Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Joe Biden Looking At 2016 Run; Trump Ready For Thursday Debate; White House Unveiling Climate Change Plan; Is Aircraft Wing Part From MH370?; Teams Scour Beaches For Debris; California Wildfires Trigger State Emergency; Second American Wanted For Lion Killing; Greek Shares Plunge. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired August 03, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:02] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The "New York Times" reports Vice President Joe Biden has begun actively exploring a White House run. The "Times" reports that the vice president's late son, Beau, strongly lobby his father to run in the moments before he died. His other son, Hunter, also said to be in favor of a run.

But Democrats close to Biden tells CNN he has not made up his mind and that he is likely to wait past August to decide. A Biden spokeswoman says the family is still grieving and that speculation about a White House run is, quote, "premature and inappropriate."

The 72-year-old vice president would face a daunting prospect to catch up to Hillary Clinton who has already millions and staffed up a significant field operation in early primary states. The Clinton campaign right now said it is not worrying a decision by Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER PALMIEN, CLINTON COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: We will let him make his decision. However hard it is to secure the Democratic nomination is however hard it is. We have no illusions. We never thought this would be easy. There are a lot of views in the Democratic Party. You know, we will be prepared to handle whatever comes our way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: A big move by the Clinton campaign while you were sleeping. Overnight, the campaign rolled out its first set of television ads, $1 million buys in both Iowa and New Hampshire. These ads will run for five weeks. One ad tells of her mother, Dorothy, who grew up in poverty and was helped by a teacher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When she needed a champion, someone was there. I think about all of the Dorothys all over America who fight for their families who never give up. That's why I'm doing this. That's why I've always done this for all the Dorothys. I'm Hillary Clinton and I approve this message.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: It's a brand new ad right there. A lot of drama on the Republican side where a campaign consultant to frontrunner Donald Trump became ensnared at a scandal over racially charged Facebook post. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty with the very latest from the White House.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, the Donald Trump campaign announcing on Sunday that they have fired one of their political advisers, Sam Nunberg, this after it was uncovered last week that they were some Facebook postings of his that were racially charged dating back to 2007.

Now he has denied any wrongdoing said that those posts were not his. On Friday, the campaign said that they would investigate these claims and by Sunday he was gone. Now all these controversy comes as there is a spotlight right on Trump as he enters the debate stage on Thursday night as the frontrunner.

Certainly there is an understanding on his part that he has somewhat of a target on his back being the frontrunner. He said over the weekend that he predicts that a lot of his opponents will come after him. He said he is not going to throw any punches, at least not the first one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): You have to counter-punch. I'm not looking to start anything. A lot of people are getting ready and they have their little lines given to them by the pollsters. Everything is perfectly put down by a pollster of what to say and how to attack me, and you know, if that comes, it comes, and I have to handle it at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Chris Christie this weekend downplayed Trump's recent rise in the polls saying that anyone can do well for a month. He said it is up to Trump if he wants to be a serious candidate to bring it to Thursday's debate stage. Here is what he told Jake Tapper on "STATE OF THE UNION."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that Donald is going to be as serious a candidate as Donald wants to be. He will determine through the depth of his answers and seriousness of his answers whether he is a serious candidate or isn't. That is what I mean about campaigns matter. Anybody can do well for a month in this business especially if you have talent and you have personality. Donald has both those things. So let's see how it goes over the course of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, there is a potential here for a shakeup as well. Sources telling CNN that Vice President Joe Biden is considering a run. He is being encouraged by some of his friends and his advisors.

At the heart of this is what his son, Beau Biden, thought of before he passed away in May. Sources telling CNN that he encouraged his father to make a run. Now we do know that Biden has not made up his mind at this point. He is expected to decide in the next month or so after discussing it with family -- John and Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Sunlen, thank you for that. The Senate votes tonight on a bill to halt federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Senate Democrats are confident the measure will not get the 60 votes needed to advance. Some Republicans are calling for a government shutdown if it's defeated.

BERMAN: Today, the Obama administration will announce a major climate change plan designed to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal burning plants. The president calls it the biggest and most important step ever to battle climate change.

You can see the web site they launched saying those exact words, looking for 32 percent reduction in power sector carbon pollution by the year 2030 as well as a more aggressive transition to renewable energy.

Republicans and actually some of the coal producing Democratic states as well vowing to take on the administration and take them to court over this plan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already sent the letter to governors in all 50 states urging them not to comply.

[05:35:06] New information this morning in the investigation into the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Preparations are underway in France to begin examining that part of an aircraft flaperon that washed up last week on Reunion Island in the Western Indian Ocean.

Authorities in Malaysia say the flaperon is from a Boeing 777, but conclusive word on whether it is from MH-370 itself will have to wait until the examination starts on Wednesday. It's going to happen in France. Let's go there. CNN's Saima Mohsin is live in Toulouse -- Saima.

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. That flaperon arrived with the police escort in a sealed container over weekend. The lab was shutdown. It is open now first thing Monday morning. It was closed while it arrived over the weekend.

