telling CNN the gun used by the suspect belonged to a federal agent. This as the suspect who has admitted in TV interviews to shooting Kate Steinle pleads not guilty to murder.

CNN's Sara Sidner in San Francisco.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, another strange twist in this case. A source with knowledge of the investigation told us that, indeed, the gun that was used in this trace actually traced back to a federal agent. Now, we don't know which one and we don't know how that all came about, but we understand that the gun was recovered in this case.

This is happening on the same day that the suspect Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez was in court. He was asked whether or not he was guilty or not guilty of the crime of murder in the Kate Steinle case and he said, in Spanish, not guilty.

He was also asked several other questions, but really the only answer he kept giving the court was not guilty. He seemed not to understand some of what was going on in court.

[05:05:03] His attorneys say he only has a second grade education and that he had no prior violent felonies in his past, that this was a complete accident, a random act.

He has also talked to a couple of local stations here in jailhouse interviews and gave conflicting information when asked about this particular case. His next court date is July 20th. He is being held in jail on a $5 million bond -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Sara Sidner, thanks for that. Again, where the gun came from, that is a really important investigation.

All right. The Subway sandwich chain suspending its relationship with pitchman Jared Fogle after an FBI raid on his Indiana home. Investigators rather seized computers and other electronics. Subway says this investigation maybe linked to child pornography charges against the man who used to work for Fogle at his Jared Foundation. The Jared Foundation is an organization that fights childhood obesity.

Following the story for us is CNN' Ryan Young.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, and this is an involving investigation. In fact, we have been watching it for the last day or so. I can tell you investigators showed up around 6:30 in the morning and they went through the home. In fact, we see video of them coming out with hard drives and

computers. We also have been told they brought special investigative dogs that can sniff out hidden electronics and brought them around the perimeter of the home.

We do know when they arrived the family was inside sleeping. His wife and two kids were allowed to leave. Jared stayed for most of the afternoon.

But police, so far, not telling us what's going on with this investigation. We do believe it's connected to a former Jared Foundation employee who has been charged with several counts of child pornography.

Now Subway, late in the afternoon, released this statement that said Subway and Jared Fogle have mutually agreed to suspend their relationship due to the current investigation. Jared continues to cooperate with authorities and he expects no actions to be forthcoming.

Both Jared and Subway believe this was the appropriate step to take.

People in the neighborhood tell us they were shocked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The only thing I ever see around his home are happy people doing their yard, waving, so I'm shocked and I'm sad, of course and saddened, a great figure in our community. Just have nothing bad to say about him.

YOUNG: And, Christine, something we noticed throughout the afternoon, it seemed like Subway started going through the Web site and dropping Jared's name from several sections of the Web site. Authorities are waiting for investigators to give comments on what they found during this investigation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Again, at this point, it looks like it focuses on a former employee. Jared has not been charged.

The U.S. and world powers extending their talks on Iran. Both sides hoping to hammer out a nuclear deal by the end of the week. The clock is ticking.

Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Vienna. He's been following all of these negotiations.

Hi, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hi there, Christine.

Well, we've heard the talks described as painful, as moments of tension. Some of the key issues remain how much nuclear research and development Iran can do, inspection of military sites and other sites in Iran, and the possibility that Iran has actually been involved in developing nuclear weapons technology. This is something that they still said that's an issue on the table.

The biggest issue on the table, though, Iran's demand an arms embargo should be lifted before they will sign up to the deal and a red line for Secretary of State John Kerry. So, the impasse on that, we are not sure how that is progressing at the moment. Talks that we're aware of haven't started today. This is often typical, though, when the deadline is pushed back by a couple of days, the day after, the other deadline, things seem to sort of slow down a little bit before the momentum picks up.

But the sense is they don't know if a deal can be done and that the reason for getting to the tough issues, last, we are told, by senior administration official, is that because they hope that all of the gains and agreements that have been made so far carry enough weight with the Iranian side they will agree to compromise and give ground on some of their own red lines, so that is why this is taking on long. Of course, no one here will be surprised if the new deadline of Friday slips a bit also -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Nic.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter stunning senators during his testimony on the U.S. strategy to defeat ISIS, saying the U.S. has only trained 60 Syrian rebel fighters and far cry from the Pentagon's goal of training 5,000 fighters each year. Carter says it's hard finding fighters who are willing to focus only on ISIS and not the Assad regime.

