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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Monday GOP Forum Draws 14 Candidates; Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood Stalls; Clinton Backs Planned Parenthood; How Will Fox News Decide Who's In?; Crews Battle Rocky Wildfire; Preparing to Examine Boeing Wing Part; Stocks Fall on Oil Woes. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired August 04, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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


[05:30:00] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: In just hours, we will know which 10 candidates will face off on the first debate of the season. Contenders giving a preview last night of what to expect who pulled out of the pack ahead.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Republicans failed to defund Planned Parenthood in the Senate vote last night, but the battle not over yet.

ROMANS: Breaking overnight, two killed and dozens injured when a circus tent collapses. Victims sharing their stories ahead.

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

BERMAN: Nice to see you this morning. I'm John Berman. It's 30 minutes past the hour. It happens today. There can be only ten candidates on one debate stage. By this evening, we will know which ten officially make the cut for the first Republican presidential debate.

A new CNN poll of poll shows who is most likely to get on the stage in Cleveland Thursday night. The frontrunner is Donald Trump. He's there, 22 percent trailed by Jeb Bush and Scott Walker behind them Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio.

Kind of at the bottom, John Kasich and Chris Christie, their place not as secure. This means that Rick Perry and Rick Santorum, two candidates from last time will not be in the grown up debate.

Overnight, voters across the country had their very first chance to see most of the Republican field together not in a debate last night, but one at a time in a candidate forum hosted by the New Hampshire union leader. CNN's Athena Jones has the very latest.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys. This forum was a chance for voters to hear directly from all of the candidates who wanted to participate. There was no cut off so any candidate who wanted to show up could show up.

This is all about focusing on voters in the early voting states right here in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa aimed at those voters and airing on stations in those states.

Now almost all of the candidates choose to come. There were three no shows. One of them was Donald Trump, who happens to be leading in the recent national polls and also leading in the latest WMUR poll here in the state of New Hampshire.

He skipped the forum last night and yet, you didn't hear the candidates really taking anytime blasting the Donald. Instead, they held their fire for Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm fluent in Clinton speak. You want me to translate, Jack? When he says, Bill says, I didn't have sex with that woman. He did. When she says, I'll tell you about building the pipeline when I get to be president means she won't. When she says, trust me, you got all the e-mails you need. We haven't scratched the surface. I understand this crowd and I can beat them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So there you have it, some harsh words for Hillary Clinton from Senator Lindsey Graham. This of course was not a debate. It was a forum where candidates were asked questions in a one-on-one setting over several minutes.

But it still gave them a chance to practice delivering their policy positions in a concise manner. Now Donald Trump has said he doesn't see how you can, quote, "Artificially prepare for something like a debate."

So it doesn't sound like he is spending a lot of time rehearsing, which should make Thursday evening all the more interesting. Back to you, guys.

ROMANS: Athena Jones, or he is not telling us that he is rehearsing.

It's 32 minutes past the hour. Three senators running for president had to appear at the candidate forum by video, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. They were in Washington from a vote on Senator Paul's bill to defund Planned Parenthood.

The measure failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance. Planned Parenthood has come under intense scrutiny after an anti-abortion group released a series of secretly recorded videos.

BERMAN: The group said these videos proved Planned Parenthood profits from the sale of aborted fetal tissue for medical research, something that Planned Parenthood denies. At the Republican Forum overnight, candidates staked out strong opposition to federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These recent videos show the atrocity of that and the level of depravity that we have sunk to as a nation. We simply have to stop that. If people want to do that, let them take money out of their pocket and find other depraved individuals to help them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should Planned Parenthood receive federal taxpayer funding?

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Absolutely not. This is about the moral character of our nation. It's not about whether you're a pro-choice or pro-life. Just as taking care of people who need our care is part of the moral fiber of our nation as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Planned Parenthood president, Cecile Richards, responded in a statement to the failed Senate vote on defunding and conservatives plan to try to attach defunding provisions to upcoming federal spending bill.