We believe today everyone who has flown in from around the world to be part of the team that will analyze it here Wednesday is meeting in Paris, at the Paris prosecutor's office.

They will discuss and share information about the investigation so far and decide how they want to go about analyzing this and proceed. There are two investigations, John.

One is analyzing the piece and investigating the plane disappearance and whether it crashed and where it might be and then there is a civil case for manslaughter. That is started up by the four French nationals on board MH-370, their families.

Manslaughter, should it have been a hijacking or terrorist activity on board MH-370, which is why the Paris prosecutor's office is leading this investigation?

Chinese officials decided over the weekend to join them too so a large group of people joining the United States NTSB coming here to analyze the piece. They will be looking, John, to see where the flaperon tore away from the main body of the plane.

Did it come off in mid-air? Did it come off when the plane potentially hit the ocean, in the Indian Ocean, which is where experts believed it to be?

This morning also, the Malaysian transportation minister released a tweet reminding everyone not to speculate that they do not yet know if in is indeed from Flight MH-370 -- John.

BERMAN: Nevertheless, Saima Mohsin, the entire aviation world focused on where you are right now in France to inspect that flaperon in the next few days. Thanks, Saima.

ROMANS: All right, the search for aircraft debris is expanding and intensifying this morning. On Reunion Island, teams are scouring the beach. A dozen objects found along the shore have been brought to police including a piece of metal stamped with Chinese lettering. Authorities say none of these objects have anything to do with MH-370.

For the latest, let's turn to CNN's Erin McLaughlin live from Reunion. Good morning, Erin.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. The search under way here on Reunion Island, but it is also happening in nearby Mauritius as well as Seychelles Islands, which is over a thousand miles away.

Coast guards there are combing the waters for clues. This morning, Malaysia's transportation minister tweeting out saying that this area is consistent with drift pattern analysis that has been conducted by experts.

Malaysian authorities are asking authorities in the area for help in identifying potential debris. Now over the weekend, a team of volunteers combing the beaches for any signs of a plane. There is plenty of room for false alarm.

This is a tiny island surrounded by the vast ocean that's full of garbage. For example, on the nearby town of San Andra, is where they found the flaperon. They brought 10 to 12 objects to officials. All of those objects have been discounted. But police again are taking this very, very seriously and the search continues -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, thanks so much for that. Keep us up to speed if anything develops this morning. Thanks, Erin.

Time for an EARLY START on your money now, Asian stocks and U.S. stock futures lower. European stocks looking a bit more optimistic. Puerto Rico defaulting on its debt. The U.S. territory missed a $58 million debt payment to its Public Finance Corporation over the weekend.

It's just a small slice of Puerto Rico's $70 billion in outstanding debt. The island's economy is in crisis after years of big government spending and mounting pension costs. The population is shrinking rapidly. Puerto Ricans move to find stable work. Puerto Rico's governor says the economy is in a, quote, "Death spiral."

BERMAN: You know what is really interesting is the number of Puerto Ricans moving to the United States. It could be a huge factor in the 2016 election because, of course, they are American citizens. They can vote whenever they go and you know, U.S. candidates are now going to be able to ignore the Puerto Rico issue because there will be voters who care deeply.

[05:40:01] Happening now, wildfires spreading across California, thousands evacuated as homes are destroyed. We have some new developments overnight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:40:00]

BERMAN: New this morning, a state of emergency declared for all of California where at least 21 wildfires are burning right now. The worst destroyed two dozen homes and threatening thousands more in northern California. Hundreds of families evacuated. Let's get more from Stephanie Elam from Lake County, California.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are inside the evacuation area for the rocky fire, and as you can see above us, that is active fire, where it has plenty of fuel that it can burn at this point. This is why we are seeing so many firefighters monitoring the line. We are standing along Highway 16 or California 16. What they want to do is contain this fire so it doesn't jump across the road. A lot of back fires built on the opposite side.

As you look at the active fire, you can see the wind is pushing it. That is a big part of the problem with fires like this. When there is this much wind and low humidity, it is the perfect environment for a wildfire for one that is ballooning as quickly as this one has.

BERMAN: It still burns overnight. We will bring you the very latest on that. Will the weather help the firefighters there? Let's go to meteorologist, Derek Van Dam -- Derek.

[05:45:05] DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, John and Christine. Unfortunately, over 20 large wildfires raging out of control across California. We focus in on the rocky fire because it has spread exponentially over the weekend, upwards of 54,000 acres have burned so far, 5 percent containment.

Over 6,000 structures threatened from the individual spot fires. Look at the rugged terrain, very difficult for the 3,000 or so firefighters battling the blazes. The weather will stay sunny and dry and low humidity for the week.

The winds will be a factor light to moderate out of the southwest. This is the dry arid landscape in California. Remember, the state has 43 percent coverage of exceptional drought conditions as we speak.

The rainfall for today will be focused over the eastern half. The cold front will bring a chance of severe weather later this afternoon. That means Pittsburgh to Columbus, look out for large hail and damaging winds. New York, it does spell a cool down for you. The middle of the workweek will feel comfortable. Back to you.