New this morning, former CIA Director David Petraeus calling for U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan past 2016. In an opinion piece for "The Washington Post", Petraeus says meeting the Obama administration's goal of withdrawing troops by the end of the next year, would be a mistake. He fears a complete withdrawal would reverse serious gains made against the Taliban since 9/11.

[05:10:01] The U.S. Army set to cut 40,000 troops the next two years. A U.S. defense official tells CNN layoffs is likely to affect all of the army's domestic and foreign posts and an additional 17,000 civilian army employees will be laid off as well. Officials say the reduction is due to budget constraints.

ROMANS: A new deadline for Greece. A disaster in China stocks. European stocks are up for hopes for solution in Greece's debt crisis. Eurozone leaders say Greece has until Sunday to agree on a bailout plan. This is Greece's last chance to avoid tumbling out of the euro first and a huge unknown for stocks around the world.

Similarly, it's a bloodbath for China stocks. Shanghai Composite is down 6 percent and a huge move, folks. More than half of all companies, half of all companies listed have halted trading and not even trading in Hong Kong. The Hang Seng fell 6 percent. The Chinese government doing everything to rescue the markets, cutting interest rates, forces brokerages to buy billions in stocks but investors are not clearly convinced.

And, folks, you're going to see this, folks, in U.S. stocks today. U.S. stock futures down about 1 percent right now. So, looks like a sell-off for the U.S.

Breaking overnight, new fallout for Bill Cosby following his sex and drama confusion. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: New fallout in the wake of revelations that Bill Cosby obtained drugs to give women he intended to have sex with. Two African-American TV networks Bounce and Centric announced they are pulling reruns of "The Cosby Show." And a statute of the comedian has been removed from Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando. The bronze bust came down after the park closed on Tuesday night.

While the support for Cosby is generally eroding, he still has had high profile defenders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, THE VIEW: I don't like snap judgments because I've had snap judgments made on me. So, I'm very, very careful, and, you know, save your texts, save your nasty comments because I don't care!

(APPLAUSE)

[05:15:04] Only because -- and I say this -- I say this because this is my opinion and in America, still I know it's a shock, but you actually were innocent until proven guilty. He has not been proven.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: More than two dozen women claim Cosby sexually assaulted them. Many say they were drugged. Cosby has long denied the allegations and has never been charged with a crime. As for the latest revelations, his publicist says, we have no plans to issue a statement.

This morning, officials investigating a deadly mid-air collision between an Air Force fighter jet and small private plane over South Carolina. Two people aboard the civilian aircraft killed. The military pilot, he safely ejected.

This woman witnessed the crash as it happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just seen one plane coming this way, one going this way and then, it exploded in mid-air and fireball. And then the plane landed in my yard! I can't do this!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Emotional. Officials say the F-16 was on an instrument training mission into Joint Base Charleston.

Moving the Confederate flags from the grounds of South Carolina's capitol looking like a fait accompli. The state house of representative voting overwhelming to send the flag bill directly to the floor for debate beginning today. It followed a similar final vote in the Senate. Two-thirds majority in both chambers is needed to send the bill to Governor Nikki Haley who says she will sign it.

The effort to move the confederate flag grew out of a shooting last month in Charleston, South Carolina. Roof is the alleged killer. It left nine people dead. Roof faces three counts of attempted murder. Authorities say those charges are related to the three victims who survived the attack.

An independent review of the Baltimore Police Department begins today. Investigators assessing the actions of police during the Freddie Gray riots and how the department could improve. Twenty-five-year-old Gray was fatally injured in police custody in April and sparking nationwide protesters and widespread looting and arson in West Baltimore. The police department will be releasing its own report on the unrest today as well.

Another round of severe storms ready to hammer large parts of the U.S. today. A flood threat stretches from the central Appalachians to Texas. The same front that hit Indiana hard Tuesday.

Look at that. Heavy rains Heavy rains, submerging neighborhoods. Streets and homes flooded. Emergency officials helping folks evacuate from their homes. One woman says the same thing happened to her 16 years ago and now, without insurance, she says this is nothing short of a nightmare. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have water over my shoulder and inside my house! I have nothing! Nowhere to go. Nothing! We have nothing left!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Let's get to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for the latest.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, Christine.

You know, parts of 18 states, and about 35 million people dealing with flood watches and warnings this morning and remarkable rainfall totals on Tuesday for parts of the country.

Abilene, Texas, single wettest day ever observed in recorded history, 8 1/4 inches of rainfall coming down. Previous record from the 1920s was about 6 1/4 inches on record. Indianapolis, about 4 1/2 inches, also a record in Fayetteville, Arkansas, picking up 2 1/2 inches of rainfall. And the concern again, pretty expansive area. You track it. That is 1,700 miles stretch of land yet again, dealing with wet weather over the next 24 or so hours.

