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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Clinton & Sanders Debate Tonight; GOP Presidential Battlefield Moves to South Carolina; Can World Powers Negotiate Syria Cease-Fire?; Russian Airstrikes Hit Close to Turkey. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired February 11, 2016 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:11] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just hours from now, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, face-off in a key debate at a key moment in the Democratic race for president. We'll break down the new strategy they have going forward.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Republicans now taking the White House fight to South Carolina, an all-out brawl to take down frontrunner Donald Trump and each other. We're breaking down all the new developments overnight.
Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: Nice to see you. I'm John Berman. Thursday, February 11th, 4:00 a.m. in the East.
And we are just hours away from a new showdown in the race for president. A PBS Democratic debate that will air right here on CNN tonight. It is crystal clear where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are drawing new battle lines for this face-off: minority voters.
After a profile meeting with Al Sharpton in Harlem, Bernie Sanders hit 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". He repeatedly brought up the issue of racial oppression and address whether the political revolution that he is calling for could end in violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT: Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable, is what John Kennedy said. If your answer is not the answer, is violent revolution inevitable?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I certainly hope not. But I hope and what the goal of the campaign is look at the civil rights movement, look at the women's moment, look at the gay moment, understand that when people come together, we can accomplish enormous things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Again, the debate tonight takes place in Milwaukee at 9:00 p.m. Senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns with the very latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, this morning, the focus is turning to Milwaukee and pivotal debate there tonight between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. It's so important because the former secretary of state lost momentum in the drubbing she took in New Hampshire, she is already trying to make changes to her campaign to appeal to younger voters.
Bernie Sanders is going to try to build on his fund raising success, as well as the big win in New Hampshire to show he is not a one-state wonder.
So, a lot riding on the debate. At the same time, the candidates are looking toward the next time the voters actually go to the polls. The pivot to South Carolina is a challenge for these candidates because of the demographics. African-American voters with big influence there.
But interesting Bernie Sanders didn't just fly to South Carolina after his big win. He went to Harlem to meet with Reverend Al Sharpton. And Sharpton wasn't issuing any endorsements at least at this point. He is waiting to meet with Hillary Clinton.
In talking with someone familiar with Sharpton's thinking, he has apparently got concerns about both candidates. There continue to be questions about whether Sanders can actually do the things he's talked about on the campaign trail. My understanding is while it all sounds good, there is skepticism about whether Sanders can deliver.
And also misgivings about Hillary Clinton, too. Though she polls well with minorities, there are questions about things Bill Clinton did as president that could affect Hillary's campaign. The wounds have not healed over the rhetoric and that sometimes divisive battle in the South Carolina primary in 2008. Bill Clinton seen as going a little too far at times.
There is also his signing of the welfare reform bill while he was president and crime bill that led to higher rates of incarceration. Bill Clinton has said he regrets that, but the source said the question is whether the African-American community is going to take "oops, I'm sorry" for an answer.
But today, the focus on Milwaukee and the latest face-off between the candidates and that debate -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: All right. Joe, thanks.
That debate is tonight sponsored by PBS, airing right here on CNN. Also your local PBS station. Live at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
ROMANS: All right. The Republican presidential field is smaller by two this morning. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and business executive Carly Fiorina both dropping out of the race. Meaning more Republicans have now quit the field, ten of them, than are still in it, seven.
Today, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson --
BERMAN: What about Jim Gilmore? We have Jim Gilmore in there. He's running an incredible campaign. He went from 15th to 7th in a course of like a week.
ROMANS: He's still stumping with all of them in South Carolina, the scene of the next primary in February 20th.
Trump way out front there, way out front. And his rivals have nine days to bring him down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump who is an extraordinary politician, apparently, and a great actor and entertainer. It is entertaining until you get, you know, insulted. Not so entertaining if you are a disabled person. That's a sign of weakness in my mind or if you disparage women or Hispanics.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We cannot nominate the candidate who has the same health care plan of socialized medicine as Ben Sanders.