She said, quote, "While some insist on making continued issues on shutting down the government in order to deny health care including birth control to millions of women. That is a fight the American people have zero appetite for and a fight these extremists will not win."

Hillary Clinton making it clear she fully supports federal funding for Planned Parenthood. In a campaign video released Monday, the former secretary of state says every woman in America has the right to make her own health decisions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When they attack women's health, they attack America's health, and it's wrong. And we are not going to let them get away with it. We are not going back. We are going to fight back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:35:02] ROMANS: Clinton's chief Democratic rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, has also blasted Republicans for trying to defund Planned Parenthood. He calls it a smear campaign and an attack on women's health.

BERMAN: All right, in just a few hours, we will learn which ten Republican candidates qualify for the big debate Thursday night, the main debate in which seven in sort of the appetizer debate. We know Fox will be using recent polls. Which polls? Will they round up or round down? Why are so many complaining about this process?

Joining us now the man with all the answers is Brian Stelter, CNN's chief media correspondent and host of "RELIABLE SOURCES." Big day for Fox -- Brian.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. They are in the center of the action a. They are helping to call the GOP field. Helping to knock out candidates before the election votes will be cast. Fox had no other choice. CNN will be in position next month with our debate where we have to have an upper tier of candidates and lower tier. Fox has the consolation prize, this kiddie table so to speak, is going to be hours before the primetime debate.

So there will be a big different and it looks like Rick Perry might be the biggest loser. He is number 11 in the CNN's poll of polls right now. Fox's poll suggested that Perry will have a hard time getting into that top ten. If that is the case, a sitting governor will not be on the debate stage on Thursday.

ROMANS: It's so interesting. We know that this early in the process, things can change dramatically. You had Fred Thompson, I think, and you had Rudy Giuliani. This is very early. It deprives an important venue for some people polling lower.

STELTER: That is what Rick Santorum said. That is what Carly Fiorina has hinted at. Those are other candidates who probably won't be on the main stage on Thursday instead they'll be on that kind of afternoon stage at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

BERMAN: If they make a sound bite that gets played the next day, it has the very same effect. Look, these debates will be watched in real time, but every debate, it's how they are played after the fact. They have a chance that some candidates who did not get to the main debates in past years would never have had.

STELTER: There's even a chance maybe at a 5:00 p.m. debate to say something so interesting that they have to react to it at 9 p.m. So there could be an interesting inter mingling.

ROMANS: Some have 20 years of experience of policy and leadership at a state level or in Congress. Hard to find one sound bite to breakthrough with one sound bite in 10 minutes, you know, to try to tell the American people why you are different than the 16 others on stage.

STELTER: Right.

BERMAN: What about Donald Trump? You know, do you think that Fox is doing anything in particular to prepare for his presence on that stage? You know, you hear reports that they don't want him to overshadow the whole thing or they are excited that he's had added electricity to it.

STELTER: The moderators have said they are going to try to manage this debate very carefully and make sure no one takes over. I think there is a conventional wisdom that Trump will be rather mellow then he might sit back, be the frontrunner and not do anything to mess that up.

You know the way the rules for this debate are structured. The people with the top poll numbers will be center of the stage. That means Donald Trump and Jeb Bush will be next to each other on the center of the stage. One of the reasons why this process has been criticized, it is so opaque. We don't know exactly what polls Fox is going to use. At 5:00 p.m. today, that's the time they've decided they are going to make the decision about the top ten.

They are going to take the five most recent polls that are out there presumably including in their own poll that came out last night and average them all together and then make the decision about the top ten.

But because they have not shared much information about what polls they are going to use and things like that, it has come under criticism. I spoke to Fox News PR says they have not selected any of the polls yet so they are going to see what data is available later today.

ROMANS: Let's talk about Donald Trump just quickly about the fact that many people say he hasn't been presidential on the campaign trail so far. Will this be a chance for him to use his frontrunner status and try to appear presidential and more diplomatic to try to quiet those critics?