Showers are scattered in nature. Some working their way west of Dallas this morning. Look at the temperatures ahead of the front. Up around 80 in the nation's capital and New York at this hour. In fact, it's warmer up in New York than Panama City in the morning hours. You notice, the cooler temperatures are in place. The pool of cool air eventually pushes off to the east and quickly warms right back up by the latter portion of the week, and you go back up above average by Sunday and Monday -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Pedram, thanks for that.

The tarp monster strikes Pittsburgh but the Pirates ban together to rescue a member of the grounds crew! Coy Wire has the pictures in the bleacher report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:38] ROMANS: The Florida State football player who was kicked off the team for punching a woman in a bar facing misdemeanor battery charges. His attorney says the woman was yelling racial to him.

Coy Wire has more on this morning's bleacher report.

Hey, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS: Good morning, Christine.

Yes, De'Andre Johnson's attorney, Jose Baez, you may remember the name. He's the attorney who represented Casey Anthony. He said that there are witnesses who will testify that the woman was yelling epithets at Johnson before intensified to the point where he hit her.

Here's the video, the woman appears to grab. She knees him the chest. She throws a punch at him. Then that happened, guys.

Johnson's attorney told CNN's Erin Burnett that racial epithets was not the reason he struck the woman and he is taking full responsibility for his actions. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSE BAEZ, ATTORNEY FOR DE'ANDRE JOHNSON: He has no excuses. He owns this. He realizes he made a huge mistake and, you know, he's off the team. His scholarship has been taken away. And he is just trying to learn and grow from this experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Now, Baez also said that Johnson is now participating in faith- based service programs, focused on battered women specifically. The first court hearing, guys, is scheduled for July 22nd.

All right. Another major organization is severing ties with Donald Trump after the backlash of his controversial comments about Mexican immigrants. This time, it's the Pro Golfers Association. Trump and PGA officials announced yesterday that they mutually agreed to pull the PGA's 2015 Grand Slam of Golf from Trump National in Los Angeles.

Trump said in a statement that Trump, quote, "does not want the PGA America to suffer any consequences and backlash with respect to the Grand Slam of Golf," end quote. All right. The U.S. women's soccer team is on cloud nine flying high

as they continue to celebrate their dominant World Cup win. They were treated to a victory rally in downtown L.A. yesterday. Droves of fans by the thousands were there to show the love for the superstars.

And, Christine, John, get excited! The party is coming to New York. This Friday, they are the toast of the town where they will be given a rare ticker tape parade. The last time a non-New York-based group of athletes was given one, 1984 for Olympic gold medal winners after the Los Angeles Games.

All right. Finally, Mother Nature with the play day! Like Christine said, the tarp monster!

[05:25:01] Yesterday during the Pirates-Padres game, Pirates grounds crew got gobbled up luckily. Luckily, Pirates players like Andrew McCutchen and Sean Rodriguez and other players were there to help out. Players were there to rush and help this poor guy. I'm sure he was scared for a moment and probably more embarrassed than anything.

Guys, I got to know. Are you going to try to get to this, Christine, to the ticker tape parade?

ROMANS: Oh, yes. That is so cool! Yes. So cool. At least one Jersey girl on that team. It's a hometown parade. It is a hometown parade. Thanks, Coy.

WIRE: You're welcome.

ROMANS: A CNN exclusive: Hillary Clinton in her first natural interview since entering the race for president and taking on Donald Trump and Jeb Bush. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: A shocking development in a San Francisco shooting. It has ignited an immigration debate. The accused killer, a repeat felon, illegally in this country. Where we are now learning where that gun came from ahead.

Subway spokesman Jared Fogle suspended, his home raided by the FBI.

A CNN exclusive: Hillary Clinton talks Donald Trump and Jeb Bush in her first national interview since interesting the race for president.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It's nice to see you.

John Berman has the morning off. It's about 29 minutes past the hour.

Only on CNN this morning: Hillary Clinton goes after Republicans Donald Trump and Jeb Bush with their stances on immigration. Clinton sat down with exclusively with CNN's Brianna Keilar for her first national interview for her presidential campaign. She says she is, quote, "very disappointed in Donald Trump for his portrayal of Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug dealers. And Clinton took aim at Bush, accusing him of reversing himself and now opposing a path of citizenship for undocumented immigrants.