[04:05:03] SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we still need to remember -- 75 percent of the voters yesterday in New Hampshire chose someone -- 65 percent chose someone other than Donald Trump. And the question is, how long will it take before, you know, we've got to a narrow enough field for that voter to consolidate?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Trump is the only leading Republican not in South Carolina today. He has left the state for Louisiana for a Baton Rouge rally tonight.
CNN's Jim Acosta is traveling with him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Donald Trump literally took a victory lap on the stage behind me as he was savoring his landslide win in the New Hampshire primary. Trump tipped his hat to Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie who dropped out of the race.
And even though Trump has been attacked by nearly all of his rivals, the real estate tycoon rarely talked about his GOP candidates at this event here in South Carolina. Just a couple of lines on Jeb Bush, that's it.
But he did spend sometime sounding like a general election candidate, hitting Hillary Clinton as somebody who can't even beat Bernie Sanders. Here is how Trump put it here in South Carolina.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She's got to get through this wacky socialist guy, Bernie. I -- listen, no, no, last night, last night, before I made my speech, I said I don't want to make it while he is making it. I let him go. He went on forever. He wants to give the country away.
ACOSTA: The Trump campaign is planning to stick with its strategy, holding big arena style rallies up and down the campaign calendar. Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told me he believes his candidate has a major advantage over the other GOP contenders in this field. Lewandowski said the campaign has staff and volunteers in 20 states. And Trump will not just be in South Carolina in the coming days, he'll be in Louisiana and Florida heading into the weekend -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: All right. Jim, thanks.
Breaking overnight, the State Department says it could release 550 remaining e-mails on Saturday after a judge scolded officials for continuing delays. About 3,700 of the emails remained out of the tens of thousands that Clinton kept on a private email server. This is a controversy that has dogged her during the campaign. The government's original timeline would have had it releasing the e-mails the day before Super Tuesday.
ROMANS: All right. The state of Ohio is poised to cut off $1.3 million in public funding for Planned Parenthood. Governor John Kasich is promising to sign the measure which already passed the state's house and the senate. He calls the bill fiscally responsible. The measure will not force any Planned Parenthood centers in Ohio to close, but officials with the group say the cuts will harm many poor women in need of health services.
BERMAN: The nation's top health officials testify today at a Senate hearing where lawmakers are considering a request from President for $1.8 billion in funding to fast track a vaccine for the Zika virus. The Centers for Disease Control now confirming it has identified the virus in the tissue of two babies who died in Brazil of microcephaly. It's the strongest link yet between Zika and these heartbreaking birth defects.
ROMANS: Time for an early start on your money this morning. Dramatic losses for stocks around the globe. It looks messy again this morning, folks, following a steep drop in oil prices.
Dow futures down more than 200 points right now. Look at that. You're going to probably see a big selloff after the huge losses in Europe and Asia. Oil's crash, the strong U.S. dollar, chaos in global markets. The Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen talking about all of that. So, did the Fed raise rates too soon?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JANET YELLEN, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRWOMAN: While there is always some risk of recession and I recognize and just stated that global financial developments could produce a slowing in the economy, I think we want to be careful not to jump to premature conclusion about what is in store for the U.S. economy. So, I don't think it's going to be necessary to cut rates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: She pointed out the job market, by the way, she thinks is strong. The Fed is saying that the job market is strong and will continue to strengthen. By one market measure, investors put the possibility of another rate hike this year, John, at zero.
BERMAN: It's pretty low.
ROMANS: Zero.
BERMAN: Breaking overnight. The FBI moves in the protesters occupying in Oregon Wildlife Refuge. We have new details coming in. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:12:51] ROMANS: The six-week standoff at Oregon Wildlife Refuge may soon be over. The FBI surrounded the compound with the last four occupiers remained holed up. It appears the armed protesters planned to exit the refuge and surrender to agents this morning.
Meantime, Cliven Bundy, the father of the protest leader, was arrested at the Portland airport just hours ago by the FBI. It's not known what the charges are, but a post on the Facebook page for the Bundy's Nevada ranch say elder Bundy was on his way to the scene of that standoff in Oregon.