STELTER: It sure could be. It's by far the biggest stage he will be on. You think about the audiences for prior primary debates. You are talking 3, 4, 5, or 6 million viewers tuning in for this including some people that might not have been paying as much attention up until now.

They may have a first impression of Donald Trump, but now they are going to have a second or a third impression of Donald Trump that maybe very important on Thursday.

BERMAN: He is right now the undisputed frontrunner. More and more polls are coming out and he is actually creating more space between himself and the pack. And traditionally in debates, if you were a traditional candidate, the frontrunner is almost always the focus of attack from all the other candidates. I don't know how much the other candidates want to get in a match with Donald Trump.

ROMANS: Some of those attacking Hillary Clinton or the policies of the current president. That is where the attacks have been last night. In New Hampshire, it was defund Obamacare, secure the border. This president's policy is his -- you know, talking to Iran making the world more dangerous. That's been the focus of their attacks so far.

STELTER: That's what the Republican Party wants. The RNC has been clear. This is about Hillary Clinton. This is not about squabbling between each other. I put in the call about ten days ago from the RNC. No more name calling.

[05:40:05] It has to some extent actually worked. We have seen less of the personal attacks than we did in July.

BERMAN: Brian Stelter, of course. I think this week's debate is just a preview to the big debate one month from now at CNN at the Reagan Library. Thanks so much, Brian. Breaking overnight, two killed and dozens hospitalized when a circus tent collapses. We have new information on this horrible event next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Breaking news overnight, two people killed when a circus tent collapsed during a severe storm in Lancaster, New Hampshire. At least 27 other people were hospitalized. There were 100 people inside that tent watching the Walker Brothers circus when a powerful thunderstorm with 60-mile-an-hour winds and 1 inch hail blew through. This man's 4-year-old son was badly injured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON ISHAM, FATHER OF INJURED BOY: I believe it was a pole. It happened so fast, a pole. He took it to the left side of his upper eye and cut him open pretty good. All I saw was blood when I looked down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Officials are not releasing the names of the two people killed describing the victims as a young man and a young girl.

BERMAN: More than 13,000 people now evacuated and thousands of structures under threat as firefighters in California struggle to contain the so-called Rocky Wildfire.

[05:45:00] The flames are only 12 percent contained with 60,000 acres charred. This is just the latest in the string of wildfires that has burned through more than 134,000 acres this year. Officials say the fire is reaching epic levels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The term I'm using is historic. The reason I say that is there are firefighters that have 20 or 25 or 30 years on the job that have never seen fire behavior like we have seen in last couple of days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Forecasters say there is no rain on the horizon to help the firefighters.

ROMANS: Time for an EARLY START on your money. China stocks up a lot. Shanghai's benchmark index is up 4 percent. The Chinese government is cracking down on short selling. The Chinese government is trying to get in and boost the Chinese stock market.

U.S. stock futures are a bit higher right now. Yesterday, the Dow was down 92 points led by energy stocks. Oil prices plunged 4 percent.

A trader sentenced to 14 years behind bars for his role in the global conspiracy to rig interest rates. Tom Hayes was found guilty of trying to manipulate rates during four years at UBS and Citigroup. He is the first banker to be tried. He received one of the harshest penalties against a banker since the financial crisis.

Banks have already paid billions to settle with regulators. The Libor interest rate is so important. Everything you can think of, every consumer rate you can think of is based on that Libor rate. Rigging of that was a serious problem, 14 years.

BERMAN: Let's take a look what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Alisyn Camerota joins us now. Good morning, Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Guys, great to see you. So we will show more of that video of the police officer putting an 8- year-old boy with an ADHD in handcuffs for misbehaving. That officer has apparently done it before to another child. We will explore if the officer crossed the line and if it was illegal.

Plus a measure to defund Planned Parenthood fails. Republicans have not given up the fight. We will talk with the Planned Parenthood's executive vice president about what the Planned Parenthood group plans to do next.