ROMANS: Thank you, Derek. Let's take a look at what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Chris Cuomo joins us this morning. Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Hello, Lady and Berman. Very provocative political question, Vice President Joe Biden, you've heard a lot of discussion about it here on NEW DAY. Will he run?

He is about 13 percent in the polls even though he has not announced. Sanders and Clinton are in front of him. There is a new level. There is a super PAC. We have a friend of the family on the show, who will make the case for why she thinks he can run.

We will get insight into where his head and heart is. He is dealing with the loss of his son and a lot of other big questions for Joe Biden. So we'll see what happens with that.

Plus Baltimore sees the deadliest month in four decades. Why? Why since all of the attention there and calls for change have gotten worse? Did you know that federal agents are embedding in the police department? We will talk about the reasons. Those are the two big headlines and we have the news for you as you might imagine.

ROMANS: All right, Thanks, Chris. Look forward to that.>

This morning, word that a second lion has been illegally hunted and slain in Zimbabwe. Once again, an American is accused of being its killer. We're live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:51:14]

BERMAN: This morning, we're learning of a second lion illegally hunted in Africa. Now a second American wanted for the killing. Wildlife officials say it happened in April and his guide hunting without a permit. This comes on the heels of the well-known lion killed by an American dentist.

CNN's David McKenzie live in Johannesburg with more on both cases. Good morning, David.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Yes, the latest is the Zimbabwean Wildlife authorities accusing a hunter, American hunter, being involved in the illegal hunt. They've arrested the Safari operator guide in question. They say this happened in April leading to questions why it took so long for the information to come out and for them to crackdown on this. They also expanded, John, the level of banning of trophy hunting under margins of the national park where Cecil the lion was lured out last month and killed by a bow by the American dentist, Dr. Walter Palmer. He received so much global outrage particularly on social media -- John.

BERMAN: The dentist, Palmer, has been called on. Zimbabwe has to extradite him to Zimbabwe to that country, any sign that will happen?

MCKENZIE: Look, experts say that it is probably unlikely the U.S. will comply with the extradition request from Zimbabwe. There is a treaty between the two countries, John. Because of the nature of the case and the situation politically in Zimbabwe, it might be difficult for them to hand over the American dentist.

It must be said again that he denies any wrongdoing. He has effectively gone to ground and temporarily shut down his practice. A representative of palmer has reached out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

There may be a bit of politics going on. There are several individuals and entities under sanctions from the U.S. because of the political situation in Zimbabwe. The fact that they are naming now another American at least to question the motivation, we have to find out what happened during that hunt several months ago -- John.

BERMAN: No doubt, legal questions. David McKenzie for us in South Africa, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right, 53 minutes past the hour. The grilled cheese sandwich could be a choking hazard. Pay attention to the Kraft Singles recall next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:57:10]

ROMANS: All right, let's get an EARLY START on your money. I'm Christine Romans. Stocks moving lower right now. Asian stocks and U.S. stock futures are down. European stocks looking just a bit more optimistic except in Greece, stocks plunging 25 percent this morning.

Stock market reopened today after being closed for five weeks during the height of the Greek financial crisis. Investors are reacting to the extensive shutdown despite restrictions put in place by the government.

Fresh off of its acquisition of DirecTV, AT&T just launched the first combined TV and cell phone plan. That means customers can pay for their satellite TV, their cell phone, and their internet services, all in one place. The plan costs $200 a month for the first year.

Kraft is recalling 36,000 cases of individually wrapped cheese slices. The wrapper could be a choking hazard. The wrapper gets stuck on there. Three-and-four-pound pages of American and white American slices. The film may stick to the cheese.

You think you pulled it off and it is not off. The company has received ten complaints and three reports of choking. They recalled 36,000 cases of that cheese.

BERMAN: Severe storms striking the Midwest. "NEW DAY" picks up right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Major storms slamming the Midwest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. Look at that. That is something else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Large hail, torrential downpours and windgusts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Obama is outlining his plan for clean power.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It's time for America and the world to act.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Taking executive power he doesn't have.

SENATOR TED CRUZ: The data and facts don't support it.

BERMAN: A possible shakeup in the 2016 race.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vice President Joe Biden is considering a run.

ROMANS: Hillary Clinton readying a new pitch to voters.

CLINTON: I believe that when families are strong, America is strong.>

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Senate votes on a bill to cut all federal funding to Planned Parenthood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I support any legislation to defund Planned Parenthood.

GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE: Selling of fetal body parts is just deplorable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Monday, August 3rd, 6:00 in the east. We are going to begin with breaking news this morning, take a look at this. This is Iowa, one of a series of tornadoes touching down in several states overnight, the worst of the storms hitting Illinois. Tens of thousands forced to evacuate from the lollapalooza music fest in Chicago.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: The wind and hail also proving deadly. A tent came down outside a festival outside of Chicago. The severe weather threat is not over yet. Chad Myers is following all of the developments for us from the CNN Weather Center. What are we looking at for today, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: More hail, tornadoes, wind damage, 110 hail reports, six tornado reports and we finally got some pictures from overnight and some of those pictures are pretty dramatic.