BERMAN: Police in Maryland say they believe the suspects who gunned two sheriff deputies Monday was targeting police officers. Two deputies were killed in a shootout at a busy shopping center in Abingdon, Maryland, about 30 miles from Baltimore. The alleged shooter described by police as a vagrant was also killed.
ROMANS: Breaking overnight: authorities in California say they still don't know what caused a small plane to crash, killing a pilot and sheriff's deputy on board. Officials say the single engine flight designed aircraft burst into flames after hitting a mountain Wednesday afternoon. They say the civilian pilot works for the sheriff's office in Tulare County, California.
BERMAN: New this morning, the federal government is suing Ferguson, Missouri in an effort to force reforms in the police department and court system. This comes in response as the ejection of the deal with the Justice Department, a deal negotiated a report found widespread racial discrimination throughout Ferguson's law enforcement community. The city, of course, became a symbol of problems after the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in 2014. The officer involved was not charged. ROMANS: City officials in Cleveland want the family of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old killed by police, want the family to pay for the ambulance ride after he was fatally shot in 2014. The city filed a claim Wednesday against the estate asking for a $500 reimbursement. The attorney for the Rice family says they are disturbed by the city's actions.
BERMAN: The Flint water crisis on Capitol Hill as lawmakers held a second hearing on Wednesday. Governor Snyder asked the legislature for $195 million in funding for Flint. The city of Flint is now under a boil advisory following a water main break that officials say may have allowed bacterial contaminants to enter the water system.
[04:15:01] ROMANS: Free at last. That's how one passenger puts it last night from the royal Caribbean cruise ship forced to return to the port of New Jersey. The Anthem of the Seas was battered by storm in the Atlantic. Thirty-foot waves and hurricane-force winds, some 6,000 passengers were in board. For them, there's no place like terra firma.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seventeen hours. It is like a roller coaster you cannot get off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Scary, but the crew and captain were great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just like the movie. The captain and crew, it all worked out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So glad to be home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) is a liar, liar. He lies. All liars.
REPORTER: What was lying? What were they lying about?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wind speeds. Everything. He said twelve hours. It was 12 hours of sheer torture.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: People were told to go into their cabins, right, John. They were looking up at the waves crashing above them on to the ship. Royal Caribbean has apologized. Royal Caribbean says the storm far exceeded its forecast. But the company admitting it must do better to avoid situations.
BERMAN: They didn't seem like they had fun on that cruise.
ROMANS: No, no, and the reports were out there in the middle of the storm were just horrific. I mean, people could believe --
BERMAN: I'm glad they're back and I'm sure they're more happy than I am.
Al right. An arctic freeze on its way. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has more.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John and Christine, good morning, guys.
Yes, the arctic freeze ahead of us the next couple of days. Really, here with a massive trough that's in place. We're getting disturbance after disturbance. In fact, the cold air already settling in across parts of the Upper Midwest. Look at the wind chill temperatures forecast into this morning, Duluth, places like International Falls, 20 below, work your towards Friday into Saturday, could easily get to about 30 below across some of these regions, with places like Chicago at 10 degrees. And notice, the cooling trend from Saturday eventually into Sunday, 14 below in Chicago and eventually all the cold air begins to lock up over the Northeast.
This is the concern here. Saturday into Sunday morning, some wind chill forecasts have the numbers as low as 20 to maybe 30 below zero across northern New England, down towards New York City could feel as cold as minus 10 when you factor the wind chill on Valentine's Day.
We have a winter storm across western Michigan, parts of west of Virginia, also parts Pennsylvania. Of course, the lake-effect machine in place cranking a lot of snowfall in recent days, as we've seen very little in the way of freezing take place across the Great Lakes. And some light showers, say, around New York City. But accumulations generally on the light side, looking at, for the most part, say, four to six inches of accumulations on the favorite spots of the Great Lakes.