We also will speak to the anti-abortion group behind those undercover videos. It sounds like they plan to release another video this morning. We will find out what they plan to do next, all of that when we see you at the top of the hour.

ROMANS: All right, thanks, Alisyn.

Breaking news this morning in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, new objects found in the Indian Ocean. New objects being investigated this morning. We are live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:51:14]

BERMAN: Investigators are making preparations in France to analyze plane wreckage washed ashore in the Indian Ocean, which could belong to missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The piece of wreckage comes from the same type of plane, a 777, as the MH-370.

We want to know what we can expect once the actual scientific analysis begins. Let's get right to CNN's Saima Moshin with more -- Saima.

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, we believe another object has washed ashore. As you know, since that first major object landed on Reunion Island last Thursday, people are gathering and rallying together. Not just police, but local people, trying to comb through everything they can.

I must point out nothing else has been identified as being from an aircraft. Let alone from MH-370. The most important piece is inside this lab right now, John. It is going to be tested and analyzed tomorrow. That's Wednesday here in Toulouse in the south of France.

This is the high tech lab as we discussed over the last few days. It's the best place for it to be tested. On Monday evening, all of the bodies flying in from the United States, from Malaysia, from China and of course, French officials gathered yesterday to discuss exactly how they want to proceed with the investigation.

We also understand, sources have told CNN, that the NTSB, the United States air safety board and Boeing will meet today. We understand that all those bodies are traveling down from Paris to Toulouse to be here for opening that box tomorrow. Tomorrow they all have to be present when they open that seal to investigate the flaperon -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Saima Mohsin, a big day in the world of aviation investigation. Thanks so much, Saima.

ROMANS: All right, there is a big dramatic debate in business world this morning. Are you always freezing at work? Why that may be a sign of gender bias at your office.

BERMAN: But I'm cold too. I don't understand.

ROMANS: I would say you are one cold anchor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:57:21]

ROMANS: Good morning. I'm Christine Romans. Let's get an EARLY START on your money this Tuesday. U.S. stock futures barely moving. Yesterday, there was a dip. The Dow fell 92 points, weak manufacturing and falling oil prices.

Oil inching up a bit this morning, but yesterday, that slide was 4 percent, look at that, $46 for a barrel of crude. Producers increasing output.

Is your office freezing cold? It turns out that blasting air conditioning might be bias against women. According to research, modern offices set their temperatures based on the metabolic rate of a 40-year-old, 155 pound man.

That may describe the typical workers in the 1960s, but not anymore. Women are most likely seen wrapped in blankets in the office or sweaters. This research came out late yesterday. A woman in Omaha wrapped in a blanket and she's freezing cold in her office.

BERMAN: Do women get cold more easily than men?

ROMANS: Women have a different metabolism. The way you feel at 68 degrees in the office is different from how I feel at 68 degrees in the office.

BERMAN: Which Republicans running for president will take the stage in the first debate of the primary season? "NEW DAY" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Republican presidential hopefuls at the voters first forum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not too late for America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll stand for the American worker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The frontrunner was noticeably absent.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not a debater.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump is still surging above the rest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy is for real.

TRUMP: All bets are off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sickens me to see what's going on with Planned Parenthood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Planned Parenthood provides valuable health care services.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They should not fund Planned Parenthood.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is about the moral character of our nation.

BERMAN: Outrage over a new video.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why would that ever be OK?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Tuesday, August 4th.

Up first this morning, it is bigger than even the Donald. What is? The discontent of part of the GOP. It is not going away that combined with media attention and combining to lift Donald Trump in not one, but several new national polls.

Putting him way ahead before the first Republican debate. Bloomberg has trump with a 2 to 1 lead over Jeb Bush, 21 percent to 10 percent among Republican voters.

CAMEROTA: It does not stop there. A new Fox poll has Trump reaching a new high, doubling his support.