Temperatures make it to 29 in New York. Washington at 31 degrees. The seven-day forecast tells the tale, bring it down to 2 for an overnight low on Saturday into Sunday with the high on Valentine's Day only at 23 degrees -- guys.
ROMANS: That's cold for Valentine's Day, John.
BERMAN: You have to find a way to stay warm.
Happening now: the U.S. and world leaders pushing for a cease-fire in Syria. The civilian death tool skyrocket. The air strikes there increase. We have live team coverage, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:22:10] BERMAN: Secretary of State John Kerry calling for immediate cease-fire in Syria. The secretary in Germany right now for a meeting of major world powers. There is growing concern on two fronts over Russia's full throttle air support for the Syrian regime offenses against rebel forces. Not only is it threatening the peace process, it is also triggering a refugee crisis now of overwhelming propositions.
CNN has live coverage of both of these developing stories, starting with Nic Robertson in Munich.
Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, good morning, John.
The talk that is expected to happen here later today are really seen as a last-ditch gasp, if you will, to resurrect the Geneva peace talks which stalled last week. And that is opposition and the government close in any way close to meaningful talks, that gets lost. What we're hearing at the moment from the Russians is, they are now talking about putting a cease-fire on the table, possibly March 1st.
This is what the ambassador to the U.N. said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VITALY CHURKIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: We have a number of discussions with the United States, including the possibility of a cease-fire and also some humanitarian discussions. Very important discussions too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: The reality is Russia's credibility is at an all-time low. The U.N. essentially came out and said last week in Geneva, the fact that Russia was upping air strikes around Aleppo, along with Syrian government forces on the ground, that is what stymied the talks. The only thing the U.N. could do was hit the pause button and heard that they could get the talks back going again.
The high negotiating committee, the opposition's group ranges from the former prime ministers to hard line Islamist groups, they are putting their hopes on humanitarian access on the ground. That's one of their key goals here. But it's really anyone's guess.
What you have here in Munich today will be the 18 different nations that came together to get the U.N. Security Council resolution to get to the peace talks. Really, it is going to be Russia and Iran in one corner. The rest of the international community in another corner. And that explains why we are hearing from the Russians and willing to put a cease-fire on the table right now.
If they did not do that, they come out under huge condemnation with reality that they will be blamed for the failure of the peace talks here.
BERMAN: All right. A lot of balls in the air right now in Munich.
Nic Robertson, thanks so much.
ROMANS: Those Russian airstrikes in Syria are now coming dangerously close to the Turkish border and that is shifting the dynamic of the battle on the ground, while destroying and uprooting the lives of thousands of civilians. For more on that part of the story, we turn to CNN senior
international correspondent Arwa Damon for us this morning in southeastern Turkey.
Good morning, Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.
[04:25:00] Ever since the regime was able to cut off one of the main supply routes from Turkey to Aleppo, they not only split the opposition controlled countryside to the north of Aleppo, they also cut off a very vital humanitarian supply line and caused tens of thousands to come streaming towards Turkey's borders. Since then, especially over the last few days, Russian airstrikes have been pounding locations, villages and towns, held by the opposition, yes, but very close to the turkey border. Some of them just a ten-minute drive away, trying to soften the targets for regimen forces and their allies to then advance on the ground.
But this is causing even more people to try to flee with tens of thousands of them already gathered along Turkish border. Despite the fact that the country says it still has an open-door policy, its gates remain very much closed. And when those strikes hit so close to the border, there's people in those refugee camps on the other side, Christine, they can hear it, they can count the airstrikes and they are only fully aware of how vulnerable they continue to be, as long as they are inside Syria and unable to cross to Turkey.
And now, you have the United Nations, the international community, the United Nations, Doctors Without Borders, all calling on Turkey to open its gates.
ROMANS: All right. Arwa Damon for us, thank you so much for that, Arwa, this morning.
BERMAN: All right. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton just hours from taking the debate stage. They have a new chance to define this race. A big moment in this campaign coming up. We'll give you the preview next.
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